Self-Care Practices for Better Sleep
Sleep is one of the most essential elements of self-care, but not nearly enough of us get good, quality rest. Getting a good night's sleep has a profound influence over our health and wellbeing and studies show that lack of adequate sleep can lead to serious mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Even though it's highly critical that we get those seven to nine hours of sleep a night, it can sometimes be difficult to wind-down and turn our brains off from work mode.
That's why we've curated a list of several self-care practices that will help you relax, unwind, and get the quality sleep you're needing.
The Importance of Creating a Relaxing Routine
One of the best self-care strategies for getting better sleep is to develop a nightly bedtime routine that makes you feel good and helps you relax before bed. Sticking to this schedule can help regulate your body's circadian rhythm and make falling asleep and waking much easier.
A bedtime routine will look different for everyone, but it can include activities like turning off your phone, computer, and TV an hour or two before bed, reading a book, taking a warm bath, or taking a drop of CBD night oil. Dedicating this time of the night to relaxing and prepping for bed will set the tone for your night and days to come.
CBD for Better Sleep
Cannabidiol, most commonly known as CBD, is the non-intoxicating component of the hemp plant. With thousands of years of beneficial use behind it, CBD supplementation is a naturally effective way to help you get restorative sleep. When it comes to getting better, sounder sleep CBD has been shown to help relieve anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, and spiked cortisol levels, all of which can negatively impact how and when you fall asleep.
Essential Oils for Sounder Sleep
So much of setting a relaxing tone for your evening comes from the sensations that surround you: taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell. Going to bed in a dark, calm, quiet, clean, and comfortable room can make us excited for bed and provide the best environment for getting those quality zzzs.
Diffusing calming essential oils by your bedside at night can help set the ultimate mood for a night of rest. Scents such as lavender, Roman chamomile, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, and frankincense can be combined or used on their own to ground the body, calm the mind, and promote happy dreaming.
Soak Your Troubles Away
A classic self-care ritual that can help you unwind from the day is by soaking in a warm or hot bath. Researchers say that taking a hot bath around ninety minutes before bed can help you fall asleep more quickly. The bath's hot temperature changes your body's core temperature so that by the time you are out of the bath and ready for bed, your body is at the optimal lowered temperature for sleep. To optimise your bath time, you can use a CBD-infused bath bomb to ease your mind and body - this Relax bath bomb by fmula+ couples CBD with lavender essential oil for the ultimate burst of relaxation.
Mindfulness Practices for Slowing Down
Even spending a few minutes at night doing mindfulness practices such as meditation or those listed below can quiet overactive worried minds, help you switch off from a busy day, and improve sleep quality.
◾ Gratitude Journal
A fantastic mindfulness activity to do at the end of each day is to note a few things that you are grateful for. While the task might sound a bit daunting, coming up with a small list of things that you are thankful for becomes more comfortable the more you practice. This can be things like:
I am grateful for gravity. I am grateful for my friends and family. I am grateful for my ability to read and write. I am grateful for CBD.
The list could go on and on. You can write down these appreciations or simply think about them. Either way, this gratitude attitude marks a beautiful close to each day where you can spend a few minutes reflecting on what the day has brought you.
“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day”
- Matthew Walker, Why We Sleep -
◾ Breathe to Relax
Slowing down your breathing through deep breathing exercises is immediately relaxing to the mind and body.
1. Breathe in for a count of six seconds.
2. Hold at the top for two seconds.
3. Exhale the breath out slowly for a count of eight seconds.
◾ Body Scan
Body scans are a wonderful way to practice mindfulness as they turn your attention to the sensations of your breath and your body. Starting from your toes and up to the top of your head, notice where you are holding any pain or tension and send a loving focus to those areas. Through this process of grounding and centering, your body naturally goes into a state of rest.
“Self-care isn’t selfish”
