How to sleep better
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Sleep is important for brain and body health. Simple lifestyle changes like waking and sleeping at consistent times, avoiding screens before bed, and practicing relaxation techniques can improve sleep. Certain foods, herbs, yoga poses, and breathing exercises have also been used in traditional Indian medicine to promote better sleep quality and reduce sleep needs. The bedroom environment should be clean, quiet and relaxing to support quality rest.
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How to sleep better
- 1. How to Get Good Sleep Learn some simple lifestyle changes and health tips. Himanshu Bharadwaj, Joyful.design
- 2. Please Note I am not a doctor and have not conducted modern scientific research on the techniques I am going to tell you. These techniques are from Yoga and Ayurveda that have been practiced for thousands of years and thus perfected. Please consult your own doctor or Yoga and Ayurveda teacher if you have any sleep related condition.
- 3. Our quality of sleep defines our health. Sleep helps brain reorganize itself, form new neural pathways, restore the signal strength of important brain synapses, and facilitates learning and memory. Yoga-Nidra We spend roughly a third of our lives asleep. Imagine converting sleep into meditation.
- 4. Why We Sleep? Neuromodulator adenosine accumulates in the brain and makes us tired during the wakefulness state. Sleep clears it and makes us feel recharged. We can reduce our sleep Yoga exercises of the brain can reduce the quantity of sleep our body needs.
- 5. Relaxation vs. Sleep vs. Meditation Relaxation in a wakeful state is a conscious or semiconscious rest. In sleep we are in the altered state of conscious mind useful for healing and relaxation, and process unresolved emotions through dreams. Meditation is a state beyond the reach of the rational mind. It is a state of conscious awareness. Meditation changes the person (attitude, focus, wisdom) after meditation.
- 6. Turn Sleep into Meditation We enjoy sleep because our mind is at rest and quiet. We do not exist in sleep because identities are in the mind. Gender, religion, money etc. do not exist in the state of sleep. But there is some awareness even when mind is quiet. It is consciousness that exist without the mind.
- 7. Excessive Sleep vs Lack-of-Sleep Oversleep is as problematic as lack of sleep and could cause diabetes, muscle degeneration, obesity, headaches, back pain, depression, heart disease, and increased risk of death. Lack of sleep could cause weaken immune system, cancer growth, anxiety, depression, heart attack, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis.
- 8. Tips To Sleep Better Follow the rhythm of nature that influences our emotions, actions and sleep patterns. In general, there is high energy during the mornings compared to evenings. Wake up early and sleep early. Waking up and sleeping around the same time each day helps maintain a pattern for the body and settle the mind.
- 9. Exercises Increase blood flow towards pineal gland that secretes melatonin.
- 10. #Positive_Thoughts_Only When we incubate negative thoughts in the mind, our body will go through stress during sleep and thus we have “bad dreams.” It is not what we eat that kills us, but what eats us inside.
- 11. Have dinner couple of hours before sleep Give some time for digestion before going to sleep. As per Ayurveda, lunch should be the biggest meal of the day, and dinner should be light for easy digestion. Avoid stimulants like alcohol, nicotine, and coffee before going to bed. Alcohol initially seems to help but then over a period of time over stimulates liver causing restlessness of the mind. How to eat? Do not eat standing up. Do not talk while eating. Your mind will be calm. Meditate for a few minutes before eating.
- 12. Yoga posture after food After the meal, get up slowly. 7-8 times more blood goes into the gut. Do Vajrasana. Give rest to the gut by fasting once every few weeks.
- 13. Drink a little water before meals, and Rub wet hands on your belly. This simple action, can improve digestion and sleep. Drinking water opens esophagus, before meals. Pause before starting meals. Savor the mouthwatering, and mind to focus on the act of eating.
- 14. Eat healthy and fresh Uncooked Leaf, vegetable, nuts, sprouts are alive foods. Vegetarian foods affect the state of mind. Less energy will be used for digestion. Do not eat stale food or food kept in the refrigerator for many days. It will make you sleepy. Eat with your hands if possible. Eat small quantity of foods many times a day. Dark fruits and vegetables have more antioxidants.
- 15. Foods that help sleep Almonds, walnuts are a source of melatonin. Kiwis - serotonin and antioxidants White rice - high glycemic index Milk - tryptophan and melatonin Spices (cinnamon, fennel, fenugreek and cardamom) - increase body warmth, aid weight loss by curbing appetite. Honey- Reduces mucus, aids weight loss. Ginger – improves digestion, contains melatonin Nutmeg- Relaxant Black pepper – Improves body’s absorption Coconut milk – Balance blood sugar and help sleep Note: Everything should be in moderation What not to eat Do not eat yogurt before sleep. It increases ‘kapha’ dosha in the body at night.. It will increase mucus in the nasal passage. Reduce salt at night Salt increases water retention and increases BP. No sugar.
