Shownotes
Struggle with shut-eye? Tune into this episode of ‘Pause Here’ for our deep dive into the nocturnal world. Discover the science behind why we sleep, the shocking impacts of missing out on those precious Z’s, and how different stages of sleep play unique roles in our health and well-being. We’ll unravel top strategies for better sleep – from perfecting your sleep environment to breathing techniques that can send you smoothly to dreamland. Whether you’re battling insomnia or just seeking a few more golden hours of rest, this episode is your blueprint for nights of deeper, more restorative sleep.
Below, you’ll find a comprehensive bibliography of all the sources we utilized in this episode.
- Watson, N.F., Martin, J.L., Wise, M.S., Carden, K.A. and Curhan, G.C., 2015. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: A joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 11(6), pp.591–592.
- Simpson, N.S., Gibbs, E.L. and Matheson, G.O., 2017. Optimizing sleep to maximize performance: Implications and recommendations for elite athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 27(3), pp.266–274.
- Ramar, K., Malhotra, R.K., Carden, K.A., Martin, J.L., Abbasi-Feinberg, F., Aurora, R.N., Kristo, D.A., Rowley, J.A. and Zak, R.S., 2021. Sleep is essential to health: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 17(10), pp.2115–2119.
- Peuhkuri, K., Sihvola, N. and Korpela, R., 2012. Diet promotes sleep duration and quality. Nutrition Research, 32(5), pp.309–319.
- Ohayon, M., Wickwire, E.M., Hirshkowitz, M., Albert, S.M., Avidan, A., Daly, F.J., Dauvilliers, Y., Ferri, R., Fung, C., Gozal, D. and Hazen, N., 2017. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep quality recommendations. Sleep Health, 3(1), pp.6–19.
- National Sleep Foundation, 2017. National Sleep Foundation’s sleep quality recommendations: First report. Sleep Health, 3(1), pp.6–19.
- Krystal, A.D. and Edinger, J.D., 2008. Measuring sleep quality. Sleep Medicine, 9, pp.S10–S17.
- Caddick, Z.A., Gregory, K., Arsintescu, L. and Flynn-Evans, E.E., 2018. A review of the environmental parameters necessary for an optimal sleep environment. Building and Environment, 132, pp.11–20.
- Beaudoin, L.P., 2014. A design-based approach to sleep-onset and insomnia: super-somnolent mentation, the cognitive shuffle and serial diverse imagining. Computational Modeling of Cognition-Emotion Interactions: Relevance to Mechanisms of Affective Disorders and Therapeutic Action.
Transcripts
Please pause here.
Speaker:Hello everyone, and welcome back to Pause Here, where we explore the art and science of living well.
Speaker:I'm your host, Sarah, here to guide you through the science and simplicity of breathing, meditation, and relaxation techniques that can transform your day, your health, and even your sleep.
Speaker:Today, we're pressing pause on the hustle, to talk about something deceptively simple, but incredibly powerful, sleep.
Speaker:Let me ask you a question.
Speaker:Have you ever slept for a full eight hours, only to wake up feeling exhausted?
Speaker:Or maybe the opposite, you grab five hours one night and somehow wake up feeling oddly refreshed?
Speaker:Same here.
Speaker:And it makes you wonder, how much sleep do we really need?
Speaker:Why do some people sleep like babies, and others wrestle with their blankets until sunrise?
Speaker:And most importantly, is it possible to get better sleep without overhauling your life?
Speaker:That's what today's episode is all about.
Speaker:Something that really shocked me when researching this topic was that according to the CDC, more than one in three adults in the US aren't getting enough sleep regularly.
Speaker:That's millions of us walking around a little foggy, a little cranky and a lot more affected than we think.
Speaker:We've almost come to normalize poor sleep like it's a badge of honor.
Speaker:I'll sleep when I'm dead.
Speaker:But here's what science is showing us loud and clear.
Speaker:Sleep isn't just nice to have, it's a foundational part of your immune system, your memory, your mood and even how you age.
Speaker:In today's episode, we're diving into the latest research and exploring how much sleep we actually need and why it's not the same for everyone.
Speaker:Why sleep quality might matter more than sleep quantity.
