Sleep Rhythms

Hi, it's Eve here. Thanks for joining me in this guided meditation. Designed to be done in the morning when you wake up and you'll see why. Since today, I'm talking all about sleep rhythms. The interesting thing with our sleep rhythms is what works for you will be different to what works for me and whether you identify as a morning Lark or a night owl we all have our own version of what constitutes a good night's sleep and that makes sense as we're all different but as different as we all are, the one thing we have in common is that when we sleep and when we wake up is regulated by our circadian rhythm. This is our internal biological clock that is tightly linked to the rotation of the earth and it relies on light signals to regulate the production of a variety of hormones affecting sleep, body temperature and other key bodily functions. Now we don't have total control over our body's circadian rhythms but there are some things you can do that will help to ensure you have a better night's rest. Dimming the lights in the run-up to bedtime helps to signal to the body that it is getting ready for bed and for many of us as the lights go down, the body starts to naturally produce the sleep hormone melatonin which aids sleep and the next one, which might sound surprising is that getting up at the same time every day is a much better way to synchronize our biological clocks even on the weekend. Getting natural light as soon as you wake up is also a great way to enhance the body's natural circadian rhythm. This does happen more naturally in the summer months but if sunlight is not available first thing turning the lights up brightly will also help but the most important thing though is to not be too rigid with your own sleep rhythms as we won't always be able to prioritize all these things but use them as a guideline and I created this meditation as an exercise that could be done on waking up. It will also help to cultivate the qualities of warm bright sunshine. I hear from lots of people that they struggle to make the time to practice, which is very normal. We lead busy lives but what I have found helpful in my own practice is attaching my meditation to something I already do. So for me, I wake up, I make a coffee, I do my meditation and then I take my dog out. I know everyone is different but for me, those moments in the morning where I take some time to be kind to my mind really help to set me up for the day ahead. So with that in mind, I invite you to get comfortable, adjusting your posture is needed. A nice, soft gaze, taking in the space around you and start by taking a couple...