Spirituality & Sleep – Perspectives from a Baby Sleep Coach
Faith & belief are an important part of our well-being as a whole being.
We are made up of physical, emotional, social, intellectual & also spiritual parts and when one is off balance, we feel off balance.
As we are creatures with souls our spiritual part needs the nourishment of all our other parts; as well as to be filled up with practices & experiences that enrich our lives.
Because our spirit, the deepest part of our souls is the wellspring of life.
“There is a waterfall in every dream. Cool & crystal clear, it falls gently on the sleeper, cleansing the mind & soothing the soul”. – Virginia Alison
So how do sleep & spirituality go hand in hand?
Part of helping our littles (and ourselves) wind down & relax is discerning the role our spiritual life plays into the process.
We’ve all had that moment…lights are off & then our mind & thoughts race.
If it happens to us, it can happen to our kids too.
We must learn for ourselves to navigate the seas of thoughts that are sometimes waves of stress & emotions back to the safe harbor of restorative rest so that we can charter the course for others soon taking the journey.
Thankfully, there are practical ways that spirituality can lead us back to calm & serene place. Here are some ways to incorporate it for yourself and those little balls of energy!
Prayer & Meditation: The impact on managing Postpartum Anxiety
What wings are to a bird, and sails to a ship, so is prayer to the soul.
Corrie Ten Boom
Before I was aware of my internal battle of postpartum anxiety, I just couldn’t sleep because there was a fear that my baby girl would stop breathing. That thought right there could have become all-consuming if I let it find roots but instead, I turned my mind & words to the prayer. Not just that these thoughts would leave, but also that I would tap into the power I knew inside of me that would give me the ability to find peace in the midst of even the storm raging in my hormones. Not only did I find comfort in my prayers but I know it was an intentional action to apart myself from those fears that turned into anxiety.
For kiddos, fears can also become the internal battle that robs them of sleep. A bad nightmare, a shadow in the room…their mind wanders and they are face to face with a monster. As parents, nothing is more jolting than the cry in the middle of the night from your terrified child. So we go to them and soothe them but sometimes the physical is just not enough because their mind is still in that frame. Enter prayer, especially if this is an active part of your family’s life. This is the weapon they can use against their fears because they know nothing is stronger than the words spoken to the strongest power they know.
So prayer is not your thing….you are still a spiritual being and the same concept can apply in a different way.
Meditation is the practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm, and stable state.
Mindfulness
A mental state is achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations
Here at Tiny Transitions, we are avid fans of the Zenimal. A screen-free device designed to help children, adolescents and adults cultivate mindfulness through 9 guided meditations.
Designed with children and adolescents in mind. Our intention is to create an opportunity for parents to take time out of the day to meditate with their children and also give kids control to meditate on their own. New products are in the works to cater to all ages.
The power of focus and breath truly sets our bodies up for success and leads us to a more peaceful sleep. We are better at being all we were meant to be when we are presently living every day with the healthy habits of our daily needs- breathing, sleeping, being.
Kindness
Yes, even our spiritual life can take a hit when we go hard in the everyday steam engine that includes constant screens, people, politics, troubles- and the list will not stop.
Every person has a different threshold but one thing we all still have in common is the need to slow down and truly supply ourselves with the recharge we need to face the world again.
This could be a warm shower, a vacation, a cup of tea, a cry you have been holding in, a coffee treat; a simple act of kindness to yourself or others.
Kindness seems to be slipping from our hearts and hands if we let the troubles of the world engulf us. When we take the steps to provide ourselves and those around us with human kindness, a deep sense of gratitude for life, family, and faith can truly be felt and give us enough courage and strength for the next trial.
I don’t know when was the last time you thought of your spiritual part as an important member of your well-being, but it is! And the care you give it will reflect itself on all the other parts you have, especially in the peace of your soul. There is a rhythm to rest, a song that needs to be sung and it starts in the depths of our soul- find the rest, find the peace.
About the Author: Liz Chapman
Before becoming a mom, I worked at a family care center mentoring parents to help their families grow stronger. I knew two things would come out of this:
- I would learn tons of stuff before I have kids.
- I would find myself humbly eating my words when giving advice to those who have kids, once my little girl was born.
After years of preparation and mentoring, we were finally blessed with our baby girl Clarissa. Well, those two things were certainly true, but none more than the latter, especially when it came to sleeping. While turning to my good friend Google, I first learned about sleep consulting, and I was hooked on every book, blog, podcast, and post I could find on the subject. As I helped my daughter find the rhythm of rest, I found my passion for this growing. By joining The Slumber Squad, I’m confident that the proven principles of sleep training are the blueprint needed for families to help their babies go from sirens to sweet silence! Being a Sleep Consultant is near and dear to me, as I too have seen the impact that sleep deprivation can have and while I locally service the Paducah, KY metro area in-home, I work with clients virtually around the world in English and Espanol!
Book a Free Discovery Call with Liz Chapman today! https://tinytransitions.as.me/lizchapman
