Sleep is an incredible tool for restoring our bodies and brains. We need sleep for healing and recovery, and it provides a reset for our full system. Sleep deprivation can have a negative effect on almost every aspect of our lives. Yet, sleep issues are extremely common in our society. So, what energetic imbalances impact our ability to sleep successfully, and how can energy healing methods such as the Emotion Code® and Body Code™ help support deep restorative sleep? Read on to discover more information!
The Restorative Power of Sleep: Why is Sleep so Important?
Humans are meant to spend one-third of their lives sleeping. In fact, babies and infants need to sleep roughly half of the time in order to develop! This is because sleep provides our bodies time to heal and recover which cannot happen while we’re awake.
Healthy sleep provides important physical benefits. For example, our memory functions much more effectively when we have had enough sleep. Our motor skills are enhanced by sleeping at least eight hours too. Eight hours of sleep can result in improved aerobic capacity, maximal sustained muscle strength, weight loss, and cardiovascular and respiratory improvements! Additionally, the nervous system is supported by adequate rest as well. Sleep increases our ability to react quickly and accurately, plus speeds up our automatic response time.
Proper sleep also benefits our emotional selves. When we don’t sleep enough, we can become emotionally irrational, forgetful, and unhappy. When we sleep enough we feel more positive, happy, loving, and even experience more creativity!
What Are The Main Factors That Control Sleep?
Our Circadian Rhythm is like an internal clock that controls our body patterns. Every living creature on earth has a Circadian Rhythm, though not every rhythm is on the same schedule! Our Circadian Rhythm determines when we should wake and sleep. It varies throughout the stages of life, and with the natural cycles of the seasons and moon. It controls other life patterns such as eating, mood, emotions, metabolic rate, body temperature, hormones, and more.
Melatonin is an important hormone that signals to our body that it can sleep. Melatonin begins to produce more when it becomes dark outside. This hormone supports sleep and regulates sleep timing. The moment light hits our eyes, melatonin production is cut off. This is a big issue in our modern-day society since we often keep our lights on at all hours of the day and look at screens even late at night.
11 Ways to Improve Your Rest With Healthy Sleep Hygiene Habits
These practices and conditions are conducive to great sleep! Try them out and see if they help improve your night’s rest.
- Build a Sleep Schedule
Commit to going to bed at the same time every night, and rising at the same time every morning! Your body will adapt to this schedule and reap the benefits.
- Exercise Daily
Exercise benefits our sleep in a dramatic way! Make sure to keep your activity to daylight hours (while the sun is up), and aim for 30 minutes of active time every day.
- Avoid Stimulants
Caffeine, nicotine, and other stimulants have a negative effect on your sleep health.
- Avoid Alcohol
Especially close to bedtime, avoiding alcohol can help you sleep deeper. Alcohol has a negative effect on your REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, which is a necessary stage of sleep for feeling fully rested in the morning.
- Avoid Eating Late
When you eat or drink late at night, you are signaling wakefulness to your body.
- If Possible, Avoid Medicines that Disrupt Sleep
Some medicines may contain ingredients that have a negative effect on your sleep. For example, many cold medicines contain stimulants that can disrupt your rest.
- Avoid Naps After 3 PM
Taking naps earlier in the afternoon can coincide with your natural Circadian Rhythm and be great for the body and mind! However, naps later than 3 PM may have a detrimental effect on your ability to sleep at night.
- Relax before Bed
Allow yourself time to unwind at night, relaxing by reading a book, listening to music, taking a bath, meditating, etc.
- Take a Hot Bath or Shower
When you get out of a hot shower or bath near your bedtime, the cooling effect will signal to your body that it is time for bed.
- Create a Dark Sleep Space
Keeping your bedroom dark during your restful hours can make a big difference in your sleep health! Melatonin production is negatively impacted by lights, so when you’re ready to wind down, dim the lights, close the curtains, turn off any screens, and you may find yourself starting to feel much sleepier!
- Soak up the Sunshine
Aim to have at least 30 mins of sunlight exposure each day, preferably first thing in the morning when the sun comes up. This can help with Melatonin production, and resetting your Circadian Rhythm.
How Energy Healing Can Help with Sleep Issues
Body Code for Sleep Problems:
When using the Body Code to work with sleep issues, it’s a good idea to start by simply asking if any associated imbalances related to sleep exist. This can be a jumping-off point to explore deeper work.
The Nervous System:
Sleep issues can be caused by the nervous system being in fight or flight mode due to things that occurred in the past. You might need to resolve trapped emotions such as “conflict” or “danger” through the Emotion Code. These trapped emotions can keep the body in a state of stress and tension. By releasing these trapped emotions, restful sleep may become much easier to achieve!
The Circadian Rhythm:
Sleep struggles can often be caused by energetic imbalances in the Circadian Rhythm. You may find yourself navigating to this section in the Body Code System when working with sleep issues. The Body Code will guide you through releasing these imbalances in order to adjust the Circadian Rhythm.
Stimulants:
If the main sleep problem is falling asleep, there may be an issue with Sleep Pressure. Imbalances related to caffeine or another stimulant might need to be addressed in this case. Additionally, there may be imbalances related to Lifestyle, and clients might need to add more physical activity into their days.
Diurnal Cycle and Meridians:
Waking during the night could be a hint that the Diurnal Cycle and Meridians should be addressed. If this is the case, you’ll likely need to test to determine the details about what time the sleep disturbance occurs, then clear associated imbalances.
4 Stages of Sleep:
Another way to work through sleep imbalances is to check if there is an associated imbalance for any of the stages of sleep. Work through all four stages (1: NREM (non-rapid eye movement) feeling sleepy, 2: NREM asleep, but still aware, 3: NREM deep sleep, and 4: REM dream state) one at a time, and clear imbalances that you find in each stage of sleep.
Do you have questions about this topic or other aspects of the Emotion Code and the Body Code? If you’re a certified practitioner, sign up for the Practitioner Education Program! Through this program, you can enroll in our quarterly calls and join in on these fascinating conversations with our experts.
This information was originally presented during a Practitioner Education Program Call with Josh Nelson. Sign up for the Practitioner Education Program for in-depth information, the chance to ask questions about these topics, and deep dives with our experts!
Continuous sleep issues can have a huge impact on your health, so if these issues persist, we recommend speaking to a medical professional!
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