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Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine for Better Sleep

6/3/2023

Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine for Better Sleep

Do you struggle with insomnia or find it challenging to get a good night's sleep? Establishing a bedtime routine can work wonders for improving your sleep quality. Just like children benefit from a consistent routine, adults can also find solace in a soothing nighttime ritual. Here are three simple steps to help you create your own relaxing bedtime routine:

Step 1: Set a Bedtime:

Choose a time that allows you to get enough sleep based on your desired waking-up time. Count backward from your ideal waking time and add half an hour to determine your bedtime. For example, if you aim to wake up at 7 AM and need 7-8 hours of sleep, your bedtime should be around 11 PM. Adjust this timeframe to suit your preferences and sleep requirements.

Step 2: Design Your Personalized Routine:

Creating a relaxing routine involves selecting one to three activities that promote calmness and prepare your mind and body for sleep. Consider incorporating the following ideas into your bedtime routine:

a. Set the Stage for Relaxation: Dim the lights to create a soothing ambiance. Consider using candles or soft lighting instead of bright overhead lights.

b. Engage in Calming Activities: Choose activities that help you unwind and relax. Some options include:

Enjoying a Warm Beverage: Sip on a cup of herbal tea, warm milk, or a calming blend specifically designed for sleep.

Taking a Soothing Bath or Shower: Enjoy a warm bath or shower to release tension and promote relaxation.

Listening to Relaxing Music or Nature Sounds: Try the sounds of rain or wind, or any music that you find soothing.

Practicing Mindfulness or Meditation: Engage in guided meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness techniques to quiet your mind.

Reading or Listening to Audiobooks: Choose gentle, non-stimulating books or soothing audiobooks to help shift your focus away from daily concerns.

Journaling or Gratitude Practice: Reflect on your day, jot down your thoughts, or write down a few things you are grateful for.

Incorporating Gentle Stretching or Yoga: Perform gentle stretches or a relaxing yoga sequence to release physical tension and promote relaxation.

Using Essential Oils: Diffuse calming essential oils, such as lavender or chamomile, or apply them topically to promote a serene environment.

Engaging in Relaxation Exercises: Explore guided relaxation exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization techniques to ease tension.

Try Self-Massage: Apply a light oil and gently massage your face and scalp, or try a one-minute foot massage using oil or lotion.

c. Establish a Consistent Wind-Down Routine: Perform these activities in the same order, at the same time, every night.

Step 3: Stick to Your Routine:

Follow your bedtime routine consistently. Routines have a soothing effect on the nervous system and help signal your body that it's time to wind down. Remember, it's normal for it to take around 30 minutes to fall asleep. Be patient with yourself and embrace the relaxation your routine brings. Avoid using your phone or electronic devices in bed, as they can disrupt your sleep. If you use an app for guided relaxation exercises, set the brightness to low and set the phone down while you listen.

Conclusion:

By implementing a regular bedtime routine, you can create a peaceful transition from the activities of the day to a restful night's sleep. Over time, your mind and body will associate the routine with relaxation and sleep, enhancing the benefits. Give your routine a couple of weeks to settle in and assess if you notice any improvements in your sleep.

Remember, the key is to find what works for you and make your routine enjoyable. Sweet dreams await as you embark on this journey to better sleep. If you have any tips or insights on bedtime routines, please share them in the comments below.

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Quick Calm Technique - 5 4 3 2 1

5/21/2023

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Quick Calm Exercise: 5 4 3 2 1

This quick and easy practice will bring you back into the present moment, help you let go of worries, and get back to doing whatever you want to be doing. It need not take more than a couple of minutes.

Scenario: You notice that you are experiencing any of the following: racing thoughts, overthinking, feeling distracted, unfocused, worried, anxious, or fearful.

Acknowledge and accept: Take a moment to notice what’s happening with yourself and try to accept that you are feeling this way with a non-judgmental attitude. It is what it is, you are a human being with a nervous system that just does this stuff, just like the rest of us. It’s part of being human and does not mean there is anything wrong with you.
5 things you can see: Sit down if possible. If you are in a standing situation, like waiting in line, that’s fine too. Look around yourself and notice 5 things you can see, one at a time, and describe to yourself what you are seeing. Say to yourself the name of the thing, the color, shape, and any other qualities you notice visually. See if you like the way the thing looks. Observe and notice any visible qualities of each object or image.
4 things you can touch: Next, scan your environment for things you can touch. Go ahead and palpate one thing at a time, noticing the texture, temperature, and how it feels to touch it. Perhaps an item of your clothing, a coffee cup or pen, a countertop or paper, anything will do. Is it soft, smooth, rough, bumpy, cool? One thing at a time, noticing.
3 things you can hear: Listen and focus in on 4 different sounds in your environment. Try to narrow your focus onto each distinct sound for a moment. Is there a clock ticking, refrigerator or fan running, are there sounds of birds, traffic in the distance, voices, or just the humming in your ears? Notice and tune in to the sounds, one at a time.
2 things you can smell: Is there anything you can smell nearby? If so, take a nice inhalation and notice. What is it like to stop and smell the flowers? Is there a pet you could sniff? Some soap or lotion? It is ok if it’s not your favorite smell, anything will do. If there is nothing to smell then simply imagine a smell you like. You could imagine a forest of pine trees, the smell of peppermint, pumpkin pie, lavender or a rose. Notice what it’s like to take in the scents.
1 thing you can taste: If there is anything you could taste, for example, a beverage, gum, mint, or even a sip of water, go ahead and taste it. Notice the flavor, texture and experience of tasting. If there is nothing available to taste then instead imagine any taste you would like or that you can remember: coffee, chocolate, mint, or even lemon, whatever you want. Let yourself experience your reaction to the real or imagined taste.
Enjoy your refreshed state of mind: If you were able to complete the 5 4 3 2 1 exercise, your mind just got to take a vacation from the worried, anxious, or overactive state it had been in. You practiced somatic based meta-cognition. Meta-cognition is a fancy name for taking charge of your own thoughts. (I often refer to this as “changing the channel”, because it’s as if you are choosing to tune in to a different radio station in your brain.) It’s a skill you can learn by practicing. You also shifted your focus away from the cognitive channel (thinking about things) and into the sensory (feeling sensations). Sensory awareness is linked with interoception, the ability to feel what is happening inside of yourself. Interoception is a skill you can learn and strengthen through practice. This type of perception is linked to greater empathy, self-awareness and self-efficacy. In other words, this little exercise is good for your mind, your mood, and your happiness.

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ocean breath - a guided mindfulness breathing practice for focus and relaxation

5/20/2023

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Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine for Better Sleep

May 31st, 2023

May 23rd, 2023

Quick Calm Technique - 5 4 3 2 1

ocean breath - a guided mindfulness breathing practice for focus and relaxation

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