Your bed is a sanctuary, the one place you should be able to count on to refresh your soul and give your body the nourishing rest it deserves. So much more can be accomplished on a good night’s sleep and your mattress, the pillows & bedding, all play a part in the comfort required to sleep and dream fully.
   Create an environment for sleep and for dreaming. This goes well past the physical space where you rest your weary bones. The temperature and sounds within the room will all influence how well and how deeply you sleep.
   The television, at least in the bedroom, can clutter your mind, as will all the computer devices we have come to rely upon. Try to remove all technology from the place where you sleep. It’s important to take away all distractions, and availability to media can be one of the hardest habits to step away from, even the radio. While music can soothe the savage beast, it can also become another distraction. Don’t let the noise steal your peace. If you are in the habit of falling off to sleep with the radio (or television) on, try for a week or two to go without.
   You mind will react differently to new sounds, or the total absence of sound. Earplugs? Many people will use the soft pliable plugs to physically block out the sounds that sneak into the mind and disrupt sleep, and thought flow.
   Depending on time, and the demands on your time, the consistency of your bedtime routine can be extremely important to full rest. Take the time to make it ‘mine’.
                                                        j.g.l.