In the days after your journey, you may feel tired and drained. Your body is letting you know that it needs to rest and recover.
Sleep facilitates physical and mental recovery. When you sleep or rest, you give the body time and space to heal, restore cells, and replenish energy levels. The mind uses sleep to process new stimuli and make sense of all the information it receives during the day. Rest is invaluable after a psychedelic experience as the mind is busy processing what it saw, felt, and perceived.
How much recovery time you need depends on the nature and intensity of your experience and how tired you were in the days, weeks, and months before your journey. Often, you don’t know how tired you actually are until after a psychedelic journey. Some people can return to their normal routines quickly, while others need more time to readjust.
If you have trouble falling and staying asleep, certain breathing and body scanning exercises may help. Deep breathing, which focuses on drawing breath from the belly rather than the chest, can activate your relaxation responses, lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels, and help you drift off to sleep. By focusing attention on different parts of the body, you can identify where you’re holding stress or tension and release it. Here’s a basic practice you may find useful:
You may also consider a guided yoga nidra meditation such as this one.
In addition to these exercises and meditations, a number of herbs are known to aid sleep and relaxation. Lavender, chamomile, magnolia bark, valerian root, hops, skullcap, passionflower, and red ginseng all have relaxing and calming qualities. Keep in mind that certain medications do not interact well with certain herbal remedies. Before trying any of these herbs, do your research and consider consulting with a knowledgeable professional, especially if you are already taking other medications.
Following a regular sleeping schedule can give the body and mind the consistency they need for optimal functioning. While it may require some lifestyle changes, establishing a bedtime routine can promote good sleep and improve your overall mental health. Do your best to develop a routine that begins around the same time each evening. A warm bath, gentle yoga, or a good book can help the mind wind down and signal to the body that bedtime is coming.
Watching television or checking your phone before bedtime or in bed can confuse your mind. As soon as you look at a screen, your body suppresses the production of melatonin, a vital hormone for sleep. Keeping electronics near your bed can also be detrimental to your sleeping patterns. Do your best to keep devices off the bed during other times as well, so your mind does not associate your bed with anything other than rest.
Evaluate your sleeping environment. Is it comfortable? Do you enjoy the way your sheets feel? Is your bed big enough? Quiet, dark, and cool environments lead to the best sleep. Earplugs or machines that produce white noise can be helpful if you are a light sleeper. Some people find weighted blankets help them sleep better.
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and other stimulants close to bedtime. Before bed, drinking a calming beverage like herbal tea can be helpful.
