1. Make a listing of what you need to do the next day, write it all down and keep that paper and pen near your bedside in case you think of anything else you need to do. When you write things down you’re giving your brain the signal that it no longer needs to consider those tasks.
2. Don’t watch television or listen to the radio (especially the news) before retiring for the night – and certainly do not fall asleep with the TV or radio on.
3. Read some inspirational or self-growth material for at least 30 minutes prior to bed. Your goal is to fill your mind with inspirational thoughts before falling asleep so the last thoughts you have before drifting off are uplifting thoughts – rather than the stressful thoughts that most people fall asleep thinking about.
4. Make sure the room that you’re sleeping in is as dark a room as possible – the body is made to sleep when it’s dark out – the darker the room the more potential for a deep sleep.
5. Make the room as silent as possible – turn off all electronic devices and ask others in the home to be as quiet as they can be.
6. Don’t eat for at least 3 hours before going to bed. When there’s undigested food in the stomach, your body is forced to focus on digesting that food rather than being focused on repairing your body and mind – which is what sleep is about! The body was designed to digest food best while moving – not while laying down.
7. Try to go to bed at approximately 10:00 pm and awake at approximately 6:00 am. In Ayurvedic medicine it’s believed that there are cycles that are the most conducive for certain activities. Going to sleep at 10:00 pm and arising at 6:00 am appears to allow the body to rest the deepest, rejuvenate the most, and give the person the most energy throughout the day.
8. Don’t take drugs or vitamins/herbs that are supposed to assist you sleep (unless required by your physician). Most of these artificial sleeping aids do only deaden your senses – the goal of ‘sleep’ is to give your body the time and means to repair itself and prepare for the coming day. When you drug yourself to sleep, every system in your body is slowed down, including all those systems that are responsible for repairing you.
9. Ensure that there’s a fresh air supply in the room. The air indoors is considered some of the most toxic air around. When you sleep, you’re only able to breath in the air that surrounds you in your enclosed bedroom. Try opening a window (if it’s cold outside then just open the window a crack). The fresh air that comes in while you sleep will help your body repair itself because you’ll have access to cleaner, more oxygenated air.
10. Throughout the day, do 60 minutes of mild exercise. If you don’t have time to do 60 minutes in a row, then break it up into 2 – 30 minute sessions, or 3 – 20 minute session, or 6 – 10 minute sessions — just get a full 60 minutes in. The best exercise plans can only be listed by a fitness expert like an Eagle Ridge Fitness Personal Training program generally consists of.