This is Ana Barreto.
Today I will share some insights about how to improve the way you sleep.
And why?
Because the time you sleep is the time you invest in yourself.
Before you continue,
Please know that this is not a talk you listen before going to bed.
So stop now and select a sleeping meditation if you are struggling to sleep.
You can listen to this talk in the morning.
The reason I don't suggest that you listen to it before bed is because this new insights will get you thinking and before bed you need to relax,
Not think.
If you are looking for something to help you relax and prepare for sleep,
I've got you covered.
You can listen to one of my sleeping meditations or explore the many other resources available to you at Insight Timer.
My goal today is to guide you towards better sleep.
Remember to get a notebook and a pen and take notes.
Close all your browsers and be present now.
You are about to change the way you sleep and invest in yourself when you are not awake.
There are many reasons you are awake when you want to sleep and many theories about how many hours you need to rest your body.
I'm not going to discuss this.
All studies agree that you need sleep to be physically and psychologically healthy.
The research is clear.
We need quality sleep.
In the mindfulness world,
Sleep is just one of those resources that will mostly help you live your values and be ready to do what you plan to do with your life.
You know how you feel when you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep or you wake up every night around 3 a.
M.
Tossing and turning,
Disappointed that you are not getting seven to eight hours of slumber.
Many people's first response is to freak out,
Expecting to feel groggy and distracted in the next morning because of the lack of sleep.
You are not alone.
Many of us have experienced this.
Then the following thoughts is to ruminate on why you are awake and blame everything that you have no control over.
You check the clock,
Surf the internet on your phone,
And even turn on the television.
One or two hours later,
You are still awake and upset.
By the time you fall asleep again,
It's time to get up.
Sounds familiar?
The insights you're about to learn are the spiritual solutions for your sleeping problem.
This will help you reset your mind about awake nights and reframe the lens through which you see sleeping and being awake.
Then I will share my mindfulness approach to sleeping well.
Stay until the end.
Let's start.
My research found 10 common misconceptions about sleeping.
Misconceptions are erroneous beliefs that people take as truth.
Let's reframe them for better living,
Shall we?
Number one,
You can catch up on sleep.
Can you?
Many people believe that they can make up the lost sleep time on weekends.
I did it and I planned my weekend naps on Wednesdays.
However,
Consistent sleep schedules are crucial for maintaining overall health and regular sleep patterns.
Although it sounds comforting,
The body will call for sleep when it needs it and not necessarily on the weekends.
Number two,
Alcohol helps you sleep.
While alcohol may help you fall asleep faster,
It can disrupt your sleep cycle,
Leading to poor sleep qualities and less restorative rest.
If you enjoy alcohol,
Don't use it to help you sleep.
Number three,
Everyone needs eight hours of sleep.
Is it true?
Sleep needs can vary significantly from person to person.
While seven to nine hours is a general recommendation for adults,
Some people may need more or less sleep.
This insight will help you stop ruminating when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep.
There is no reason to be upset anymore.
Number four,
You can train yourself to need less sleep.
Your genetics determine the amount of sleep you need and consistently getting less sleep than needed can lead to chronic sleep deprivation and health issues.
Although you can train your body to build healthy sleeping habits,
Depriving yourself of sleep is a short-term solution that causes long-term effects on your well-being.
Number five,
Naps are always beneficial.
While short naps can be refreshing,
Long or irregular napping can interfere with nighttime sleep patterns and may not be beneficial for everyone.
I love naps and I learn to listen to my body when it calls me to get additional rest.
Number six,
Watching TV or using electronics before bed helps you relax.
The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with your body's natural sleep-awake cycle,
Making it harder to fall asleep even when you believe you are accustomed to falling asleep with the television on.
It's best to move the television out of your bedroom.
Number seven,
Lying in bed with your eyes closed is as restful as sleeping.
Resting with your eyes closed is not the same as getting restorative sleep,
Which is necessary for cognitive function and overall health.
It's good to start to sleep,
But you need to reach deeper sleeping levels for vital body functions and meaningful rest.
Number eight,
Older adults need less sleep.
Although sleep patterns may change with age,
Older adults still need about seven to nine hours of sleep.
Poor sleep in old adults is often due to other health issues not reduce sleep needs.
Number nine,
Insomnia means you can't sleep at all.
Insomnia often involves difficulty falling asleep,
Staying asleep,
Or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep.
Rather than a complete inability to sleep,
Don't be afraid of the word insomnia.
It's a temporary condition that you can overcome.
Just don't proclaim it to the world because words have power.
The more you complain about it,
The more it will linger.
Number ten,
It's okay to stay in bed if you can't sleep.
Research suggests that if you can't fall asleep after 20 minutes,
It's better to get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy.
Staying awake can create anxiety while asleep.
I have three great remedies for it.
Meditating,
Herbal tea,
And a 66 seconds of Tai Chi.
Understanding these misconceptions can help you improve your sleeping habits,
Especially when you awake in the middle of the night.
These new thoughts can calm your worries and ruminations.
Now that we have adjusted our mindset about sleeping,
Let's move on to learning how to improve our bedrooms.
Your bedroom is the most important room in your house.
Let me repeat this so you can really understand.
Your bedroom,
Where you sleep with insomnia and all,
Is the most important room of your life because it impacts every area of your life.