Speaker:And as always, we'll go over some practical evidence-based tips to fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
Speaker:I'll share a few small tweaks to your routine that can make a big difference, whether you're a night owl, an early bird or a very tired pigeon.
Speaker:Sleep isn't just rest, it's biological maintenance.
Speaker:While we're sleeping, our brains are busy consolidating memories, flushing out toxins, repairing tissues, balancing hormones, and regulating mood and immune function.
Speaker:It's like a built-in reset button for both your mind and your body.
Speaker:Research has shown that even just one night of poor sleep can affect your ability to focus and retain information, your blood sugar regulation, your emotional resilience, and even how hungry or full you feel the next day.
Speaker:When we consistently miss sleep or get poor quality sleep, our risk increases for conditions like high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, and even dementia.
Speaker:In fact, during sleep, your brain actively activates something called the glymphatic system.
Speaker:Think of it like your brain's washing machine, which clears out waste products and proteins that can build up and contribute to cognitive decline over time.
Speaker:So it isn't just about feeling groggy, it's about your long-term health, about feeling like yourself again.
Speaker:And that's why getting good sleep consistently is one of the most important things you can do for your future self.
Speaker:So how much sleep do we actually need?
Speaker:This seems like a simple question, but the more you dig into the science, the more nuanced the answer becomes.
Speaker:Let's start with the gold standard.
Speaker:The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
Speaker:That's not a suggestion, it's a health guideline, just like drinking water and getting your steps in.
Speaker:Not 5, not even 6 and a half, but 7 hours minimum, and that's just the baseline.
Speaker:Some people, depending on your genetics, age, stress levels and even hormone cycles, may feel their best with 8 or 9 hours.
Speaker:On the other end of the spectrum, there is a small percentage of the population, less than 1%, of what scientists call short sleepers.
Speaker:These are people who truly thrive on only 5 to 6 hours of sleep due to a rare genetic mutation affecting the DEC2 gene.
Speaker:But spoiler alert, if you're wondering whether you might be one of them, chances are more likely that you're probably not.
Speaker:Most of us need more sleep than we're getting.
Speaker:And now here's where it gets even more interesting.
Speaker:According to doctors Ferrara and DiGinaro, your sleep need isn't just about the number of hours, it's about how you feel during the day.
Speaker:If you're sleeping 8 hours but you still need caffeine to function, hit a wall in the afternoon, or are feeling irritable and foggy, your sleep may not be as restorative as you think.
Speaker:This brings us to one of the most important ideas in sleep science today.
Speaker:Sleep duration is not the same as sleep quality.
Speaker:Think of it this way.
Speaker:You could technically lie in bed for 9 hours and still have poor sleep if it's fragmented, shallow, or disrupted.
Speaker:On the flip side, someone who gets 7 solid deep hours may feel more refreshed and sharp all day.
Speaker:So, while yes, the number of hours is important, it's not the full picture.
Speaker:Let's talk about age for a second.
Speaker:Our sleep needs actually change across our lives.
Speaker:Infants sleep 14-17 hours per day.
Speaker:Teenagers actually need more than adults, around 8-10 hours.
Speaker:And by the time we hit our 60s or 70s, our sleep patterns shift once again.
Speaker:Not because we need less sleep, but because we often get less deep sleep as we age.
Speaker:And this is why some older adults may feel more tired during the day, even if they've spent a full night in bed.
Speaker:As I mentioned before, it's not just about how long you're sleeping, it's about how restful that sleep is.
Speaker:So now that we've covered sleep quantity, it's time to really dive deeper into sleep quality.
Speaker:Just like everything in life, your sleep needs can vary depending on your lifestyle, stress and even your emotional state.
Speaker:So how do you know if you're getting the right amount of sleep for you?
Speaker:Here are a few questions to check in with yourself.
Speaker:Do you wake up naturally without an alarm clock and feel alert?
Speaker:Do you stay focused and energized throughout most of the day?
Speaker:Do you fall asleep easily and stay asleep without frequent waking?
Speaker:If you answered yes to most of these, you're probably in a good sleep rhythm.
Speaker:If not, you're not alone.
Speaker:It's not always about more sleep.
Speaker:Sometimes it's about better aligned sleep.
Speaker:For example, let's say two people each sleep eight hours.
Speaker:One person wakes up groggy, headache-y, maybe even anxious.
