How to Sleep Better, According to Your Astrological Sign
This article originally appeared on Yoga Journal
What if you had a cheat sheet to help you navigate your quirks? Something that could afford you a glimpse into your innate traits, patterned tendencies, and self-sabotaging ways. Something that could inform how you handle almost any everyday situation, whether related to work, relationships, even tossing and turning at night.
Astrology may be that resource. But not the predictive horoscopes of yesteryear. Appearing at the back of newspapers and magazines, those insultingly short explanations professed to tell you, in twelve words or less, why you should dread your day, ditch your partner, maybe even try the lottery.
Recent approaches to the ancient science of astrology take a more nuanced and prescriptive approach. They tend to dispense insights that can help you witness the lens through which you experience life. What results is you no longer needing to stumble around quite so blindly.
Simia Henry, an urban mystic, has spent years observing the various signs, marveling at their patterned behaviors, and coaxing them to self-awareness. She’s also spent an exorbitant amount of time teaching them how to extricate themselves from the sometimes awkward situations they create for themselves. Here’s a look at which astrological influences she’s found to be lurking behind your failed attempts at sleep.
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How to Sleep Better According to Your Astrological Sign
Although your Sun sign usually holds a considerable amount of truth for you, look at your rising sign for additional insights.
Aries
Your fiery nature tricks you into maximizing your every waking hour with enviable--and sometimes alarming--efficiency. But at the end of the day, what you need most is to stop ruminating on your lists of to-dos. If you feel calmer about releasing your thoughts on paper, try journaling to help you transition from productive to introspective and settle down before sleep. Or focus instead on something you’d like to imagine yourself accomplishing. “Mentally Photoshop yourself into images of achieving an Oscar, being a rock star, winning the Indie 500, or whatever your strongest desire is,” says Henry.
Taurus
Consistency and luxury tend to command your attention as well as your attraction. Consider how you could include them in a calming nighttime ritual. Maybe you splurge on new bedding or arrange artwork or flowers so you can admire them while leaning back on your pillows. If you’re the sort who already lounges in bed most evenings, says Henry, then you don’t need to entice yourself to slip in between the sheets. “Instead, it’s more about if you have everything you need on hand so you don’t have to get up again,” she says. In that scenario, definitely invest in smart lights. And don’t forget to keep your water, remote, and that luxuriant lotion you love within reach.
Gemini
That break from blue light is especially essential for you, oh curious one. Reading the news or any random factoid late at night will incite that inquisitive nature of yours and send your thoughts racing. “Turn off almost EVERYTHING,” says Henry. “You need a distraction from your distractions.” If you find absolute silence too challenging, try a noise machine.
Cancer
You appreciate quiet time at night. But do you use that time to dwell on past situations and conversations that have you in your feels? If so, you need to learn how to curb that tendency. “You can still lose yourself in contemplation, just not of your own life,” says Henry. Tuning into an audiobook about a topic that’s intrigued you or that soul-tugging Netflix series you’ve been binging can rescue you from your ruminations.
Leo
The enthusiasm you bring to everything in life can sometimes lead to late-in-the-day angst as to whether you’re missing out, says Henry. If you find yourself struggling, bring your attention back to whatever you need to quiet your body, mind, and soul, says Henry. “You’re so aware of your needs that you can make that the most important thing in the world. ‘I need to sleep. Boom.'” Just that simple awareness can make a dramatic difference, which is why you’re the least likely of any sign to experience regular sleeping issues.
Virgo
That analytical nature of yours can be tricky to turn off, especially at night. Rather than fight your practical problem-solving skills, apply them to your sleep situation, says Henry. There’s no one better equipped to discern the nightly routine that makes sense for you, whether it’s tea and meditation or a TikTok scroll and music. On rare occasions when you’re still awake into the wee hours, try not to be so hard on yourself as it’s not a personal failing.
Libra
You’re drawn to beauty, overthinking one. Rely on that to take yourself out of your headspace and into a place of rest, says Henry. “Whatever beauty means for you, whether that’s a soothing scent or a particular type of music that pleases you, find a way to incorporate it into your evening,” she says. Simply appreciate it. It will automatically beautify your head space. Sleep won’t be far behind.
Scorpio
That intensity of yours can easily translate into a fitful night’s sleep. To rid yourself of pent-up emotions around situations from the day, try binge-watching fictional drama rather than replaying the exaggerated drama in your head, says Henry. Sex before sleep can also help with that.
Sagittarius
It’s hard to stop feeling like everyone is relying on you, says Henry. But taking more than your share of responsibility and not allowing others to carry their weight might be why you feel restless at night. “Delegate and let it go,” she suggests as a long-term strategy. In the short-term? “It can help to write down a list of your worries. Also, any type of meditation, prayer, or handing things over to some sort of higher power can help. Immensely.”
Capricorn
Similar to Sag, you tend to think you need to be the strong one. This is why you like to sequester yourself at times. Anytime you’re experiencing sleep issues, it can usually be traced back to your need to be alone and get your vibe back. “A big thing for you is an eye mask,” says Henry. “It not only shuts out light, but it forces you to go into your own energy and resource yourself.” You need a vulnerable space. Let sleep be that space.
Aquarius
Your uniqueness defines you. Chances are the entire day you’ve been holding some of that back in order to fit in. That means easing into the night might require something…unconventional. “Go ahead and watch a couple episodes of ‘Ancient Aliens’ and affirm that you were put here on Earth by ancestors from Venus,” says Henry. “Or listen to Halloween music if that’s your thing. Stop holding back. You need to get it out so you can find some repose and then pull it back together in the morning again.”
Pisces
Your mystical nature sometimes confuses onlookers about your ability to distinguish dream from reality. But you understand the difference. You also understand what helps you settle into that dream state, and it usually involves the simplest of comforts, says Henry. Cozy up with blankets or a down comforter, even if it means needing to crank the thermostat lower.
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About Our Contributor
Renee Marie Schettler is a senior editor at Yoga Journal and has been a writer and editor at The Washington Post, Real Simple magazine, and various other online media platforms. She started studying yoga nearly 20 years ago with teachers in New York City who challenged students to find precise alignment in a posture. Her understanding of yoga changed when she began practicing with teachers who emphasized surrendering into the stillness of a pose. She finds that editing, writing, and practicing yoga are each about becoming more aware of truth. She has been teaching yoga since 2017. Most nights, you can find her slipping outside to look at the Moon.
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