Late one night on shift, I caught the charge nurse’s quiet words to the team: “Let the patients sleep. Sleep is the best medicine.”

Here are 5 tools that blend science and soul for much needed rest.

1. Rest Ritual

Dim lights, breathe, say: “The day is done, be at ease.”

Routines lift sleep quality (Stepanski & Wyatt, 2003).

A steady rhythm settles you.

2. Bed Blessing

Can’t sleep after 15 minutes? Get up, sit nearby, say:

“Be at peace, rest will come,” or “Spirit of Love, fill my heart.” Do this for 5 minutes, then return to bed. Using bed just for sleep improves rest (Bootzin et al., 1991).

A calm space invites peace.

3. Trust Surrender

Swap “I can’t sleep” for “I’m held.”

Thought shifts ease insomnia (Morin et al., 2006).

Words carry weight.

4. Night Reset

List 3 sounds: When you’re awake, wired, or stressed, pause and name three sounds you hear (e.g., clock ticking, wind outside, your breath)—shifts focus from head noise to now.

Say: ‘I’m here now.’ 3 min. This grounds you in the moment, calms the chatter. Mindfulness cuts stress (Kabat-Zinn, 1990).

Grounding clears the noise.

5. Worry Release

Something on your mind? Give yourself permission to release it. Try to replace those thoughts with something that brings you peace (perhaps an uplifting memory from the day).

Reframing reduces the impact of worry (Morin et al., 2006).

References:

Bootzin, R. R., Epstein, D., & Wood, J. M. (1991). Stimulus control instructions. In P. J. Hauri (Ed.), Case Studies in Insomnia (pp. 19-28). Springer.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Delacorte Press.

Morin, C. M., Vallières, A., Guay, B., Ivers, H., Savard, J., Mérette, C., Bastien, C., & Baillargeon, L. (2006). Cognitive behavioral therapy, singly and combined with medication, for persistent insomnia: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA, 295(21), 2505-2515. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.295.21.2505

Stepanski, E. J., & Wyatt, J. K. (2003). Use of sleep hygiene in the treatment of insomnia. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 7(3), 215-225. https://doi.org/10.1053/smrv.2001.0246

5 Tools for Sleepless Nights