October Challenge: Establish a Nightly Sleep Routine

This month, we invite you to take on the challenge of establishing a nightly sleep routine for 7-days to improve your sleep quality and overall well-being. Here are four simple yet powerful steps to guide you:

1. Be Consistent: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends. Aim for 8-9 hours of sleep to help regulate your body's internal clock and support restorative sleep cycles. Also keep the steps in your ritual in the same order every night.

2. Create a Restful Environment: Ensure your bedroom is a sanctuary for sleep. Keep it quiet, dark, and relaxing, with the ideal temperature set to around 65°F for optimal comfort.

3. Journal Before Bed: Take 5 minutes to jot down quick bullet points about your day, your thoughts, or anything weighing on your mind. You don’t need to write an entire novel—just enough to release your stress and clear your mind before sleep.

4. Try Yoga Nidra: Yoga Nidra, or "yogic sleep," is a guided meditation practice that helps you enter a state of deep relaxation. By focusing on body awareness and breath, Yoga Nidra can reduce stress, calm your nervous system, and improve both the quality and duration of your sleep.

5. Food & Drink: be conscious of what you are eating / drinking, when you are eating / drinking in proximity to bedtime. This may take some trial and error so keep note of what you are consuming and see if you notice any patterns.

Give this ritual a try for one week, record your achievements on a piece of paper or white board and feel the difference a mindful and consistent approach to rest can make! 🌟