Sleep is so underrated! Before I share with you Six Tips for better sleep and recalling your dreams, let me share with you what brought me to seeking a more sound sleep regimen. There was a period in my life a few years ago where I was attacked energetically, emotionally, and within the realm of my business online by a group of jealous trolls who wanted to see me fall from grace. They even went so far as to message my partner and I with lies about each other.
During that period of time, my sleep was heavily disrupted. I developed extreme insomnia that hindered my productivity during the day. I created a practice utilizing these six tips that helped me greatly. I am happy to say I have not lost an ounce of sleep in almost two years!
Sleep Facts
Sleep is extremely underrated in the realm of mental health and our physical capacity to thrive. Just one night of disrupted sleep can cause a person's dopamine levels to drop significantly. This is when relationships, work, and our physical capabilities falter and decline.
12% of people dream in black and white
humans spend 1/3 of their life sleeping
The record for the longest period of sleep is eleven days
Check out other sleep facts here
Dream Facts
Everyone dreams at night
Our brains are active throughout the night. But after we wake up, we often don't remember much about our dreams. This is why I suggest you keep a dream journal.
Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep allows us to dream most vividly
Some of our sleep has vivid, structured thoughts - or dreams. These occur during a stage of sleep that is called REM sleep. REM sleep occurs in short episodes across each night each about 90 minutes apart. Our longer dreams are in the morning hours.
We are trained to not act out our dreams
During REM sleep our muscles completely relax and this prevents us from acting out our dreams. If this system doesn’t work properly we may try to act out our dreams, especially if the dreams involve strong emotions.
Most dreams relate to recent awake experiences
Dreams are often linked to real-life events from the past. Usually, these are events or thoughts from 48 hours prior to entering the dream state.
Our dreams are almost always in black and white
Color is only in about a third of all dreams. I find this extremely odd as I almost always dream in vivid colors.
We can make our dreams less frightening by not eating close to bedtime
Many people have bad dreams or nightmares. These can happen over and over again. But people can change the events in these dreams to be less frightening by not eating late at night or within two hours of bedtime.
Six Tips for better sleep and recalling your dreams
1. Schedule your sleep for a consistent sleep cycle.
2. Two hours prior to sleep, dim the lights to increase melatonin.
3. Take a high quality magnesium prior to dinner to induce sleep.
4. Maintain a dream journal every morning after you wake
5. Take in 2 TB of tart cherry juice prior to bed to obtain a deep REM (rapid eye movement) state of sleep.
6. Write your worries on a sheet of paper prior to bed. Always go to bed with a clear mind and a happy heart.
A bit more on tart cherry juice
Tart cherry juice can help increase the body’s melatonin levels. This helps reduce symptoms of insomnia and can result in better quality sleep.
Tart cherry juice contains many nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. Compared to sweet cherry juice, it may also contain higher levels of certain nutrients.
Tart cherry juice intake in the days leading up to and immediately following intense physical exercise may reduce muscle strength loss and soreness. It may also speed up recovery.
Tart cherry juice’s anti-inflammatory effects may help reduce symptoms of arthritis and gout. However, the effect seems small and more research is needed.
I think one of the most helpful tips I shared above has to be the tart cherry juice! I take 2-4 tablespoons each night prior to sleep. This helps me achieve that deep REM state of sleep.
In Closing