12 Steps to a Great Night's Sleep By Jonathan Berman

By Jonathan Berman in The Activist's Cookbook

 1. Clear out clutter in your bedroom, Put things away, keep it simple, don't use your bedroom for storage.

2. Stay away from caffeine and sugars at least a few hours before you want to go to bed. Drink plenty of water, eat fresh fruits, vegetables. 

3. Dress for bed, get out of your day clothes and put on some light pajamas or sleep naked. Consider what you put in and on your body 

4. Light a soft beeswax candle, incense, a little breeze from a window. 

5. Read a relaxing book. 

6. Soft music, a couple albums I've found recently on Spotify that totally help me sleep: Mercedes Bahleda's Mercy Songs, and Mozart for Meditation. 

7. Slow down on the mental stimulus, movies, games, etc... at least an hour before bed.  

8. Do a light breathing meditation, stretching, tai chi, yoga, go for a jog underneath the stars. 

9. Write how you're feeling about the day, your present, your life in a journal as a way to close the chapter on the day. 

10. Local honey helps with local allergens, drink some good tea with local honey.  For Ohioans I highly recommend this stuff: 

http://ohiohoney.com/products.html 

CUSTOM BLEND APRICOT-MANGO A luxurious blend of Apricot, Black Currant, Mango Teas, Rose Hips, Orange Peel, Cinnamon Chips and Marigold Petals.Eight Cup Sized Tea Bags - $4.00 

11. If all else fails try 5-10 mg tablets of Nature's Bounty Melatonin.

12. What you do up to two hours before bed sets the tone for the following day.

Emotional pain has it's roots in thought. If you want to free yourself from emotional pain, you must accept the pain, view it as potential creative energy, sit with it, give thanks for it's presence, and then find a way to express it. Whether in writing, art, or whatever you do to express your emotions. Feeling emotional pain is the price of existence, and it is worth the cost.Or maybe you just need a break, it really helps me to go for a run at night, when everyone is sleeping, just me, the stars, the neighborhood weird cats and raccooons and possums and skunksits really peaceful, i can really let go of the world as you have created it.  12.  Meditation

Sitting Beside the River 

Imagine you are sitting by a river of consciousness... your thoughts are flowing down stream... every time a thought carries you away, simply let it go and return to your breath... I believe this is  Zen meditation I learned in my studies and practice of Zen Buddhism.