It's hard enough to deal with sleep deprivation when you're awake because you have a crying baby or a sick child. Yet it's far more frustrating when the cause of your wakefulness lies within yourself and you can't figure out what it is.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 63% of women and 53% of men report experiencing insomnia several nights a week.
People with insomnia are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes. These recent finds have served to emphasize how important it is that people get enough sleep.
As I mentioned, I struggle with this as well so I am no expert on the subject. Yet through learning and applying certain principles, the amount of sleep I average has increased dramatically.
They are as follows...
1. Consistent Patterns of Sleeping and Waking- It helps to go to bed at about the same time every night and to get up at about the same time every morning, even on weekends. The more our bodies adapt to certain physical patterns, the more consistently they will respond.
2. Exercise- A sedentary lifestyle does not promote good sleep. If you are in a restful position most of the day, your body may respond at bedtime as if it doesn't need sleep. Working the body and exerting your muscles through physical activity will tire them to the point of needing rest.
Also, exercise increases the level of endorphins in the brain, sending a feel-good sensation throughout the body, thereby reducing stress and anxiety. The peaceful feeling that results promotes good sleep.
3. Minimizing Caffeine Intake- Everybody's different of course but for me this means drinking no more than two cups of coffee a day and having both before 2. I usually go to bed at about 9:30, and I am more sensitive to caffeine than a lot of people so what works for you might look a little different.
4. Rest Time- There are many health benefits to taking a short nap in the middle of the day. Twenty to 30 minutes is ideal, just enough to restore the brain without leaving you feeling groggy.
Our bodies operate on a circadian rhythm. You will find that your body gets really tired at a certain time of day, typically between 1 and 3, signaling its need for rest and restoration. Cooperating with your body's natural rhythm by taking a little time to rest, nap, or zone out will set a pattern for winding down that will produce more effective sleep at night.
Inversely, if you're going full throttle all day long, your body will likely be more resistant to winding down at bedtime, as it gets little or no practice at doing so earlier in the day.
5. Eat Balanced Meals- Eating meals high in protein and veggies with one serving of carbs of the whole grain variety at each meal will help keep your energy levels more consistent throughout the day by balancing out your blood sugar levels.
This will prevent the seemingly unpredictable patterns of extreme alertness followed by the crash that typically results from consuming too many carbs and too much sugar.
If you eat too many carbs or sweet treats throughout the day and especially in the evenings, your blood sugar will be all out of whack and you may find yourself feeling wide awake just when it's time for you to go to sleep.
6. Violence Free Media- Avoiding television shows and movies that are violent or over-stimulating close to bedtime will help your body transition to sleep more effectively. Viewing choices of this nature are likely to get your adrenaline pumping, making it hard for you to settle down to go to sleep.
7. Avoid Alcohol- Drinking close to bedtime has been proven to disturb sleep quality. If you've been drinking, you might find that you're able to fall asleep more easily because it causes your body to skip the initial REM stage of sleep and go directly to a deeper stage.
Yet after a while, the body goes back to the REM stage, which makes a person more likely to wake up before it's time.
Naturally, this results in less quality sleep overall.
8. Dim Lights- Our bodies are naturally stimulated by light. For that reason, dimming lights in your house and especially in your bedroom will help you transition to a more relaxed state. As for sleeping, some people like myself are more sensitive to light than others. For this reason, I cover the alarm clock and use an eye mask for sleeping.
9. Light Reading- Reading something that keeps your focus but that is not over-stimulating at bedtime can help your brain to smoothly transition from the troubles of the day to a more relaxed state. I personally enjoy classic novels and poetry.
Choose according to your own preferences, being intentional about staying away from blood and gore. If you're like me, it won't take long for your eyes to get heavy, enabling you to fall asleep more easily than you would have otherwise.
10. No Work Zone- Do not bring work into your bedroom. Evening is a time best used for settling your mind and body down, not amping them up.
Some of you "go getters" may find it helpful to keep a note pad next to your bed to jot down those ideas and plans that pop into your head as you're settling down to sleep. Writing these things down will symbolize placing them in tomorrow's box, enabling you to wind down for rest more easily.
I hope some of these ideas have been of help to you.
I too am always looking for ideas that will help me to get more sleep. If you have anything different that works for you, please share! Thanks for reading!
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