I so related to this post Sam! Restless nights are a challenge. And I love that you brought in the Princess and the Pea story. When I was in elementary school I was in this play. I was not the princess, but this story has really stuck with me through the years. And not being able to sleep does feel like the pea under the 100 mattressess. And I agree with Safar, I have a “sleep hygiene” too! I don’t drink caffeine after 2:00 or eat after 6:30. No screens in the bedroom except for my kindle, reading does help me fall asleep. I also drink soothing tea in the evening.
When I have sleepless nights what works the best for me is the Soham mantra. This is the song and breath of life. The sound of the breath itself. I repeat silently inside “So on the in breath and “Ham on the out breath. A Vedic mantra that means "I am That", for me it means more "I am Here." When I start to engage with this mantra I am usually in an agitated state. Meaning I can lose the mantra and go back into whatever is keeping me awake. It does take a few returns before I can settle in and fall back asleep.
Sam, may your sleep be nurturing, soothing and restful. May you awaken refreshed and enthusiastic about your coming day.
Oh, Julie, firstly thank you for your beautiful blessing. It went straight into my heart and I felt very nurtured when I read and reread it. Thank you, dear one.
It is interesting, since posting this I have slept better...ahhh, may it continue!
I also really like your mantra...I haven't heard that one. I tried it as I read your words and it goes very very deep within...I can feel the ancientness and the power of those syllables.
Sleep Hygiene...I may write another post on everyone's wonderful suggestions and what works for them. Thank you for including what works for you.
Thank you, Julie, for your sharing and your wisdom. xxx
Thanks for this accurate, beautiful piece. I will forever visualize squashy peas beneath the mattress now! This has happened to me a million times, ok that's a slight exaggeration but it feels like a lot. I used to get all worked up about it but I'm better now. One thing that has helped me is exactly what you describe here - doing my best to go inward. Also the newest research on sleep has helped, knowing that we usually are getting more zzz's than we think and that as long as we sleep decently 80% of the time that's our body will have its needs met.
Oh I am so glad you like my squashy peas analogy! That made me smile!
Also to hear that someone else likes to go inward as well. To go inwards vs outward...both work, yet it is lovely to hear someone else who likes to go inwards too. To me it feels as though I am going deeper into a sacred cave...
Donna, thankyou for sharing the latest sleep research. That makes me feel a bit better.
I wonder, did your sleep patterns change as your hormones changed... perimenopause/menopause? I am interested in having a conversation around that too...if that is part of your story...
Oh yes, there is a tremendous change in sleep with perimenopause. I work in health care and could say this change seems to be universal for the most part. I encourage women to look to the research to see what works best for them, recognizing that decreased and altered sleep is a big driver to other underlying issues and not something to be taken lightly. I'm 57 and have a handle on it now but it took a bit of juggling.
Oh this is interesting... Thank you... I will look further into this..."underlying issues"..beyond the stresses of the day? This is very interesting Donna. Thank you... do you have any articles that helped you? that you would recommend others to read...
I get it! I've had months of difficulties with sleep. I think it's the peri menopause conbined with my body being used to a toddler waking me up so even though she is waking less I am still alert! It's hard not to get stressed about it but I seem to be managing better on less sleep now and I often move to the sofa bed in the lounge when I start getting too frustrated!
Thank you Faith for sharing your sleep stories. A Mumma of a toddler...that is certainly a beautiful match for sleeplessness. Do you find if you co-sleep you get a better night sleep or worse. I remember co-sleeping and felt that that helped me sleep so much better.
Faith, you mentioned the change in hormones... I feel that certainly relate to sleeplessness. Thank you for naming this too...
Thank you for sharing, Faith. I do hope that you have a gentle night sleep tonight.