- 16. No Alarm bell The waking ritual should be a gradual and natural process. Rubbing the hands and putting them over eyes before opening them in the morning helps improve eye health.
- 17. Do Not face-feet Towards the South Facing legs south has an adverse effect on the body due to the earth’s magnetic pull towards the north. Lie on the back when you sleep, not on stomach.
- 18. Do Not Overheat the Body Try swimming or just dip the feet in the water to cool them before sleep. A light walk after dinner is good for digestion and will lead to better sleep. Consider a shower before bed. Bath purifies the body beyond cleaning the skin. Bath relaxes the nervous system, releases tension, and helps to quiet the mind.
- 19. Sandalwood Facemask White sandalwood has a soothing fragrance and its facemask before sleep will not only help improve the sleep but also improve skin health of the face.
- 20. Boil a Teaspoon of Turmeric in a cup of Milk and Drink it Before Bed Adding a quarter spoon of cardamom, nutmeg powder and ghee in this milk will make it more soothing. If none of these are possible, a warm cup of milk before sleep will also help with sleep. Turmeric reduces inflammation, helps our liver to detoxify, boosts our immune system, and eases our digestive system.
- 21. Ghee cures sleep problems, snoring, and heals any brain-related illnesses Bos Indicus cow/A2 Milk 1 drop each in nostrils before sleep Patanjali Ghee
- 22. Breathe through the Left Nostril Close the left nostril or simply lie down with left nostril up.
- 23. Breathe through the nose and align your tongue When tongue rests on the roof of our mouths, and we breathe through our nose it helps sleep, emotional functions, digestion, immunity, and cognitive functions. Breathing through the nose widens airway, calm us, helps sleep, increases intake of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, and more oxygen to the body and brain.
- 24. Breastfeeding aligns the tongue of babies When tongue is in the right position, it stimulates the vagus nerve on the soft palate. Teeth grinding, bed wetting, nightmares and other disruptions of sleep, is further lowered in kids that were breastfed. Bite in kids gets better. Sleep apnea and snoring can be prevented with proper tongue training.
- 25. Chant before sleep with each breath “ I am calm and still” “ I am not the body, nor the mind” “Each breath relaxes me more” “ Stillness of body makes my mind calm” “Om”
- 26. Boil Banana Peel in Water and Drink that Water Before Going to Sleep This will alleviate symptoms of insomnia and improve sleep. Banana peel has many medicinal properties. Inner peel is also good for pimples. Banana has lot of potassium. If you have acidity problem, or ulcers just eat 2 small pieces of raw green banana with the peel a few times a day. No stimulants Stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol tend to disrupt physiological cycles essential to sound sleep
- 27. Try Brahmi and Ashwagandha or just Chyawanprash before sleep These herbs support the body in resisting stress and also calm the mind. Chyawanprash is good for overall body health and can be taken with warm milk before sleep. No stimulants Stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol tend to disrupt physiological cycles essential to sound sleep
- 28. Massaging feet with natural mustard, coconut or sesame oil before going to bed helps relieve stress. During summers add water in mustard oil. Try massaging low back, ears and head as well if you have difficulty sleeping.
- 29. Sleeping is a ritual and bedroom is a sacred place Keep the room clean and organized. Take time to make the bed. Natural Lavender, jasmine or rose fragrance helps. Its temperature, noise levels, humidity, lighting, and smell are all important for a good sleep, reduce stress, open the heart, and to purify negative emotions. Wear loose cotton clothes. Tip Avoid TV, smartphones, computers, or other devices and even books that could distract or unsettle the mind.
- 30. Practice breathing techniques called ‘Pranayama’ ‘Bhramari,’ alternate nostril breathing for 15 minutes everyday will help calm the mind and improve the nervous system health.
- 31. Practice a “Corpse-Posture for Sleep Meditation Postpone tasks, problems for the next day instead of worrying them during sleep. Relax every part of the body gradually and get quality sleep. Develop a sense of surrender to God if one believes in a religion or simply surrender to the unknown and begin a joyful journey into a different state of consciousness.
- 32. When you sleep, remind yourself that ‘you are neither this body nor mind.’ Meditate on who I am. My purpose of life. Why I exist. You will see that in the large scheme of things we do not matter at all. So why worry? Do the 5 identities exercise. If these identities do not accompany you in sleep, why worry?
- 33. There are 3 kinds of people. Sick, Pleasure-Seekers, and Yogis Sleep and food is the cause of many illness. Yogis can control sleep and hunger. Night is the best time for meditation or to memorize anything. When there is no light, the forms are blurry, outer world is hidden, and mind can go inwards easily. Use night (early morning before sunrise) to meditate.
- 34. Smile often from the heart One natural smile releases 500 good chemicals in the body and exercises 152 muscles in the face and neck. Happy facial expressions lead to good dream sequences. seeing an attractive smiling face activates our orbitofrontal cortex and we feel rewarded One grin wrongly exercises 180 muscles and releases poisonous chemicals into the blood.