The quality of our sleep is so important for the overall health, the hormonal balance, the health of the brain, of the heart and more. You know how you feel when you can't sleep well, how your productivity and mood during the day is affected. But that is just the tip of the iceberg - with time poor sleep can lead to anxiety, weight gain, chronic fatigue, thyroid issues, depression and even a burn out. That is why it is good to have a sleeping routine which will support the quality of your sleep at night and here are some tips on how to create one that will work for you.

Having a light meal at least 2 hours before going to bed

Your body needs to rest during the night and also most of the negative and healing processes are happening while you are sleeping. So, you definitely do not want to load your body with heavy meals right before going to bed. Instead of resting and cleansing the tissues, it will be busy with digestion and the horizontal position is not supporting the digestive system at all. If you eat heavy in the evening and then there is not enough time for the food to be digested, it will affect the quality of your sleep, not allowing you to reach the deep sleep phase, can cause bloating, gas and abdominal pain, it can even cause bad dreams and nightmares. So, try to have a light meal at least 2-3 hours before going to bed and if you like to snack late in the evening, have a fresh vegetable or fruit instead of chocolate or sweets. 

Going to bed at the same time each night

Although it could be hard to do this every single night, it is very beneficial if you could set a time to go to bed each evening and stay with it. If you go to bed and wake up at a particular time, your body will adjust and will start producing the hormones regulating your energy expenditure on a regular basis. In the evening, it will decrease the levels of cortisol and will produce melatonin which will make you fall asleep faster. In the morning, the levels of cortisol will rise up at the same time each day, waking you up. If you travel and experience jet lag, try to get back to your normal sleeping hours as soon as possible. Sleeping during the dark hours is highly beneficial for your health, so try not to stay too late and then wake up before 9 am in the morning for an optimal health condition. 

Reducing screen time in the evening

In order for your body to start the melatonin production, which will help you fall asleep, it is better to avoid looking at screens at least 2 hours before going to bed. Screens are known to emit blue light which is waking up the brain and causing troubles sleeping. Also when you are checking your social media in the evening, it actually clutters your mind with too much information which has to be processed and will keep you wide awake. Diminishing the light in the room where you stay in the evening reading a book or listening to calm music will help your body to prepare for a good rest. 

Calming down your nervous system

As mentioned you can listen to calm music or read a book in the evening. In order to calm the nervous system down, you can also take a shower, do some slow stretching, drink a calming cup of herbal tea or make a cold laser treatment. Universal treatment protocol 5 from coMra user guide, for example, is supporting your nervous system and will help you calm down. It can be applied to balance your hormones and to support neuropathic healing too. As a non-invasive procedure, coMra is very beneficial for a wide range of conditions but can also be used as a way to fall asleep faster and to support your immune system. Combining it with a cup of warm milk with cardamom and nutmeg will help you fall asleep even faster. 

Breathwork and essential oils

Imagine having your diffuser with the favourite aromas of lavender or sandalwood essential oils on, you are sitting or lying down still, diving deep in your calm and ever existing presence. Setting up a meditation or breathing practice each evening is proven to help with falling asleep and having a good night sleep. If you are new to meditation, you can listen to a recorded meditation or just focus on your breath for several minutes, trying not to think about anything else. When you are observing your breath, it helps you stay in the moment and all the distracting thoughts will slowly disappear, leaving in the tranquility of your own presence. 

Oil massage

There is an ancient ayurvedic practice to do a self-massage in the evening with warm sesame oil in order to promote better health and sleep. You can slowly spread the oil on your body being mindful and full presented, giving your cells some extra love. If you are in a hurry, you can massage only the feet and your scalp as there are thousands of nerve endings there connected to each organ in your body. This procedure is like a ritual for a better sleep as it will help your tissue regeneration and will calm down your nervous system even more. 

Letting it all go 

The day is over and you need to leave all the worries of the day behind in order to fall asleep. Avoid thinking about the next day tasks or the problems that you have at the moment. Whatever is there to be done, you can do it tomorrow. If you are overthinking all the things that trouble you, you will end up spending the night worrying instead of sleeping and the next day, you will have zero energy to actually deal with what is urgent. The art of letting go in something that we all practice each evening when we are already in bed. Breathe out all your worries and troubles, preparing yourself to have a good and relaxing sleep. This will give you the energy and maybe even new ideas on how to tackle your challenges in the morning. Practicing gratitude for all the great things in your life is an inspiring way to end your day on a good note.

Avoiding stimulating activities 

Having a dynamic work out just before going to bed or watching a movie with some disturbing images, will not help with your sleep. If the levels of adrenaline rise, it will take some time to calm down again. All the really stimulating activities should be left for the day time and in the evening you can concentrate on very slow and soothing practices like Yin yoga, slow stretching, drawing or your favourite quiet hobby. The less is there for your mind to process, the better your sleep will be. That is why you need to be very mindful of what type of content you are watching or listening to before going to bed. Disturbing images and sounds will affect your sleep and might even cause nightmares. 

Sleep is the time of the day when we regain our energy and rest. On the physical level, the body is recovering, healing, cleansing and regenerating. On the emotional level, we get some peace and quiet away from the madness of the world outside. That is why, we need to be mindful about these moments just before going to bed and be aware of what thoughts occupy the mind. These are the moments when we can really observe deep inside and embrace the depth of our own being, when we can cherish the true nature of life, when we can experience deep and soothing inner peace. 

To start using coMra, first search your health issue in the coMra User Guide. If you can find it, start applying the relevant to it treatment protocol. If you do not find it, start with coMra Universal 3 and coMra Universal 5 protocols. If you have questions and need support by an expert, please contact us.