10-minute routine for a great night's sleep
Do you get enough sleep? Do you feel rested when you wake up in the morning?
When I was dealing with burnout, I was exhausted ALL THE TIME. I would lie down in bed at night and two things would happen. Either I would:
Fall right asleep but wake up at 2:30 am anxious and unable to get back to sleep
OR
Couldn’t fall asleep due to the racing thoughts in my mind about my patients, the workload I was dealing with, the stuff the kids needed, and on and on.
I learned that I needed to prep my mind and body for sleep, even though I was exhausted - the stress response needed to be turned off.
Here is my 10-minute routine that gets me consistent, deep, restful sleep:
After I shower, change into pjs, and brush my teeth, right before I am ready to get into bed, I:
Turn on a sound bath or calming music. My favorite app for this is Insight Timer and I love Sonic Yogi’s music. You could also use YouTube or Spotify, etc.
Sit on the floor and stretch my body. Whatever feels good, close your eyes and do some cat/cow, hamstring stretch, butterfly, etc.
Sit still, with eyes closed, and take some deep breaths. You could also do this in bed, at this point. My favorite deep breathing is the 4-7-8 breath or box breathing.
And then, go to sleep. If you aren’t ready to sleep, don’t get back on your phone or electronics. Read a non-stressful book, or listen to music, etc. Avoid returning to stimulating activities.
Happy sleeping!