Sleepless

 

 

The night walked down the sky with the moon in her hand. ~

Frederick L. Knowles



 

 

During the holiday season, we long to fall into bed, into a deep escape of peaceful rest.  When we finally are able to stumble to bed, either overstimulated or exhausted, our eyes may close, but sleep keeps its distance. 

 

There are many suggestions:  do not have a TV on in your room; do not exercise prior to retiring; and if you don't fall asleep within 15 minutes get back up and try again later.  We all have heard numerous solutions  and consequence to this problem.  If we do not sleep, we become irritable, more prone to depression or illness, and certainly have less focus.

 

Here are a few things that might help prior to bed time:

a.  Jot down a list of things of what you accomplished or happened that day.

b.  Make a list of things you intend to get done tomorrow.

c.  Take a nice long bath with bubbles to lighten the mood or Epsom salts to relax the muscles. d.  Burn a candle and listen to some soothing music.

e.  Take a shower with a favorite shower gel gently washing away the hardest parts of the day.

f.   Read a favorite poem, affirmation, or passage from a prayer book.

g.  Keep a grateful journal and write down at least 10 things to be grateful about.

h.  Gently stretch your body with yoga using either corpse pose or child's pose.

 

Things to  do at bed time:

a.  Take three long breaths: breathe in, pause.  Breathe out pause.

b.  Focus on the toes relaxing, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, working up to the top of the head.

c.  While breathing slowly, and relaxing the body, create a peaceful scene in your mind.

d.  Recite positive affirmations:  I will sleep soundly.  Thank you for a good night's sleep. 

e.  Place an eye cover over your eyes to indicate to the body it is time to shut down.

 

If awakened in the night:

a.  Repeat earlier breathing practice

b.  Repeat relaxing the body from toe to head.

c.  Change sleeping location. (Sometimes we can go right back to sleep just by relocating.)

e.  Create peaceful visualizations or dreams in your imagination.

 

Random thoughts:

We might want to check  our thermostats.  Is the room too cold or too hot?  Try to sleep in different pajamas.  Consider bedtime by questioning if we are going to bed too early or too late.  If we go too early, we are not ready for sleep and we begin tossing and turning before we even enter sleep mode.  If we got to bed too late, we are overly tired and falling asleep is even more difficult.  

 

What frequently happens is we keep our days accelerating at fast paces.  We push thoughts out of our minds and then when we finally become still in bed, our mind fills with busy thoughts earlier repressed.  Every one of us can benefit from down time or alone time in addition to our bedtime.  We need an arena where we can place our worries or concerns which eliminates them as bed partners.  If we have relationship problems, confronting a partner at bed time is about the worst idea one can have. 

 

If sleep simply doesn't arrive, just try to rest calmly.  If that doesn't work, then get up, do not turn on the TV, but do something creative like sketching, needlework, journal, or a relaxing activity that will allow relaxation by distraction. 

 

We all deserve and need a good night's rest.  Give your lovely self permission  to sleep deeply, safely, and comfortably.  If you can, place your self in the care of the Divine. Gently call angels or masters to be by your side.   Be nice to you!