Sam, you have no idea how familiar this has been to me the last week or so! I am tired when I go to bed, but then wide awake when I get in bed. There is so much cosmic and energetic activity my sleep has been so light. Yet I am still wide awake in the day. I’ve surrendered too it, but it feels quite strange. I’m going to try what you did. I used to be an amazing sleeper, but since I started my spiritual journey, I have this periods where I’m obviously required to do something else in the night. All part of the fun. xx
Oh yes, all part of the spiritual journey. YES! I so relate to that. Cosmic. Energetic. Personal shifts. Liminal spaces. Spirits asking something else of me...ahh, Louise I certainly can relate. And yes, I too was a great sleeper. This is all very new.
I am also considering that maybe as I step into the Crone part of my life sleepless nights may be part of a ritual/threshold/ intitiation that I must step through, as I step fully into that part of my role and life. (I'm post menopausal)
Thanks, Louise for sharing.
Thank you, Louise for sharing your sleepless journey with me.
I listen to sounds, bird song, sea sounds, rain, thunder. Or long meditation or visualisation tracks. Even if I’m asleep, which can happen, I’m still hearing them. If I can’t get to sleep, then it’s mindless TV. Before I was in the middle of doing my house up, I could go downstairs and do planning for business, life, or for myself. Now, with no heating (at the moment) and a living room that looks like a furniture repository, that’s not an option. Until the room is finished, anyway.
I have sleep sprays on my bedside table, lavender, and lavender based.
Thank you Safar, for your wisdom around sleepless nights and what sleep hygiene rituals work for you. I too can relate to stretching before bed...I think that helps me too, come to think of it. Nothing strenuous, just gentle stretches...in some way it seems to make my body supple and softer, and it also releases any built up tension.
Come to think of it, I too will sing songs to myself...old childhood lullabies that my parents sang to me and that I have sung to my children. There is something special in singing ancient song, songs that have meaning and a sacred vibration, songs that mean something to our heart and soul.
Safar, thank you for you beautiful sharing and also for your beautiful words about my poem and about my post.
I so related to this post Sam! Restless nights are a challenge. And I love that you brought in the Princess and the Pea story. When I was in elementary school I was in this play. I was not the princess, but this story has really stuck with me through the years. And not being able to sleep does feel like the pea under the 100 mattressess. And I agree with Safar, I have a “sleep hygiene” too! I don’t drink caffeine after 2:00 or eat after 6:30. No screens in the bedroom except for my kindle, reading does help me fall asleep. I also drink soothing tea in the evening.
When I have sleepless nights what works the best for me is the Soham mantra. This is the song and breath of life. The sound of the breath itself. I repeat silently inside “So on the in breath and “Ham on the out breath. A Vedic mantra that means "I am That", for me it means more "I am Here." When I start to engage with this mantra I am usually in an agitated state. Meaning I can lose the mantra and go back into whatever is keeping me awake. It does take a few returns before I can settle in and fall back asleep.
Sam, may your sleep be nurturing, soothing and restful. May you awaken refreshed and enthusiastic about your coming day.
Oh, Julie, firstly thank you for your beautiful blessing. It went straight into my heart and I felt very nurtured when I read and reread it. Thank you, dear one.
It is interesting, since posting this I have slept better...ahhh, may it continue!
I also really like your mantra...I haven't heard that one. I tried it as I read your words and it goes very very deep within...I can feel the ancientness and the power of those syllables.
Sleep Hygiene...I may write another post on everyone's wonderful suggestions and what works for them. Thank you for including what works for you.
Thank you, Julie, for your sharing and your wisdom. xxx
Thanks for this accurate, beautiful piece. I will forever visualize squashy peas beneath the mattress now! This has happened to me a million times, ok that's a slight exaggeration but it feels like a lot. I used to get all worked up about it but I'm better now. One thing that has helped me is exactly what you describe here - doing my best to go inward. Also the newest research on sleep has helped, knowing that we usually are getting more zzz's than we think and that as long as we sleep decently 80% of the time that's our body will have its needs met.
Oh I am so glad you like my squashy peas analogy! That made me smile!
Also to hear that someone else likes to go inward as well. To go inwards vs outward...both work, yet it is lovely to hear someone else who likes to go inwards too. To me it feels as though I am going deeper into a sacred cave...
