Do You Have A Sleep Ritual?

We all know how vital it is to get enough sleep, and by the end of the day, most of us really want to crawl under the covers so why do so many of us struggle to drift off into oblivion?

Stress and worry are partly to blame but the fact is that our bodies can quickly fall into a negative pattern and if we get used to not being able to fall asleep, this can continue on autopilot.  So how can we reset our sleep pattern when we need to?

Creating a sleep ritual can be really helpful to let your brain know you are ready to sleep.

Here are some top tips:

• Go to bed at roughly the same time
• Avoid eating or drinking late at night
• Write a to do list for the next day to help yourself feel more prepared
• Take a hot shower or soak in the bath at the same time each night
• Listen to a relaxing meditation or some calming music
• Avoid napping
• Stretch your body
• Block out light and noise
• Clear any clutter from around your bed
• Consider any underlying causes

Keeping these ideas in mind should help you to reprogram your mind for a good night’s sleep and if you do wake up, actually get up and go into another room for a while. This helps to break the association between being awake and being in bed. Please share if you know someone who can’t get to sleep.

Gillian