Good sleep is the cornerstone of health and well-being. We heal and recover only during sleep.

I will list below most of my realizations and discoveries that pertain to getting a good night of sleep. You don’t have to apply all or even half but some of my tips might give you an idea about one or two aspects of your routine and your surroundings that can be tweaked or changed in order to facilitate a good night of sleep. Right now I have less than perfect conditions so I myself had to add a few things to my routine in order to have a night of deep sleep.

Our pineal gland is affected by the ElectroMagnetic Field of the Earth and our environment. If we are constantly plugged into the manmade electrically charged modern dwelling system our glands and hormones will respond to that. Synthetic fibers, housing materials, etc interrupt the body’s electrical system. Natural Fibers and Materials assist cellular respiration and temperature regulation.

If we don’t get enough sleep it can affect our organ function, hormones, digestion, recovery, healing mood, focus, and pretty much every other aspect of our life.

Most people need more sleep in winter when the daylight hours are less.  Typically we need less sleep in summer when we receive more light from the sun.

I will give you point-by-point ideas on how to improve your sleep. It all comes down to regulating and balancing our field, our chi.

In the name of January’s BODYHACKING THEME, I have compiled a combination of absolutely natural and free therapies as well as scientific-based or techie, healing, the latest research biohacking or woo-woo healing devices. In my own life, I like to apply a combination of both.

I wish things were way simpler and more intuitive but our modern times are quite complicated and so is the art of living. We constantly need to adjust to the fast pace and constant changes that affect our biology. You DO NOT need to edit every part of your routine or housing but you definitely can heal a few aspects of your routine or surroundings. 

1. Daytime sun exposure – either sunrise or sunset can help you regulate your hormones and assist you in producing adequate levels of melatonin at night time. In places with lots of cloud cover and a very short day, a full spectrum light such as CIRCADIAN OPTICS can be amazing. Light helps with vitamin D levels.
2.  Grounding (Negative ions travel from the ground through your bare feet and up your legs, which is called grounding. ​) – this maybe is a less common idea but many houses nowadays are electrified (wifi and inadequate or even adequate electrical isolation and system); the freeways and roads are a toxic EMF soup (they can zap us), and electronics and housing materials can interrupt the electromagnetic field of the body. In texas our house was made out of stone and the soil was mostly rock so I slept like a log for the 4 years we were there. As soon as we go to houses that have dirty electricity my sleep gets disrupted. We do have an EMF meter that measures static and weighted electric and magnetic current plus the RF (Radio frequencies) (Grounding helps to dislodge some of that static electricity.) We are electromagnetic beings and we need balance. I can’t say that owning a meter is a must-have. We bought a second one because we gave my brother in Bulgaria our first one. When moving into a new house it is helpful measuring the walls and the general space. In my experience, many wall plugs are not insolated right. So as a rule of thumb DO NOT put your head near a plug when you sleep.
3. Modern housing and clothing fibers can either aid or disrupt the flow of chi in the body. Positive technology and healing devices are getting better and better. Amethysat Crystal and PEMF Mats from HealthyWave with code AliYoga10, a more inexpensive option are a Grounding Mats for a mattress, wool pads, other natural fibers for blankets, pads, sheets, and pillows also help.  Kapok filled pillows can be great. Natural latex pillows are also great.  Wool and raw silk as a filler are also amazing. I have been loving my linen sheets. you dont have to be perfect but choosing natural fibers when possible does help a lot. I have vowed to slowly transition towards all-natural fibers one day – wish me luck. Other ways to release static electricity-  baths; magnesium oil , calming breath. Sometimes nature is not enough because the houses we live in may be charged. It is good to remedy unhealthy houses. Dr Cowan has an old interview with a woman who builds houses from a material called MOONWOOD. An absolute dream of mine is to one day have at least a moonwood hut. Moonwood is a specially harvested wood that retains the life water structure inside the wood. It is used almost like a lego house where there is no glue or metal used for constructing the house. it is a house that breathes and is thermoregulated on its own. It is also naturally protective from EMF.
4. Calming breath, movement, yoga. A daily walk can energize you and help you calm down later in the day. Exercise also sets the rhythms in your body. Outdoor activities can regulate your circadian rhythms and thus your health. Typically I try to work out at least 3-4-5 hours before bed- not too close to bedtime.
5. I avoid electronics in the bedroom and Bluetooth devices in general. I am not sure about the sleep trackers – I have avoided them for that reason so good to do research on them if you are using them. Some of them could be low enough emf but I am not sure. I try to get most electronics out of the bedroom. I did start using my new low EMF red light later in the day and it has helped my sleep.
6. Watch your caffeine intake. A small and typically the same daily amount of caffeine in the early hours of the day is fine for most. I am very strict about no caffeine past noon.
7. Diet and water intake. I am not going to say too much about diet here. Diet is a universe of its own.  A diet rich in nutrients, easy-to-digest and assimilate foods, nothing too rich before bed, etc. All of these are key. If your liver is working too hard during the night it will keep you up. Foods rich in magnesium and other minerals are very helpful. Typically for me, that means enough carbs, enough minerals, adequate fats, etc.
8. Hormones reflect the health of the organs, glands, and the body as a whole. They are a symptom of our lifestyle. All of the steps that I am pointing out here can help a lot in balancing our hormones.
9.  Infrared light from the SUN itself at sunrise and sunset and red light therapy. I LOVE red light. I cannot say enough good things about it. I have had an old small panel light for 17 years and I have used different soft belts and such over the years but I recently bought a very strong big panel that is considered more of a medical grade strength and there is pretty much no comparison. Soft belt-type lights are GREAT for local pain and injury. Big panels are phenomenal for full-body treatments. They are an investment for sure but you do get what you pay for. I did a deep dive into the lights before I bought mine. I chose the LIGHTPATHLED  and I joined their affiliates so I have a code for you- aliyoga It is a veteran ran small USA company and their panels have pulsed light as well as 5 wavelengths of infrared and red light. Great for cellular-level rejuvenation. Very strong irradiance. The thing makes the whole house glow from the street… no joke lol. I was telling Jonny the neighbors might call the local ufology group for UFO sighting. haha 
   

