Like physical patterns in the body, our sleep patterns can be shifted

As I reflect on my life, I know I’ve struggled with sleep since childhood. I had worries… yes worries at the age of 6-7. It was hard to get a good night’s sleep after watching The President on TV talking about nuclear war and thinking about the tornados that might take the house down in the middle of the night following panic-provoking tornado drills at school. As I got older, I played sports with early start times, chores to do at home, and a pile of homework that took me into the night. So, I consciously made the choice to give myself only as much sleep as I needed to get by. In a way, I viewed it as time that was unproductive, and hence, a waste of time, and a luxury. Over time, as I entered the corporate world, I started to permit myself to 6 hours of sleep, then 7, and eventually (in my 40’s) 8 hours of sleep. The shift towards a healthier attitude around sleep started when I was working as a product line manager in the sleep apnea industry in 2009. I learned about how critical sleep is for our physical and mental health. And, I started studying how to get a better night’s sleep myself… it has helped me dramatically, and I now sleep well most nights. I’ve come to learn that these patterns of sleep, just like the physical body, are patterns. Like patterns in the physical body, we can shift them. We can shift how we go through our days from the perspective of whether we’re winding ourselves up or winding ourselves down. We can start to have some consciousness around what’s a good or bad pattern for us as it relates to our sleep. I believe everything we consume is either setting us up for deep or disrupted night of sleep. It could be food, exercise or lack of, media, conversations, relationships, and more. The good news is, once we have some awareness of our patterns, we can connect with our inner wisdom and know for ourselves what small steps we might be willing to take to shift towards better sleep. I believe we can heal from anything, I believe transformation is in making small and choiceful subtle shifts, and I believe we can all get a better night’s sleep.