Insomnia Help for the Holidays
Though the holidays have almost drawn to a close I know from past experience that they can be a difficult time of year for the sleep impaired. In fact I have noticed and talked to quite a few people that are having more trouble sleeping these past few weeks. There are so many factors that contribute to how well or poorly a person sleeps and over the years of sleep struggles I have learned quite a bit about what helps or hinders your sleep cycle. Though no two people are alike and no one will have exactly the same sleep issues as myself I thought I would pass on a few tips, tricks and information I have picked up over time.
As soon as you let people know that you are having issues sleeping you will notice that everyone seems to have a little bit of advice for you. Your friends and family are all trying to help you to resolve your sleep problems and get a better rest. Some of these suggestions might be helpful for you however, if your sleep issues are severe then it might be time to book an appointment with your doctor and look into doing a sleep study. Problems like sleep apnea and narcolepsy can be dangerous and require professional help.
I have had a number of sleep studies done myself and though I still can't say that I get a restful night in very often I have been able to adjust my sleeping conditions enough to at least improve the quality of sleep I get. This is called sleep hygiene. It includes things like not drinking caffeinated beverages after 5pm (I was told even earlier but it's hard to resist an afternoon coffee sometimes), making sure you room is nice and dark, avoiding strenuous exercise with in two hours of your bed time and trying to maintain a regular routine with a set time to sleep.
It is obvious why some of these things would be helpful in creating a better environment for sleep but there are some that are a little more difficult to comply with.
One of the reasons that I believe that insomnia seems to be on the rise is the prevalence of smart phones and technology. The light that is emitted from TVs, cell phones, laptops and tablets is a blue light that disrupts the production of melatonin, the hormone that signals to your body that it's time to go to bed. On a side note, this is why many people will tell you to take melatonin pills to help you sleep. Some people swear by it but the science is still out on weather it's helpful or not. Getting melatonin in pill form doesn't seem to work for most people any better than a placebo does. This seems to be one of those hormones that work a lot better if they are produced naturally, so in other words we need to cut off the tech at least an hour before going to bed. This can be very difficult to comply with for many people. It means no TV in bed, no final Facebook check before sleep and no Candy Crush to wind down. I know, you might be thinking that it's not a big deal and it can't effect sleep that much but I promise that if you are having trouble sleeping and you do partake in media in bed changing that habit is the most effective step you can take to improving your ability to fall asleep.
One of the biggest challenges for the people I know with insomnia is not being able to shut off your brain. I can't tell you the number of nights I have laid awake for hours going over every detail of the day, rehashing a fight, mulling over the possible outcomes to a problem or even just wondering what is happening with friends and family. Not once have I been able to solve all the problems I've stayed away worrying about. Never have arguments gone exactly the way I have meticulously planned out. The time I have wasted hasn't benefited me at all, at least not as much as the sleep I gave up would have. Though I know it's not helpful it is so difficult to just stop your brain from going in a million different directions and just sleep. Over time I have developed a few strategies to help with this that might be beneficial to you as well.
Though this first one isn't usually recommended by sleep clinics it has worked wonders for me. Reading in bed has helped my mind to focus on something other than the actual problems going on in my life. There are still a few things that I need to be careful about when reading. The first being the type of light I read by. If you use a bedside lamp the bulb can not be a blue or cool light. The same goes for a clip on reading light. Reading from a E-reader would also be considered tech if the light comes from screen itself. The book choice I make for bedtime reading matters as well. For me it can't be something I would need to concentrate on very deeply so fluffy fiction works best. Then when I am feeling tired enough to be on the verge of sleep I can shut off the light and will hopefully be distracted enough from my own thoughts to drift off.
If my brain picks back up on some unhelpful thought and refuses to shut off again I need another distraction from myself. We have all heard the old idea of counting sheep to sleep but this is actually very close to what I do. I will start at 100, picture the number very clearly in my mind and begin counting down to one. Sometimes this is so menial a task that I find myself still with a wondering mind even while counting. In that case I stop, refocus and begin at 100 again. This time with a more determined focus on every number. Usually I will be able to drift off before I get to 1 but sometimes the pull of insomnia is just too strong.
Another tip for falling sleep is to systematically relax all the muscles in your body. I will thing about each part, starting with my toes and work my way up. Sometimes I will realize that I am tensing a muscle in my shoulders or neck without even realizing it.
Your bedroom should be your sanctuary. If something bothers you or distracts you from sleep steps can be taken to eliminate that issue. One issue that is definitely a sleep deterrent is children. I know that having really small children can already be a hindrance to sleep but having a small child in your bed will not help you rest soundly or even teach your child good sleep habits. I know that it can be tough to get children to sleep in their own rooms and the fight to get them out of your bed might not even seem worth it in the heat of the moment but in the long run having kids sleep in their own bed will be beneficial to everyone. If your kids sleep with you every night you might have a lot of trouble trying to change this arrangement now, however there will come a time when it will have to change so why not sooner rather than later? If you are able to get a more restful sleep without your child in your bed then you might actually be helping them by giving them a parent that is more patient, understanding and alert.