   “The primary function of red light therapy is to increase energy production. Red light strengthens the mitochondria, the part of the cell that creates energy. By doing so, this procedure increases energy levels. The procedure also improves thyroid function.” The belt for pain that I like a lot is from DG YAO. It is light and you can take it with you when you travel. It works well for joint pain, back pain, sprained joints, cramps, etc. The two modalities are not comparable, however. The belts are much weaker but versatile in the sense that they can be wrapped around the body.  Red light is proven helpful in reducing Inflammation, obesity,  liver conditions, sun damage, arthritis, skin conditions, signs of aging, etc  I do believe RED LIGHT THERAPY is dose-dependent. You can overdo it!!!! A small amount of light every other day seems to be a good starting and point and even a long-term schedule. 

   Another great medical strength red light brand is Platinum LED.  

   Code Ali

   8. Supplements.

   I like melatonin. Not everyone does but it can be helpful for those that tolerate it well. It is considered a longevity supplement. “Melatonin is a potent free radical scavenger and may help counter a natural loss of antioxidant protection in the elderly that can accelerate aging and degeneration. Melatonin can improve sleep and related health concerns. It supports healthy cognitive function with age.” I’ve tried different brands and combinations. Often times sleep supplements are combined with valerian, HTP, GABA, LEMON BALM, Magnesium, CBD, etc. Whenever I buy it I really prefer Natrol

   I mostly need it when I am traveling, when life is too fast-paced, or when I don’t find the place I am staying at very calming (that for me is due to the dirty electricity issue and how grounded a house is). Magnesium can be helpful as well. Jonny swears by Magtein Magnesium L- Threonate. I take it every so often and it is quite powerful. It assists the brain. I know there are tens and maybe hundreds of other supplements but to be honest with you most of them stimulate my mind. I have to be very VERY careful with many herbs. Especially the ones labeled adaptogenic. 

   Over a decade ago I went to an herbal school in northern California. The owner of the school has an herbal brand called PLANETARY HERBALS that lately has been my go-to brand for my 5-year-old. It knocks colds and flus out in half a day. I only buy their kids stuff. It works on me too. I started taking CALM CHILD. The funny thing is that I got it for my daughter but around the Christmas madness I started waking up way too early so I started taking it at night along with the magnesium and melatonin I mentioned above and I sleep a solid 9 hours.

   9. Epsom salt baths, essential oil such as Lavender and Chamomile can be helful. A warm foot bath can help as well. A homeopathic supplement that works very well for my 5-year-old is CalmForte. 

   She doesn’t take it for sleep but rather for teeth grinding at night. I noticed that if she eats chocolate she grinds her teeth that night. we do avoid chocolate but she loves it so if she has any this remedy is like magic.

   10. Turning the mind off. Usually, that works best when we have devoted a portion of our day to the rhythms of life – activity, exertion, stimulation, calming down, letting go, self-care, pleasant activities, etc. I used to be bad at it in my 20s. Now I just let it all go and just snooze away. Learning to surrender is key. Trusting in life and not overthinking every detail of life is key.

   11. I personally need white noise.  I am very sound sensitive and unless I have white noise in the room I will sleep 5-6 hours a night tops. A simple fan can work, white noise on an app (however I  do not bring electronics into the bedroom); abstaining from bright lights and blue light 2 hours before bed. I typically use an air filter as my white noise. If you are noise sensitive then that might be crucial for you.

   12. This, as with everything above is a matter of preference, but I either get dark curtains or I have an eye mask. If you wake up with the sunrise maybe that’s not an issue for you. We have less-than-ideal conditions in our temporary place in California. There is somewhat of a bright light outside so I got this oversized silk mask with raw silk filling.  It’s been on my wish list forever.

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   Silk and most natural fibers such as hemp, and linen are said to have slight EMF-protecting properties. They tend to work better with our field in subtle ways. They are more magnetic, less static. Natural fibers assist the flow of chi. There was a study done on people wearing nylon underwear during acupuncture sessions and they needed twice as many treatments in order to achieve the same results. Either way, the more in tune I am with my own energy the more attracted I am to certain natural fibers. Polyester creates a static charge and disrupts the body’s field.

   Silk also contains the essential amino acids that support healthy skin. Because it is not vegan I don’t buy it often but I really wanted to get this one for sleep. Any other one works fine. In my 40s I am very attracted to higher-quality materials. 🙂

   13. Nighttime rituals, prayer, meditation, story time- all of these are amazing. I am not the best example of that because as a mom nighttime resembles war more than a serene peaceful gem-stone meditation activity haha. I hear the latter is good but cannot speak from personal experience 🙂 . I do say calming psalms that I have learned about from the Bulgarian Mystic Beinsa Douno. They are great for an idle mind. But mostly my night time means tic tac toe and math for 5-year-olds. It works so you could try that haha.

   I do not wish to make this article any longer. The basics of most health advice from me would be RYTHMS OF THE DAY AND NIGHT – CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS; food, sleep, nature, outdoor and yoga movement, activity, calming breathing, sun, LIGHT, water, some great devices, and supplements. You get my drill.

   If you have sleep-aid ideas that really work for you such as activities, devices, rituals, bedding, supplements, and so forth please share them below. I am always expanding adjusting and learning.

   Love