Speaker:The other wakes up feeling clear, grounded, energized.
Speaker:Same number of hours, totally different experience.
Speaker:That difference, that's sleep quality.
Speaker:For years, I thought I needed eight hours of sleep to feel good, and that the more sleep I get, the more rested I should feel.
Speaker:And some nights, usually on the weekends, I'd even get a solid nine hours.
Speaker:But then I'd get caught up in a project during the week, and only get six hours one night, maybe eight hours the next, five hours the night after.
Speaker:And the weekend would roll back around, and even after my restorative nine hours of solid Z's, I'd feel sluggish the next day.
Speaker:The constant bouncing around of my sleep schedule made it really hard for me to fall asleep, hard to wake up, and it was just really not working.
Speaker:One of the best things for me personally was to find a better routine, waking up consistently at the same time every morning, and trying my best to go to sleep around the same time every night.
Speaker:Yes, even on the weekends.
Speaker:Getting that solid seven hours of sleep every night completely changed the game for me.
Speaker:It wasn't about more sleep, it was about more consistent sleep.
Speaker:And once I locked that in, I stopped hitting the snooze button, I stopped crashing at 3pm, and most of all, I stopped dreading getting into bed only to stare at a wall counting fields of sheep each night.
Speaker:So if you've been struggling to feel rested, even after a full night in bed, you might want to re-evaluate your sleep quality.
Speaker:In the past, most sleep guidelines focused almost exclusively on quantity, but over the last decade, researchers have realized that what happens while you're asleep matters just as much, and in some cases even more than how long you're asleep.
Speaker:One of the most influential studies came from the National Sleep Foundation in 2017.
Speaker:They reviewed dozens of peer-reviewed papers and clinical trials to define what high-quality sleep actually looks like.
Speaker:The four key indicators they came up with were sleep latency, how quickly you fall asleep, ideally within 30 minutes, sleep efficiency, the percent of time that you're actually asleep, healthy sleep is around 85% or more, how often and how long you wake up during the night, ideally you're not waking too often or for too long, and total sleep time.
Speaker:Yes, this still matters, but again it's part of a larger picture and not the whole thing.
Speaker:In other words, you can sleep 8 hours or longer and still feel exhausted if your sleep was fragmented, shallow or interrupted.
Speaker:Imagine trying to charge your phone overnight, but your power keeps cutting in and out every hour.
Speaker:The charger lights up, then cuts off, then turns back on.
Speaker:In the morning, your phone might have been plugged in for 8 hours, but it's only 50% charged.
Speaker:That's what low-quality sleep feels like, and unfortunately, it's more common than most of us realize.
Speaker:Light pollution, noise, scrolling on your phone before bed, a room that's too hot, too cold, or too bright, even subtle stress in the body, worrying about work, family, life.
Speaker:All of these things can chip away at your sleep quality, even if you're technically getting enough hours, and we don't often notice it until we're deep in the fog.
Speaker:So what can we do to actually improve the quality of our sleep?
Speaker:Here are three evidence-based shifts that you can try.
Speaker:And the best part?
Speaker:They're small, realistic, and totally free.
Speaker:First up, anchoring your sleep schedule.
Speaker:This one comes up again and again in the research, and was one of the most impactful for me personally.
Speaker:Our bodies love rhythm.
Speaker:When you go to bed, and wake up at the same time every day, yes, even on weekends, you strengthen your circadian rhythm.
Speaker:This internal clock controls everything, from your hormone production, to your mood, to how easily you fall asleep.
Speaker:Even shifting your bedtime by just 30 minutes a few nights a week can completely throw off your natural rhythm.
Speaker:It's like jet lag without the passport stamp.
Speaker:So try this.
Speaker:Pick a bedtime, and a wake up time that feels realistic, not rigid.
Speaker:And stick to it for a week or two.
Speaker:See how you feel.
Speaker:Another way to improve the quality of your sleep is to create a wind down window.
Speaker:One of the most underestimated parts of sleep is how you enter it.
Speaker:If your brain is still processing emails, news headlines or doom scrolls, it's going to struggle to drop into a deep rest.
Speaker:In one study from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, participants who took just 20 minutes to wind down, no screens, dim lights, some deep breathing, and maybe some light stretching or journaling, typically fell asleep faster and slept more deeply.
