The Power of “the Z”- Sleep and its effect on our health
Ever since we were children, we have been taught the importance of getting enough sleep in order to experience optimum brain function. Despite our knowledge of this there are still many of us who are not getting enough sleep for our bodies, sometimes even unknowingly.
Regardless of whether you grew up in a home where bedtime was sacred or you were allowed to stay up late, it is never too late to incorporate aspects of your routine that will make falling asleep easier and your sleep time more restful.
Why is this important? According to The National Sleep Foundation, the research indicates that adults need anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Getting a proper amount of sleep is crucial in order to reduce risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, mental distress, and coronary heart disease. To this point, the Huffington Post reports that unfortunately one-third of Americans are not getting an adequate amount of sleep each night.
So what is keeping you from getting your precious beauty rest? The responses are as unique as our thumbprints as every situation is comprised of a multitude of factors. However, there are factors within your personal environment that you with which you can experiment to see how it affects your overall quality and duration of nightly Z’s.
Whether you’ve historically been an early bird or a night owl, one way that will help you find more effective sleep is to go to bed and wake up the same time every day. This is because our body thrives off of routine and keeping consistency in your sleep schedule can help strengthen your immune system as well as making it easier to fall asleep.
One area of study that promotes the idea of routine for overall health and wellness is that of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga and translates to “life studies”. Ayurveda covers a variety of topics on how our mind and body are connected and are affected by our environment; Ayurveda provides us guidelines on how our diet, exercise, and a multitude of other wellness practices can help bring our mind-body connection into balance and improve our overall wellness.
According to Ayurvedic studies, it is recommended to go to bed before 10 p.m. and to wake up before 6 a.m. I know. Reading that sentence may make you want to close out of this browser and go screaming into the night, but the reasoning actually makes a lot of sense upon closer analysis. When you look at the Ayurvedic clock, kapha time is between 6 a.m./p.m. to 10 a.m./ p.m. During this time, our energy levels are dropping making us more sleepy. After 10 p.m., we have approached Pitta time where energy is rising (like the sun and the moon) and it is more difficult to fall asleep. Similarly, waking up before Kapha time (during Vata time, between 2 a.m./p.m. to 6 a.m./p.m.) is beneficial because Vata energy is sporadic, allowing us to wake up during a time of energy rather than lethargy. If this seems to be impossible, then perhaps just test drive it for three weeks and record how your body responds. Understand that incorporating any new routine takes time for the body to adjust, but then you may consider journaling about your energy levels and then review the changes over time.
All of these ideas are a menu for you to choose from and see what resonates with you and how you can stop counting sheep until the cows come home. Below are some additional helpful bedtime rituals that you can try to increase your Z’s. Give them a go and write in the comments how they worked out for you.
Meditation/affirmations (you can find plenty of guided meditations using simple apps such as Head Space or the Chopra Center)
Legs up the wall pose (try for three minutes before bed)
Lavender epsom salt bath
Calming music
Yoga Nidra
Journal (for example, if your mind is racing, jot down your thoughts in a bedside journal, then say to yourself, “these items will be held for me here until tomorrow, right now I rest so I can be effective the next day.”)
From my pillow to yours, namaste!