Helpful Tips for Insomnia – Getting to Sleep and Staying Asleep!

Do you have Trouble Falling Asleep or Staying Asleep?

If Sleep is elusive to you, you are not alone. Insomnia is one of the most common issues people over the age of 50 experience.

Have you heard of the term “Sleep Hygiene”?  Just like we all know the importance of washing our hands as an example of good hygiene in order to reduce the spread of germs, Sleep also has a hygiene associated with it. But Sleep Hygiene can feel tedious, time-consuming and even life-altering — we usually tend to hold onto our lifestyle habits vehemently… until we are forced to change.

Let’s check in on what is considered good Sleep Hygiene and see if there is anything you can change to improve your quality of sleep.

The Time you Exercise is Important

We all know that exercise is good for our health. It keeps our metabolism in check, strengthens our physical structure and greatly improves the inner workings of our body. But many types of exercise actually stimulate our body and if done before bedtime, can make it difficult to fall asleep. Your body’s temperature rises and your cortisol levels are higher when you exercise… this is the opposite physical state you want to be in when you’re trying to get to sleep.

Yes, changing  your workout schedule might be a huge inconvenience for your lifestyle. But with some adjustments, you should aim to do your most active exercises earlier in the day, and only do Gentle, Yin or Restorative Yoga practices an hour or two before bed. Another option would be to try a Guided Meditation or Yoga Nidra about an hour before going to bed. These calming practices will help you cross the bridge between your busy day and your restful night.

Tip: Avoid stimulating Exercise 3-6 hours before Bedtime

Ideal Time to Eat Before Bedtime

Eating revs up your digestive juices and creates an internal fire… which is the opposite feeling you need for a relaxing sleep! It can take several hours for your body to properly digest your food and you want to give it the best environment to do so. If you go to sleep shortly after eating a meal, you won’t give your body ample time to digest and burn off the calories you have just ingested. Instead of being used as fuel, those calories will be turned into fat and stored in the body.

If you are an “Early Bird Special” type of dinner-eater, then you have plenty of time to let your digestion work through its course. But, if you are a late-night dinner-eater, then go for a meal that is easy to digest. Examples of easily digestible foods would be fruits, vegetables, rice, sweet potatoes, chicken and salmon. Foods that are harder to digest include spicy and/or fried foods, beans, cabbage and citrus.

Tip: Finish Eating at least 3 hours before Bedtime

Shut off All Your Devices

These days, many of us live on our devices. Scrolling on our smartphones, reading on our tablets, and/or binge-watching on our smart TVs are a big part of our waking life. All of these devices produce light that is stimulating… and depending on what you are looking at, your nervous system can be provoked into a state of arousal and alertness. Needless to say, we need the opposite to go to sleep.

For those of you who like to fall asleep with the TV on, consider this: Even though you are asleep, your subconscious mind is never sleeping — it is always listening and absorbing everything word by word. Even while you sleep, it is active and continues to capture what is going on in your surroundings. Hmmm, what are you watching or listening to that is being fed into the deepest part of your being?

Tip: Turn off Devices at least 1 Hour before Bedtime

Sleep and Wake at the Same Time Every Day

Our circadian rhythm aligns our sleep and wakefulness with day and night. It is an innate function of our human physiology. The darkness of night signals the production of melatonin, a natural hormone that relaxes you and helps you to sleep. Our body’s circadian clock responds to light, as a signal to be awake. Honoring these natural cycles will create a predictable rhythm in your life that includes a restful night’s sleep.

Want to get 7 Hours of Sleep every Night? Try going to bed by 10 or 11pm every night, and wake up around 6 or 7am every morning. If you’re a night owl, this may seem impossible because you find your stride about 10pm! But you need to ask yourself to prioritize what is more important… staying up late or getting a good night’s rest? On the other hand, if you have work hours that conflict with this optimal circadian rhythm, you may have to artificially adjust the light/darkness in your bedroom to create an optimal sleep environment.

Tip: Close out your day at 10-11pm, Awake by 6-7am

No Reading in Bed!

This last Sleep Hygiene tip can be challenging for many. There is nothing like getting cozy with a good book, a warm cup of milk or tea, and settling into a reading adventure before you go to bed. The trouble with this is when you do it in bed! If you find you are working or reading in bed, you have taken away the sanctuary of your bed which is a special place in your life. Treat it that way.

Escape from your Day and Ease into your Night. Try to make the transition from your day time life into your night time life when you get into your bed. There are only two things to do in bed: sleep and have sex. And both are very enjoyable experiences.

Tip: Your Bed is for Sleeping and Sex, and that’s it

Yoga Nidra to Release Stress & Achieve Lasting Relaxation with Melissa West