Why Sleep Is Important
Getting a good night’s sleep is important: not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally and socially. After a good night’s sleep, we’re more likely to walk through the world in a balanced, optimistic and joyful way. When, on the other hand, we don’t get enough sleep, we tend to get sick more easily; feel a bit restless, agitated and uninspired; and our relationships become less harmonious.
When we sleep, our body goes into its “rest, restore and rejuvenate” mode. Our self-healing mechanisms come online, repairing what needs to be repaired. It’s a bit like hitting the “reset and restore” button on our computer. After a good night’s sleep we feel refreshed and invigorated: ready to go forth boldly, with ease and confidence, into a new day. So once again: getting a good night’s sleep is reallyimportant!
Insomnia? – You’re Not Alone
If you’re someone who suffers from occasional or chronic insomnia (an inability to fall asleep, or to stay asleep) you’re not alone: literally millions of people suffer from this condition. The good news is that there are effective natural remedies and lifestyle strategies to help you sleep better. In this essay, we offer a baker’s dozen; and are confident that one or more of them will work for you.
Tips For Getting A Good Night’s Sleep
1. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and large amounts of refined sugar after 1 pm. With stimulants such as these still circulating in your body, it’s harder to fall asleep.
2. Let your dinner consist primarily of quality protein, vegetables and healthy oils; and plan it so you finish eating by 6 pm at the latest. Later dinners mean the digestive system is still working hard at bedtime, which makes it harder to fall asleep.
3. Include in your daily diet an abundance of healthy fats and oils – such as coconut oil, olive oil, sesame oil, organic and pasture raised meats (or bone broth), eggs, avocados and butter/ghee – which help to provide your body with the necessary building blocks to manufacture sleep hormones.
4. Turn off all devices – e.g. computers, laptops, tablets and phones — completely (i.e. not just “sleep” or “airplane” mode) at least an hour prior to bedtime. This gives your nervous system and endocrine system a chance to settle into its natural state, before you lie down to sleep.
5. Install F.lux (it’s free!) on all your computers and devices, to reduce blue light, decrease eye strain, and help you sleep better.
6. Consider investing in EarthCalm EMF protection devices to protect your body from man-made EMF “smog,” and allow your nervous system to be nourished directly by the intelligence of the Earth’s electromagnetic field. These state-of-the-art devices provide overall support for the nervous and endocrine systems — which helps your sleep cycles to be more harmonious.
7. If you have a juicer, or access to a juice bar, enjoy a large glass (12-16 ounces) of celery juice – which is a natural sedative – an hour or two before bed.
8. Brew a cup of chamomile tea an hour before bed, to help you fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed.
9. Drink some warm milk with a dash (or up to ¼ teaspoon) of nutmeg — a time-honored folk remedy (backed by science also) for curing insomnia — an hour or two before your planned bedtime. Note: nutmeg can be toxic at high doses, so don’t overdo it!
10. Soak in a soothing hot bath – with some Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts – an hour before bed. Light a candle, listen to some relaxing music, and/or read an inspiring book to make the experience even more calming and enjoyable.
11. Sit quietly for five or ten minutes, with your eyes gently closed, following the movement of your breath – the inhalations and exhalations — right before you lie down to go to sleep at night.
12. Spend five or ten minutes in each of these two restorative yoga poses right before bedtime: legs-up-the-wall pose (Viparita Karani); and child’s pose (Balasana).
13. Take some Bota Hemp CDB oil a few hours before bedtime, for its balancing effect on the body and mind. Industrial hemp derived CBD oil can alleviate chronic pain (via reducing inflammation) and reduce anxiety; while it increases feelings of calmness and relaxation. It also has been shown to increase the length of the deep-sleep cycle, while decreasing the more active REM cycle (lighter sleep in which dreaming occurs). All of these effects support a more deeply restorative night of sleep.
Either alone or in combination with one or more of the above suggestions, CBD oil can help you reap the benefits of a full and deep night of restorative and rejuvenating sleep. Sweet dreams!