Sleep π΄ Troubles = Call to Connect w/Spirit & Higher Self
Why You Wake When You Want To Sleep & 10 Practical π΄ Sleep Tips + 1 Magickal Way to Feel More π Rested (no matter what)
This post includes probably one of my most important teachings!
If you are not a paid subscriber, THIS IS THE POST you gonna wish you could see beyond the paywall. (I do offer a free trial).
Itβs also a bit longer than my usual posts, so it contains that much more goodness.
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Storytime - 3am Wake Up Call
I wake up, almost every night, sometime between 2am - 4am. Sometimes I can roll over and get back to sleep, sometimes Iβm wide awake until my usual wake-up time. Sometimes I fall back to sleep, right when itβs time to get up.
For a long time, this really bothered me. I worried there was something *wrong* with me. But then I learned it is a symptom of perimenopause.
So I asked my mother if she experienced this when she went through perimenopause.
Of course she did.
When does it stop?
Mom laughed.
Apparently, at 80 years old, Mom still has quite regular middle of the night wake-ups.
Thatβs when I realized, I have to make peace with my early morning wake-ups.
I made peace when I remembered that the early morning hours (2am-5am) are the hours when the veil to Spirit World is the thinnest. I decided that my brain was waking me at 3am so that I could better connect with Giggle Bumps, my Ancestors, and Spirit. As I enter the βgreat changeβ of life and step closer to the βelder stageβ I am being blessed with a greater awareness of spirituality.
Lesson - The π Angel Hour πͺ½
The early morning hours, from 2am-5am are often called The Devilβs Hour or The Witching Hours. While folklore implies that these hours are creepy, freaky, scary, and satanic in nature, evoking images of ghosts, ghouls, demons, and curses, the folklore was oral tradition passed down through generations meant to scare you into following some prescribed religion.
The truth is, these hours of the night are the time when the world is the most quiet, and thus it is easiest to listen to the still small voice of. . . YOURSELF!
Hmmmβ¦perhaps the religious leaders of the days of yore made up stories of ghosts and ghouls so that their parishioners would follow them instead of think for themselves or listen to their own intuitions.
If you wake at the βwitching hourβ it could be that your psyche has quieted down enough, and the outside world is still enough that you can sit up, listen, and really hear yourself, your intuition, and tap into the creative side of your brain that takes a back seat to the busy-ness of life.
I prefer to call the hours of 2am-5am the ANGEL HOURS.
My best advice, from a spiritual/energetic perspective is that if you wake during the *witching hour* and you canβt get back to sleep, get up and do something spiritual or creative. I have found that I get my best ideas and write my best pieces during these early morning wake-ups. The wake-up call is quite literally that, a wake-up call. Wake up, pay attention, listen to your right-side creative brain and give it the attention it craves.
Write. Draw. Read. Pray. Meditate. Talk to your Ancestors.
The Spirit World IS that part of your brain that takes a back seat to the mundane worldβ¦and when it wakes you up in the middle of the night, it has something important to say. LISTEN.
When you go back to bed, you will sleep better. (there are ways to compensate for lost sleepβ¦scroll down to the Practice section below the paywallβ¦)
If you are like me and you want to try EVERYTHING to see if you can calm your nervous system to actually get real sleep and maybe not have to endure those wake up callsβ¦hereβs a list of very practical and doable tips and tricks.
10 Practical Ways to Improve Sleep Quality
1. Reduce Caffeine, Sugar & Alcohol
This is common sense, and far easier said than done. The intake of caffeine, sugar, and alcohol (which turns into sugar in your system) will keep you awake even when youβre tired. If you donβt want to eliminate these from your life, maybe you can cut back, or decide not to imbibe after 5pm.
2. Reduce Stress
Again, easier said than done. While there is a certain amount of stress that is out of our control, most of the stress we deal with in life is self-induced. You can make better lifestyle choices that will cut back on stress. If you want help with this, book a personal consultation and I can help you see which stress you can cut out by making some lifestyle changes.
3. Exercise
If you work out your body, it will get tired and crave sleep and rest to recover. Studies show that 30-minutes of moderate exercise has a significant positive impact on quality of sleep.
4. Establish a Bedtime Routine
Most children have a 30-60 minute bedtime routine including things such as brushing teeth, changing into pjs, and reading a book. If you establish habits around bedtime that help your nervous system to calm down, those habits will in turn tell your body it is time to rest and falling asleep when your head hits the pillow becomes easier.
5. Donβt Eat 2-3 Hours Before Bedtime
A full stomach will make you sleepy, but it doesnβt produce the best quality of sleep. If you give your body a couple hours to do the beginning process of digestion before you settle into bed, your body is happier about resting and digesting.
6. Unplug from Electronic Devices 1 Hour Before Bedtime
The blue light of electronic devices will keep your brain and nervous system in active mode. If you shut down those devices and hour before bedtime, your nerves have time to work out the energy and wind down.
7. Take Melatonin
Melatonin is the natural hormone your body produces to create sleep. If your body is deficient or unable to produce this hormone, supplements are a good sleep aid. Be careful though, too much melatonin can give you that heavy sluggish feeling the next day, and taking it too often can teach your system to not produce the hormone naturally and you become dependent on the supplement. I personally keep a supply of childrenβs melatonin gummies for those times I just canβt wind down. The childβs dose keeps the amount low so I donβt wake up feeling sluggish. I also make a point to only use it a couple times a month when Iβm having a really hard time sleeping.
8. Lavender
Lavender is probably the best herb for calming the nervous system. When my mom was in the hospital and the bustle of the new environment kept her awake, the nurse gave her a lavender patch and she fell right to sleep. Whether you take it as a tea, place a satchel under your pillow, or use it as an oil, itβs all natural, with no side effects.
9. Bedtime Herbal Tea
Other herbs that can be taken as a bedtime tea to help you calm down are chamomile, lemon balm, and passion flower. I like to make a mix of all four to drink while I read my book an hour before bedtime.
10. Legs Up the Wall Yoga Pose
Getting your legs above your heart is a great way to flip your day upside down and turn all the energy of your world inside out. Itβs like putting on your pajamas from the inside-out. I suggest you do just flip yourself backwards on your bed and put your legs up on the headboard, or whenever you canβt sleep, and do focused deep breathing for 10-minutes before sleep time.
In this next section (behind the paywall) I offer 1 Magickal Way to Feel More π Rested (no matter what). This is my favorite go-to aid when all else fails, and it ALWAYS works for me. If I canβt sleep, I do this, and I get up the next day feeling as if I did get a full nightβs sleep.
If you are dealing with chronic sleep issues, and you KNOW that you should be doing all the things listed above, but you have a hard time actually following through with them, perhaps you could benefit from an accountability coach. In a series of sessions, I can step-by-step you through the process of improving your relationship with sleep.