Speaker:You don't have to go wild with a full wellness influence or a 12-step sleep routine.
Speaker:Just pick one calming activity to signal to your body, it's safe to rest now.
Speaker:Some ideas that you can try out include gentle breathing or a body scan meditation, herbal tea, no caffeine, a warm shower, or some light journaling to get any lingering thoughts or stresses out of your mind and onto a page.
Speaker:Make it simple, but make it yours.
Speaker:You can also try to upgrade your sleep environment.
Speaker:This one's huge, yet so easy to overlook.
Speaker:A 2018 study found that environmental factors like noise, temperature and light directly impact how deeply we sleep.
Speaker:They found that the ideal room temperature is between 16 to 20 degrees Celsius, 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit, as your core body temperature needs to drop a bit to fall asleep.
Speaker:Even a small amount of light from a sleep lamp or a device can disrupt your melatonin production, the hormone that helps you fall asleep.
Speaker:Consistent noise like a fan or white noise is okay, but the inconsistent sudden sounds?
Speaker:Not so much.
Speaker:Think of your bedroom like a cave, cool, dark, quiet.
Speaker:It's not fancy, but it works.
Speaker:But here's what I love about focusing on sleep quality.
Speaker:It really takes the pressure off the perfect 8-hour night, and instead helps you work with your body and not against it.
Speaker:Some nights will be shorter, that's life, but if your sleep is deeper, even 6 or 7 hours can be restorative.
Speaker:So if you've ever felt like a failure for not hitting that magic number, give yourself a break.
Speaker:Start with how you sleep, and the rest will follow.
Speaker:So by now, we've talked about how much sleep we really need, and why sleep quality might just be the missing piece.
Speaker:But the question is, how do we actually get better sleep?
Speaker:If you've ever Googled how to sleep better, you know the internet is full of advice.
Speaker:Some of it's helpful, some of it's, well, a little overwhelming.
Speaker:So today, I want to focus on four simple, research-backed ways to improve your sleep, starting tonight.
Speaker:No fancy gadgets, no expensive supplements, just simple shifts grounded in science and mindfulness.
Speaker:The first one has been talked about a lot recently, and for good reason.
Speaker:It's to make sure that you are getting light in the morning and dimming it at night.
Speaker:Your body has an internal clock, your circadian rhythm, that runs on a 24-hour cycle.
Speaker:And one of the biggest cues that sets this clock is light.
Speaker:Exposure to natural light in the morning helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle, improves your mood, and boosts your energy.
Speaker:Even just 10 to 15 minutes outside or sitting near a window with sunlight can signal to your brain, hey, it's time to be awake now.
Speaker:On the flip side, blue light at night from phones, TVs, or even bright overhead bulbs can delay your melatonin production.
Speaker:So get sunlight in the morning and dim your lights and screens at least an hour before bed.
Speaker:Think of it as helping your body remember what time it is, without forcing it.
Speaker:Another important consideration when trying to improve your sleep is to watch the timing of food, caffeine and alcohol.
Speaker:Sleep isn't just about what happens once your head hits the pillow.
Speaker:It's also about what you put in your body before you get there.
Speaker:Let's talk caffeine first.
Speaker:Caffeine has a half-life of about 5-6 hours, meaning if you drink coffee at 3pm, half of that caffeine is still in your system at 9pm.
Speaker:And while you might still fall asleep, studies show your deep sleep takes quite the hit.
Speaker:The same thing goes for alcohol.
Speaker:It might help you fall asleep faster, but it actually disrupts your REM sleep, the dream-rich stage that helps regulate mood and memory.
Speaker:And heavy meals close to bed time?
Speaker:They can keep your body busy digesting when it should be winding down.
Speaker:So here's a general rhythm to aim for.
Speaker:Stop caffeine by early afternoon, avoid alcohol for 2-3 hours before bed, and eat your last meal at least 2 hours before you lie down.
Speaker:Small changes, big difference.
Speaker:Another small shift that can make a massive difference is to create a calming nighttime ritual.
Speaker:Think about how we help babies fall asleep.
Speaker:Soft music, dim lights, warm baths, gentle rocking, maybe a story or two.
