Day Four of my 30 Day Challenge
Today's objective: Intentional Rest
Bestie, I don't know you, but it's a safe bet that you are sleeping like shit. Our society not only normalizes sleep deprivation, but it's weirdly valorized. Not getting enough sleep is seen as some kind of accomplishment and there's a lot to say about how that's an intentional design of the capitalistic hellhole in which we reside, but that's besides the point of this particular post.
Now here's the thing, you actually cannot control how much sleep you get. Falling asleep is an involuntary function that you do not control.
You can however, create an environment that is more conducive to sleep.
You can also prioritize intentional rest. This is different from laying in your bed doing the math about exactly how many minutes of sleep you'll get if you magically fell asleep right this second. This is different than trying to fall asleep.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. First let's look at a big list of stuff you could pick & choose from to make your environment more suitable for sleep.
Screens are bad for our circadian rhythms.
So smash every single screen in your house an hour before bed. What? That's unreasonable and not a suitable solution for many people? Oh ok in that case, maybe just look at something like the f.lux filter that makes your screen less detrimental for you.
Temperature! Is very important for sleeping. You don't necessarily need to feel actively uncomfortable at your current sleeping temperature for it to be causing problems. Play around with temperature options to see if you feel more relaxed and sleepy when your room is cooler or warmer right before bedtime.
Everyone is different, so you have to decide what that means for you. Do you like it to be cooler for sleepy time? Well AC is expensive so if that's not an option, perhaps you could open a screened window a little before bed to cool your room down. If that's not an option try taking your pillowcase, putting it in a ziplock bag or something, and placing it in the freezer for a little bit before bed.
You prefer the warm? Same basic suggestions except instead of the freezer throw your pillow case (and maybe your blanket) into the dryer for just a few minutes before bed. You could also consider a heated blanket if that's accessible to you.
Don't do your wind down activities in bed!
Unless that really works for you, then keep doing it. But doing focus activities like reading, drawing, or even scrolling in our beds can actually train our brains to associate physically being in our beds with being awake and doing activities which can contribute to the phenomenon of feeling extremely sleepy until you're in bed. So maybe try doing your wind down activities on the couch or in a chair and just hopping in bed when you're ready to close your eyes
Now let's talk about intentional rest. The goal of intentional rest is not to fall asleep, although that's a bonus. The goal of intentional rest is to let your brain and body totally relax.
If your brain doesn't do "relaxed" and it starts ruminating on worst case scenarios the second your head hits the pillow, hijack that creative energy for something more useful.
Allow yourself to pleasantly daydream or to revisit fond memories. Keep guiding your thoughts back to slaying that dragon like a triumphant hero or hearing your crush talk about how impressed they were with your art playing over and over again in your head.
You're not trying to sleep. You're just trying to fill your brain with a sense of calm and relaxation.
Funnily enough, doing this often will result in more sleep. Because trying to fall asleep is an oxymoron. The harder you try, the less sleepy you'll be, because trying is an Awake Activity.
Ok that's it. Don't stress about it. I'll see you tomorrow and we'll do something else 💖
