Screenshot of iphone settings showing flight mode on

Want more sleep? Read on…

Most of us would say that we would love more and that we don’t get enough. But once we do hit the pillow are you able to fall asleep easily or have decent quality sleep? If you are anything like me there are nights where I struggle for my body to settle, wake up frequently or my chattery mind just won’t quieten down. In this blog I share three of my top three tips for improved sleep.

No. 1 Screens Off

Screens off as far off from bed time as you can! I aim for 8:30pm.

This can be a whole of household rule, I know of some households who have a timer on the Wifi and once it goes off, all screens are off!

My phone goes in the bathroom to charge during the night and stays on flight mode until after my morning Yoga. I do my best to get off my screens by 8:30pm. Aside from maybe a little Netflix after dinner.

If you are an iPhone user I highly recommending activating Do Not Disturb Mode (crescent moon icon). You can set this to only allow certain contacts and block all other notifications during certain times. This means I can control who can take my attention when. Overnight I am on flight mode but if I want to be contacted by my favourites I just use Do Not Disturb Mode.

No. 2: Unwind with Yoga

With the screens off, this is a great opportunity to spend some time on your Yoga mat.

A night time Yoga sequence does not need to be complex. It can just be something super simple to help you breathe some fully belly breaths and take some of the kinks out of your body from during the day.

I suggest starting with some legs up the wall or maybe this short wind down sequence. Why not try the free legs up the wall sequence available in the Inhale Yoga Library.

No. 3: Create a Night Time Ritual

Create a ritual you can do as you get into bed. It could be a cup of tea in bed, a nice warm shower, some relaxing music.

For me this is includes a combination of:

Heat up my Wili Heat Packs.
Make a cup of lavender or chamomile tea.
Put my night time blend in my diffuser. My go two blends are pictured below, Deep Sleep and Sweet Dreams.
Hop into bed, apply essential oils to my body, Easy Air to my chest, Lavender or Magnolia to my chest and soles of my feet for calm and AromaTouch to my shoulders to let go of tension.
I sometimes use a Jade roller on my face. I have a tendency to clench my teeth at night and I have found this really relaxing for my jaw and face. This is something new for me and I have been really enjoying it! It takes just a couple of minutes.
I sip my tea and read. It may be two pages it may be 20.
I put on my Sleep App. I have been using Meditation Oasis’ I Sleep Easy since 2013 and still love it. It is available for download from the Apple and Google app stores.
Then I am ready for a great night’s sleep!

These rituals help me wind down and relax before bed. They don’t all happen every night and the time they start can sometimes vary. When I have had a busy day or have been working late, step by step they help my mind and body adjust and prepare for rest.