An environment conducive to sleep is very important. Lower the temperature a few degrees and dim the lights. I highly recommend upgrading your beddings to sheets with a 600 to 1000 thread count –it’s like sleeping on silky butter—and investing in an ergonomic pillow. You may also use a linen spray with pure essential oils, not artificial fragrances, which trigger our brains to help the body relax.

Drink Milk.

Have you ever observed how happily babies doze off after having their fill of milk? As adults, we can likewise benefit from drinking milk, even the skimmed kind, to help us sleep better. Milk contains the amino acid L-tryptophan, long known to help induce sleep. Avoid alcohol, which can knock you out into a superficial, disturbed sleep that leaves you barely rested.

Do Not Stimulate.

Baby experts warn us against stimulating babies close to bedtime, a good practice that we can carry on as adults. While watching TV or reading newspapers helps us wind down, doing this too close to bedtime can actually rouse our senses. Instead, choose easy bedside reading materials. Leave work-related materials outside your room.

Have A Sleep-Time Routine.

Nothing knocks my baby out better than a warm bath which lowers the body temperature. Have a warm shower, give yourself a relaxing self-massage, or slip into your most comfortable clothes. You can even put on soft music to lull you to sleep. Do this night after night, preferably at the same time, to prepare your mind and body for sleep. We are creatures of habit. Conditioning our minds and bodies through a sleep-time routine will help ensure that we get our much-needed seven to eight hours of shuteye.

Take Naps.

As children, we were asked to take naps to refresh our energy and avoid fussiness in the evening due to over-exhaustion. Research has now shown that these restorative naps are not only for the young. Adults benefit from taking a nap break in the middle of the day. You may be surprised how these power naps, if kept to a maximum of 20 to 30 minutes so as not to disturb our natural sleep-wake cycles, enhance the quality of our waking hours and, consequently, our sleeping hours.

Green Therapy

As much as we want to retreat to a distant green sanctuary when our stress levels go up, it isn’t always a viable option. So, for a quick dose of green therapy, head on to the nearest park, or better yet, create your very own garden. A lush patch greeting you when you get home is just the ticket to ease some of the tension brought about by a long day. Just the sight of a well-tended garden with a display of wonderful colors and the amount of oxygen that the plants exude can soothe the nerves and the eyes of a tired individual. The rocks and boulders can provide meditative attention to someone who is enjoying the premises of the garden. If walking into or even just having a view of a garden is already calming, just imagine the benefits of growing your own plot of green. Stress starts to melt away the moment you step into a garden. The vivid plant colors are a pleasant sight for sore eyes. A whiff of floral scents floating in the air instantly puts one at ease. Hearing the sound of flowing water and touching the earth relaxes tense muscles and calms the mind.

Gardener’s Gift

With activities like digging, raking, lifting bags of soil, bending, and many more, gardening likewise gives your body a comprehensive workout. Exercise flushes out stress hormones and releases endorphins, which make one feel happy or euphoric. Gardening regularly has plenty of health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attacks and preventing osteoporosis, among others. Aside from these benefits, gardening also gives spiritual and mental relief. The tranquil atmosphere of gardens is ideal for meditation. When someone is in a meditative state, their worries float away, the senses at ease. The mind becomes clear and open to inspiration. When an person is immersed in his interest in gardening, he forgets his problems. What preoccupies his subconscious is his expectation of the flowers and fruits of the plants that he nurtures. The most important benfit is the inner satisfaction of nurturing and caring for the wonderful plants that nature bestows on the gardener.

Start a Pocket Garden

Creating a garden doesn’t mean you need a sprawling plot of land. Do not let limited space hinder you from starting your own healing garden. In fact, even a small space such as a terrace can be converted into a pocket garden. You can also start an herb garden, which requires very little space. Just buy pots and plant your favorite aromatic herbs such as rosemary, basil, oregano and mint, then put them in your windowsill.

Things to do:

• Survey your space and select the area where you want to put the pocket garden. Look for a spot that can hold at least several inches of soil.
• Determine the amount of sunlight and air movement; in other words, study the microclimate condition in that particular area.
• Choose accessories like stones and pebbles, driftwood, and other accents, and then carefully designate these on specific sites of the pocket again. If you have the space and budget, add a water feature like a fountain or a water wall.
• Pick the plants carefully. Research and ask professionals about different plant species that are appropriate to the microclimate of your garden space. Consider how big a plant will grow. You can opt for dwarf varieties and small bulbs if space is limited. Some plant suggestions for a pocket garden are aglaonema hybrids and species, selagenilla, caladiums and dieffen bachia.
• Plant and maintain he garden with proper watering, fertilizing, as well as controlling pests and weeds.