You guys all know by now that improving sleep is a crucial part of achieving optimal wellness. Acupuncture and herbs are great for helping to cure insomnia and optimize sleep but they won’t get you all the way there if your sleep habits are out of whack. One of the most important habits to break in this process is using electronics before bed. Researches have known for a while now that the blue light emitted from electronic screens is disruptive to our natural sleep cycle (you can read more about it here).
Here’s what you are going to do. Set an alarm for 1 hour before you intend to be ASLEEP (not when you want to be in bed). If your goal is to be out cold by 10:00, your alarm should go off at 9PM. This alarm is your signal that its time to power down you ipad, iphone, TV, computer or even your e-reader unless you have blue-light protection. At this point you might need to employ some self-discipline until it becomes a habit, but we believe in you and know you can do anything you put your mind to!
Ok, so it’s 9PM and your cell phone is on silent, so what will you do with the next hour before it’s time to go to sleep? Enter the inspirational/uplifting reading list. Reading is a fantastic way to create some mental separation between day and night and to mentally unplug from your day. You may also learn something in the process so basically its a win-win. The key is to make sure you are not reading a mystery or thriller that might tempt you to stay up later than you plan. We’re going to help you out with this one and give you 6 suggestions of books to read before you go to bed that are easy, uplifting and will help you successfully change you sleep habits:
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- 10% Happier by Dan Harris
- The 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
- You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
- Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen
This is by no means and exhaustive lists. These are just a few suggestions that many of our patients like. Check them out and see if anything looks good to you. There are many other options, just keep in mind the books you choose to read before bed should not be something that will tempt you to stay up for hours to find out what happens in the end. Happy reading!
Ann&Emily
