Sleep is a rough spot in many people’s lives. Whether it be the day to day struggle of a bad night’s sleep or someone actually diagnosed with insomnia or other sleep disorders getting a good night sleep can seem impossible. There are tons of remedies that have come out to receive a better night of sleep but one of the best remedies we have found so far is forest bathing.
What is forest bathing you may ask, it is a form of meditation which originated in Japan. Also known as shinrin yoku (shinrin meaning forest and yoku meaning bath) forest bathing has become a popular form of treatment for different mental and physical health issues. Despite the name there isn’t any actual bathing involved in forest bathing. In fact it’s quite simple, practicing forest bathing involves opening your senses to involve the nature around you.
It may seem silly but studies have shown that forest bathing can reduce signs of anxiety, depression, insomnia and increased selflessness and gratitude. So forest bathing has been shown to have many benefits, one of its biggest being sleep improvement. But forest bathing isn’t just simply improving a night of sleep it has even been shown to cure insomnia.
Anyone living with insomnia knows it is no simple illness. Sleep is a super important act of self care that improves and helps just about every bodily function. Insomnia makes it extremely difficult to even achieve one night of sleep. Insomnia does have medication treatment but it can cause your brain to be foggy and overall make life more difficult. Luckily as hopeless as it may seem forest bathing actually can have extreme benefits for insomnia and some have even said it’s completely cured them.
While forest bathing offers great benefits for those struggling with insomnia it also offers benefits for those just struggling to get a full night of sleep. Forest bathing can improve sleep length and overall quality. While scientists have yet to figure out exactly what about forest bathing offers so many benefits as opposed to a regular meditation we know for sure that it calms the mind. Scientists have hypothesized that some of forest bathing benefits come from oils found in trees that cause our bodies to release a hormone called oxytocin. Oxytocin is the same chemical released when we experience positive human contact. Oxytocin also counters cortisol also known as the stress hormone stress is a big cause of difficulty with sleeping, oxytocin counters this leaving our mind peaceful and ready for sleep.
The best part of forest bathing is it’s a quite simple act. You can forest bathe for as long as you want (there are even week long retreats specifically for forest bathing) however you only need a few minutes a day to get started. Forest bathing consists of going into the forest with no devices, for at least 20 minutes (for maximum benefits we recommend 45 minutes) and taking deep breaths and grounding yourself (be sure to stay safe during forest bathing and be aware of your surroundings).
If you find yourself trying every sleep remedy on the internet or spending your days wishing you weren’t so tired, a great habit to start is forest bathing.