Want to Sleep Like a Baby?

Have you ever noticed how babies seem to sleep so well? Some little ones even take hefty naps during the day and still sleep 10-12 hours during the night.

I can remember having my granddaughter as a baby, and she would often take two, two-hour naps a day, and sleep twelve hours during the night, from 7 pm to 7 am. It was like clock work. I could always plan my day around her schedule because her rest times were so consistent.

She was able to rest well for two reasons.
1) She would sleep on a schedule; the same times every day. Her body adjusted to those specific times and I would see her fading off into dreamland at nap time and nighttime. There was no fighting with her over naps. Once she was laid down, she went right out! When the body gets regulated, (use to a regular schedule) if there aren’t any disturbances it will follow through with its plans to take its rest.

​2) She was put down to sleep early in the evening. This is by far the most important factor of why she was resting so well. It has been documented that for every hour of sleep you get “before” midnight, is equivalent to two hours after midnight. Because she slept from 7 pm to 7 am, she was getting what was equivalent to 17 hours of physical rest.

The rest from 7-12 midnight is equivalent to 10 hours (every hour before midnight is worth two hours). The remainder of her rest from 12 midnight to 7 am is just that, 7 hours. The two combined total 17 hours of physical rest. 10+7=17.

She was getting in all of her rem (rapid eye movement) cycles, and her brain and body were happy about that. This is a recipe for sleeping like a baby! And the very reason babies look so peaceful when they are sleeping.

You can sleep like a baby following these simple tips.
—Go to bed at a descent hour every night. In fact, it has been scientifically proven that if you go to bed the same time every night your body will regulate to that schedule and prepare itself for sleep when that specific time arrives. You will be able to wake up without the use of an alarm clock too.
—Get in bed several hours before midnight. Not only will you get more rest, but your brain will function much better after an extended period of rest.
—You may do well to turn off your electronics an hour before bed to enable your body and your brain to wind down from its stimulation.
—Dimming the lights in your house prior to bed seems to help many people prepare for rest and sleep better.
—If you have a diffuser, use lavender, chamomile, or a calming
​essential oil blend to help you relax.
—Take a warm bath in plain water or water that is infused with lavender flowers, chamomile or your favorite relaxing blend.
—Enjoy a cup of chamomile tea, or sleepy time tea, thirty minutes prior to bed.

Sleep is one of the natural laws of nature. Without proper rest, your health will suffer greatly. Sleep is healing in many ways. It is during the hours of sleep that the body builds and repairs. The thoughts of the day are gone over and organized in the brain for clarity, memory, and further use. The metabolism is regulated and sped up, helping to keep excess weight down. The digestion is improved. You will have energy and buoyancy in your step. You will be ready to face the challenges of your day, And all this is only the tip of the iceberg!