I think we are a sleep-deprived people. Uncomfortable sleep… not enough sleep… not realizing the importance of good sleep…. The results are not good, but the great news is that we can reset our sleep by doing a few things better.

1. Set your bed time. Good parents do this for their children because we want them to feel good and perform well during their day. Hmmm… why don’t we do this for ourselves? I know I need to set my bed time a little earlier because I have a tendency to sit down about 9:30 or 10:00 to read or watch a little TV before I go to bed and the next thing I know, I wake up on the couch at 3:00 a.m. – ugh! So, I need to start getting ready for bed at 10:00 instead of sitting down to watch TV ;-). I heard a good tip last week – set your alarm to remind you it’s bed time.
2. Get comfortable. Check what you wear, the temperature in your house, the clutter in your bedroom, the state of your mattress and pillow. These all contribute to a good night’s sleep. I need to buy an new mattress big-time (this means shopping – heeellllllp!!) and I’m trying out different pillows because some go flat or “dead” very quickly. What can you change in your environment to make your sleep more comfortable?
3. Do some gentle yoga poses, stretches, breathing and meditation before you sleep. It really makes a great difference! Even just a few stretches and three minutes of quiet meditation releases tension from your body and generates calm in your nervous system to help you get a good night’s sleep. Try it and let me know how it works for you!

By: Cheri Harvey, Owner/Founder Yoga For Real