Good Sleep Hygiene Habits You Need To Know
What Is Sleep Hygiene?
If you didn’t already know, sleep hygiene refers to healthy sleeping habits. Having a well-balanced, and good set of sleep hygiene rules is the foundation we must all build to support our physical and mental wellbeing. Without restorative sleep, it can lead to us being irritable, stressed, unhappy and fatigued.
To sum it up, strong sleep hygiene means having both a bedroom environment and daily routines that promote consistent, uninterrupted sleep. Many things can affect our sleeping pattern, including regular stresses, our night time routine, even down to the drinks we choose - yes, you probably need to stop drinking coffee so late in the day! However, you can help your sleep hygiene by making small but surprisingly significant changes.
Can Reiki Help You To Sleep?
Reiki is a wonderful tool to help with sleep as it activates your parasympathetic nervous system, helping your body to rest and relax. This can aid in reducing many sleep disturbances and issues as it allows your organs to balance and function. In turn, you may find yourself slipping into a much deeper relaxation when it comes to your body, but also your mind, and energy system.
Reiki helps you to feel relaxed and calm, aiding in overcoming sleep obstacles and challenges. Regular Reiki sessions and following good hygiene practices can help improve your overall sleep wellbeing.
Top Tips For Sleep
Good sleep hygiene starts from having healthy bedtime habits. How you choose to spend your day and how you unwind before bed can have a significant impact on the quality of your sleep.
Do you find falling asleep challenging? Or if you fall asleep you struggle with sleeping through the night? We have a few top tips to help you unwind, relax and help you to a restorative and peaceful night's sleep.
1. Consistency Is Key
We all know that the best way to build habits is to keep consistent - and the same goes for our bedtime routine. Firstly, go to bed at the same time every night, or at least try too! Your body will get used to getting ready for rest, and will begin to relax at the same time every single night. This will make falling asleep much, much easier. This level of consistency can help to reinforce your body’s sleep cycle, making it easier for you to fall asleep.
2. Have A Peaceful & Relaxation Routine
And….breath! The end of your day should always be followed by a peaceful and relaxing at home routine. Whether that’s relaxing in a calming bath, reading a book or simply watching your favourite TV show, we all need a little ‘me time’. Going to bed stressed can make falling into that perfect sleep cycle all the more difficult.
We recommend, whilst also making sure to relax your mind, that you also take the time to wind-down when it comes to your body too. Follow your nightly skincare rituals to look after your skin as well as practising that deeper level of self care.
This is where Reiki comes in. Reiki is a great way to relax, and it can lead to the general reduction of stress, and anxiety - which all adds up to the perfect night’s sleep if you ask us. Reiki allows people to put their problems in perspective, and find that optimal sense of spiritual and mental balance. Also, with people who regularly suffer from stress, we can often feel out of control. Reiki allows us to get that back, and individuals who regularly participate in Reiki sessions can really feel the benefits of this.
3. Turn Off Your Phone
Your phone is so much more than a device to call and text people on, it has become the main way to entertain ourselves for hours on end. However, this level of time on electronic devices can be detrimental to your sleep health. This is due to the blue light that is emitted from your phone or ipad and reduces the melatonin levels in your body.
What is melatonin you ask? It is a vital chemical that controls your sleep cycle. When your levels are affected this causes you to struggle with your sleep as well as how you wake up. So put that phone away, and focus on a book instead - we promise, your sleep schedule will thank you!
4. Try To Reduce Your Caffeine
Caffeine is a great way to start the day and mid morning pick me up. However, drinking too much and too late in the day can prevent you from falling asleep. This is because caffeine can last 3 to 7 hours in your body after you’ve had your cup of tea or mug of coffee. A good rule to follow is have your last caffeine drink around early afternoon and then switch to decaffeinated drinks or herbal teas. Chamomile or Passionflower are good alternatives for evening to help you too wind down.
5. Try Adding Essential Oils To Your Bedtime Routine
Essential oils have been used for centuries to help people to relax, decompress and aid in overcoming sleep challenges. This is because your body's natural processes can be triggered and strengthened with the use of essential oils. Your brain releases neurotransmitters like serotonin, endorphins, and noradrenaline when some oils are inhaled, helping people to relax, and sleep better.
Lavender oil is renowned for its space in wellness for helping people sleep and overcome sleep issues. The benefits of lavender for sleep are incredible. This essential oil has a natural calming effect, so inhaling it before bed can help you to relax, aiding in falling asleep with ease and patience.
What Hemsley Organics Customers, Industry Experts & Reiki Masters have to say...