I used to have a lot of trouble sleeping. And occasionally, I still do. Some nights I can lie awake all night or just toss and turn till morning.
Over the years I have tried many many things, and have finally worked out what works for me and wanted to share it.
It’s important to get prepared – try not to finish up whatever you are doing and just go and lie down in bed. Our bodies need time to unwind first. Make this a priority every night. Allocate half an hour to this routine and give your body the best chance of sleep.
No screen time
The screens on our devices emit a blue light that interferes with our circadian rhythm (the natural daily rhythm of our body). The light delays the release of melatonin meaning that after using it, it will take us longer to go to sleep. Not only that, staring at a screen increases our alertness and can trigger our emotions. Scrolling through Facebook and seeing something upsetting can induce anxiety, delaying sleep or even just impacting the quality of our sleep.
Tip – If you must look at a screen, turn on the blue light filter or night setting on your phone or device. This filters out the blue light.
Engage in a tactile activity
For me, the time before bed is for reading a physical book or playing sudoku. Physically touching an object seems to help me to relax. There is nothing quite like curling up with a good book.
Food
Try and eat well before you go to bed (2-3 hours) to allow your body to digest the food. If you enjoy a hot beverage, make sure it doesn’t contain any caffeine. Try a chamomile or peppermint tea. If you have tried my suggestion of thyme tea, bedtime is a great time to enjoy a cup.
Strangely, if I eat beef for dinner, I cannot sleep, and I’m not sure why. I mentioned this to a friend and she told me she has the same problem. The only time that it makes a difference is if the beef is organic and the animal has been killed humanely.
Meditation
Meditation can be an immense help with sleep, especially a guided meditation. If your mind is racing, listening to someone guide you through can really be a wonderful distraction and way to calm down. I have a free deep calming sleep meditation available on Insight Timer. I’d love to know if it works for you.
For more tips on a good night’s sleep, take a look at my previous blog on how to sleep better.
I hope this helps.
Julie Lewin – a world renowned Medical Intuitive started her journey in the art of intuition in 1984. She appeared in four episodes of the TV show “The Extraordinary” in 1994/96 which was syndicated to 22 countries. She’s a published author, co-author of which 2 x Amazon #1 Bestseller and has a Bachelor in Metaphysical Science. Julie won the Our Internet Secrets Business Builder Award 2013, founded a charity in 2004, is a global & multi-language meditation teacher on Insight Timer, Brainwaves, NOW & OliOli apps and runs transformational 1:1 retreats.
Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash
