Sleepless nights...a potential remedy

There has been some talk about not sleeping properly.  As the mum of a two year old I know that sleep is golden. It helps you to repair the body and allows you to cope with the stress that life throws at you.
I think that most people know they need sleep, you feel it in your bones almost but HOW THE HELL DO YOU GET MORE SLEEP?

Getting to sleep can be complex at times. You run all day and feel exhausted, then you get home and finally lie down and *BING* the light bulb goes on and you can't sleep.
You start thinking about the day, think about the things that you did, the things that you didn't DO. You think about tomorrow you've got to get up, get to work, RUN! RUN! RUN! There is no time.

Sleep relies on moving you body from the Sympathetic nervous system to the Parasympathetic nervous system. Our body has two distinct ways of running. The sympathetic nervous system is our fight or flight it the system that helps us get life done. The parasympathetic is for resting digesting and all out relaxation.
The key to getting good sleep is to get your body out of fight or flight and in to the rest and repose.

One of the best ways to help your body relax is a massage (you knew I was going to say that right?) Massage helps the body to naturally switch over, there is a distinct moment in a massage where the body shifts, it like a gear change in a car you can feel the body slow down. Ideally you would be able to have a massage every day, But (unfortunatly for me) that just isn't possible.

What else can you do? Create the right atmosphere - make your bed room a calming place to be. No TV, no clutter, just you, your nice sheets a Fluffy doona and your bed. (Maybe your partner but thats not a given) before bed burn some lavender oil, (always make sure to blow out the candle) and make the time to relax in your bedroom.

Have a bath - even if its only 20 mins a good soak can help to unwind the body and clear the mind. Get all your daily chores out of your head in the bathtub and let your worries go down the drain.

Lastly I like to try and mediate. Most of my really busy clients scoff saying the old line "I cant meditate!" Generally I find that my brain wont stop either so I need a mediation that still requires me to think but forces me to relax. I have written a great hand out PDF on how to do a mediation for your spine. It hooks you into your parasympathetic nervous system and gives you a way to relax your body.