the secret of restful sleep 24-03-2017 S leep disorders have become epidemic. Do you know that when your don't sleep well the level of stress in your body-mind rises causing imbalances like weight gain, anxiety or other disturbances dangerous in the long term? There is a way to stop this!     My favorite ayurtips to regulate sleep and make sure that your nights are calm and restful: Adjust the time you go to bed

The internal clock in humans is dictated by nature and not by social habits. Ayurveda recommends that you go to bed between 10 and 10:30 pm because it is when your body-mind naturally initiates the period of rest and repair.

What to do during the previous two hours 

Many times the problem is in the activities that you do before going to bed.

Avoid copious and late dinners. Eat your last foods before eight.

Only quiet activities allowed at this time: read something inspirational, chat calmly about the events of the day or listen to soft music.

Take a relaxing bath with lavender essential oil and practice an auto abhyanga massage every night.

Leave the cell phone and other electronic devices in a separate room. Buy an old fashion alarm clock.

Make sure that every day you eat the following three foods that will help you relax and sleep (you will find more on my upcoming book):

Walnuts. Contain tryptophan, an essential aminoacid that helps regulate the relaxed state necessary for a restful night.

Bananas. Rich in potassium and vitamin B6, that increase the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the cycle of sleep.

Nutmeg. Recommended by Ayurveda as a insomnia fighter. You can take it as a tea of in warm milk.

Meditate

Create a daily meditation routine. Meditation will allow you to go beyond your mind, therefore, it is essential if you want to calm all repetitive thoughts and stop the mind from getting hooked on small problems. It also allows the emergence of new and creative solutions for your live. People that meditate are calmer and sleep peacefully most nights.

 

Breathe, relax, let go and sleep