There are 3 universal truths about this life: we are born alone, we die alone, and we sleep alone. Sure, there are some exceptions but for the most part this is all true.
Sleep is interesting to me because it functions as a sort of in-between state of death and birth. When we close our eyes and lay still, we descend into deep sleep, REM (rapid eye movement) cycles, and our bodies recover from whatever physical exertion and emotional grievances we’ve had that day.
Then just like that, we wake up and it feels like we are reborn into a new life with a new body and everything is revitalized. Nothing is more necessary to our bodies than a good night’s sleep. Waking up after a solid night of rest is totally rejuvenating.
Some people have difficulty falling asleep and it can be for a myriad of reasons. Sometimes it is stress related; worry will keep anybody up at night. Other times it is chemically related. It is a known fact that when people quit drinking they have intense sleep problems that can last for many, many months. This is because the latency period of the onset of sleep is much shorter after drinking alcohol; meaning, people who drink before bed fall asleep much faster; however, the body spends more time in deep sleep and this disrupts REM cycles.
REM cycles are important because they’re the moments in our sleep that help us dream. I was told by a doctor once that alcohol can disrupt not 1, but 2 REM cycles. This means that after a night of heavy drinking, it’ll take not 1, but 2 night’s sleep before you finally experience dreams again. Sleeping is one thing, but dreaming is quite another. Everything recovers during sleep, including our subconscious mind, all achieved through the art of dreaming. Dreams can reveal so much about all of our inherent wants, needs, desires, all of which are buried deep inside our subconscious mind.
Long story short, if you want to have stable sleep patterns, which will eventually lead to stable living patterns, you can read more about how to achieve that here.
Sleeping well at night, to me, is a spiritual thing. If I sleep well at night then I know that all is well in my world and that everything within my own spirit is settled. Every night I ask myself: am I contributing good things to this world? Should we continue down this current path, or steer myself in a different direction? These are imperative questions we should ask ourselves every night before bed.
I don’t shy away from this reflection because I know that deep down I am a good person, whom is only trying their best everyday to do right by others. I do my best to live and uplift people because that’s the type of person I am. Toxic positivity? Perhaps. But life is much easier to move through as an eternal optimist and I wouldn’t want to have it any other way. Happiness is contagious. I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I do try my best to outwardly project goodness into this world.
I cherish the moment of laying in bed before drifting off to sleep, thinking and reflecting on the day I’ve had and all the things I’m blessed to have in my life. I think about all the things I’m grateful for. I think about my family and friends, and I ask the Universe to protect them. I express gratitude for the job I get to do that brings me so much joy, and about how it doesn’t even feel like a job when I’m doing it. And finally, I practice astral projection when thinking about all the things I’m hoping to achieve in this life: all my wants, desires, hopes and dreams.
This moment of introspection before bed ensures that I’m in a good place, and when I feel in a good place, I fall quickly off to sleep without problems.
To me, I think self-reflection before bed is difficult for some people. Sometimes sitting with one’s conscience is difficult, especially if you aren’t happy within your heart and your soul. This doesn’t mean that all people with sleep disturbances are bad people, but I do think there are layers of truth behind the loaded question: “Do you sleep well at night?” Meaning, do you feel good enough within yourself to sleep well at night?
To me personally, a good heart, well-nourished soul, and wholesome spirit will always sleep well at night. I think there is no better remedy for insomnia other than a good conscience.
Beyoncé sums it all up perfectly in the closing lyrics of her song “Pretty Hurts”:
When you're alone all by yourself,
When you're lying in your bed,
Reflection stares right into you,
Are you happy with yourself?
Stripped away the masquerade,
The illusion has been shed,
Are you happy with yourself?
Are you happy with yourself?
We are all birthed into this world alone, we all leave this physical plane alone, and we all sleep alone. So, the next time you’re having difficulty sleeping, think of me, B, and the esoteric question: are you happy with yourself?