Recover your sleep
Have you ever reviewed your sleep? Have you taken a look at your sleep patterns and do they make you feel rested and invigorated?
It looks like there is a pandemic out there with regards sleep and lack of? Research is showing that many are not getting a nourishing nights sleep and that many are either unable to get off to sleep or awake during the night. This all impacts on the next day’s performance and can leave you exhausted and feeling sluggish.
Do you have a set routine to your sleep? is it working or not working for you?
Best to get a routine and find out the right amount of hours that suits you. That could be 7 hours, 8 hours, or even less. Avoiding caffeine after lunch needs to be built into your daily habits and maybe exercise instead in the afternoon when we all have that slump. Finding a simple yoga sequence before going to bed really helps too. This will allow you to glide into your para-sympathetic state, finding calmness and relaxation to the body. The body then cant start to repair and restore.
Yoga postures could include Child’s Pose, Cat and Cow, Supported Bridge and Supine Twist - all these could be done on your bed before you get under the duvet. Take these real slow and extend your exhale.
What do you do if you wake in the night? Have you thought what wakes you up? There is nothing worse waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back off to sleep. Your mind goes into over-drive and thoughts come fast and furious. maybe try writing those thoughts down, a stream of consciousness, not taking pen off the paper. Set a time say 5 minutes. Perhaps you could close your right nostril off with your thumb and breath through left nostril for 2 mins. Give these ago and see - can beat counting sleep.
Leave the phone outside the bedroom and take a break from it an hour before bed - see how that goes if you are noticing disruptive sleep.
There’s nothing like a restful nourishing nights sleep and finding ways to make that possible isn’t expensive. Its not luxury products but incorporating restorative yoga practices, breathing and quietening the mind through journalling to name just a few inexpensive routines and habits.
Give 1 or 2 a go - snuggle under that duvet and see how it goes as you snooze away