Sleep is the best meditation. – Dalia Lama
Sleep, and enough of it, is the prime necessity. Enough exercise, and good food and enough, are other necessities. But sleep- good sleep, and enough of it – this is a necessity without which you cannot have exercise of use, nor the food. – Edward Everett Hale, “How to Get the Best of It,” c.1892
I listened to a podcast (Freakonomics podcast episode, Economics of Sleep Part 1 and Part 2) that made more more mindful about how much rest I get. I probably have not been getting the most soundest sleep lately for various reasons. I live in a condo and have a “special” neighbor above me who has a dog that is the size of horse that leaps from furniture and pounds the ground (my ceiling) at crazy hours in the morning (including weekends); bless her and her dog. Aside from the neighbor issue I sometimes don’t have an easy time getting to sleep. Another issue I have is when I do get to sleep nature calls at least 1-3 times a night. I have been on a quest to identify daily rituals to address my sleep issues so that I can get the most soundest sleep If you have any effective rituals to share, drop me a line and let me know!
- The loud neighbor: I ordered and tested a few earplugs. The ear plugs that worked best for me were Moldex Pura Fit. What I love about these plugs is that they are just the right size for my ear canals. Other ear plugs I have tried have made my ear canals sore. If you are on a hunt for ear plugs I recommend trying at least a 2-3 types to find the right fit.
- Getting to sleep: I take melatonin when I need to. The long term effects of melatonin are not really known; I use a liquid form which I find is more effective than the pill form. Also, I stay away from screens (phone, TV, and PC) at least a half hour before I go to bed. If I really need help getting to sleep I will listen to a calm and soothing podcast or listen to Headspace and/ or free guided meditation sessions provided by UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center. I also wear an eye mask on the weekends because I typically wake up after the sun rises on the weekends; natural light is like an alarm clock for me.
- Nature calling: I visited with a special doc for this part of my anatomy to understand if there was anything wrong with me; the doc did not find anything serious. Though I learned that I am very sensitive to caffeine. My doc mentioned that alcohol has the same properties that caffeine does that will prompt me to want to visit the bathroom more often. Since my visit with the doc I have significantly cut my caffeine consumption; I seldom have coffee and if I do it is decaffeinated and I have it during the weekends. I replaced coffee with decaf Chai Tea and I love it. I am still working on not enjoying a couple glasses of wine close to bedtime – that is hard to do…
Sleep is essential. If you’re having a hard time getting to sleep – figure it out, it’s important and you’re worth it.
Be well!
Conscious 