Why are mindful bedtime habits important?
Being an entrepreneur can often mean working long days. You may even set “working hours” only to find yourself checking your phone or email well beyond these times. In the midst of all of this, are you taking enough time to rest and recharge?
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as human beings we have basic needs that must be met before we can grow. This growth not only applies to you as an individual, but the growth of your business, and your ability to help and impact others.
One of those basic needs is rest, and the principal way through which we rest is our sleep. Take a moment to think about a time that you didn’t sleep well, how did you feel the next day?
Sleep is so important because it provides an opportunity for our bodies to repair and heal, and our mind the chance to integrate our experiences from the day and process all of the information we have taken in, which is often more than we realize.
Without sufficient quality sleep, you may find yourself constantly fatigued, getting sick more often, feeling unclear and unstable emotionally, and lacking the creativity needed for your business to reach new heights.
Mindful Bedtime Habits
The best way to ensure that you are getting enough quality rest is to develop mindful bedtime habits.
Practising mindfulness before bed allows your mind and body to move into a state of calm and relaxation. It brings you into the present moment so you can stop overthinking, and when your head hits the pillow, you are ready to sleep.
Here are a few tips for adding more mindfulness to your bedtime routine:
- Consistent Schedule – as with anything in life, consistency is key. Choose a regular time that you will go to sleep each night, and try to sleep for the same number of hours each time. An average sleep of 7-8 hours is best, although this will vary with age. The best way to find the optimal number of sleep hours for you is to start a sleep journal.
- Start a Sleep Journal – keep track of how many hours you sleep each night, how you feel the next day, and reflect on anything that may have helped or hindered your sleep on a given night. Overtime this will become a great resource for you.
- Reduce Screen Time – when we use screens before bed, the pineal gland is overstimulated and does not receive the right signals to produce the sleep hormone melatonin. This is why it is recommended to reduce blue light exposure 1-2 hours before bed. Remember that your body has systems that are designed to work a certain way and until recently, screen use was not a regular way of life.
What can you do instead? Read, meditate, journal – the possibilities are endless
- Gentle Movement – when we are stressed or anxious, we can hold on the emotions in our bodies resulting in tightness and tension. Give yourself a few minutes before bed to take some gentle, intuitive movements to release anything that may be stuck.
- Practice Gratitude – gratitude is a wonderful way to end the day. It helps take your brain out of a stressed state and is a beautiful reminder of all that you have. You can either quietly reflect on what you are grateful for, or spend a few moments journaling about it.
Let me know in the comments below how you plan to use these tips to create mindful bedtime habits so that you can bring more energy and creativity to your business!
Danielle D’Souza is a yoga and meditation teacher focused on helping women bring more self-love into their life through movement, meditation, and mindfulness. She is the host of Release and Restore – Guided Meditations and also recently launched Yoga and Mindfulness for Stress Release a Facebook community for women to free themselves from stress, improve self confidence and find more joy. You can find out more about Danielle and her company Yes and Yoga by visiting her website www.yesandyoga.com
Looking for guest contributor opportunities? Please email me at: catherine@catherinenikkel.com with a brief introduction to who you are and, how your topic of expertise relates to Mindful Media.
