How to Calm Your Mind at Night

Tell us if this sounds familiar. You’re exhausted and can’t wait to get into your cozy bed, yet the moment you try to settle in, your mind starts to go over all the things you didn’t get to that day. Or, you wake up in the middle of the night worrying about the following day. The next thing you know, it’s been two hours and you’re still awake.  Our busy brains can be one of the biggest sleep saboteurs. These unprecedented times are adding heightened anxieties that can exacerbate the issue. To make matters worse, researchers at the University of California Berkeley have found that a sleepless night can trigger anxiety up to 30% versus a full night’s sleep which can calm emotions. This leaves us with a tricky conundrum. We need sleep to keep our anxiety at bay, yet our anxiety is keeping us up. So, what do we do?  We talked to leading sleep experts to get their top tricks to calm our minds at night.  HOW TO CALM YOUR MIND AT NIGHT Create a Nightly Bedtime Ritual  You all know we love a bedtime routine, so it bears repeating. Just like you would do for a child, you want to go back to basics and set up your own nighttime rituals.  “Do the same things before bed so your brain knows it has to start preparing for sleep,” says Colin House, Intellibed’s sleep expert.   Some things to add to your routine could include: Turn off all your screens at least 30 minutes before bed and dim the lights Read  Meditate Journal to get out all the looming to-dos populating your brain  All of the experts we spoke to said we should go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time each day. “Our bodies need routine in order to sync our circadian rhythms. Create and maintain a bedtime routine,” says Lauri Leadley, CCSH, RPSGT, co-founder of Valley Sleep Center. She also recommends you start your day off with an alarm that is gentle and soothing, not a sound that creates tension.  Check out how NL founder Keri Glassman sets herself up for sleep success here!  Try Progressive Relaxation Dr. Thanuja Hamilton recommends progressive relaxation for those middle-of-the-night wake-ups. The process involves actively relaxing each body part from head to toe by tensing it up and then relaxing while breathing out. “You end up taking your body to an even more relaxed state than it was at rest,” explains Dr. Hamilton, who is medical director at Jefferson University Hospital Sleep Lab. “The hope is that you can distract yourself while relaxing. The goal is that you fall back asleep before getting to your toes.” Avoid the Temptation to Reach for Your Phone Limiting exposure to blue light will help your body fall asleep naturally. “Before bed, download your favorite meditation (we recommend MindTravel meditations) and add them to your Amazon playlist,” says Murray Hidary, the mastermind behind MindTravel. “This way, all you have to do is say, ‘Alexa, play MindTravel Sleep’ and you’ll be able to relax without picking up your gadget.” Focus on Your Breath Meditation is a great way to help calm your mind. But, if you have a partner, you may not want to play a guided meditation and wake them up. Hidary recommends a simple box breath technique that you can do in silence. You breathe in for four counts, hold it for four counts, exhale for four counts, and hold for four counts, etc. “Meditation is simply bringing your focus to the present moment,” he says. “Any time your brain wants to put its attention on the sleep you’re not getting, the things you forgot to do today, or worse … work, put your focus back on your breath.” If you really need that guidance, headphones can help. “You can also utilize imagery by imagining yourself somewhere you love, like a beach,” says Leadley. “Sync your breath with the sound of the ocean waves. See, hear, and smell all the things around you in this beautiful, calming place. This will help detour your thoughts and worries so that you can relax and drift off to sleep.” If after 15 minutes you’re still awake, Leadley suggests that you get out of bed and read under a dim light until you feel sleepy, and then return to bed.  Don’t Beat Yourself Up About Not Sleeping Obsessing about the fact that you aren’t sleeping can further your inability to fall back asleep.  Studies have shown that it’s not the total of uninterrupted sleep that makes a difference, but rather the aggregate total,” says Hidary. “So, if you find yourself in a pattern of waking up in the middle of the night and needing to nap in the middle of the day, give yourself the rest that your body—and your brain—needs.” Have Sex Yup, you read that right. More than one of our experts recommended having sex before  going to bed. The hormones that are released when you climax boost oxytocin (the hormone that makes you feel closer to your partner) and lowers your cortisol (stress-related hormone) levels.  So, you’ll be feeling happy and relaxed, which are two great helpers in igniting sound sleep. (photo credit: Shutterstock)

