Have you ever lain awake at night with 101 thoughts racing through your head as you toss and turn, struggling to fall asleep?
If you work from home, have young children, or looking after elderly parents, it can be even more challenging to manage that thin line between work commitments, home responsibilities and tending to self-care.
Learning to unwind, release tension from your body and let go of your thoughts so you can enjoy a good night’s sleep is vital to your health and wellbeing.
However, in the pursuit of “doing it all”, many people, especially women, treat sleep as a luxury and stay up late catching up on all the things they feel need doing, before going to bed.
Globally insufficient sleep is a growing concern as it leads to an array of health and economic factors.
How Can I Get A Good Night’s Sleep?
After a demanding day at work and the ever-constant pressures of caring for others, your body craves rest.
Yet your mind is overstimulated as you struggle to unwind and create some quiet space in your head.
If you are new to meditation, here is a simple 10-step guide to help you improve your sleep.
1. Set a time to finish your household chores and work commitments at least 1 hour before you go to bed.
2. Tell your partner and family that after this time you are “Out of Service.”
3. Gather up your favourite bath/shower products and indulge yourself fully in your bath or shower.
4. After your shower/bath, massage sweet smelling body lotion into your body.
5. Give yourself a loving foot massage followed by a hand and finger massage.
THEN:
6. Lie down on your bed, make sure you feel comfortable. Wiggle your fingers and toes and relax them
7. Close your eyes and take a long steady breath in through your nose and slowly breathe out through your nose.
Repeat 3-5 times as this helps to clear and settle your thoughts.
8. Next, breathe in slowly for a count of three through your nose and slowly breathe out for a count of six through your nose.
9. Repeat this pattern of breathing in for 3 and out for 6, for ten rounds.
Be aware of the rising and falling of your belly as you connect with your breaths.
Allow your body to sink into the mattress as you stay focused on the feeling of relaxation and ease flowing through your body.
10. When you are ready to lay down in your usual sleep position and give yourself a hug, whisper a few quiet words of gratitude for your life, and gently drift asleep.
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Sleep well, gentle soul.
I hope you have a good night’s sleep and wake up refreshed, alert and energised…
Hugs, peace and care
Ntathu xxx
Today’s post is adapted from an article I originally published on Ezine articles.
Photo by Mpho Mojapelo on Unsplash
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