Use Your Breath to Solve Those 3 AM Wide-Awake Habit
By Sandy Schroeder
If you frequently sit up in bed at 3 a.m., you know how disturbing that can be. In a chaotic world riddled with climate change and pandemic impacts, it's not surprising that many of us are being yanked awake by disturbing thoughts and real impacts when it is way too hot or too cold.
I do this fairly often. I pop awake and mentally tick off my most immediate worries. Sometimes I am half- awake. Other times I am totally awake and frowning at all of the disturbing thoughts I am having.. I sometimes use a glass of milk to relax and eventually go back to sleep. But now I have discovered a new answer to the whole matter.
WellAndGood.com suggests using breathwork to get that sleep that we all really need to maintain health.
Here's How It Works
WellAndGood's yoga practitioner, Tracee Stanley, explains how breathwork works to calm your mind and improve your sleep. When you use breathwork, the mind is connected. Your breath is a mirror of the state of your mind. If your mind is swirling with disturbing thoughts, your breath will be shaky and it will be difficult to calmly sleep. If you concentrate on your breathing with an ongoing breathing meditation you can restore calmness to your mind.
Try Meditative Breathing
Use this practice throughout the day and sleep better at night.
Pick a comfortable spot - Sit on your bed or in a comfortable chair or lie down.
Track your breaths - You can use a breathing app or count the seconds or set a timer.
Breathe slowly and deeply - Do five seconds inhaling slowly into your diaphragm and then exhale for five seconds. Do this for five full minutes.
Practice this breathing at least two to three times a day - You can start when you wake up, do a round after lunch and repeat right before you lie down to go to sleep. This is a sedative without pills that can rebalance your nervous system and make you more resistant to stress. When I use this practice every day, I feel more relaxed and more in charge of my life.
Try it tomorrow and keep right on going if it helps you. Be prepared to sleep better and feel better.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Nampa, Idaho.