To be honest, I’ve been dancing with insomnia for almost a year now. I was never much of a dancer unless I waltzed with my dad. Now, he knew how to lead a girl around the dancefloor. This insomnia, though, doesn’t really care if I want to dance or not. It jerks me back from sleep’s edge to the middle of wide awake. Figuring out how to get better sleep keeps eluding me.
I hav never liked taking pills for a headache and I feel the same with trying to get to sleep. *I am not a doctor so if you, too, are dancing with insomnia, I encourage you to seek medical advice to find out what is right for you.* I turned to herbs and teas, and then I tried one thing that I never would have guessed would help me sleep better at night.
REST
How often do you take the time during your day to rest? I’m not talking about sleep. I mean, how often during your day at work, whether at home or at the office or on the road, do you take a break?
The practice of taking a break during our workday is typically frowned upon. Our culture is one of go, go, go. We worry about not getting it all done. We don’t want to waste time. Many of us have internalized this to the extent we feel guilty when we take even a few hours off. I know I was one of those. Even when it was the weekend, I would not to stop because my house to-do list would keep growing.
What if I told you taking anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes during your workday would actually help you get better sleep at night?
Rest is a shifting of attention with the intention of softening the activity of our brain.
Rest is different than sleep. A complex biological process of regeneration when we sleep helps us heal physically and creates mental clarity. As for rest, by stepping away from the computer screen or whatever has our brain tied up for a bit, we relax our mind. When we relax our mind, we lower our stress.
One of the ways I take a short break during the day is meditation. Sometimes all I need is to shut my eyes for 10 minutes, focus on my breath, and I’m refreshed for the next few hours. Our breath is the best way to down regulate our nervous system. Breathing with your eyes closed removes visual stimulus. Counting gives your brain something easy to focus on as nourishing air circulates through it.
If you aren’t always up for a meditation, here are some other ways to take a rest break.
DAYDREAMING
Remember daydreaming as a kid? Daydreaming is another activity that has gotten a bad rap over the years. Daydreaming is playtime for our brain. During this playtime, stress and anxiety levels drop. Taking a rest by daydreaming also expands your creativity. It is now considered “a natural, health resting state of the brain.”
Here are three steps to daydreaming:
- Give yourself permission
- Make a list of topics you’d like to ponder
- Pick a good time and a comfortable place
Then let your gaze drift and your mind shift!
TAKE A WALK
Movement breaks, like taking a walking, increases blood flow. When your limbs and brain are nourished with better blood flow, your mood improves. Our brain is engaged in a might lighter form of thought. Moving is definitely good for creativity and you’ll get some exercise, too.
GET A DRINK OF WATER
Drinking water throughout the day keeps our organs and blood flow nourished. Dehydration leads to sleepiness, confusion, and frustration. When it comes to sleep, the right amount of hydration is important. Too much can lead to interruptions in sleep. You’ll have conduct your own self-study and find out the right amount of water and when to drink for your body.
My dances with insomnia are shorter now. I’m not completely through this period but it gets better as time goes on. I think we have to continue to do our own inner work. That’s a different dance partner entirely and a topic for another day.
May you sleep well and be well.
With appreciation,
Robin
