I can pinpoint the day my struggles with sleeplessness began. In fact, I can pinpoint the exact minute. On October 13, 2005 at 8:58 pm my oldest was born. I was elated to be the mother of a healthy baby boy. But that was also when I started having difficulty sleeping.

Long after I could blame babies or toddlers, the worries and stresses of being a new mom and then a foster mom, and even after my snoring husband had surgery to fix a deviated septum, I still suffered from periodic bouts of insomnia. Usually in the spring and the fall, as the seasons changed, I would start waking in the middle of the night. For weeks on end, no matter what I took or what I tried or which specialist I saw, I could not sleep through the night. And I was exhausted.

My emotions, my mental health, and my ability to cope and bounce back from even small obstacles suffered. Not getting enough sleep meant too many days felt like a marathon I had to survive more than a gift I got to experience. So I decided to prioritize my sleep. I resolved that no matter what it took, I would stop the cycle of sleeplessness that was robbing me of the energy and joy I needed to be the mom, the writer, the yoga teacher, the wife, and the friend I wanted to be.

It was a long journey, full of trials and experiments, and the journey continues today. But I can finally say that I am now more likely to get a good night's sleep on a regular basis and to feel rested when I wake up than in decades past. Part of the change is due to practices like yoga to help me manage stress and yoga nidra to improve my rest during the day.

My own yoga teacher, Jill Sockman, clued me in on yoga nidra as daily support for better night time rest. You know the feeling of being too tired to sleep? That's because it takes energy for the brain to fall asleep. So Jill recommended I try taking small bits of time during the day to rest. She recommended a yoga nidra practice.

I now use yoga nidra multiple times a week as self-care and sleep support. I have for years. Generally around 2:30/3:00 (depending on whether I have to run carpool that day), just as my energy starts waning and a cup of espresso sounds tempting, I lie down and listen to a yoga nidra meditation instead. I generally listen to the same exact meditation each time (I've been through a few and found one that feels just right).

Sometimes I fall asleep, but usually I hover on the edge of sleep until the end. When I get up 25-35 minutes later, I feel refreshed and ready to finish my day. And, on the occasion that I wake in the middle of the night, I have a killer back-to-sleep routine (cuppa chamomile, carb-loaded snack, and journaling) and a yoga nidra that's trained my mind to relax and let go.

If you're struggling with sleeplessness, don't hesitate to reach out to someone for help. Talk to your doctor, a sleep specialist, a dietitian. Don't settle for living a half-life of exhaustion and stress. A good night's rest is the foundation for your best life.

Curious to see if nidra's for you? I've rescheduled my Flow to Sleep Class to next Thursday, June 15th, at 7pm. This practice incorporates gentle flowing movements to release physical tension of the day then finishes with a 25-minute guided nidra meditation.

This will be the last live class I teach online until I return from my European travels and hiatus at the end of July so don't miss it! Register here.