I used to struggle with getting at least six good hours of sleep on most days. I tried many different over-the-counter medications and teas, without success. I was able to fall asleep but, if I awake for the slightest reason, my thoughts would prevent me from going back to sleep. I was stressed out and had a lot of personal issues, and my brain would “kick in” and keep me awake even when I was tired and sleepy.
According to experts, many of us have forgotten how to sleep well and now find ourselves in a nightly battle. This battle is often ‘won’ by waving the white flag of prescription drugs, alcohol or a potentially lethal combination of both. Between our overly-wired lifestyles and all kinds of work and life stressors, it’s easy to understand why few of us are resting easy these days.
Signs that you may need more sleep:
- Do you toss and turn at nights?
- Do you wake up and feel as if your brain is filled with fog?
- Are you forgetful or getting more forgetful?
- Do you nod off at meetings and other important events?
- Are you “zoning out” or dozing off during the day?
- Do you lose track of lectures, readings, or videos?
- Do you blink or yawn excessively?
- Are you tripping or stumbling more than usual?
Research cannot pinpoint the exact amount of sleep you need, so it is very important to pay attention to your body and assess how you feel on different amounts of sleep. Are you productive, healthy and happy on seven hours of sleep? Or does it take nine hours of quality ZZZs to get you into high gear?
The good news is, sleep is a skill and with practice, you can master it.
- Go to bed and get up around the same time, 7 nights a week. This helps to regulate your body’s clock and help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.
- Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. Stress or anxiety makes it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep.
- Evaluate your bedroom to ensure ideal temperature and lighting. Check your room for noises and other distractions.
- Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy.
- Beware of hidden sleep stealers, like caffeine.
- Wind down. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. Turn off electronics before bed.
- If you can’t sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment.
Not enough sleep can wreck your day so make sleep a priority. Schedule it like any other daily activity. Don’t make it the thing you do only after everything else is done. This is important to establish good sleep habits and reinforce a consistent sleep rhythm to remind your brain when to release those all-important sleep and wake hormones. Stop doing other things so you can get the sleep you need. Don’t squeeze in that last task!
Control what you can control. Don’t lose sleep worrying about things that you don’t have control over because, at the end of the day, you still won’t have any control over them. – Cam Newton
Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. – Victor Hugo
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To Your Success,
Althea
Althea A. McLeish Wilson, RN, MSN
Promoting inner health & outer beauty!
Helping you thrive, not just survive!!
PS. Inner Health & Outer Beauty Store: Health & Wellness with Althea♦
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