Since having Ethan last year, and a few months prior to his birth, sleep has eluded me.
Before getting pregnant, I would take melatonin or unisom before bed because my insomnia was so bad. Although Ethan is 1, he still doesn't sleep through the night, which means I can't be groggy and need to be able to get up and take care of him if need be.
Right now I use my
Gurunanda Aromatherapy Diffuser and switch between their Calming Sleep and Tranquility essential oils. I can tell you this has worked wonders. (Right now I have their Focus blend going so I could concentrate enough to write this post!)
When I heard that meditation expert, Emily Fletcher, also used to suffer from insomnia, I couldn't help but wonder what magic she worked to cure it. Since I can't make her meditation retreat she has coming up at the Four Seasons Resort and Spa in Santa Fe, I asked her to lend some tips that we could all benefit from. Below is directly from Emily herself!
As we all know, if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, life can get pretty tough on the other side. We all want to be there for our friends, our family, our colleagues, and perform at our very best.
To get a good night’s sleep, we actually need to start taking action during the day. Here are a few practical tips to help you get that delicious restful sleep you’ve been craving.
1. F.lux App
I know it seems crazy to offer up technology to help with sleep, but since so many of us spend so much time on computers and phones during the day this is a great tool. It actually knows the time the sun sets in your time zone, so it darkens and softens the light on your device to correctly signal to your brain the time of day. It’s awesome.
2. EMF Phone Cover
This shields the harmful rays that come from our cell phones that aren’t great for us anyways, but especially best to block them when we are focused on getting good rest.
3. No technology in the bedroom
Let your bed be for sleep and sex only.
4. Wash off the day and reset for night with a nice, warm bath.
Add some magnesium or lavender to help relax the muscles, and remind your body that it is time to rest and relax.
5. Give yourself an oil massage.
Try this once you’re in bed- just on your hands and your feet to work out the tension. Sesame oil or coconut oil work beautifully here.
6. Lavender oil on the bottom of your feet.
Simply dab some on the bottom of your feet. It sounds crazy, but it is a magical miracle trick.
7. If you’re lying in bed and can’t fall asleep, remind yourself that even if you're not actively asleep, you're still getting 80% of the rest you could be getting, simply by lying in bed.
Just remembering this helps to take pressure and anxiety off, and relaxes the mind along with the body.
8. My number one favorite tip for insomnia: Meditation.
I had insomnia for about eighteen months before I found this style of meditation. It was like torture! I wasn't enjoying my job, or my life. On the first day of my first meditation class I slept through the night for the first time in eighteen months and I have every night since, and that was nine years ago.
If you don't yet have a daily practice I would love for you to join me at the gorgeous Four Seasons Resort and Spa in Santa Fe this October. I will teach you a simple, powerful technique and you will leave with this self-sustaining practice you can do anywhere. I’m excited to share this with you, friends. Sweet dreams!
More about Emily -
Emily Fletcher is the founder of Ziva Meditation and the creator of zivaMIND, the world’s first online meditation training. Ziva’s mission is to make meditation attractive and accessible to people who are ready to up-level their performance and their lives. Recently featured in The New York Times, named top 100 women in wellness to watch and regarded as one of the leading experts in Vedic meditation, Emily has been invited by companies like Google, Barclays Bank, sweetgreen, & Viacom to help improve company performance through meditation. She began her ten years of training in Rishikesh, India and was inspired to teach after experiencing the profound physical and mental benefits meditation provided her during her 10-year career on Broadway, which included roles inChicago, The Producers & A Chorus Line.
Emily has been invited to speak at Harvard Business School, Bulletproof Biohacking Conference, Summit Series, A-Fest and The Omega Center. So far, she has taught over 2,800 people to become self-sufficient meditators with this game changing practice to take with them for life.
Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!
As we all know, if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, life can get pretty tough on the other side. We all want to be there for our friends, our family, our colleagues, and perform at our very best.
To get a good night’s sleep, we actually need to start taking action during the day. Here are a few practical tips to help you get that delicious restful sleep you’ve been craving.
1. F.lux App
I know it seems crazy to offer up technology to help with sleep, but since so many of us spend so much time on computers and phones during the day this is a great tool. It actually knows the time the sun sets in your time zone, so it darkens and softens the light on your device to correctly signal to your brain the time of day. It’s awesome.
2. EMF Phone Cover
This shields the harmful rays that come from our cell phones that aren’t great for us anyways, but especially best to block them when we are focused on getting good rest.
3. No technology in the bedroom
Let your bed be for sleep and sex only.
4. Wash off the day and reset for night with a nice, warm bath.
Add some magnesium or lavender to help relax the muscles, and remind your body that it is time to rest and relax.
5. Give yourself an oil massage.
Try this once you’re in bed- just on your hands and your feet to work out the tension. Sesame oil or coconut oil work beautifully here.
6. Lavender oil on the bottom of your feet.
Simply dab some on the bottom of your feet. It sounds crazy, but it is a magical miracle trick.
7. If you’re lying in bed and can’t fall asleep, remind yourself that even if you're not actively asleep, you're still getting 80% of the rest you could be getting, simply by lying in bed.
Just remembering this helps to take pressure and anxiety off, and relaxes the mind along with the body.
8. My number one favorite tip for insomnia: Meditation.
I had insomnia for about eighteen months before I found this style of meditation. It was like torture! I wasn't enjoying my job, or my life. On the first day of my first meditation class I slept through the night for the first time in eighteen months and I have every night since, and that was nine years ago.
If you don't yet have a daily practice I would love for you to join me at the gorgeous Four Seasons Resort and Spa in Santa Fe this October. I will teach you a simple, powerful technique and you will leave with this self-sustaining practice you can do anywhere. I’m excited to share this with you, friends. Sweet dreams!
More about Emily - Emily Fletcher is the founder of Ziva Meditation and the creator of zivaMIND, the world’s first online meditation training. Ziva’s mission is to make meditation attractive and accessible to people who are ready to up-level their performance and their lives. Recently featured in The New York Times, named top 100 women in wellness to watch and regarded as one of the leading experts in Vedic meditation, Emily has been invited by companies like Google, Barclays Bank, sweetgreen, & Viacom to help improve company performance through meditation. She began her ten years of training in Rishikesh, India and was inspired to teach after experiencing the profound physical and mental benefits meditation provided her during her 10-year career on Broadway, which included roles inChicago, The Producers & A Chorus Line.
Emily has been invited to speak at Harvard Business School, Bulletproof Biohacking Conference, Summit Series, A-Fest and The Omega Center. So far, she has taught over 2,800 people to become self-sufficient meditators with this game changing practice to take with them for life.
Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!
