Get the Best Night's Sleep Every Night

Is it often difficult for you to set aside the chaos of a busy day, and allow yourself to get a peaceful and restful night’s sleep? I get it! I hear it all the time from my clients: They go to bed and they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. And guess what? They have a terrible night’s sleep. They wake up unrested and they’re not ready to face the challenges they were up all night worrying about.

Sometimes it’s so hard to quiet the mind and allow ourselves to settle into a state of calm that allows us to have a rejuvenating rest, so today I want to share with you, a blissful nightly ritual that is so simple to follow, and will set you up for the best night’s sleep every night.

You know, rituals are important because they fill our lives with sacredness. They help us to bring the best forward into our lives. They give us focus. They give us a sense of achievement. Rituals are very important, and one of the most healing and beneficial rituals we can begin to adopt is a healthy bedtime ritual.

I want to start off first by saying that I am NOT a morning person, I’m a night owl. Anytime I’ve tried to force myself to go to bed earlier than what feels natural to me, I wind up tossing and turning and popping wide awake at 3am when I need to be up at 6am. Whatever your natural body rhythm may be, arrange your bedtime ritual around getting to sleep at a time that honors your own personal rhythm.

Ritual One: Take a Shower or Bath

Consider lighting candles in your bathroom, to create a soft ambient light for your nightly shower or bath. This will help your mind begin to shift into a more relaxing state. Then when you’re in the shower I want you to imagine all the business of the day, your to-do list for tomorrow, things and people who may have bothered you, situations that remain unresolved—imagine all those things as though they were each a cord connected to your body and as you wash, run your hand down the length of your body and just imagine all those cords falling away. Use your hand to sever all these invisible cords, and allow them to run down the drain. I have done this exercise so often that I immediately feel lighter afterward. It’s incredible what a little imagination and visualization can do for the body and the soul.

Ritual Two: Make Yourself a Hot Beverage

Think of it as you doing something nice for yourself. An act of kindness. Make yourself a nice cup of decaffeinated tea or anything you might enjoy. My favorite is either a cup of chamomile which helps me relax or this turmeric milk tea that I love. Get yourself a wonderful beverage and allow yourself to just be still, peaceful, and present as you enjoy each sip.

Ritual Three: Speak Five Gratitudes

If you have more than five gratitudes to speak, by all means! But some days are more challenging than others, and I’ve found that at least five is the magic number for keeping this ritual simple and effective. Snuggle into your bed and just thank God, or the Universe, or Spirit, whatever works for you—express gratitude to a higher power of your understanding for the tender blessings in your life.

Usually after my gratitudes, if I’m not quite ready to close my eyes I will watch a show that makes me laugh, or brings me joy. Nothing heavy, or frightening, or sad. Right before bed is just not the time to bring these matters into the forefront of our consciousness. And when it’s time to turn out the lights, I do my final ritual.

Ritual Four: Request a Protective White Light

Ask God, or your angels, or your guides, or Mother Nature, or anything that works for you, ask that higher power to surround you with white light to protect you and help you sleep well. Imagine this loving light surrounding your body as you allow yourself to relax into your bed.

A ritual is the same as practice. The more you do it, the more effective it becomes. As you condition your mind to start shifting into relaxation and gratitude at the same time every night, the more deeply you will feel the benefits of your sacred nightly ritual. It’s such a simple, simple way to be kind to yourself, and set yourself up for a fresh start the next day. Remember my friends, love is Spirit and when we celebrate that love by being kind and respectful to ourselves, we are with Spirit. Love you all. Namaste.