When you transform your night,
You can transform your life.
The bedroom is where you spend a great amount of time with no resistance.
Regeneration,
Insights,
Healing,
And important spiritual message come while you are sleeping.
When you sleep well,
You have the energy to live your dreams.
Plus,
Many busy people are awakened around 3 a.
M.
When their spirits want their attention.
Many works of arts and solutions for problems were received in the wee hours of the morning.
Here are three questions to ponder.
Is your spirit trying to get your attention?
Are you too tired to create your intentions?
Are you willing to look in your bedroom with a different lens?
I sleep well and I'm not bragging.
Okay,
Maybe a little.
During a recent workshop,
Someone asked me to define sleep well.
My definition is waking up rested,
Refreshed,
And ready to create your day.
I learned early on about the power the bedroom exerts over people.
It can support or deplete us.
When I went to Paris to write my book about using Feng Shui to improve sleeping,
I didn't know that the universe would challenge me.
It was like it was asking me why is someone who sleeps well writing a book for people who can't?
When I arrived at the beautifully decorated apartment,
I couldn't sleep for days.
First,
I thought it was the time difference between New York and Paris,
And I gave myself a few days to adjust.
Then,
When I stayed up all night,
I realized that the energy of the bedroom was way off.
I was so excited to be there that I didn't pay attention to the Feng Shui.
By the end of the two-month stay,
I left with a new appreciation for sleeping well and a book full of wisdom and layers of understanding to help people who are struggling to sleep.
Here are eight adjustments to correct and improve the energy of your bedroom.
This wisdom practices will create the conditions for sleeping well using mindfulness and Feng Shui adjustments.
This wisdom practices will create the conditions for sleeping well using mindfulness and Feng Shui adjustments to improve the energy of your bedroom.
So here we go.
Number one,
The position of your bed.
The number one thing you could do to help you sleep better is to ensure your bed is in the command position and has the headboard towards one of your positive directions,
Which is based on the day of your birth.
To place the bed in the command position ensures that from the bed you can see the door,
But the bed is not in direct line with the door.
In other words,
The straight line from the door doesn't cross the bed.
This allows for the energy to flow in freely and not disturb your sleep.
Plus,
This is the position that makes people feel safe,
And when you feel safe,
You sleep better.
Number two,
Meditate.
People meditate for many reasons,
Including spiritual connections,
Relaxation,
Healing,
Grounding,
Centering,
Problem-solving,
And more.
Sleeping is one reason for people to meditate.
Whatever your reasons are,
Do it in the bedroom.
As you meditate,
You release good energy,
Which will help improve the bedroom's energy.
Number three,
Remove the television from the bedroom.
Yes,
I said it.
The last words you hear and the pictures you see will influence your sleep.
Even if you don't turn it on,
But can see yourself reflected in it while in bed,
It will impact your energy while you rest.
Number four,
Turn all lights off.
The tea lights on the wall,
Although pretty,
Are not conducive to good sleep,
Even if you believe you sleep well with them now.
You need dark rooms to produce melatonin naturally.
When you keep lights on,
Long-term,
You are teaching your body to produce less of the hormones needed to sleep.
Number five,
And this is a big one,
Remove the clutter from your bedroom.
Everything is energy.
When the room is cluttered,
Disorganized,
And dirty,
Energy has difficulty flowing through.
And I mean the clothes on the floors,
The book besides the bed,
Little things that really have no place in your bedroom,
But it's just there occupying space.
These conditions invite aggressive energy that is sharp and spiked in straight edges instead of flowing with peace and grace,
Which we need to sleep well.
Number six,
Remove inauspicious images from the walls and nightstands.
Dragons,
Lions,
And whales are some of the examples I've seen that interfere with sleep.
Your brain thinks in pictures.
Even though you know that the images on the wall are not real,
They still are influencing your mind.
Number seven,
Mattresses.
Always sleep on the mattress you purchased.
People discharge too much energy while they sleep,
And you don't want to sleep on negative energies from somebody else.
If you can't afford a new one,
Clear its energy with sea salt,
Not regular table salt.
Sprinkle on the mattress,
Let it sit for 30 minutes or so,
And then clean it.
Do that after the end of the relationship too.
Also,
Be aware that this can break your large vacuums,
So use a portable one.
Number eight,
Mirror.
You can keep a mirror in the bedroom as long as it reflects something positive,
And you cannot see yourself in it while in bed.
When you sleep,
Your spirit leaves your bodies.
The mirrors disrupt their exit and return.
There are more adjustments to make in your bedroom.
Avoid bold colors on the wall,
No iron headboards,
No mattresses on the floor,
No bed in front of the bathroom door,
Etc.
These are some of the inauspicious energy impacting your sleep.
Today,
You unlearn 10 beliefs about sleeping and learn eight new energy strategies to improve your sleep.
I hope you took notes.
If not,
Listen to it again.
Remember,
Sleeping is time you invest in yourself,
The most important person in the universe for you.
So,
What is next?
Make at least one adjustments to your bedroom today.
Not tomorrow,
Not next week,
Not next month.
Today.
You have eight suggestions,
So pick one.
This will initiate your journey to great sleep.
Remember,
You must share your gifts with the world,
And you need your energy.
Keep investing in yourself.
Sleep well,
My darling.
This is Ana Barreto,
Signing off.
