The Healing Properties of Sleep and Sleep Magick

We spend roughly a third of our lives asleep, but that doesn’t mean it wastes time. Instead, sleep is essential to our mental, physical, and spiritual health. So, we thought we’d bring you a little practical magick about sleep and how you might be able to make this essential time in your 24-hour cycle even more special.

Sleep is an Altered State

Sleep allows us to move into an altered state of consciousness. While we sleep, we have limited interactions with our physical surroundings, yet our non-physical surroundings can be lively and intense. Sometimes our spirit guides contact us in dreams, or our loved ones who have passed away appear and leave messages for us in the form of dreams.

Practically speaking, sleep helps us reset from the day’s events. Sometimes we’ll have frustrating dreams when processing anxiety or challenges from our waking hours. Alternatively, we may have pleasant dreams when we feel good about ourselves and our relationships.

The Healing Properties of Sleep

There are several ways that sleep helps heal the body and mind. For instance, your blood pressure and heart rate slow down when you're in non-REM sleep early in the sleep cycle. This allows the body to enter a relaxed state, meaning a well-rested human is less likely to have heart disease or stroke.

Here are other ways sleep is healing:

• Sleep helps balance the hormonal systems of the body.
• Sleep regulates your metabolism so your body can digest food properly and receive nutrients from it correctly.
• Sleep improves the immune system.
• Sleep also helps us stay clear-headed, facilitates problem-solving, and helps with memory.

Sleep Magick

Use the period before bed as a private ritual time. Maybe that means practicing glamour magick by following your nightly skincare routine while reciting some affirmations or a spell. It might also look like a little nighttime journaling and reading a physical book to allow yourself to drift off to sleep. Your actions will affect your sleep regardless of what you decide to do before going to bed. So, make sure they’re supportive…and maybe even a bit magickal.

Crystals for Supportive Sleep

Several crystals can support you during sleep, whether you want to chase the nightmares away or you want to foster a deep connection with the spirit world while you dream.

Here are some of the best crystals for sleep:

• Selenite: Divine feminine connection, manifestation, and rejuvenation. A word of caution from personal experience: If you begin having vivid dreams, move the selenite away from your bed. It can cause vivid, strange dreams for some folks.
• Rose quartz: For healing, comfort, and love.
• Howlite: For stillness, grounding, and clarity.
• Amethyst: Intuition, mental health, tranquility, and general restfulness.
• Black tourmaline: Provides a psychic/energetic shield and may keep the nightmares away.
• Rainbow moonstone: Protection and spiritual growth.

Healing Scents for Sleep

• Lavender
• Pine
• Chamomile
• Rose
• Thyme
• Clove

Add any of these to a sachet and place it under your pillow, or spray diluted essential oil on your bed sheets before climbing in. Each offers a calming energy. If spirits tend to visit you at night – and you’re not in the mood for them – burn a cinnamon stick in your bedroom during your nighttime ritual time.

How do you love to add magick to your healing sleep?