Beyond Sleep Hygiene: Holistic Ways to Improve Sleep Quality

Are you tired of hearing about sleep hygiene? Are you tired of just not sleeping well? Sleep hygiene (good habits) help: I’ve often read and heard: maintain a consistent schedule, avoid screens before bed, keep your room cool and dark. While these are important, sometimes sleep is still a distant hope rather than a reality.

Keep reading if you’d like to explore another layer, another level of support. Let’s focus on the connection between our energetic state and how well we can rest. This links in with our body’s natural healing systems.

“Our energetic state” is a concept that might sound foreign if you’re new to holistic thinking – I get it, because it was unfamiliar to me too before I became a therapist. But once it clicks, you realise how fundamental it is to everything: your sleep, your daytime vitality and how you move through the world.

Your energetic state is simply how your whole self is functioning – your body, your emotions, your inner rhythm. When those three are in sync, deep nourishing sleep becomes possible. When they’re scattered or depleted, sleep suffers, and so does your energy the next day. It’s all connected.

This blog post gives you new ways to think about your energy and ways to improve your sleep. It has 5 sections to set you right: 1) understanding personal energy in your body, 2) how to reset it during the day, 3) help from holistic therapies, 4) what about tonight, and finishes with 5) personalised supports available for you.

How to understand energy in your body – your energy architecture

Traditional wellness systems from around the world recognise that we’re more than just physical bodies. The most important thing for you to know: when our vital energy flows freely and balance, sleep comes naturally. As a bit of support for this claim, Chinese medicine speaks of qi flowing through meridians. Yoga wisdom describes prana moving through nadis. Modern energy psychology discusses energy as biofields. So, whether you’re talking about qi, prana, or biofields – know that sometimes energy can deviate from optimal flow patterns, and we can change this using natural and holistic methods.

If you’re not sleeping well, you may have energy blockages or shortfalls rather than simply bad habits. Maybe you’re feeling

• tense and exhausted,
• thinking a million things at bedtime, or
• waking often even though you’re doing everything ‘right’.

If you’re feeling this way, your body is calling out for attention. It’s not just your sleep schedule.

Resetting Your Energy Throughout the Day

You can recharge and reset your energy throughout the day and build a foundation for quality sleep in simple ways that take only a few moments. Activating your energy in the morning, maintaining your energy in the middle of the day, and clearing any energy blocks in the evening. It’s not about doing everything differently, just making a few tweaks to maximise your energy.

Activate your energy in the morning

Charge your system easily and quickly by connecting with yourself before your reach out to the wider world. You may have heard of circadian rhythm (your body’s natural energy cycles) and how it affects our energy levels (Mayo Clinic, 2024).

Instead of immediately diving into screens or stress, spend five minutes with new practises that move energy intentionally.

This might include gentle stretching, qi gong movement, or simply standing in the natural light while taking belly breaths to fuel your whole body. You’re not just waking your body – you’re activating your energy channels.

Maintain your energy midday

Checking in with your energy midday safeguards your energy. Without a check-in and protection, you may have difficulty later in the day.

I’ve been there – running through the day ticking off items and not paying attention to how I’m feeling. By 5pm I’m exhausted, cranky, and I have nothing left for the rest of the day or beyond.

Our ancestors naturally had periods of rest and activity throughout the day. Modern life demands constant output, which drains our reserves.

You can do quick things to make a difference.

• Take a short walk to change your environment.
• Breathe consciously to shift from your sympathetic to your parasympathetic nervous system.
• Ground by connecting physically with nature – literally touching earth or plants.

Clear your energy in the evening

Evening energy clearing is where most people miss a crucial step. We build up energetic debris through out the day – stress from interactions, electromagnetic exposure from devices, emotional residue from challenging situations.

Here are simple things you can do to prepare yourself for true rest. Bring some holistic ways to improve sleep quality into your evening. Simple things like JSJ holds and Reflexology self-massage, creative activities, or aromatherapy. You can explore which ones work best for you.

Holistic therapies so you can sleep deeply

JSJ and Reflexology for Sleep

Your body has specific points and zones that regulate sleep and calm the nervous system. Two wonderful traditions – Jin Shin Jyutsu and Reflexology – can help you calm your energy pathways to sleep better. Here are two simple holds.

Your forehead (JSJ Safety Energy Lock 20) helps quiet mental chatter and worry. Holding this point gently with your fingertips on both sides while breathing easily brings scattered energy back into harmony. You can hold for 5-20 minutes while lying in bed.

In reflexology the solar plexus point (in the centre of the foot or palm, just below the ball of foot or palm near the fingers) is the body’s stress centre. Press this area using small circles. This helps release tension from the day. Relax your entire system by working your feet or hands.

You’re not just pressing points randomly – you’re actively engaging your energy systems. People have been doing this for generations.

