In the night,
Around the world.
The Wide Awake Club.
Welcome to the Wide Awake Club.
You probably didn't sign up for this,
But here you are.
Along with countless others across the world,
Lying in the dark,
Wondering why your brain has suddenly decided that it's time for a deep life analysis or something else that it wants to mull over.
You're not alone in this,
But hey,
Instead of wrestling with this,
Let's make this time a little easier.
There's nothing to do,
Nothing to fix.
Just listen,
Breathe and let yourself be here.
Sleep will find you when it's ready,
Like a cat that only curls up on your lap when you stop calling it.
In the meantime,
Take a moment to smile softly to yourself.
Even if you don't feel like it,
This tiny act signals to the brain that you're safe and sound by releasing soothing neurochemicals like serotonin,
Dopamine and endorphins,
Helping the body shift from tension to rest.
Listening to the sound of rain naturally encourages the brain to shift from the wide awake beta wave state into an alpha wave state,
Which is associated with meditative,
Relaxing,
Calm awareness.
The steady,
Rhythmic sound of rainfall is like nature's white noise,
Gently coaxing your nervous system into a relaxed state.
It encourages the brain to release GABA,
A neurotransmitter that quiets mental chatter and helps the body transition into sleep.
Listening to rain and smiling,
That's a double whammy.
Good job.
And when you add intentional relaxation,
Letting your out-breath be long and slow,
Allowing your body to soften,
That's a triple whammy.
A powerful combination for ease and well-being.
Waking in the night is natural.
All around the world,
People have found ways to embrace these quiet moments instead of fighting them.
Sleep isn't something to force,
It's something to welcome.
So,
If you're awake,
Let it be okay.
Your body knows what to do.
Rest is still healing.
And eventually,
Sleep will find you again.
Now,
As I was saying just before,
Across cultures and traditions,
There are many comforting insights and practical tips to help people feel okay about waking in the night and ease back into sleep.
Here are some gems from around the world.
Rumi,
The Persian Sufi poet.
Sufism.
Rumi's quote,
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
In some spiritual traditions,
Waking in the night is seen as an opportunity rather than a problem.
Instead of resisting,
Try gently embracing wakefulness.
You can use this time for soft reflection,
Gratitude,
A short prayer.
It's up to you.
Paradoxically,
Taking the pressure off falling asleep can help sleep return.
Ayurveda,
Holistic healing in India.
According to Ayurveda,
Waking between 2 and 4am can be a sign of excess vata,
Which is an air element,
Which means the mind is overactive.
To balance this,
It helps to do something grounding.
Gently press your feet into the mattress.
Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly.
And notice the ratio from the belly breathing compared to the chest breathing.
The belly rising and falling compared to the chest rising and falling.
Visualize golden light filling your body,
Bringing warmth and calm.
The Japanese forest bathing principle.
Shinrin-yoku.
Japan's practice of Shinrin-yoku is based on the idea that immersing yourself in natural sounds and imagery calms the nervous system.
So,
Awake at night,
We can imagine ourselves in a quiet forest.
The sound of soft rain falling on leaves.
The scent of pine in the air.
What else can you bring to this visualization?
Mental imagery just like this can lower cortisol,
The stress hormone,
And increase melatonin,
The sleep hormone.
The French.
The hour between dog and wolf.
The French have a phrase for twilight that also applies to night waking.
The hour between dog and wolf.
This hour describes that mysterious time when things feel unclear,
But also somewhat magical.
If you wake,
Rather than feeling frustrated,
Consider this a time of stillness,
Reflection,
Or even inspiration.
The Scandinavian Coselige.
In Norway and Denmark,
The concept of Coselige means embracing coziness,
Even in darkness.
When we wake at night,
Instead of feeling frustration,
We allow ourselves to think of it as an opportunity to snuggle deeper into our blankets,
Soften our muscles,
And simply enjoy the quiet.
The Hawaiian Huna Wisdom.
The Hawaiian Huna teachings emphasize the power of ha,
Which is breath,
To reconnect with deep peace,
The extension of the out-breath.
This helps shift the nervous system from being upregulated,
In sympathetic mode,
And therefore moving into a downregulated state,
In parasympathetic mode,
Where we're able to be much more grounded,
Connected,
And appreciative of where we are in the moment of now.
The Ancient Roman Two Sleeps Insight.
In ancient Rome,
People often had a first sleep and a second sleep.
Waking in the middle of the night was completely normal.
Instead of worrying,
They would rest,
Meditate,
Or talk softly before naturally drifting back into the second sleep.
If you wake,
Remind yourself that humans are actually wired for segmented sleep.
It's not a problem,
Just a different rhythm.
And so,
Dear wide-awake club member,
A membership that you maybe didn't sign up for,
Bless your heart,
You are resting,
Even if you're not quite yet asleep,
That's enough.
Maybe you've drifted away already,
Or maybe you're still here,
Blinking into the darkness.
Either way,
You're okay.
Your body knows what to do.
Sleep is like a cat,
It will come when you least expect it.
