By Georgia at Bodyworks 

Having difficulty sleeping is frustrating, to say the least. Whether you’re struggling to fall asleep, waking during the night, or searching for natural ways to improve sleep quality, disrupted rest can wear you down. It can make facing the day, our work, our relationships, and even our sense of self feel that little bit harder.

Instead of going straight to fixing the issue, at Bodyworks we tend to get curious. We ask, why is sleep not coming to you? And we look to the body for the answer.

Sleep arrives when the body can soften into deep relaxation and let go. So what stops us from deeply relaxing?

The word relax comes from the Latin relaxāre:

re meaning back or again

laxāre meaning to loosen, slacken, or make less tight

So to relax literally means to loosen again, or to make less tight.

Why Tension and the Nervous System Affect Sleep

When the body is holding accumulated tension from the day, the week, the month, or sometimes tension that has been stored for years, it becomes much harder to drop into deep rest when night comes.

Tension can accumulate in many ways. It builds through the way we move, or don’t move, throughout our days. Excessive sitting or standing, repetitive phone use, injury, and/or the habitual way we hold ourselves.

But tension isn’t only physical.

Our body mirrors the state of our mind and emotions. If we are feeling stressed or anxious, the body reflects that state through holding, bracing, tightening, or vibrating in a heightened way.

If we don’t have small daily practices that allow us to release built up tension, down regulate our nervous system, and help the body process the energy of the day, it’s no surprise that when we lie down at night and expect sleep to arrive, the stressed, worried, tight, and sore body struggles to settle.

The good news is that there are many self regulating tools that support the body to process tension and find ease. Everyone is different, and each day is different. Building a toolkit that you can draw from, one that allows you to feel into what your body needs and respond accordingly, is essential.

Here are some of my favourite sleep hygiene tools for downregulation and tension release, which personally help me to get to sleep and stay asleep. 

1. Somatic self-release practices.
Gentle somatic practices help calm the nervous system before bed and improve sleep onset by allowing the body to discharge stored tension. 

Here are some simple, accessible practices that you can follow along with Kendall. 

2. Acupressure mats.
Acupressure mats stimulate circulation and encourage relaxation, making them a powerful tool for those who struggle with insomnia or nighttime anxiety.

Trust me, this tool has been a lifesaver! Before bed for 20 mins, and if I wake in the night and can’t go back to sleep, I pop the mat into my bed and it takes me right back to sleep.

3. Magnesium.
Magnesium is one of the most researched natural sleep supplements. It supports nervous system regulation and muscle relaxation, making it especially helpful for people experiencing stress-related sleep disruption.

I take magnesium orally every night before bed, as well as using the Salt Lab Magnesium Oil spray on my feet, and this supplement alone has made a huge impact on my nervous system.

4. Sleep meditation.
Guided sleep meditations can reduce racing thoughts and support parasympathetic activation before bed.

This is my favourite pre-recorded meditation that is available for free on the Insight Timer app. I have listened to this one many a sleepless night!

5. Myofascial release balls.
Using a myofascial release ball is probably the closest thing you can get to a bodywork session at home. Rolling on a ball, particularly on the belly and the neck, helps my body to alleviate feelings of anxiety and overwhelm effectively. Warning: Once you start rolling, it’s addictive!

Improving sleep hygiene isn’t about forcing rest,  it’s about creating the right conditions for deep sleep to arrive naturally. By supporting your nervous system, releasing accumulated tension, and building small daily rituals, you create a foundation for better sleep quality over time.