Sleep

Oh glorious sleep.

Rest for your mind, body and soul- so sacred, necessary, vital for health- yet it’s so hard sometimes.

I have a few tips that have saved me from nights of my anxious mind not settling down.

Anyone have that, where your brain is like- let’s review all the things that you could do, could change, should say, places to go, jobs to complete and don’t forget all the mistakes and bad choices you made and on and on and on?!???

1️⃣My best night time technique, that I have taught my children and they use it, nightly in their little beds and they drift off minutes later. Deep breathe in through your nose and push hard, out through your mouth. Repeat until you yawn. You will. Sometimes it takes one try, sometimes it’s 5 it 6, but do this until you yawn. You will feel your whole body unwind and relax. We forget to breathe, not really but we forget to really BREATHE.

2️⃣No screen time for at least 30 minutes before bed. I don’t even take my phone in my bedroom. I finish up the nightly jobs, put my phone on my desk and head to the bedroom. I read for about 30 minutes, and here is the KEY- I then write in my journal. Like, gratitude, prayer, energy work kind of writing. My friend calls it a brain dump, and that’s just what it is. All the things am thinking about and I write them with thanks. Even my mistakes, I thank myself for the lesson learned. Grace y’all, it’s so dang important. We are going to screw up, we are human. Just give yourself grace and write it down!

3️⃣Legs up the wall. This is a yoga pose and you literally lay on the floor, scoot your butt as close as you can to the wall and put your legs up the wall. This drains the blood out of your feet and gets your circulation pumping. If you have a friend that’s there, they can put a rice sack on your feet, providing a little weight. It’s amazing. It’s relaxing. It’s gold y’all. You can do this in your bed. If I am in bed and not falling asleep, I just turn over and do it in the bed, legs up the wall. I know- it’s crazy, but y’all it really works. Just about 3-5 minutes is all you need.

4️⃣If you are not falling asleep, just get up. Get up and move a little, walk to the bathroom, stretch your back and your legs. Don’t turn lights on, just walk a bit and try again. Don’t just lay there waiting. It makes it worse.

And now for some oily helpers. I wish I had a picture of how I use my oils at night, but I’m sure you can picture me being me- 😂

💦Tranquil- amazing. I apply under my nose, wrists, neck, chest- really any exposed skin gets rolled. 😂😂. I do this before I start to write after I read. Then I breathe deeeeeeeep- I imagine that oil getting into soul. Just love that stuff!

💦Cedarwood, lavender, valerian, stress away, or even vetiver in the diffuser. I set up the diffuser before I start to read. Whatever you pick, start it BEFORE you try to fall asleep. Like, give yourself at least 30 minutes of the aroma. So good!

💦Immupro… ok y’all, it’s so good. It’s a chewable supplement that has melatonin, 4.5 mg, infused with oils and it was created to help with PTSD and anxiety disorders. The instructions indicate use in the day and more than one, but it knocks me out. I know that my anxiety level isn’t as high as it use to be, I only wish I had known about this when my doctor prescribed awful drugs. This stuff would have changed my life… but I know now- thank the Lord and I haven’t taken drugs in over 12 years- 🙌🏼🙌🏼 I don’t recommend daily use of melatonin, just from person research and how your brain works, but ask your MD their opinion if you have questions.

💦Sleep Essence- it is oil infused supplement and also has melatonin, just a smaller dose. It’s a gel tab and works fast for night time support. I use this on road trips, because sleeping away from home in my strong suit.

I am sure there are more wonderful ways to find rest on restless nights, and if you know some please share them. We all deserve to be our best self and sleep is required.

Please note, if you have a Papa and a puppy, they might work just fine!