ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ…
I don’t know about you, but I love to sleep!. Put me in jammies & give me a down comforter & I’m easily on my way to Dreamland. I dream in full length Technicolor movies most nights & if I could figure out how to eat popcorn while asleep, I’d be in heaven.
It seems to me that winter’s a perfect time to grab a few extra ZZZ’s. The longer nights are more conducive to sleeping & its colder outside which just begs snuggling up for a nap at least. Fortunately, science tells us that sleep is a basic building block for sustaining life & is one of the most important processes for the human body. During sleep we heal, grow, renew, & replenish ourselves. Some people can sleep in almost any circumstance—riding in a car, with music blasting in the next room, with the dog barking. Unfortunately for others, sleep is sometimes elusive.
The next time you’re struggling with sleep, here are a couple of tips to help you snooze.
Move – You know it & I know it…exercise is good for you. Regular exercise improves heart health & blood pressure, builds bone & muscle, helps combat stress & muscle tension, improves mood, & improves sleep. Need some great exercise ideas???
- Ice skating
- Making angels in the snow – just plop down & wiggle around a bit! You remember!
- Build a snowman -go out at night & make one in your neighbor’s yard for a surprise!
- Shoveling – remember that activity that involves throwing snow around while breathing heavily? If you don’t have any of your own snow to shovel, go help a neighbor or friend.
Cold Sleep – My grandmother slept every night with a window at least cracked open. Here’s the science behind the suggestion:
Your body naturally cools down & produces melatonin as it prepares for rest. This process requires the body temperature to drop. If you sleep in heavy pajamas & blankets, the body has a difficult time lowering your temperature which will wake you up. You can try sleeping naked but if you’re like me & love jammies & down comforters, you’ll have to make due with keeping your room temperature down, way down! This has the added benefit of lowering your heating bills!
Calm down -its never too dark to go you & look at the lake or the night skies. Bundle up, step outside, breathe deeply & just relax. Send all of your cares & worries into the night air. I’m sure you’ll be able to find them again tomorrow if you really need to. You never know what you might see.
If you can’t go out, try some gentle yoga or stretches…you don’t even need a mantra.
Drink a Calming Tea After A Warm Bath – After you’ve been out with the night sky come in to a warm bath. Here’s some bath/sleep science… Magnesium is a mineral responsible for calming muscles. Add some magnesium to a warm bath with some essential oil, you’ll relax & drift off to sleep. You can also have a cup of herbal tea if you like…maybe Chamomile.
However you get there, I hope you’re trip to dreamland tonight I restful & restorative.
Sweet Dreams…
Me…I’m off to try that magnesium bath stuff!!!
The Heart of Torch Lake 