Reiki and sleep – Improving your sleep helps you feel better
Do you wake refreshed and invigorated or lethargic and achy? Do you sleep through the entire night or wake intermittently? Do you fall asleep quickly or lie awake processing the day’s events?
If you wake up tired, with aches and pains or have trouble sleeping, you can enhance the quality of your sleep.
Self-Reiki practice and Reiki treatment improve sleep quality. A good night’s sleep boosts:
- your mood
- concentration
- spiritual connection and
- immunity.
We all want to be mentally clearer, energised and happier. Knowing how sleep is connected to better health, and implementing sleep tips, can help you feel better throughout the day.
How a good night’s sleep improves your health
A good night’s sleep improves your health in many ways. Sleep is essential for physical, spiritual and mental well-being. Like Reiki treatment, when you sleep well, your system can rest, restore and heal. Here are three ways a sound night’s sleep improves your health:
Good sleep improves memory
Sound sleep helps you to:
- process and store information
- improve concentration
- recall information
After a sound night’s sleep, you:
- are better able to apply knowledge and wisdom
- make better decisions,
- are less likely to make mistakes.
Studies show a positive relationship between memory and sleep. In one study, a group of 44 participants underwent two rigorous sessions of learning. Half the group was allowed to nap between sessions, while the other half engaged in standard activities. The researchers found that the group that napped between sessions learned just as easily in the later session as they did in the earlier session. The group that didn’t nap experienced a significant decrease in learning ability.
Good sleep boosts mood & emotional well-being
Compromised mental and emotional health can affect your sleep, but did you know that good sleep can improve your mental and emotional health? Poor sleep can lead to:
- irritability,
- stress, and
- anxiety
Restful sleep helps to:
- regulate your mood and emotions
- reduce anxiety and depression
- enhance your spiritual connection.
A study combined the results of 65 randomised controlled trials, involving 8,608 participants. It showed that by using techniques to get a better night’s sleep, you can decrease depression, anxiety and stress. Anxiety, stress and depression arise for many reasons, one is due to hormonal changes that take place during peri-menopause and menopause.
Good sleep strengthens your immune system
When you sleep well, your body produces antibodies that help to ward off illnesses. However, when you’re stressed, you release the stress hormone, cortisol, which can affect your sleep. Poor sleep quality also increases cortisol levels. High cortisol levels can suppress immune function, making it more challenging to stay healthy.
Reiki treatments, and a good night’s sleep, reduce stress and support immune function. When you’re well-rested and relaxed, your cortisol levels are lower, reducing the likelihood of you getting ill. A study showed that good quality sleep modulates the cells that create inflammation, ultimately leading to better health and wellness.
How Reiki can improve sleep and create better health and wellness
One of the primary benefits of Reiki treatment and self-Reiki practice is improved sleep. Reiki practise supports my sleep; and many people who come for treatment, or learn Reiki, report that the quality of their sleep improves. This is because Reiki:
- relaxes the central nervous system
- reduces stress and anxiety
- creates an opportunity for healing and recovery to take place
- connects you with yourself and something greater than yourself that you’re a part of
Several studies also indicate that Reiki can improve sleep quality.
Reiki treatment improves sleep quality in M.S. patients
Better sleep and improved energy levels improve our life. Stable energy levels boost your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. A study with 60 participants demonstrated that Reiki reduced the severity of fatigue and improved sleep quality in M.S. patients.
Reiki treatment reduces fatigue in cancer patients
Fatigue can stem from physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion, leaving us drained and unable to engage with life. Fatigue is a common symptom of burnout, hormonal fluctuations, illness and care-giving. Reiki treatment and self-practice promote holistic healing and alleviate fatigue. A study including 268 cancer patients reported clinically significant improvements in pain, fatigue and anxiety after receiving 15 to 20 minutes of Reiki.
Reiki treatment helps nursing staff fall asleep quicker
If you have challenges falling asleep, you’re not alone. You can have trouble falling asleep because you’re stressed, ill, anxious, or experiencing physical discomfort. Reiki relaxes your mind, body and spirit, helping you drift smoothly into a restful sleep. Reiki also helps you stay asleep longer, so you wake refreshed and rested. A study conducted among nursing staff found that those who received weekly Reiki treatment experienced better sleep.
Ideally, the studies would have a larger sample size, but it’s a start.
So, how can you improve the quality of your sleep?
Your sleep quality changes at different stages of your life. Other than Reiki treatment and self-Reiki practice, what else can you do to improve your sleep?
Limit stimulants to improve sleep
Stimulants activate your central nervous system. Reducing caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol helps to promote sound sleep. These substances can keep you awake or disturb your sleep cycles.
Exercise regularly to improve sleep
Doing moderate physical activity during the day can help regulate your sleep patterns. However, avoid doing vigorous exercise close to bedtime because it can be overstimulating.
Place your mobile phone outside your bedroom to improve sleep
Sleeping with your phone outside your bedroom can improve your sleep. Blue light from screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating your sleep-wake cycle. Using your phone before bed or having it nearby, while you sleep, can disrupt this cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Try keeping your phone outside your bedroom.
Would you like to improve the quality of your sleep? Make time to receive Reiki or learn Reiki. You’ll receive more tips for creating deeper sleep so you feel better and wake refreshed and energised.
