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How to sleep better?
You miss 100% of the naps you don’t take.
Sleep, we do it every day, and still, there is so much mystery around it. In this article, we will discuss why sleep is important and how to improve the quality of your sleep. I will provide you with models and worksheets that will help you to follow along and measure your improvement. You can complement this with sleep music, etc. should you wish.
Background
Sleep is one element of human life that has to be looked at from a holistic lens. Let us start this with a personal example, when I was a young boy, I used to see my great-grandfather, my grandfather, they will sit in meditation, and will become Rock almost instantly. And from their own will they will come out of it (meditation). And this is true for actually anyone who really goes into Dhyanam or meditation: they are calm, they are much more centered, and they carry a serene aura around them. And we know a centered, or balanced mind is much more productive and effective than a mind which is either too fanatic or too let’s see a bit low or depressed.
See Over the last 200 years or so, the way of living has changed quite a lot. We are slowly drifting away from Nature, from being able to go deep inside our inner calm. People used to get into meditation pretty much instantly. But if we see now, there are a plethora of tools, and apps such as relaxing music, and calming voices available to assist you . in something that was very much human nature. And, in the last decade or so, it is happening with our Sleep as well. If we tell someone that I go to my bed and fall asleep instantly, the next question might be what sleep app or ASMR app do you use?
Why Sleep is important?
Somebody said to me “You miss 100% of the naps you don’t take”. The activity that brings us closest to meditation is Sleep. It gives us a much-needed mental break. Lack of sleep is one of the major root causes of many types of mental health issues. What you will not find is a single person suffering from mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and so and so on but sleeping perfectly well. Having a proper 6 to 7 hours of sleep is like being reborn again. The problems and the worries of the night before are gone, you are in a place where your body and mind are quiet and relaxing. When you get up, you are physically and mentally rejuvenated. Other by-products of daily physical and mental rejuvenation are weight control, a stronger immune system, improved concentration, and better mood. Another important aspect for young professionals such as you is better decision-making and creative muscle.
How to sleep better?
See nothing is more powerful than Time. Submit yourself to Time. Even the most powerful star in the Universe follows time. The Sun doesn’t say, you know today is Friday, I will rather take a day off and make it a long weekend. It rises. Similarly, you make a entire day routine and sleep schedule. And if you need help, reach out. I will try to help. Sleep early – 930 or 10 pm get up early 4 am or 5 am (or the time that works for you) but stay as close as possible to the natural cycle. And then, stick to it, Say this to yourself “even if the Sun decides to rise from the west tomorrow, I will get up at 4 because nothing matters more Than that.”
In the morning, spend about an hour for yourself. Do NOT look at the phone in the first hour of your day. Get some physical exercise, breathing, and meditation during this time. Post-meditation is also a good time to plan and premortem your day.
Now, during the day, spend time with yourself. Have one meal just by yourself. If this isn’t possible, then at least a coffee or a snack just by yourself.
Observe one good habit of someone during the day. We, humans, are amazing in the sense if we start appreciating things, slowly over time we start acquiring those things/skills as well.
Before bed, journal (sheet provided). And just before bed, do at least 10 minutes of meditation. If it’s particularly a hard day, remember the passing river visual that we practiced in class and do that meditation.
With the meditation that we learned in the class and the below routine followed, within 5 to 7 days, you will start seeing a remarkable difference in your ability to sleep better.
Bonus Section
Click below to get customized worksheet and journal that will help you to get back on feet
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-52MBvav6_3URLuw-8qeoE4VYL4u–tm
[…] how to sleep better? If you are a student or a young professional I will highly recommend you read “How to sleep better”, an article I wrote some time back. If you are a leader, I have developed a set of unique […]