Sara Auster Shares How Sound Can Help Relieve Stress

Sara Auster has spent the past decade introducing sound baths to audiences and unique environments all across the globe. But, this wasn’t her original path. At age 23 when working as an artist and musician, the floor of her apartment collapsed. She broke her back in four places leaving her temporarily paralyzed. She was told she’d live a life of chronic pain, limited mobility, and prescription drugs. It was at that moment she decided to take matters into her own hands. She created a uniquely approachable method of sound therapy based on over a decade of study in psychoacoustics, yoga and meditation, and a lifetime of experience in music and art. Auster’s transformative experiences have made her a leader in the sound bath movement, helping deep listening and sound meditation go mainstream. Conducting guided meditations at iconic sites like MoMA, Lincoln Center, Central Park SummerStage and Madison Square Garden, her work explores how sound and listening transform space.  “Listening to sound is a universal experience,” Auster tells Nutritious Life.  “My goal is to make the sound bath experience accessible to anyone and hold space for all—from hard-core believers to skeptics.” She says that sound baths are helpful for anyone who wants the benefits of meditation but may be intimidated by the so-called “rules” of meditation. “Instead of a meditative practice which requires you to sit up straight or have a point of focus, recite a mantra or count your breaths, to fully participate in a sound bath, you simply need to have an open mind, get comfortable, and listen,” she explains. Auster shares with us how she is living a nutritious life at this time and the benefits of slowing down (even for a minute).  How have things changed for you since COVID-19 hit? I’ve long seen the effect that sound baths can have on people to calm the mind, release stress and invite in compassion and connection. While sound baths are typically in-person experiences, technology has allowed us to connect in new and innovative ways. Even though we aren’t together in a room, we are connected through a shared experience of sound. As the world feels more chaotic with each passing day, it’s even more important to find moments of pause together, and that has been our goal with these virtual sound baths.   It was difficult to imagine not being able to facilitate in-person group sound baths once the demand to shelter in place began. The thought of not being able to connect with people in that way inspired us to take IG live on March 14th for our first at-home sound bath. Over the past few months, there has been a global outpouring of gratitude from all over the globe. What are some of your tips to stay focused…especially now? My daily meditation practices and self-care routines are a top priority. Phone fasts and taking breaks from news, social media, and emails are essential. I’ve found it even more important to get outside for walks and reach out to friends and family more often.  How does a sound bath help us? A sound bath can help to relieve the effects of stress on the mind and body. By practicing with regularity, you’ll be able to downshift into the body’s natural relaxation response helping to lower blood pressure, and improve heart rate and breathing. When you sink into a sound bath and guide your awareness to your listening, you allow your brain waves to slow, shifting from a more active state to a more relaxed state, or even a dreamlike state. The sounds introduced during a sound bath are an invitation into a deeper state of consciousness, an opportunity to unplug from external stimuli, and allows you to gain perspective on what’s going on within you. The goal of the experience is to invite deep rest and relaxation and explore self-inquiry and self-discovery.  How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? I practice yoga almost every day. I love Pilates and swimming, too.  How do you motivate yourself to work out? My husband is a great motivator. It’s helpful to have a workout buddy.  If you had to name your healthy diet, what would you call it? Everything in moderation (even moderation). I mostly try to eat locally-sourced food and do a 30-day cleanse twice a year (spring and fall) in addition to one fasting day per week.   Has it been hard to stay on track with your nutrition while in quarantine? Actually, it hasn’t. Cooking more and not eating out has been super helpful to stay on track.  What’s your go-to breakfast? An egg and a piece of toast. Your go-to workday lunch?  Greens, grains, protein of some sort (in a bowl). What’s the one food you always have in your fridge? Cucumbers. Other than water, what do you sip regularly? Ginger tea or lemon water. What causes you stress? What’s your go-to tool for managing stress? Watching the news is stress-inducing. I use deep breaths and meditation to combat those feelings.  How do you pamper yourself when you need it? Spa day (hopefully we’ll have those again soon). In the meantime, I’m making my own spa day at home.  How do you express and spread love? Through listening and attention, and teaching people how to listen deeply to themselves and others.  What is your evening routine to wind down at the end of the day? Long after-dinner walk.    Lightning Round Meditation or massage? BOTH A hot shower or a soothing bath? Bath Almond butter or peanut butter? Almond butter Coffee or tea? Morning – coffee, night – tea A long run outside or a dark spin class? Run outside Auster’s first book, SOUND BATH: Meditate, Heal and Connect through Listening, was published in November 2019 by Simon & Schuster.  (photo courtesy of: Sara Auster)