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How Firm Boundaries & Gentle Foot Massages Help This Acupuncturist Sleep Deeply
As a holistic health care provider, I know the importance of sleep and the things I need to do to improve my quality of sleep. But walking the walk myself is much easier said than done.
Last year, I began to feel increasingly burned out from the stress of running my own busy practice. To make myself available to patients, I would typically work till 8:30 p.m. and often attend to paperwork between dinner and bedtime. Though I have always been a great sleeper, I started waking up feeling tired and sometimes with a sore jaw. I knew I have been clenching my teeth at night from stress, which can impact sleep quality.
I started using an Oura ring a few months ago, and the sleep data confirmed that it was an issue. I noticed my deep sleep could be insufficient at times. Working late and eating dinner late would typically increase my heart rate and lead to a poorer night's snooze. Now I have the data to prove it—no more excuses.
I knew I had to make a change to sustain my own well-being. I needed to create a sanctuary for my sleep, both physically and figuratively, and protect it against my workaholic self.
So beginning this year, I set strict boundaries and made a few changes:
- End work earlier
- Have dinner sooner
- Have a gap of 3-4 hours between dinner and bedtime
- Do not discuss, watch, or do anything stressful after dinner and before bedtime
- Reserve an afternoon every weekend for myself, even if to do nothing, just to allow myself the space and time to simply be
So far, making these adjustments has allowed me to wind down more effectively and get ready for bed earlier.
- Average hours I sleep a night: 8 hours
- Ideal bedtime: 11 p.m. According to the TCM organ clock, some of the most important organ systems go through their routine detox and replenishment during the hours of 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. So it's best to not eat after 9 p.m. and sleep by 11 p.m.
- Ideal wake-up time: 7 a.m.
- Nightstand essentials: A glass of water, essential oil diffuser, hand cream, and lip balm
- Favorite place I've ever slept: My own bed with my ergonomic foam pillow
- Sleep bad habit: Watching suspenseful TV series before bed
- Caffeine consumption: 1 cup of coffee in the morning. I try to stay away from coffee after 12 p.m. If I need an energy pick-me-up in the afternoon, I go for ⅓ to ½ a cup of matcha latte.
- How I track my sleep: I wear my Oura ring to sleep
- The last product or habit that changed my sleep for the better: Using the Miko foot massager as part of my wind-down routine
- The first thing I do when I wake up: Checking my work email—a bad habit I am working to change. Ideally, I would like to wake up to a five-minute meridian stretch.
8:30 a.m.: I walk to my office on the sunny side of the street, without wearing sunglasses. Since I rarely have a chance to leave the office during the day, this is the time to get sunlight exposure to help my body make essential melatonin and regulate my circadian rhythm.
5 p.m.: On Tuesdays, I get out of the office early, and this allows me to attend a yoga class for some movement and to quiet the mind.
7 p.m.: Walk home from yoga class and get ready for dinner.
8 p.m.: Clean up after dinner. I try my best to not do work on my laptop and treat this as a time to relax and catch up with my partner about our days.
8:30 –10 p.m.: Watch some TV. Even though I love a good suspense/mystery series, I have been trying to watch more lighthearted content during the last hour before bed. There were nights when I stayed up bingeing The Last of Us, and my nervous system got too fired up to fall asleep after the show.
10:30 p.m.: I start my wind-down routine. I take a hot shower and spray on Alo magnesium oil on the soles of my feet. Then massage it in while applying some acupressure on Kidney 1. I will then turn down the lights and continue to watch a little more TV while doing a 20-minute session on my foot massager (sometimes a warm foot bath with lavender essential oil). There are so many benefits to warming and massaging the feet before bed.
11 p.m.: As part of sleep hygiene, my bedroom has blackout curtains and no major electronics (TV, computer, speakers). With heavy eyelids, I get into bed and turn off the lights, usually dozing off in about 10 minutes.
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