If you severely suffer from sleeping disorder you must consult a doctor. If you always have been a light sleeper and your sleep is easily disturbed by noise, light, digestion issues, dreams or anything else, please continue reading my 7 super simple, practical and easy to follow Life-Coaching tools for better sleep.
Simple Steps for Better Sleep
- Your Sleeping Schedule
Start a daily sleeping routine by going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time. If you can’t sleep, then tell yourself it is ok to just relax the body and allow your mind to wander or dream. Focus on relaxing your muscles and observe your breath going in and out without you having to control anything.
Ideally, you experiment for some time to get up at 6AM and go to bed around 10PM. On the weekend you vary only by a maximum one hour, to get you on track. 7AM to 11PM is a beneficial schedule as well, however, the 6AM wake-up time has some special benefit to it. Best is, to just experiment for a few weeks!
2. Your Eating Habits
Eating your last meal before 6PM helps you to relax easier, having digested meals at the time you go to bed. It can make you sleep easier and deeper. Just experiment. When eating, make sure to eat consciously, tasting every bite. Don’t watch TV or read while eating. It is you treating your body.
3. Your Drinking Habits
Obviously, coffee, tea and any kind of stimulating drinks such as alcohol can disturb a good night sleep. If you really want to sleep, stay away for some time and then just ad one cup of coffee a day, or only once in a while. If you like a glass of wine or a beer sometimes, drink it not just before going to bed.
4. Your Information Intake Habits
Find out what happens if you don’t watch TV, no news, no videos, maybe just reading a bit. Find out the difference if you engage in discussions before bedtime versus being all quiet, just feeling inside or observing the body, mind, feelings or breath. If you really want to sleep, do the experiment: quiet time one to two hours before bedtime. Enjoy that quiet time. Nothing to lose, everything to gain in those times of silence.
5. Your Exercise Habits
If you don’t use your body adequately, it is hard for the body to relax and sleep. Give yourself the benefits of at least a brisk 20Minute Walk outdoors every day or any other form of sport that you ENJOY. If you go to the Gym, make sure you don’t do there with resistance. Do it, if you like. Find out how it is more fun, e.g. by going with a buddy. Practice dancing or rollerblading or jogging outdoors. Anything that might feel good. At least a brisk walk in nature. If you feel resistance, try listen to some relaxing or uplifting music while exercising. Let it be a loving experience. “I must” transformed into “I choose to”. Try new activities. Slack-lining! Climbing! Horseback-Riding. Golf. Found a Walking Group. Take your chorus for a walk. Anything you choose, SMILE!
6. Your Relaxation Habits
How do you relax? Many people have a coffee break or smoke a cigarette or have a beer. It gives them the illusion of relaxing. Really relaxing physically and mentally may take your conscious loving, kind choice though. It is like deciding to train your relaxation muscle. You have it and it needs to be used regularly in order to work properly.
If you don’t have any healthy Relaxation Habits yet, try different ones. Check out Meditation! If sitting still seems difficult for you, try Walking Meditation, Qi Gong, Yoga, Tai Chi or Muscle Relaxation. Listen to meditation music or guided meditation. Download a meditation app and practice. (e.g. Headspace, programs from MINDVALLEY or Daily OM). Make it your new exiting hobby to try out different techniques. Socializing with conscious people e.g. during your newly founded walking group can be relaxing and nourishing as long as you don’t engage in gossiping and don’t do it right before bedtime.
7. Practice Non-Judgement
When it comes to habits, especially when it comes to Thinking Habits:
Accept what is, e.g. that your thinking mind is thinking. That’s what it does. You might engage in worries and doubts. Realize this habit and instead of judging it, focus on choosing something else:
You have the power to focus on the thoughts or decide to let them go and come back to e.g. breathing or observing and feeling the air entering the belly and flowing out again, with your placed hands on it.
Do not judge into good and bad. BE OK with what is, if you like it or not. Letting go of judgement is fostering relief and helps letting go of attachment. Experiment and see what happens!
If you are in bed at night and think, you can’t sleep because you think, take a step back: don’t judge, don’t take it so serious, don’t engage in it. Just allow it. You may also choose to think about a dream you would like to dream. Or imagine your breath nourishing your body and visualize how fresh breath enters the system while used air is exhaled automatically without you forcing anything. Just observe and enjoy.
It takes time to change thought patterns and habits. That’s why reglar meditation is so powerful and important. Instead of judging the fact that the thinking mind seems to want to engage in thinking, start being loving towards yourself. Observe, let go, without engaging more deeply. Come back from thinking to focusing on the feeling of love or gratitude. Switch from engaging in thinking into engaging into feeling gratitude. Make it an experiment. Be curious. Don’t judge. There is no good and bad here. Just experiences and you observing and letting go.
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