Speaker:Why do we stop doing that for ourselves?
Speaker:Adults need calming rituals too.
Speaker:Creating a predictable, soothing routine before bed helps cue your nervous system to shift from alert to relaxed.
Speaker:It doesn't have to be elaborate, just something that feels calming and consistent.
Speaker:Read a few pages of a book, do a 10-minute body scan or breathing exercise, write down three things you're grateful for, take a warm shower to help lower your core temperature, light a candle, stretch or journal.
Speaker:You're not trying to force sleep, you're inviting it in.
Speaker:A paper by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine emphasized how effective behavioral techniques are for improving sleep long-term, even more so than sleeping pills in many cases.
Speaker:So trust the little things, they really do work.
Speaker:And lastly, but most importantly, you may need to reset your relationship with rest.
Speaker:We live in a world that glorifies doing, more hours, more output, less rest.
Speaker:But sleep isn't weakness, it's not lazy, it's not optional, it's biological, it's restorative, it's powerful.
Speaker:Research shows that even one night of poor sleep can affect your memory, immune system, blood sugar levels and emotional regulation.
Speaker:And yet we still say things like, I'll sleep when I'm dead.
Speaker:Maybe it's time to flip the script.
Speaker:Try out this mindset shift.
Speaker:Instead of saying, I have to go to bed now.
Speaker:Say, I get to rest now.
Speaker:Make sleep an act of self-respect, not just self-care.
Speaker:And here's the beautiful part.
Speaker:You don't need to do all of this at once.
Speaker:Start with one thing.
Speaker:Maybe it's waking up and stepping outside first thing.
Speaker:Maybe it's dimming your lights at 9 p.m.
Speaker:Maybe it's turning your phone off 30 minutes before bed and just sitting with your breath.
Speaker:You don't need a perfect routine.
Speaker:You need a peaceful one.
Speaker:And trust that with time, these small shifts begin to add up.
Speaker:Your body remembers, your mind learns to trust the quiet, and sleep starts to come more naturally, like a tide coming in at dusk.
Speaker:You've brushed your teeth, you've powered down your screens, you're in bed, lights off, and you're just laying there.
Speaker:Your body is ready, but your brain, it's at a rave.
Speaker:It's doing cartwheels.
Speaker:It's wondering why you said that thing to Jan from work today.
Speaker:It's questioning if you'll have enough money for rent next month.
Speaker:It's excited to catch up with your friends over the weekend.
Speaker:And then you find yourself staring at the ceiling, wondering, why am I wide awake right now?
Speaker:Falling asleep isn't always as simple as just closing your eyes.
Speaker:In fact, for millions of people, that moment between lying down and actually drifting off is where the real struggle begins.
Speaker:So next, we're going to talk about how to fall asleep faster, using real science, gentle techniques and just enough awareness to help you work with your body and not against it.
Speaker:Your brain wants to sleep.
Speaker:It just needs the right conditions.
Speaker:Falling asleep isn't about forcing your mind to shut down.
Speaker:It's about signalling to your body and brain that it's safe to let go.
Speaker:And that starts with one key system, your nervous system.
Speaker:When you're wired or anxious or even just overstimulated from the day, your sympathetic nervous system, aka your fight or flight mode, is still in gear.
Speaker:To fall asleep, we need to activate the parasympathetic system, the rest and digest mode.
Speaker:That's where your heart rate slows, muscles soften, and breath deepens.
Speaker:So how do we do that?
Speaker:Let's walk through four tools to help you fall asleep faster, especially on those nights when your mind just won't stop spinning.
Speaker:The first one is something we love here at pausing point, is to use your breath.
Speaker:We often underestimate the power of breathing, especially when it comes to sleep.
Speaker:Your breath is directly linked into your nervous system.
Speaker:Slow, deep breathing signals safety.
Speaker:It's like telling your body, hey, we're okay now, you can rest.
Speaker:One of my favorite bedtime breath patterns from the pausing point app is the unwind pattern.
Speaker:Inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth for eight seconds.
Speaker:Try that for four or five rounds.
Speaker:Don't worry about getting it perfect, just the act of slowing your breath down can make a huge difference.
Speaker:According to research published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, this kind of breathing can reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, and calm anxiety.
Speaker:All great news for falling asleep.
