The Dream Routine: Sleep Tactics in the Modern World

Remember when you slept like this?

https://www.qwant.com/?q=sleep&t=images&o=1:1e1643c6002281f0fb5d2f1c4b2d86ad&size=all&license=all&freshness=all&color=all&imagetype=all&source=web

The ability to sleep is the ability to be able to let go of the day behind us and things that nag the mind.  Getting the mind to let go involves a digestive process.  We need to literally take in, break down, assimilate and release our experiences, feelings and thoughts.  Everything that goes in our eyes and ears need as much processing as what goes in our mouth.  How do we do that?

The foundation of all digestion is to honor our limits.  Its easy to overeat when you’re loving the food… its even easier to watch too much TV or push ourselves too hard to “do all the things”.  The hashtag #slayallday should not be a chronic practice. We need to pursue activities with the same attentive consciousness in the same way we pay attention when we eat to know when we are full. This can be harder.  Modern culture doesn’t teach awareness around overusing our senses: loud music, Netflix binges and being able to #doallthethings are all activities that are promoted as positive.  Its not to say indulge is wholly negative. A rare hot fudge sundae or a Netflix bender can be just the thing, sometimes. Its when we practice indulgences regularly they become harmful. They become harmful because we are simply not designed to digest that much. Though, getting the mind on tract can be far more challenging than straightening up your diet.

The first step is to simply practice awareness. Just how long do you scroll social media and how frequently? Tactics to increase awareness and get in touch when you’ve had sensory overload can include setting timers to go off while you are watching TV, cleaning the house, or working on the computer, etc.  Teaching yourself to intermittently check in will help build full body awareness.  Or simply limiting tasks before you start (i.e. “I’m going to just do half the laundry today and wash the dishes and be done…”). Taking a break to be still and take a body survey will take you a long way towards being able to tell if you’ve hit your limit. 

Try this: After clicking around and scrolling your phone for 30 minutes, put it down and close your eyes. How does your body feel? Your breath? What is your mind doing? Give yourself space to reflect on your mind-body status honestly. Would you say it feels positive or negative? If you feel less than positive, your full.

Straining our senses sets a baseline of stress.  This constant push to the limits reinforces a daily sense of pressure which produces chronic anxiety.  Why?  Because you have wired the brain to be on higher alert than it needs. Always pushing past our comfort zones by mental and emotional overload teaches the more basic functioning parts of the brain (like the amygdala) to be guarded. The brain gets messages saying basically, “ Stress is the norm”, and, “we are under attack from our daily lives”. Pretty soon, you are having irrational thoughts/racing thoughts, and lying in bed at 2 am thinking about all the things you DIDN’T do that day. You are exhausted, yet wired. It sneaks in, this baseline tension. We are practicing this, often without ever knowing. And whatever we practice become brain circuitry. Whatever we practice we manifest into being.

Really, anything that stresses you physically can lead to insomnia.  Food can be a stressor. Not eating well during the day will do this.  Ever “junk out” and loose sleep because you feel miserable at night? Being dehydrated, even mildly, can actually lead to a scattered mind.  Also, the body shifts activities around 10 pm (ever experienced a second wind around then?  Or get hungry?).  This is your detoxification time, a time when you should be resting, even sleeping.  You should not be digesting food.  Having food in your system during this time derails the detoxification process. This means part of sleeping well is early, light dinners. Its hard at first if you are used to going to bed with a full stomach - it can even feel quite the opposite of easy rest! But trust this process - a fairly empty stomach results in good, deep sleep that ends in the experience of waking up easily and feeling well.  Digesting food while you sleep causes brain fog, grogginess, stiffness and achiness. In some people this will also cause things like restless leg syndrome and insomnia!  (And in the long run eating late promotes obesity, and diseases like diabetes and heart disease and even cancer.  Sounds incredible, but very true.)

We know good sleep decreases generalized inflammation.  Most chronic illnesses, including depression, autoimmune disorders, and cancers (to name a few) are rooted in chronic inflammation.  If you deal with anything from arthritis to diabetes good sleep will support your ability to maintain and heal. 

Here is a sample bedtime practice that you can do with yourself, and with your loved ones!

1.      Oil helps soothe the nervous system.  There are two ways to oil yourself: internally and externally. 

a.      Taking Omega 3, 6, 9 oils twice a day (breakfast and dinner), as well as using healthy fats in cooking (like avocado, coconut, olive, sesame and sunflower oils, as well as butter and ghee) are great ways to make sure you are taking in enough fat to support healthy neurons. A low fat diet leads to a dry body and a scattered mind.

b.      Abhyanga is an ancient practice of self-massage with oil.  Abhyanga before bed is great.  Here is a good instructional video: https://youtu.be/CLJ5eVG2uS0

c.       A hot shower or bath after abhyanga is recommended

d.      Note: some people do not like the sensation of being oily.  You can try oiling your feet prior to bed.  Pick a pair of old socks to sacrifice to being oily.

2.   Wind down 1 hour prior to starting to go to bed.

a.      No loud sounds

b.      No strong odors

c.       No bright lights – utilize yellow/dark modes on screens 2 hours prior to sleep.

3.   Have a warm cup of spiced milk/nut milk (especially if you get hungry after dinner, this is great for kids who want snacks before bed)

4.      Review the day, try reviewing it backwards.  If you get to a part that was difficult envision letting it go off into space, sailing away on a boat etc...  This is the past now.

5.   For natural, gentle sedation try:

a.      Oatstraw (Avena sativa, try it in a tea)

b.      Calms Forte

c.       Melatonin (melatonin with L-theanine is a nice product)

d.      Valerian root (Celestial Seasons Extra Sleepy Time tea as this in it)

e. Do not expect to get benefit from herbal nervines if you are slugging caffeine. If you are a caffeine lover you must stop by lunch time.

6.      Meditate.  There are so many resources out there for free meditation.  Try looking up a practice called “Yoga Nidra” on YouTube (this practice involves you sitting reclined or lying on your back comfortably).  Also, the Calm App is well done.

7.   Absolutely no bright over head lights 2 hours before bed.

The point is that routine ultimately supports good ability to sleep.  Choose 1 or 2 things from the list to try.  Implement it for a month and observe changes.  Whether you’ve recently started having trouble sleeping or you are a veteran insomniac, it takes time to change.  We are rewriting the brain after all. Make a ritual around bedtime, honor this time as the sacred time it is.

Getting back the ability to sleep is hard, especially when insomnia becomes chronic. Remember, we become what we practice. Please don’t expect to implement changes and see results in days or even weeks. It takes time for the body to shift, and even longer for the mind. Brain plasticity is real, but its slow. Also, you should always discuss your insomnia with your doctor. Conditions like Restless Leg Syndrome can be caused by things such as anemia. And chronic fatigue can be rooted in sleep apnea, which is very detrimental to your health if left untreated. While there is nothing here that is unsafe to start right away, please do not replace behavioral changes you get from the internet in lieu of medical advice and treatment.

This is not to discourage anyone from committing to change. Sleep is perhaps THE essential aspect of daily health, all things are built from the foundation of a good night’s sleep. You’ve got this!

As always, Reader, be well. And sweet dreams….