This is just a start – there are so many holds and reflexes available. If you’d like more ways to energetically improve your sleep, you might like to join my online Workshop on 22nd November 2025 at 7pm – Learn How to Sleep Well Tonight.

Creative Expression to Release your Excess Energy

Busy minds at bedtime happen when we have unfinished business. Whether it’s unprocessed thoughts, feelings, or creative energy that have no where to go. Be creative to clear your energy from the day.

Stream-of-consciousness journaling for 10-15 minutes allows racing thoughts to pour onto paper instead of just running over and over in your mind. Remember, you’re not writing for anyone else or tell an epic tale – you’re simply doing a brain dump. This kinetic practice physically moves the energy of your thoughts out of your head and into the external world where they can rest. If you’d like support, there’s a really lovely lady who can help with this – Mary Vaughan guides us effortlessly with grace each morning – if this resonates with you, you can sign up at her website Heartlands Coaching.

Simple sketching or doodling engages a different part of your brain than analytical thinking. Even if you feel like you couldn’t draw a straight line – it’s okay – moving a pen or pencil in flowing patterns, shapes, or abstract images shifts you from verbal-mental processing to visual spatial awareness. This transition naturally quiets the inner critic/narrator that disrupts sleep.

Aromatherapy to Promote Deep Sleep

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to improve our wellbeing. Essential oils work on multiple levels – biochemically through scent molecules, energetically through their vibrational signatures, and emotionally through the limbic system.

For any essential oil, it’s important to mix them with a neutral carrier oil like almond or olive oil. Or you can simply put a few drops on a tissue by your pillow.

Remember, though, less is more with essential oils – a little goes along way. Very important! Take caution around your pets – different experts hold different options, so please check with your own vet before exposing your pets to essential oils.

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is well-known, but understanding why it works deepens your practice. Lavender’s vibration soothes the nervous system while its chemistry promotes GABA production. 

Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) specifically addresses the kind of sleeplessness that comes from emotional upset or unprocessed feelings. It works on the heart chakra level while also providing physical relaxation.

Create a bedtime ritual that involves intentional use, breathing in the scents and welcome their support for your rest. The ritual itself is a signal to your entire system.

But you might be wondering, how do I bring these things into my evening? You can craft your practice how ever you like.

How to Fall Asleep Fast with your Personal Evening Practice

The best approach is to combine what works best for you – and that can change from time to time. It’s definitely not about doing everything – it’s about finding what really shifts your energy.

Start by setting aside some time before bed with an energy clearing intention (60-90 minutes if you can). Recognise that you’ve been DOING all day – it’s time for BEING for a restful evening/night. This mental shift begins the process.

Choose one physical practice that moves energy: simple stretching while breathing deeply into tight areas or gentle yoga focused on forward folds and hip openers.

Follow with one direct energy technique: Jin Shin Jyutsu on sleep points, Reflexology on sleep related reflexes, or self-Reiki on areas that feel tense or chaotic.

Add support for your senses: dim warm lighting (candlelight if you like), essential oils, and soft instrumental music or nature sounds that mask disruptive noise.

End with a gratitude and release practice: mentally acknowledge what went well during your day, consciously release what you can’t solve tonight, and set an intention for restful sleep. This isn’t woo-woo: it’s giving your unconscious mind clear directions.

When Basic Practices Aren’t Enough

These practices work beautifully for most people, but if you’re still experiencing persistent sleep difficulties despite consistent practice, there may be deeper energetic patterns at play. Read my companion article coming soon – Beyond Insomnia: Decoding Your Body’s Sleep Messages Through Energy Work, to explore chronic sleep challenges, what your waking times suggest about energy imbalances, and how to work with sleep as a spiritual practice.

Personalised support for your sleep journey

While these practices offer powerful tools to transform your life, sometimes we need support tailored to our personal patterns and challenges. If you’re struggling with persistent sleep issues or feel uncertain about where to begin, 1:1 support can make a big difference.

In a 1:1 session, we can

• Identify your specific energetic blocks and sleep patterns
• Create a customised evening practice that fits your lifestyle and needs
• Explore deeper energetic issues that may be getting in the way of your rest
• Learn hands-on techniques with guidance and feedback
• Develop strategies for working with your personal challenges

Whether you’re dealing with long-term insomnia, depleted energy, or simply want to deepen your ability to rest and recharge, individualised sessions provide the space and attention to address what’s truly keeping you awake.

If you’d like to explore how holistic energy work can transform your sleep, let’s chat in a complimentary 15 minute call. Together we’ll discover the pathway to rest and recharge you’re craving.

Key takeaway about your sleep

When dealing with sleep challenges, relax, let go of worries. Start with resonates. Notice what shifts. Trust that your body and energy system want to return to balance – your role is simply to remove obstacles and provide support. Sleep well, not just through force of habit, but through harmony of being.