How to Sleep

I you want to remember your dreams, first you need to sleep….

Some things to try:

01 :
No caffeine for several hours before retiring, depending on your specific caffein tolerance. You may need to cut it off by lunchtime.

02 : 
No alcohol less than 3 hours before bedtime. Alcohol may knock you out at first, but it rebounds in the middle of the night - you’re wide awake at 3am.

03 : 
No screen time for at least an hour before retiring.

04: 
Read something positive, a short story, poetry, essays; nothing heavy. Not in your bed. And not on a screen!

05:
Get at least a half hour of exercise towards the end of your day.

06:
Make peace with any family member or friend you’ve had a disagreement with.

07:
Try to avoid falling asleep or taking a nap during the day.

08:
Only use your bed for sleeping and intimate relations - don’t read, watch tv, do puzzles, or any other activities in bed.

09:
If you find yourself worrying and your is mind racing in the middle of the night, get up, write down whatever is on your mind, have a drink of water, non-caffein tea, or milk, and go back to bed. If this happens a lot - 2 or 3 times a night for weeks or even months at a time - schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider doesn’t find a medical issue, consider therapy or the Oasis GROW Plan.

10.
Stick to a regular sleep schedule.

11.
Some medications also interrupt your sleep - diuretics, antidepressants and others. Check with your health care provider.

12.
Join our weekly no-cost meditation group for guided meditations that are very much like lucid dreaming (when you are fully aware you are dreaming). To register, send an email to oasisinthestorm@gmail.com

13.
If nothing works and you’ve tried all of these ideas, consider therapy or the Oasis GROW Plan.

14.
Now you can work on your dreams.