Donna, thankyou for sharing the latest sleep research. That makes me feel a bit better.
I wonder, did your sleep patterns change as your hormones changed... perimenopause/menopause? I am interested in having a conversation around that too...if that is part of your story...
Oh yes, there is a tremendous change in sleep with perimenopause. I work in health care and could say this change seems to be universal for the most part. I encourage women to look to the research to see what works best for them, recognizing that decreased and altered sleep is a big driver to other underlying issues and not something to be taken lightly. I'm 57 and have a handle on it now but it took a bit of juggling.
Oh this is interesting... Thank you... I will look further into this..."underlying issues"..beyond the stresses of the day? This is very interesting Donna. Thank you... do you have any articles that helped you? that you would recommend others to read...
I get it! I've had months of difficulties with sleep. I think it's the peri menopause conbined with my body being used to a toddler waking me up so even though she is waking less I am still alert! It's hard not to get stressed about it but I seem to be managing better on less sleep now and I often move to the sofa bed in the lounge when I start getting too frustrated!
Thank you Faith for sharing your sleep stories. A Mumma of a toddler...that is certainly a beautiful match for sleeplessness. Do you find if you co-sleep you get a better night sleep or worse. I remember co-sleeping and felt that that helped me sleep so much better.
Faith, you mentioned the change in hormones... I feel that certainly relate to sleeplessness. Thank you for naming this too...
Thank you for sharing, Faith. I do hope that you have a gentle night sleep tonight.
Sam, you have no idea how familiar this has been to me the last week or so! I am tired when I go to bed, but then wide awake when I get in bed. There is so much cosmic and energetic activity my sleep has been so light. Yet I am still wide awake in the day. I’ve surrendered too it, but it feels quite strange. I’m going to try what you did. I used to be an amazing sleeper, but since I started my spiritual journey, I have this periods where I’m obviously required to do something else in the night. All part of the fun. xx
Oh yes, all part of the spiritual journey. YES! I so relate to that. Cosmic. Energetic. Personal shifts. Liminal spaces. Spirits asking something else of me...ahh, Louise I certainly can relate. And yes, I too was a great sleeper. This is all very new.
I am also considering that maybe as I step into the Crone part of my life sleepless nights may be part of a ritual/threshold/ intitiation that I must step through, as I step fully into that part of my role and life. (I'm post menopausal)
Thanks, Louise for sharing.
Thank you, Louise for sharing your sleepless journey with me.
I listen to sounds, bird song, sea sounds, rain, thunder. Or long meditation or visualisation tracks. Even if I’m asleep, which can happen, I’m still hearing them. If I can’t get to sleep, then it’s mindless TV. Before I was in the middle of doing my house up, I could go downstairs and do planning for business, life, or for myself. Now, with no heating (at the moment) and a living room that looks like a furniture repository, that’s not an option. Until the room is finished, anyway.
I have sleep sprays on my bedside table, lavender, and lavender based.
Chamomile tea helps, or hot chocolate.
Thank you Karen for sharing your sleepless stories and what works for you. I like the sounds you listen to...nature sounds are so soothing.
Oh yes, lavender, chamomile...Such beautiful soft herbs/oils to help soothe the mind and calm the body. Thank you for sharing these with us.
Many productive and gentle blessings for your home renovating.
Thank you Safar, for your wisdom around sleepless nights and what sleep hygiene rituals work for you. I too can relate to stretching before bed...I think that helps me too, come to think of it. Nothing strenuous, just gentle stretches...in some way it seems to make my body supple and softer, and it also releases any built up tension.
Come to think of it, I too will sing songs to myself...old childhood lullabies that my parents sang to me and that I have sung to my children. There is something special in singing ancient song, songs that have meaning and a sacred vibration, songs that mean something to our heart and soul.
Safar, thank you for you beautiful sharing and also for your beautiful words about my poem and about my post.
May your sleep to be deep, loving and held.