How to Get Better Sleep

There's many things I've learned over the years on how to get better sleep, but here are a couple to focus on that have made a big difference for me:

1.) Eat dinner at least 1 1/2 hours before bedtime, especially if it's a big meal. (I always have big meals..) When you are still digesting in your sleep, it takes away from getting that 'deep' sleep, and makes you uncomfortable.

2.) Stretch before bed. Make sure to at least stretch your hamstrings. These are the 'large' muscles of the body, and connect to other muscles that run from head-to-toe, and can relieve a LOT of stress right before bed.

I like to stretch sitting down, because touching your toes while standing can put too much pressure on the lower back. MAKE SURE you go easy while stretching. You want to stretch enough that you feel some healthy pain, but not enough to pull a muscle. Here's my nightly stretching routine:

-Roll on your back with knees tucked in 10 times, letting your spine relax and naturally re-align after that long day. Breathe out on your way down, in on your way up.

-Reach for your toes. Hold for 10 long, deep breaths.
Tip: For a deep stretch, point your toes toward your head, keep the backs of your knees on the floor, and to REALLY sleep well, drop your head lightly towards your knee-caps. This can be VERY painful in a good way, and gives you a rush of endorphins which also supports deep sleep.

***Breathing deeply and fully while stretching is VERY important. This lets your nervous system know that what you're doing is OK, and you are also much less likely to pull something.

-The Hurdler Stretch. Hold for 10 full breaths on each side.

-Stretch the hips: In a squat like a frog, (in a squat with your hands on the ground between your knees) put your elbows into the insides of your knees, lean forward so the majority of the weight is on your hands, and push gently outward with your elbows. hold for 10-15 full breaths.

-Sit on your knees, put your head and hands on the floor in front of you, then slowly roll forward on your head, so when you push off your knees, more weight goes to your hands, and a small amount to your cranium. Your chin will tuck in to your chest at the end of the forward motion. This stretch has been such a savior for me to let go of all the tension I hold in my head and neck.

-I like to finish with an even deeper stretch of the first one - touching your toes. See if you can get that deep stretch by letting the head drop and pulling the toes toward you.

After that, crawl up into bed and enjoy a great night of sleep!!

**I'm a 'night-owl' and can have un-ending thoughts running through my head in the late hours. If you're the same way, what I like to do is stand up and let myself have my thoughts. It's almost like a punishment for thinking. Roll your head in slow circles while letting go of thoughts. If I need to remember some things, I'll jot them down so I can let them go for the night. When I'm through with thinking, I find it much easier to sleep.

The point is, you want to separate you work, thoughts, and things like computer time from your bed. Use your bed only for sleep. If you sit on your bed to do homework or anything intellectual, you may become conditioned to thinking while on your bed, which is the opposite of what you want. Try these things, and let me know how they work for you! I'd love to hear about your experience.