Weekend Edition: Getting Better Sleep


Earlier this week I wrote about dreams, and at that time I promised to offer some tips to help you get better sleep. Here they are.

This information is accurate and useful in regular times, but so much has changed now. If you are doing virtual school or working online from home, it may be harder for you to do the electronic disconnecting that helps with better sleep. This could be a special challenge if you have a lot of group video meetings, or if you interact all day with clients, colleagues, or patients on a video platform. If that describes you, then I recommend that you do your best to get away from the screen as soon as you can each day, and that you particularly focus on a relaxing and consistent bedtime routine.

 If you are trying to help children or teens get better sleep, the first two tips are also especially important:
  • Try to follow a regular sleep schedule; our bodies aren’t meant to sleep on one schedule during the week and another on the weekends. You’ll know you’re getting the right amount of sleep when you wake without an alarm and feel refreshed.
  • Follow a regular and relaxing bedtime routine. An hour before bedtime, turn off the electronics (including the television and your smartphone) and start dimming lights; this cues your brain to start winding down.Try to avoid stimulating activities and conversations (especially emotionally upsetting ones) just before bedtime.
  • Use your bed for sleeping or sex only. Leave the television, computer, and Smartphone elsewhere, and if you’re struggling with sleep issues, read in another room before you come to bed. (Remember to keep bedtime reading either light, or boring. The goal is to not stimulate your brain.)
  • Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime.  And yes: alcohol acts as a stimulant, too. Although it does depress the system at first and can help you to fall asleep, it causes arousal a few hours later as the body metabolizes the alcohol. Even a single drink can have this effect, so if you struggle to get good sleep, don’t drink. (And remember that chocolate has caffeine.)
  • Don’t eat a large meal in the two hours before bedtime. If you want a small snack before you go to bed, try a bit of yogurt or cheese, a small bowl of cereal, or a cup of warm milk or milk substitute.
  • Get plenty of natural light each day. Light exposure not only lifts mood, but it helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
  • Get vigorous daily exercise to boost metabolism, tire your body, and relax your brain. But remember that exercising too close to bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep. Limit vigorous exercise to the morning or late afternoon. Yoga or simple stretching before bedtime may help you relax for sleep.
  • Avoid napping during the day; it can disturb the normal pattern of sleep and wakefulness.
  • Make sure your sleep environment is pleasant and relaxing. The bed should be comfortable and the room should be cool, dark, and quiet. Remember that regular sound is less disturbing than an intermittent one, so if you must sleep in a noisy or unfamiliar environment, a white noise machine can be helpful.
  • Remember to use mindfulness skills if a racing brain keeps you awake. Counting sheep works because of the counting, not the sheep: any simple repetition in your brain will force the racing thoughts aside. Be sure to choose something you can put on automatic pilot, like counting, a simple song, or a familiar phrase or two. Many people find it helpful to recite a two-line phrase slowly, in rhythm with inhaling and exhaling. “Now it is night/I am at peace” may work for you.
Until tomorrow, I wish you peace and good health. Sleep well.  And if you live around Portland, enjoy this gorgeous weather!

 Love,
Nancie/Mom/Mimi/Grandma



Comments

Cheryll Simmerman said…
Thanks for all these ideas, Nancie!

I had read many years ago about the list you mention, about sleeping in an environment that is cool, dark, quiet, and the article I read also mentioned wearing socks to bed, as cold feet can wake you up! ; > )

Another tip that someone in my mom and dad's old Sunday school class told us, and which I've tried countless times (and it almost always works!)....is to close your eyes and picture in your mind's eye a favorite house you remember from childhood, whether it be your grandparents' house, a vacation cottage, your childhood home, etc. Picture coming into the house and seeing/remembering wall by wall what each room looked like. I usually don't get any further than my grandmother's huge, rambling kitchen before I drift off.
May 9, 2020 at 10:14 AM
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