Cultivating Superior Sleep, Part 5: Back to Basics

I hope that you’ve been finding some of my sleep highlights and suggestions insightful. Knowing that sleep is a critical component of wellness, it’s worthwhile to care for this aspect of your body’s health just as you would your diet and exercise routine. I’ve experienced chronic insomnia firsthand and let me tell you, it’s not fun.

Getting the quality sleep we need can be a multi-faceted endeavor, as each of us is unique in our physiology and energetics. Conventional medicine uses the higher force intervention of sleep medications, but these can create long term dependence with lasting side effects on memory and attention, among others.

When I graduated from naturopathic medical school, I took an important oath that all naturopathic doctors take: ‘Primum Non-Nocere,’ or ‘First Do No Harm.’ Part of this oath is to use the least force interventions FIRST to work with the body’s innate healing capacity. What worked for me the most in my healing journey from chronic insomnia was probably the most gentle intervention you could imagine – clearing my energy – I’ll share more on that later.

Let’s get back to basics with lifestyle factors that can have an impact on sleep quality:

Diet – Are you dependent upon that morning cup of coffee? Do you notice peaks and plummets in your energy throughout the day, leading you to snack on carbs or sweets, grab some chocolate, or fill up another cup of java? If so, your blood sugar and cortisol levels are probably yo-yo-ing.

How you start your day sets the tone for how you will sleep. Loathe the idea of giving up coffee? You might not have to. Think about adding in a scoop of collagen protein, MCT oil, or even 1/2 tsp of butter to turn your morning cup of Joe into a meal that won’t jack your cortisol levels leading to a crash in a few hours.

Stress Levels – Is your mind buzzing with that eternal to do list? If so, it might be time to create your nightly unwinding routine to support your nervous system in easing into sleep. Check out this healing meditation on my YouTube channel for support in releasing the day.

I absolutely love a yin or restorative yoga practice close to bedtime, ending with vetiver or lavender essential oil applied to the soles of my feet, adrenals, and back of the neck. Lavender helps to soothe the mind and I have found the deep earthy smell of vetiver to be the most effective at grounding the nervous system before bed.

Exercise – How much are you moving your body during the day? Moderate aerobic exercise increases the amount of slow-wave sleep, or that deep sleep where the brain and body have a chance to rejuvenate. Exercise can also help to stabilize your mood and decompress the mind – a process that is important for naturally transitioning to sleep. Just be sure to give yourself at least a couple of hours before bed to transition to sleep as aerobic exercise boosts endorphins and core body temperature – both of which can be stimulating.

I think we’re all more affected than we realize by the nature of the critical time that we are in. Even if we seem to be in a routine with work/life, there is still a huge amount of subconscious pressure that you can’t easily quantify. Consider being gentle with yourself as we transition into winter, less is more during this darker cooler time of the year. If we pause and take our cues from the natural world, trees and plants sink their energy deep into their roots.It’s an important time to conserve our energy and to resource ourselves. This will go a long way to support our resilience through winter and as we become extroverted once again as flower buds start to take shape in spring.