Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Are you regularly getting a good night’s sleep? On a scale of 1 to 5, how well do you sleep? How often do you sleep well?

If you’re in the US, you might be one of the 68% of the population who has difficulty sleeping at least one night per week. Over here in France, 20% of the population has insomnia and is unable to deal with everyday life due to physical and mental fatigue. That’s huge!

The Benefits of Good Sleep

Sleep allows the body to rebuild energy reserves, regenerate cells, boost the immune system, regulate hormone production, and eliminate toxins. It’s also the time when the brain reorganizes information and memories, allowing for better concentration during the day.

Lack of good sleep can increase irritability, mood swings, weight gain, muscle fatigue, as well as interfere with concentration and thinking skills.

Sleep is vital to a healthy body and mind!

Reasons for Insomnia

There are many reasons why people can’t sleep. According to a study published by Psychosomatic Medicine in 2003, the main reason for primary insomnia is stress and anxiety.

“…insomniacs rated both the impact of daily minor stressors and the intensity of major negative life events higher than did good sleepers. In addition, insomniacs perceived their lives as more stressful, relied more on emotion-oriented coping strategies, and reported greater presleep arousal than good sleepers.”

But there are more factors that can influence the quality of sleep, such as sleep hygiene.

Sleep Hygiene

1. environment

Your sleep environment plays a big role in how well you sleep. Nighttime disruptions caused by light and noise can pop you out of your sleep cycle, meaning that you might have to wait out a full 90-minute cycle before you can get back to sleep. Did you know that even the tiniest light can be enough to disrupt your sleep?

2. daylight exposure

Your circadian rhythm – the natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle – is partially related to your exposure to daylight. So getting outside, especially early in the day, can help to reinforce your natural circadian rhythm.

3. sleep schedule

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule enables your body to maintain a stable circadian rhythm.

4. avoiding stimulants

Caffeine, alcohol and heavy meals too close to bedtime can interfere with your sleep cycle.

5. daily exercise

Daytime exercise, especially when done outdoors so that you can get exposed to daylight, helps to tire out the body and increase your “sleep pressure” (your natural cues that make you want to go to bed).

6. limiting light before bed

Dimming artificial lights at night and avoiding screen time before bed can also boost your circadian cues.

How Sophrology Can Help You Sleep Better

If you’ve got the sleep hygiene part of the equation under control, but you’re still not sleeping well, Sophrology can be a helpful tool in getting a good night’s sleep.

Since stress is a major factor in primary insomnia, reducing it can allow you to get a better night’s rest. By its nature, Sophrology helps to diminish stress and improve quality of life. It does so by reconnecting your body, mind and emotions, and increasing your awareness of what happens within yourself on any given day.

Through regular practice you learn how take mini breaks to find balance during the day. This lends itself to letting go in the evening and falling asleep more easily.

Sophrology can also help to let go of any limiting beliefs around sleep and your sleep story. Putting you in charge of your well-being, Sophrology gives you confidence in your ability to sleep and even enhance the quality of your sleep.

Programming a Good Night’s Sleep

One of the visualizations that I use in my Sophrology sessions is this re-writing of the participant’s sleep story.

After going through a body scan relaxation, I ask the person to go through their bedtime routine and savour each sensation along the way. I then ask them to imagine themselves falling asleep, having an amazingly deep sleep. After an anchoring of positive sensations in the body, the visualization continues, imagining waking up and feeling refreshed and energized to start the day. Doing this alone is one piece of the puzzle, but can be a good start!

I recorded this particular visualization on Insight Timer if you’d like to go through the experience on your own. You could even combine it with my free Mini Sophrology Session to let go of stress and release tension before doing the visualization.

Sign up below to get your free session that includes a video and interactive PDF!