Trouble Sleeping? Know someone who does?

Having a good nights sleep is important for good health on so many levels. Often identifying what is getting in the way can be tricky and maybe a process of elimination.

Here are some perspectives: Our bodies are best when we flow with the natural circadian rhythms of night and day. As it becomes dark it’s time to slow down and relax allow the dark to envelop us so it can activate melatonin, so you can sleep. See below for things that get in the way and how to fix it.

• Worry: Do you wake up at night usually around 2 to 3am with your mind going round and round? My personal antidote to this is to get up – go to another room sit in the dark and focus on body sensation going from one place to the next until feeling sleepy – the idea is to practice shifting attention from revolving thoughts to a focused attention. Usually I find this works well. What will keep you awake is to watch TV, turn on bright lights or get on a device. What you could do to get started is to try this little meditation in Health Tips – The one called FREEZE https://www.naturalhealththerapist.com/meditation/
  
• Pets on the Bed: As delightful as it is, pets on your bed can prevent you from going into deep REM sleep. We all need deep sleep to restore and heal. I love my cats on the bed however they tend to wake early (4am) and want me to get up also.
  
• Eating late at Night: Avoiding heavy meals at night can help you sleep better. Eat as early as possible and keep it light. Bigger meals at lunch can work better for sleep. Too much alcohol can wake you later.
  
• EMF ( electric magnetic frequencies ) emf’s are a much neglected area in health and can interfere with your sleep. Mobiles, WiFi, Smart Metres, Smart Watches, Computers, Cell Phone Towers, Power Points, all put out radiation that disturbs our natural energy field. This can be a big area of exploration. I’ll give you some pointers as a starting place.
  
• Reading: at night on a device with blue light will inhibit sleep. If you like to read on a device at night be sure to put on the yellow light settings. Maybe check out online what is available for computers
  
• Smart Watches and Mobile Devices next to your bed: All devices put out harmful radiation. Never sleep with them switched ‘on’ next to your bed or on your body. If you need an alarm use a battery operated old school clock – they are safe.
  
• WIFI: Always turn it off when not in use, especially at night when you are sleeping.

• Smart Metres: most newer houses and cities have smart metres – if it’s next to a bedroom there are strategies for blocking it – it’s a while since I looked into methods – if this is you, do some research.
  
• Make sure: you don’t watch or read disturbing material before sleep – TV news is all doom and gloom.
  
• SILENT NIGHT LifeWave patches can go a long way to helping you get good quality sleep. Ask me about this one – they will also get you to remember your dreams. https://lifewave.com/liveeasy/store/product/32001.003.001
  
• Night Shift: The above light therapy patches could work well for those whose sleep cycles are all over the place due to work & stress.
  
• Electric Power Points: Turn off at the wall any power points next to your bed head. If left on they put out a field of current, this is also true of switches on bedside lamps.

That’s it from me on this subject. If you have nonmedical strategies that work, I’d love to hear from you. As a community we have a wealth of knowledge and experience.

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Adrienne Smillie