Speaker:If deep breathing isn't really working, you can also try out the cognitive shuffle.
Speaker:Yes, this is real, and no, it doesn't require dancing in your bed.
Speaker:This technique is designed to stop racing thoughts by occupying your brain just enough to let the sleep process kick in.
Speaker:Here's how it works.
Speaker:You pick a random word, like cloud, and then think of objects that start with each letter.
Speaker:C.
Speaker:Cat.
Speaker:L.
Speaker:Lamp.
Speaker:O.
Speaker:Orange.
Speaker:Umbrella.
Speaker:D.
Speaker:Desk.
Speaker:Don't overthink it.
Speaker:Don't create a story.
Speaker:Just gently name things.
Speaker:This lightly taxes your brain in a non-emotional, non-goal-orientated way, helping crowd out the thoughts that keep you awake.
Speaker:Bonus.
Speaker:It feels kind of dreamy, like drifting through clouds.
Speaker:So, you've tried deepening your breath and occupying your brain, but it's just not working out.
Speaker:Try getting out of bed.
Speaker:Wait, what?
Speaker:This one may sound counterintuitive, but it comes from the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, which is widely considered the most effective treatment for chronic sleep issues.
Speaker:If you've been in bed for 20 minutes or more and you're still tossing and turning, get up, go into a dimly lit room, do something boring and non-stimulating, read a dull book, not the latest fantasy series, listen to gentle, calming music, do some light stretching, and only go back to bed when you feel sleepy.
Speaker:Why?
Speaker:Because lying in bed awake can accidentally train your brain to associate bed with frustration instead of rest.
Speaker:So yes, you're allowed to get up and leave the bed.
Speaker:Come back when your body is ready.
Speaker:Allow yourself to start associating your bed with calmness and restfulness first before working on extending the amount of time you sleep.
Speaker:It's actually more counterproductive to lay in bed tossing and turning and being frustrated for 8 hours and only sleep 4 of them, than to be up and about and only lay in bed for around 4-5 hours, but sleep solidly when you're in bed.
Speaker:One of the most important things you can do if you're having repeated difficulty falling asleep is to try to let go of the need to sleep.
Speaker:The more you try to fall asleep, the harder it gets.
Speaker:The pressure to fall asleep now activates anxiety, and anxiety, it's like caffeine for the brain.
Speaker:The more you want to sleep, the less likely you're going to stubbornly will yourself to sleep.
Speaker:What helps instead is acceptance.
Speaker:One study showed that people who practiced mindfulness-based approaches, like observing their thoughts without judgment, were able to fall asleep faster and reduce night time awakenings.
Speaker:So next time you find yourself lying there, eyes wide open, try saying this to yourself.
Speaker:I'm just resting, and that's enough for now.
Speaker:Give yourself permission to simply rest without the pressure to sleep.
Speaker:And often once the pressure lifts, sleep sneaks in on its own.
Speaker:So, we've come full circle.
Speaker:We started this episode with a simple question, how much sleep do we really need?
Speaker:And what we've discovered together is that sleep isn't just about how many hours you get.
Speaker:It's about the quality of those hours, and the rhythms and rituals that support them.
Speaker:Most adults need at least 7 hours of sleep a night, but it's not one size fits all.
Speaker:Your optimal sleep is personal, and it may change with time, stress, seasons, or age.
Speaker:Sleep quality matters.
Speaker:Even 8 hours isn't enough if your sleep is interrupted, shallow or restless.
Speaker:You can improve your sleep naturally with some simple tools, like getting sunlight in the morning and dimming lights at night, timing your meals and caffeine thoughtfully, winding down before sleep with a calming ritual, and shifting your mindset from pressure to permission.
Speaker:If you find falling asleep hard, try techniques like the cognitive shuffle to gently distract a busy brain, deep breathing to calm your nervous system, getting up after 20 minutes to retrain your brain to positively associate your bed with sleep, and letting go of the need to force sleep.
Speaker:Rest is healing even if sleep hasn't arrived yet.
Speaker:You don't need to try them all at once.
Speaker:Just pick one.
Speaker:Experiment.
Speaker:Be curious.
Speaker:And remember, your body knows how to sleep.
Speaker:Sometimes it just needs a little help remembering.
