When was the last time you genuinely had a good night’s sleep?
The truth is that with our busy lifestyles and the stresses of day to day life, we often encroach on our precious sleep time to ‘get things done’. Most of us average 5-6 hours of sleep per night, thinking we will catch up on sleep during the weekend, but then the weekend brings its own kind of madness because of the social whirl one inevitably gets caught up in…and our sleep banks deplete gradually until we start running on empty.
Lack of sleep is a common thing and unfortunately the repercussions show up in our health, and rather unfairly, around our waistlines. The truth is that not getting enough sleep can adversely affect hormones that will make you hungry and actually prompts your body to store fat. Did you know that sleep is super important for a joyful, energetic and healthy life?
With 7-8 hours of sleep per night, you will actually be more alert, healthy and focused.
Sleep is considered one of the main pillars of Ayurveda. It is considered essential to maintaining the body’s balance and good health. Sleep is the time when the body is able to repair and heal itself. Most importantly, the mind and emotions also become balanced through sleep.
In Ayurveda, there are three major types of sleep imbalance, they are known as the imbalances in Vata, Pitta or Kapha dosha.
Vata sleep imbalance occurs when the coordination between learning, retention and recall becomes weak. Either you won't be able to fall asleep, or your sleep will be so light and restless that you'll wake up tired because your mind is unable to detach and rest properly in sleep.
Pitta sleep disorder occurs when you have no problem falling asleep, but you wake up in the wee hours of the morning and cannot go back to sleep for several hours.
Kapha related sleep disorder occurs when a person sleeps long and deeply, but feels exhausted when he or she wakes up. Worse, a lethargic, dull feeling continues throughout the day.
At Spa Ceylon we would always recommend the most natural, sensible and holistic ways of obtaining a superior night’s sleep, that may result in complete indulgence of your senses, and leave you actually looking forward to bedtime.
Our new Sleep Intense range
has all of the natural ingredients your sleep deprived body is longing for, a Dream Essence Mist – sprayed around your bed and bedchamber, a Sleep Intense – Relaxing Body Cleanser that is massaged gently into
your limbs and enhances your daily sleep hygiene ritual, is especially good if
you struggle with Vata type sleeplessness.
Sleep
Intense – Dream Balm is also a great
addition to the product range along with Sleep
Intense – Soothing Body Elixir both of which are perfect for Kapha-type
symptoms.
We have also sourced some other pointers to help you achieve a blissful night’s sleep :
Practice the regular rhythms of sleep – go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, after a few days your body will fall into this rhythm and sleep will come easier to you.
Use your bed for sleep and romance only – Even though temptation may knock to read a few chapters of a book or watch the latest GoT tv series, avoid doing both in your bedroom. Both activities stimulate the brain and can cause erratic sleep. Indulge instead in a bottle of Spa Ceylon Sleep Therapy : Body and Pillow Mist, it will create a beautiful cocoon of quick drying non-oily natural mist infused with pure lavender and fragrant ylang ylang to promote deep restful sleep.
Do create an aesthetic environment that encourages sleep – use serene and restful colors and eliminate clutter and distraction in your bedroom. The calmer and more serene it is, the better you will sleep.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol – Caffeine may seem to help you stay awake but actually makes your sleep worse. Alcohol on the other hand helps you to sleep, but will cause you to sleep erratically and also produces poor-quality sleep. Spa Ceylon has some delightful Ayurveda herbal teas that are perfect for the warm drink you crave before bed time. They will not only soothe your senses, they are also a warm blend of goodness that will help improve your skin tone and detox your body at the same time.
Importantly, get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes a day – the light from the sun enters your eyes and triggers your brain to release specific chemicals and hormones (like melatonin) that are vital to healthy sleep and mood.
Eat no later than three hours before bed – eating a heavy meal prior to bed will lead to a bad night’s sleep, and will aid a thickening waistline!
Don’t exercise vigorously after dinner – it excites the body and makes it more difficult to get to sleep. However, it IS a great idea to get a massage or stretch before bed time. This helps relax the body making it easier to fall asleep
Take an aromatherapy Spa Ceylon indulgence bath – raising your body temperature before bed helps to induce sleep. A hot, indulgent bath using Spa Ceylon Sleep Therapy: Massage and Bath Oil will relax your muscles and reduces tension physically and psychically.
Warm your middle – this raises your core temperature and helps trigger the proper chemistry for sleep. Either a hot water bottle, heating pad, or warm body can do the trick
Avoid medications that interfere with sleep – these include sedatives (these are used to treat insomnia, but ultimately lead to dependence and disruption of normal sleep rhythms and architecture), antihistamines, stimulants, cold medication, steroids, and headache medication that contains caffeine (such as Fioricet)
After using some or all of these techniques to help you achieve a better nights rest, you will soon see a marked improvement in your skin tone, your minds alertness and clarity as well as your weight loss journey. Having your sleep banks full also leads to a calmer and more positive outlook in life. Make the entire experience a journey of utter luxury as you enjoy all of the ancient ayurvedic sleep inducing indulgences we have in-store for you.
If you employ these strategies and still struggle with sleeping, please see a Functional Medicine practitioner who can determine whether things like food sensitivities, thyroid problems, menopause, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, heavy metal toxicity, stress and depression are interfering with your sleep. Consider getting tested for sleep disorders, if you suspect deeper issues like sleep apnea.
