Sleep: The Missing Key

Hey Everyone!

I keep wanting to write about sleep. Ironically, I don't get nearly enough so it's been hard to set aside time to concentrate on writing about getting more sleep!

For myself, I find that late in the evening is the only time I feel everything's really calm. Most of my neighborhood is asleep and I can really tell. The energy at night is just so peaceful plus I get to hear the coyotes, foxes, owls, and frogs at night. My days often end after 9:00 pm so I often need a couple of hours to wind down.

With our highly sensitive nervous systems, sleep is even more important for us. Lack of sleep can cause overeating and is also linked to type 2 diabetes. It lowers immune response, too. Sleep is so vital. It's important to get enough.

Here are some things to help improve your sleep patterns. These things have also been linked to higher anxiety levels as well as obesity.

*Reduce electronic devices at night. That includes TV, phone, computer, tablets, iPad, etc. The blue light really wonks out our melatonin production, among other things. Reading with minimal light (like a book light) is great.

*Reduce artificial light at night. Use dimmers, orange or yellow bulbs (to reduce blue light). I'm thinking about swapping out the reading light on my nightstand for a salt lamp.

*Have a bedtime routine.

*Try for a consistent bed time.

*Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Going to bed early is way better than sleeping in as it keeps us synchronized to the sun's rhythms and that helps with our sleep hormone levels.

*Nap during the day if you're really tired.

*Skip the caffeine late in the day. It's not just black tea and coffee, eiether. Don't forget chocolate contains quite a bit of caffeine, too! Some people are more sensitive to this than others.

*I like nervine teas at night: skullcap, chamomile, linden, lavender, rose, hops, valerian. Any commercial mix like Sleepytime tea from Celestial Seasonings or Yogi Tea's Bedtime tea.

I hope those suggestions help!