Speaker:And here's what I hope you remember most.
Speaker:Sleep isn't a productivity hack.
Speaker:It's not a weakness to overcome.
Speaker:It's an invitation to restore, to heal, and to reconnect with yourself.
Speaker:You don't need to overhaul your life overnight.
Speaker:You don't need the perfect bedtime playlist or blackout curtains or a fancy tracker.
Speaker:You just need to start with one small change.
Speaker:So tonight, before bed, I invite you to try this.
Speaker:Take one minute, just one, place your hand over your chest, feel your breath move through your body, and say to yourself, I deserve to rest, because you do, and you always have.
Speaker:Thanks for pausing here with me today.
Speaker:If you've enjoyed our time together, try out the Pausing Point app for more mindful rests.
Speaker:Why not share this episode with someone who could use a pause in their playlist, and don't forget to follow us on your favourite podcast platforms to never miss an episode.
Speaker:If you want, you can also follow us on social media.
Speaker:We're at Pausing Point to get updates and stay connected.
Speaker:Next time, on Pause Here, we'll explore the art of finding your center through your breath.
Speaker:Our focus?
Speaker:The balance breathing pattern.
Speaker:A simple, calming technique designed to steady your nervous system, clear your mental clutter, and bring your body and mind into quiet harmony.
Speaker:Whether your energy feels scattered, anxious, or just off, this episode will show you how just a few mindful minutes of balanced breathing can reset your entire day.
Speaker:I can't wait to bring more peaceful pausing points and practical tips your way next time.
Speaker:As we close today's episode, if you have a few more minutes to stick around, I invite you to join me for a short unwind meditation.
Speaker:Welcome to your pause.
Speaker:This is a moment just for you to breathe, to soften, and to let go of the day behind you.
Speaker:Let's begin by gently arriving.
Speaker:Feel your body, wherever it is right now.
Speaker:No need to change it.
Speaker:Just notice it.
Speaker:Are you lying down?
Speaker:Are you sitting?
Speaker:Maybe you're curled up under a blanket.
Speaker:Let your body be heavy, supported, safe.
Speaker:Now bring your awareness to your breath.
Speaker:No judgment.
Speaker:Just noticing how your body rises and falls without effort, without control.
Speaker:Let's breathe together using the unwind 478 rhythm.
Speaker:You can sync your breath with the music.
Speaker:Inhale as the music rises.
Speaker:Hold your breath as it plateaus and exhale gently as the music descends.
Speaker:If it feels right for you, close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Speaker:And let's begin.
Speaker:Let your shoulders drop, let your jaw soften, And let yourself sink into stillness.
Speaker:Now, let's play a little game, a gentle one, to help your mind rest too.
Speaker:Let's try the cognitive shuffle.
Speaker:I'll say a word, and we'll think of some simple things that start with each letter, like little clouds drifting by.
Speaker:Here's the first word, calm, starting with a C, maybe you think of a candle, the letter A, perhaps an aeroplane, the letter L, maybe a lemon, the letter M, moonlight.
Speaker:Let's do another.
Speaker:The new word is rest.
Speaker:Think of something that starts with the letter R, linger with the image, feel it.
Speaker:And what comes to mind when you think of the letter E?
Speaker:Now something with S, soft, slow, starfish.
Speaker:And what comes to mind when you think of the letter T?
Speaker:Just let the words appear like dreams starting to form.
Speaker:There's no right answers, no pressure.
Speaker:Just gentle focus and the mind begins to let go.
Speaker:Return now to your breath.
Speaker:Feel your chest rise, hold and fall.
Speaker:As the body says, I remember this, I know how to rest.
Speaker:You don't need to force sleep.
Speaker:You don't need to fix anything.
Speaker:You're not behind.
Speaker:Rest is healing.
Speaker:Stillness is productive.
Speaker:And sleep will come.
Speaker:Let these next few breaths be soft, quiet.
Speaker:Let your body guide the way.
Speaker:As we close this practice, take a moment to silently say to yourself, I deserve rest, I welcome rest, I am safe to rest.
Speaker:You can stay here for as long as you like, or let sleep carry you gently into the night.
Speaker:I'm Sarah, and you've been listening to Pause Here.
Speaker:Until next time, good night and sweet dreams.
