Sleep Fast, Sleep Tight

I always have a hard time falling asleep. I only do when I'm properly tired. I say properly tired because when I'm too tired I also can't fall asleep. There are times I can't sleep because I'm anxious about something. Sometimes I'm too stimulated and my brain just keeps working. 

I've only tried taking sleeping pills once. It was prescribed by my doctor when I was having severe asthma attacks. I don't want to get dependent on medication so I've been trying other ways to fall asleep immediately. Here's a few things I do regularly -

Deep Breathing - breathe in 4 counts, hold for 8, breathe out 7 counts, repeat a couple of times. I read that this is a military technique they do to fall asleep immediately. Works for me everytime.

Meditation  - I have a former colleague who recommended Headspace to me. I used the trial and learned techniques to lull myself to sleep. My favorite is imagining I'm far away in the mountains, breathing in cool fresh air. Focusing on counting repeatedly from 1 to 10 gets me to sleep.

Essential Oils - a drop of lavander on your temples or nape relaxes me. If I feel anxious I super love Young Living's peace & calming roller blend. It's gotten me through a lot of rough times. 

Exercise - If you have a lot of pent up energy, the best thing to do is exercise a few hours before going to bed. My doctor advised to take a walk after dinner. This was really effective for me, but we aren't able to do this for now because of the weather. I've replaced this with our exercise bike. I go on it for a few minutes an hour or two before going to sleep. 

No Caffeine After 3pm - goes without saying. I've been sticking to water for most days and drink coffee with my breakfast. Sometimes though I still drink milk tea in the afternoon. I end up paying for it at night when I can't sleep. 

Don't Eat Heavy Dinner - I eat more lunch than dinner usually and don't eat at least two hours before bed (especially if you have gerd/acidity issues). 

Pray - I pray before I sleep and when I can't sleep yet I pray the rosary to keep my mind from wandering aimlessly.  

CB///*Yr2/58  #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/85 #StayHome #BeKind

Are You at Peace?

"A light heart lives long." - William Shakespeare

Do you sleep well at night? I used to have a hard time sleeping. I tried many tactics to put myself to sleep. The most effective way for me is the 4-7-4 breathing technique. Lately I just lie down, say my prayers and I immediately drift off to sleep. 

I normally start my day now with some spiritual input while eating breakfast. I started doing this in early March. It's made my days more peaceful. This morning I listened to Fr. Jerry Orbos, SVD's reflection on "Matters of the heart. Do not nurture hurt. Life is too short for negative feelings". I like listening to Fr. Jerry because his reflections are very practical and he has a nice sense of humor. 

He asked the question, "Are you at peace?" In his reflection he reminds us to leave all our problems to God. In the last few months I've had a lot of bad days which kept me up at night. The best advise I got from my doctors was to stay offline. It effectively quieted me down and led me to the path of peace. 

Are you at peace my friend? Just lift everything up to Him. 

CB///Yr2/9  #StuckAtHomeDay/Yr2/36 #StayHome #BeKind