Walking. Riding a bike. Eating with a fork.
There are some skills we learn as children that stick with us our whole life.
Then, there are those that we lose if we don’t practice them on a regular basis. Sleep training falls into this category.
Likely, your frazzled parents spent countless nights coaxing you into your own bed, setting a nighttime routine and teaching you how to wind down.
It’s easy to follow this practice when we’re young, but somewhere along the way, we’ve lost the knowledge we learned.
Now? Adults are more sleep-deprived than ever before, with one in three failing to get the recommended seven hours’ minimum.
The good news? It’s never too late to retrain your brain.
Holistic sleep training for adults helps us tap into the mindset we adopted as tots when time in bed was restorative, not inconvenient.
Interested in trying it out for yourself? Here are the top benefits to know.
1. A Set Schedule
How consistent is your bedtime? Are you a by-the-clock person, always under the covers by 10 p.m.? Or, do you burn the midnight oil until you have to surrender?
Sleep training for adults starts with establishing a consistent sleep schedule.
As parents must train a newborn to understand daytime and nighttime cycles, we must adhere to a set routine to strengthen and reinforce our circadian rhythm.
In short, this is the biological process that controls when you sleep and wake.
That afternoon slump you feel at your desk? The way your eyes droop while watching the evening news? That puffiness you see when you wake up after a fitful night?
Yep, it’s all related to your rhythm.
Rising and going to bed at the same time helps you avoid these peaks and dips, steadying your energy levels, reducing inflammation and improving your focus.
2. A Bedtime Routine You Enjoy
Self-care is all about creating routines that nourish your mind, body, and spirit.
The time before bed can be a transformative and healing one if you let it.
Rather than taking a quick, half-hearted shower, throwing on pajamas and passing out, what if you dedicated an hour to wellness instead?
As babies look forward to lullabies, bath time, and books, you too can create a setup that lures you to the bedroom, even if your phone is dinging with notifications.
Light candles. Take a bubble bath. Indulge in an elaborate skin care routine you love.
Whatever your choice, make the time before bed a buffer period, where you release the stress and busyness of the day and prepare to enter a state of relaxation.
3. A New Way to Self-Soothe
Babies may fall asleep by sucking their pacifiers, being held, or finding a favorite stuffed animal.
As we get older, we have to find different ways to self-soothe. This is especially true if we’ve fallen into poor sleep patterns.
Through holistic sleep training, you’ll learn what puts you in a calm mindset. This is known as your relaxation response and discovering it is critical. When you’re in this state, your blood pressure lowers, your heart rate slows and your stress melts away.
From yoga and deep breathing exercises to mindful meditation, there are myriad ways you can self-soothe as an adult.
Holistic sleep training also helps you to release any anxiety you feel over not being able to fall asleep. Rather than willing yourself to feel sleepy and beating yourself up over not getting there, you’ll learn how to naturally trigger the cues.
4. Reconditioning Your Bed
Take a look at your bedroom. Is it a place that symbolizes calm and peace? Or, are there stacks of paperwork on the bedside table, an oversized television in the corner and children’s toys strewn about?
Learning to sleep again requires rewiring how you think of this space.
It should be a place without excessive noise, harsh lighting or digital distractions. In short, it should be an oasis of peace.
Babies achieve this environment through sound machines, soft blankets, and blackout curtains. Your approach might not be that different!
Try to eliminate any sleep cues that are unhelpful, such as scrolling your phone. Then, make sure you only get in bed when you’re tired. That way, you associate it with sleep and sleep only.
Practice Holistic Sleep Training Today
When we’re lying prone, our bodies are hard at work.
Yet, for us to reap the therapeutic benefits, we must make holistic sleep training a priority.
That means setting a schedule, finding a routine and indulging in soothing activities that make our bedroom the haven it’s meant to be.
Our integrative nurse coaching sessions and medical cannabis nurse consultations show you how to discover and reverse unhealthy sleep patterns, setting the stage for a more restful slumber.
Contact us today to book an integrative nurse coaching session or a medical cannabis nurse consulting session and wake up refreshed, renewed, and restored!
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