Relaxation is necessary for the body to reverse the effects of stress and for your mind to refresh.  And sleep itself is deeply healing, allowing our body to get the real work of recovery done while our body is not busy meeting the other demands we put on it during the day.

If insomnia affects 45% of people who experience symptoms of stress, then it’s safe to bet it is something that you or someone you care about struggles with.  Without enough sleep, our stress response remains high and our immunity suffers. Prolonged imbalance of sleep / wake cycles can lead to all of the same chronic diseases that we see in people affected by chronic stress: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, immune disorders and cancer.

A common complaint about struggling to fall asleep or being unable to return to sleep after waking in the night is mental chatter.  Yogis like to call it the monkey mind. It’s hard to rest when our brain is spinning in circles. So how can we find peace?  

Since everyone is unique, there is no magic cure to restoring healthy sleep, but there are some tips that can help support healthy circadian rhythms and set us up for a better night’s sleep. 

1.Start turning off media before bedtime.  

Our brain operates differently with video and digital stimuli, and that activity can take a while to slow down.  By keeping the mind engaged, technology keeps your brain alert rather than allowing it to unwind. Establishing a regular routine of bedtime and waking in the morning helps our circadian rhythms regulate.

2. Limit light stimulation in your brain.

Digital device screens emit blue light which signals “daytime” to our suprachiasmatic nucleus, which controls our circadian rhythm. This light suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone that shifts you into sleepiness. Less or delayed melatonin means it’s harder to fall and stay asleep. Most Americans admit to using electronics a few nights a week within an hour before bedtime. But to make sure technology isn’t harming your slumber, try to power-down tech devices about two to three hours before bed.

People can limit exposure to blue light from fluorescent lights and LED-backlit screens on computers and smartphones by wearing glasses with yellow or brown tint to the lenses to either absorb or reflect blue light waves, based on their design. This helps reduce the stimulation of the hypothalamus, also reducing the delayed release of melatonin by the pineal gland. As the evening progresses, light with longer wave-lengths, such as red and green light, can help promote the release of melatonin. On cell phones, you can make an accessibility shortcut to apply a red filter to your screen to eliminate blue light in the display. Red light mimics the setting sun and helps our brains shift to restfulness, so using night settings or a color filter on your mobile device can help limit blue light if you must use it close to bedtime.

3. Calm your mind.

To quiet the relentless mental list-making, give your brain a few minutes to purge all of those ideas by sitting down to make a list. Maybe this is your to-do list for the next day or a free form writing exercise, but committing those thoughts to a list takes the responsibility off your mind to sort, file, and filter ideas for later. You may also consider starting a gratitude practice or other self affirming ritual like noting 3 “good things” you did that day.  Even small acts of thoughtfulness or consideration qualify for this list, like smiling at a stranger or holding a door for someone.

Meditation is a powerful method of shifting the brain from busyness to rest.  By removing attachment to thoughts and quieting the mind through meditation you will find it easier to quiet the monkey mind.  

Breathwork is a powerful component of meditation and mindfulness, and can be incorporated into your bedtime ritual. The simple act of sighing or exhaling can help you let go of stress and clear your mind, even slowing your heart rate and lowering your blood pressure. When you consciously exaggerate your exhale and slow the breath, you are consciously counteracting the shallow breathing of the sympathetic “fight or flight” stress response and shifting your body into the parasympathetic nervous response of “rest and digest”. 

*check out the practices below this article for some tips to get started! 

4. Awaken with daylight.

In the morning, exposure to the sun (or indoor light), won’t just give you an energy boost—it can also reset your circadian rhythm by activating your hypothalamus. Getting outside on a sunny morning for about 20 minutes will help to signal to your brain that it’s time to start the day. If you can’t carve out the time, then raise the blinds or switch on your brightest white light instead. This boosts your alertness, levels of physical and cognitive performance, as well as your mood.

If you like to ease your wakefulness with a gradual lightening in your bedroom – especially helpful in the winter months – then a sunrise alarm or wake-up light can be very helpful. Technology now allows programmable light colors (like red, green or purple in the evening) and different nature sounds as an audible alarm after the light has fully illuminated.  Ideally, look for an alarm that can take up to 30 minutes through its sequence for the most natural and effective biological stimulation.

Optimizing access to natural daylight is the ideal to keep our bodies aligned with the natural sleep cycle.  Access to windows oriented to receive the most light is optimal, as long as the light doesn’t create glare in our work area that can lead to eye strain.  And in the same measure, it’s helpful to minimize shades or window treatments that block out natural light as much as possible during the day when we are actively awake.

5. Limit “electrosmog” pollution in the bedroom.

Some studies have found that exposure to magnetic fields can interfere with restful sleep.  These fields are produced by electronics, and wireless networks and cell phones in particular.  In recent years certain people are experiencing more sensitivity to electromagnetic frequencies, often following illness or heightened exposures to EMFs. They tend to experience symptoms such as migraines, interrupted sleep, and autoimmune issues. If you have trouble with interrupted sleep or fatigue, it can be beneficial to remove all wireless devices from the bedroom, and try to use wired internet connections as much as possible throughout the house to reduce exposure.

6. Don’t rely on medications or supplements.

Many people turn to medications for sleep, which do not help the brain foster healthy circadian rhythms or resolve issues that are keeping us awake. A variety of natural supplements do exist which work on different pathways in the body.  As you are working to balance your sleep cycle, there are some natural herbs and remedies that can help shift you into a relaxed state so it’s easier to sleep.  Herbs shift our body chemistry to help us feel tired or fall asleep faster. Some of these are passion flower, hops, valarian, and holy basil. They can be a great help but may not resolve underlying issues, and it is always important to let your healthcare provider know about any herbs or supplements that you take because many can interfere with medications.

Aromatherapy can calm the mind and promote relaxation, and energetic remedies like Bach flower essences or homeopathy can shift emotions or obstacles that prevent us from easy sleep, fostering the body’s natural ability to rest and restore itself.  Flower essences can help calm the mind and promote relaxation, and combinations available at health stores include “Rescue Remedy Sleep” and Siddha brand “Sleep”

Relaxation Practices

4-5-6 Breath

By slowing your exhale, you can slow your heart rate. Anytime you feel your stress level rising, you can use your breath to bring yourself back to the present moment and feel yourself become more calm. 

Simply inhale to a count of 4, letting your belly rise as you bring in a nice deep breath. Hold your breath for a count of 5, and then exhale slowly taking a full count of 6. Rest there if you can comfortably for a count of 5 before beginning again with a nice deep inhale count of 4.  

If you wish, you can make this a 5-6-7 cycle, or play with it a bit as long as your exhale is always longer than your inhale.  

Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique

This meditation does double duty, helping our muscles relax at the same time it helps us become present and quiet the mind.  It’s a great practice to use before sleeping. If you like, you can find Progressive Relaxation meditations on YouTube so you can simply follow along.

Begin by laying comfortably so you are well supported and take a few deep breaths.  Then begin at your feet. Inhale and tighten your toes as tight as you can for a few seconds, then let out a nice big exhale and relax them completely.  Move on to the arches of your feet, your ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, belly, chest and ribcage, fingers and hands, forearms, elbows & biceps, shoulders, neck, and finally your face.  The more specific you can be and slowly you can methodically progress, the better. You can rest a second or two after each exhale before moving on to the next area, and focus on isolating the contraction to only the area you are activating.  After being contracted our muscles reflexively relax a bit further, so this is a great exercise you can use anytime you feel muscular tension.