Included in mind-body health is sleep. For this I went principally to the book THE SLEEP PRESCRIPTION, 7 Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest, Aric A. Prather, PhD. In it he talks about the different types of sleep, problems that can come from inadequate sleep, and actions that can be taken to improve sleep. He includes a methodology that he calls “7 Days to Unlocking Your Best Rest”. The book also contains a section on additional resources and notes. My reminder notes are at THE SLEEP PRESCRIPTION.
He speaks to some evolutionary downsides: worry, anxiety and rumination and our mind can be the problem. Skipping or interrupting sleep cycles reduces the ability to clear out the metabolic waste that would leave us feeling alert and refreshed. It includes sleep restriction to build up the sleep pressure and adjusting your wake-up time. Science is showing us good sleep boost the immune system and regulates metabolism.
Our own mind can be the problem.
To get off the rumination track use “cloud watching” or “trained spotting” watching thoughts arrive and depart. Set aside a worry time in the evening before going to bed not necessarily looking for a solution but just going over what the worries are so you can hopefully mentally put them aside when you go to bed. Another thing is to write down the problem and the solution during the daytime and put it by the bed and refer to it at night that you don’t need to address it now. Distraction can be a powerful sleep aid. So can progressive muscle relaxation, visualizing a serene place, and/or focus on sensory details of this place.
Skipping or interrupting sleep cycles, which happens more under stress, reduces the ability to clear out the metabolic waste that would leave us feeling alert and refreshed.