Getting into the headspace for a good night’s rest can be a serious struggle with stress on the mind. Instead of popping yet another melatonin, try working these crystals for sleep and relaxation into your nightly routine. We’re loving this blissful bedtime ritual from pro healer, Heather Askinosie of Energy Muse, to help us chill out, vibe-up and find those zzzs in no time…

There are few things more frustrating than when you crawl into bed exhausted, and still can’t fall asleep. You want to scream at your brain — tell it to shut off, that this is what it needs and it’s the most natural thing to do in the world — but there’s no use reasoning with a restless mind. Instead, consider what it’s craving (other than sleep). Often, a problem falling asleep is the symptom of another problem, such as anxiety or stress. In order treat the insomnia, you have to first tame the anxiety.

When I suffered from a brief bout of insomnia awhile back, I was unsure what to do about it. Until that point, I had never experienced insomnia before. I’d always been pretty lucky when it came to getting a good night’s sleep. To be fair, I also made sure that was the case by prepping my room for rest. That meant having no mirrors, computer, phone or television in the space. I also maximized my feng shui by pointing my bed in the best magnetic sleeping direction (to do this, simply Google feng shui sleeping chart). I even energetically cleansed my room with sage every morning. So when I started losing sleep, I wondered what else I could do to remedy it. That’s when I considered the energy of my space.

The rocks in my room carried a very tranquil, peaceful energy. Knowing crystals, I had all of the best crystals for sleep in my room. These included celestite, selenite and amethyst. I used celestite because, even though it’s a high vibrational stone, its energy is powerfully soothing. It opens the heart, crown and third-eye chakras to infuse them with the serenity of higher realms. The amethyst was perfect for easing stress and linking with my intuition and the innate desire to sleep. And being that I liked to purify my room, having a natural energy cleanser like selenite under the bed or pillow was crucial to maintaining a space that was energetically light and charged.

When I began having strong anxiety that was resulting in insomnia, I knew I needed to change my crystals. What had worked for me before wasn’t what I needed in that moment. Instead, I needed crystals that would take me out of my overactive mind and bring me back into the solace of my body. I placed nuummite, black tourmaline and shungite around me in my bed along with two pieces of hematite, which I held in my hands during sleep — and sleep, I did. Did my husband have questions? Sure, but I had my sleep back, and that was all that mattered in that moment. Grounding stones, which focus their energy within lower chakras to help ground your body and mind, can dramatically lessen anxiety. These are all also highly protective stones, which help banish the negative thoughts that tend to keep you awake in downward spiraling thought cycles.

If you’re feeling depleted from the stress of daily life, constantly being on your electronics and feeling the draining effects of the environmental energies surrounding you, you need to get back into your body before bed. In addition to the crystals above, I highly recommend this nighttime ritual:

Bedtime Crystal Ritual

+ Ideally one to two hours before you go to bed, you would not be on your phone or any electronic devices . Read a book or meditate instead!

+ Rub frankincense essential oil on the soles of your feet to ground your energy by directing the focus downward.

+ Lie down comfortably on your bed (you can light incense or a candle to help trigger the mood of relaxation).

+ Place a shungite stone over your heart to neutralize your body’s energy.

+ Place a fluorite stone over your third eye to quiet and calm your mind.

+ Close your eyes and lie with the stones for a minimum of eleven minutes. You can’t sleep soundly unless you’re back in your body, to get into that regeneration mode.