Better Sleep Techniques You Must Try!

Would you like to improve your sleep pattern? Falling asleep is one thing, but staying asleep through the night is another. Many of us wake up around 3am with thoughts, worries or plans. Some of us enjoy dreaming, but sometimes dreams can be the mind overworking and showing us interpretations of our inner worry or concerns. At times all we want is to sleep quietly with no thoughts or dreams, to sleep with nothing happening in the mind. The good news is there are ways to improve your sleep pattern.

“Have a good nothing” Debbie wished Gil, and I wished him the same. “Have a good nothing” he replied.
“Now that my diet is so much better and that I exercise more, sleep is my next issue. I tend to wake up at night and just go into thoughts, planning or thinking of clients and their needs.” Gil was telling me.

Meditation was the first option offered.  Meditation is simply training the mind. Sitting still, doing nothing, allowing the awareness to drop to the belly as we follow the breath, in and out, in and out…

Like our legs; when we go to sleep we want them to be still and rest, no need for them to move. The same goes for our eyes or ears, but what about the mind? Why is it so hard to just switch off the mind? A good night sleep is a night of rest, a night where all functions of the body except for the autonomous (like the heart or breath) are resting. That includes our digestion system and our mind.

How to sleep better and stay asleep throughout the night

Gil seemed to be ok with the idea of meditating and was willing to give it a try. “It will be hard to fit it in my schedule” was his first reply. Since his mind is a very strong one, and since he has the capability of taking decisions and following them through, he decided to convince his mind that there is no need for it to do anything during the night. It can all wait for the next day. Simply do nothing. Indeed, doing nothing is the hardest thing for most people. Yet doing nothing is really the ultimate rest.

“ This is your vacation time”, Gil told his mind before he went to bed, “ A time to have a good nothing”.

Who is it that is talking to who? How can Gil talk to his mind? If you understand that all the voices in your head are actually the same, and you are only witnessing them, you can decide to keep them on or off. In a way, Gil is simply deciding to switch them off.

Since this is not easily done for most of us, conscious breathing may be a tool towards releasing the mind from its over activity. Breath slowly and deeply, fully bringing the awareness to the breath. Ideally allowing the exhales to grow longer than the inhales. This promotes the body to shift into the rest and digest mode – the parasympathetic system. You can also count the slow breaths, a bit like counting sheep, but with a better chance that you will relax deeper faster, thanks to the slow rhythm and the calming effect of the breath work.

It takes practice to control the mind.

Follow these 8 steps to improve your sleep pattern:

1. Go to bed before 10pm, and lights off and sleep before 10:30pm.
2. Stop any input for the mind at least 30 minutes before sleep and ideally 60 minutes before. 
3. Stop use of all digital devices at least an hour prior to sleep.
4. Transform your environment to peaceful and relaxing; Listen to calm music, light a candle, and dim your lights.
5. Meditate an hour before sleep for 15 minutes and decide that any issues that come up to your mind, you will take care of the next day.
6 Listen to a guided Yoga Nidra session to help relax completely as you go to bed. Another Yoga Nidra option.
7. Decide that you will sleep till the morning uninterrupted, and visualize yourself doing so before going to sleep.
8. Practice 2:1 breathing – longer exhales than inhales, and count them slowly as in self hypnosis.

Sleeping, like savasana (the corpse pose) in yoga, is a place to have a good nothing. A place to surrender and just allow deep relaxation.  Follow the 8 steps to improve your sleep. From now on, I wish you all “have a good nothing”! as in have good night!

This article is inspired by a chapter in the Yoga Lifestyle book. Make sure to read it for more healthy habits inspired by yoga and Zen, and improve your health and happiness in a practical no nonsense way.