If You’re Having A Hard Time Sleeping, It May Be Thanks To Saturn In Retrograde

Get ready for some astrological realness, because as of this week, Saturn is officially in retrograde, and it's basically the wildest thing to happen in our galaxy since, you know, Mercury was in retrograde last week. But what does this mean, exactly? Since Mercury retrograde is notorious for causing a bit of chaos in our lives, heaven knows we need a little respite from the universe. With that in mind, how does Saturn retrograde affect things like sleep, rest, and keeping calm overall? Are we in for yet another period of planet-ruled madness, or will we get a chance to breathe a sigh of relief?

Well, I have some good news, friends. According to astrologer Linda Furiate, Saturn retrograde actually encourages both positivity and productivity. What's more, she says, the astrological event may even help put you in touch with your truest self.

"Saturn is said to be the planet that governs our earthly purpose," Furiate tells Elite Daily. "Saturn is known as the great teacher, often teaching us the lessons that serve our deepest desires."

Saturn retrograde is a time to step up and grow up, Furiate explains. It's an opportunity to be responsible, honor your ambitions, and develop discipline in any parts of your life that might need to, you know, be reigned in a bit.

In other words, Furiate says, it's a really good time to start implementing, and sticking to, some healthy sleep patterns.

"If your desire is to sleep better," the astrologer says, "it will serve you well to reconsider how a lack of discipline may play a role in getting the rest that is needed."

A Saturn retrograde, according to Furiate, is essentially the perfect time to set some healthy boundaries on things like how much caffeine you have each day, or even what time you go to bed at night. However, she tells Elite Daily, in order to counteract any potentially harsh effects of Saturn retrograde, it's best to go with the flow and develop a system that makes the best use of your time and energy, rather than enforce new, drastic changes upon yourself and your lifestyle.

In other words, if you usually go to bed around, say, midnight, for example, you don't need to suddenly force yourself to go to bed at 9 p.m. because you think you "should." A healthier, more realistic approach here might be to carve out more restorative, wind-down time for yourself as it gets closer to bedtime.

In order to do that, Furiate says, "give yourself permission to [enjoy] some quality ‘me’ time," which will help ease your mind just in time for bed.

Whether it's making time for a 20-minute face mask, reading on the couch for a little while before you head to bed, or even taking a moment for meditation, Furiate says it's all about calming your brain and body down with things that make you genuinely happy.

Kathy Biehl, an astrologer, psychic, and tarot adviser, agrees with Furiate, emphasizing the importance of being mindful of just how much you're working and expending your energy while Saturn is in retrograde (FYI, it won't be over until Sep. 6). Anything that causes stress or over-exhaustion will affect your ability to rest, Biehl says, so make sure you're being conscious of your self-care during this time — which definitely means making lots of conscious space for downtime.

"Saturn rules structures, and that includes the structure of your body," Biehl tells Elite Daily. "You may be working longer hours than normal, or growing weary more quickly than usual, so schedule breaks and downtime [when you need to]. These are good for your mental health, as well as your body."

According to Biehl, staying on top of healthy sleep patterns throughout Saturn retrograde is the key to making sure this astrological event doesn't overwhelm you too much.

"All the stuff grown-ups told you to do when you were a kid? That's the ticket now," Biehl tells Elite Daily. "Sleep is really important. You may need more than usual, so rest when you're tired."

Additionally, she says, make a point to move around and exercise regularly during this time, even if it's just in short routines. She also recommends swapping your usual junk-food fix for fruits and vegetables when you can, to keep your brain and body in tip-top shape. Right now, Biehl says, it's all about looking out for your well-being — that, and focusing on the here and now as much as possible.

"Saturn's progress is slow and steady," says Biehl. "This means that incremental steps and changes will ultimately pay off."