What does a good night’s sleep look like to you? Is it seven or eight hours, maybe more? But a “good sleep” is about much more than the hours of shut eye you achieve on a nightly basis. It also means the right kind of sleep.
Sleep affects our ability to function; our ability to use language, sustain attention, our comprehension of written and spoken word, so if we lose out on that secret sauce, then it stands to reason that we may compromise our performance, our mood and our relationships with others.
Before we talk about 3 things to do to stop compromising your sleep, let’s identify the WHY. Why is it so hard to get a good night’s sleep?
Ahhh! The frustration! You settle down for the night, only to find yourself wide awake, tossing and turning until the wee small hours. Why? Well, there are a few reasons why this might be happening and, ways that you can help yoursel
- Stress
The number one culprit for short-term sleep difficulty. If you find yourself awake, worrying about the “what-ifs” in your life, then try sitting in a dim light in another room, and do something quiet, calm and relaxing that helps you take your mind off your worries. Try carrying out a “brain-dump” before you go to bed – list everything you have to do and then, if you wake in the night worrying about those tasks, repeat to yourself that they’re on the list and you’ll look at it tomorrow.
- Alcohol
Are you guilty of having a glass of wine close to bedtime in the mistaken opinion that it will help you sleep? Although alcohol can initially make you sleepy, it will make the overall quality of your sleep poorer; you’ll sleep lighter and will be more prone to broken sleep.
- Your phone/tablet/TV
Our favorite way to wind down at the end of the day, right? Unfortunately, the blue light that most screens emit tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. As a result, melatonin, the hormone in our brain which makes us sleepy, doesn’t come on so strongly and we aren’t therefore able to feel sleepy. Turn off all screens one hour before retiring and instead enjoy a book or podcast before bed. My personal favorite is listening to a meditation. The other thing that’s really neat to know is that you can actually find answers to your questions via your subconscious. Just ask before you go to bed and then be quiet and still in the morning to listen to the answer. You might have to do this more than once. Your mind needs time to adjust to being open and receptive, especially if your “normal” is going full-speed all.the.time.
So, what’s an easy recipe to get the rest you need, night after night?
Suffering from lack of sleep, night after night, is no fun for you or those around you. Build a healthy bedtime routine instead, with the focus on a good night’s sleep. Here are some ideas to help you STOP COMPROMISING YOUR SLEEP.
Way One: Set Routine Rules.
This involves paying close attention to your night-time routine and highlighting any “red flags”. Many people use their phone as their alarm. While there is a Bedtime App on the iphone, and that’s kind of cool, it’s definitely better to use an old-fashioned alarm clock. Keep your phone outside of your bedroom. You may choose to invest in a light alarm clock, that wakes you by mimicking the morning sun, rather than an abrupt alarm.
In much the same way that babies have night-time routines of bath, book and bed, why not consider adopting a similar routine yourself? Go to bed a half-hour before normal and read or listen to a meditation app (although this means you have your phone in bed, not as ideal….set it to Do Not Disturb in this case). Give yourself every opportunity to fall asleep.
Way Two: Set Food (and Drink) Rules
Set rules around when and what you eat; perhaps limit your caffeine after lunch time. Some people love herbal tea at bedtime. And sometimes it’s a bit “too close” to bedtime, meaning you will need to release that liquid before your normal waking time. It’s all research.
Way Three: This is the Ace-in-the-Hole: Wait for it…NOTICE.
Notice? What? Right. You wake up at 3 am. Your mind is busy. WHAT IS IT BUSY ABOUT? Your brain’s JOB is to de-frag at night, so be gentle with yourself. What do you need? What is unresolved? This information is gold. Don’t berate; embrace. Take a step the next morning to address the issue. In the meantime, I count backwards slowly from 100 to get back to a restful night.
BONUS TIP: Exercise routine. You might look at swapping your evening workout to a morning one, when you’ll be grateful for the stimulation to get yourself set for the day!
If you still find it difficult to sleep through the night, then, above all, don’t stress. Thinking too much about lack of sleep will only keep you awake longer. Instead, try keeping a sleep diary and notice if there are any patterns around when you sleep best, the conditions when you went to bed – room temperature etc. There are even devices you can wear to track your sleep!
In our next blog, we’ll look at how AD/HD can affect your sleep – and what you can do about it.