Many people don't have kids in their bed but they do still share their sleep space with a fur baby. Pets in the bed are just as disruptive as children. This can also be just as difficult a habit to break as sleeping with children. Once it has become their place then they might not take so kindly to being shut out. I know many people would just refuse to stop sleeping with a pet since they feel they bring them comfort being close and they enjoy that happiness that a pet brings. For this it would be a matter of doing a cost/benefit analysis. How much sleep does your pet honestly cost you? How many times do they wake you? Do you then have to attend to them in the night? Does the benefit of having them close outweigh the cost to your rest? If the cost is too much then it might be time to utilize your door and keep that pet out. This might lead to quite a few nights of worse sleep because they will not take kindly to the change at first. If you stay consistent and don't cave to the crying then eventually they will find a new spot to sleep and your sleep environment will improve. A tough call but it could make a huge difference. I know that our cat being in the room would mean less sleep for me and though the idea of curling up with a kitten seems so quaint and sweet I know the benefit would be minimal and the sleep loss isn't worth it.
Then there is the issue of what to do if you aren't falling asleep. If you are in bed awake for longer than a half hour clinics recommend getting up so that your bed does not become a place you associate with frustration. I regularly take longer than a half hour to fall asleep however so this would end up a little bit counterproductive for me. I can usually tell if my body is ready to rest or not though so if I am in bed and know that there isn't much chance of falling asleep I will get up, go downstairs and do something quiet for a while until I am feeling a little more tired. If you are planning to try to sleep again shortly I don't recommend watching TV or doing something that would produce wakefulness. Going for a walk, drinking alcohol or having a cup of tea are all things that have been recommended to me when I can't sleep. The tea might be helpful as long as it was not caffeinated but the other suggestions...not so much. Going for a walk gets your blood moving and your body warming up for being awake. It will not help you to wind down and prepare to sleep. The weather outside could also factor into your sleep cycle. The best temperature for sleep has been shown to be between 15-19 degrees celsius or 60-67 fahrenheit. If the temperature outside isn't in that range it will be more difficult to produce the sleep hormones you need to rest. As far as alcohol is concerned, I know many people that say drinking will make them fall asleep. Though I have found that a drink or two does help me to fall asleep, it does a number on my ability to stay that way. The more I have to drink the more often I wake up at night and the harder it is to fall back to sleep. The affect of alcohol on sleep has been studied and confirm what I have observed. The more alcohol you consume the shorter your REM sleep cycle.
If only sleep were as easy as my husband makes it seem. He says, just close your eyes and sleep, it's as simple as that. For many of us though it's not quite that simple but maybe some of these tips can help you get better quality sleep. I still don't rest as well as I would like but I have definitely improved my ability to sleep enough that I am no longer having weeks of only 3 or 4 hours a night. A bad string of sleepless nights does tend to perpetuate itself so making steps to improve sleep hygiene will at least move you in a better direction.
Good luck and here's wishing you better sleep for the New Year!
As soon as you let people know that you are having issues sleeping you will notice that everyone seems to have a little bit of advice for you. Your friends and family are all trying to help you to resolve your sleep problems and get a better rest. Some of these suggestions might be helpful for you however, if your sleep issues are severe then it might be time to book an appointment with your doctor and look into doing a sleep study. Problems like sleep apnea and narcolepsy can be dangerous and require professional help.
I have had a number of sleep studies done myself and though I still can't say that I get a restful night in very often I have been able to adjust my sleeping conditions enough to at least improve the quality of sleep I get. This is called sleep hygiene. It includes things like not drinking caffeinated beverages after 5pm (I was told even earlier but it's hard to resist an afternoon coffee sometimes), making sure you room is nice and dark, avoiding strenuous exercise with in two hours of your bed time and trying to maintain a regular routine with a set time to sleep.
It is obvious why some of these things would be helpful in creating a better environment for sleep but there are some that are a little more difficult to comply with.
One of the reasons that I believe that insomnia seems to be on the rise is the prevalence of smart phones and technology. The light that is emitted from TVs, cell phones, laptops and tablets is a blue light that disrupts the production of melatonin, the hormone that signals to your body that it's time to go to bed. On a side note, this is why many people will tell you to take melatonin pills to help you sleep. Some people swear by it but the science is still out on weather it's helpful or not. Getting melatonin in pill form doesn't seem to work for most people any better than a placebo does. This seems to be one of those hormones that work a lot better if they are produced naturally, so in other words we need to cut off the tech at least an hour before going to bed. This can be very difficult to comply with for many people. It means no TV in bed, no final Facebook check before sleep and no Candy Crush to wind down. I know, you might be thinking that it's not a big deal and it can't effect sleep that much but I promise that if you are having trouble sleeping and you do partake in media in bed changing that habit is the most effective step you can take to improving your ability to fall asleep.
One of the biggest challenges for the people I know with insomnia is not being able to shut off your brain. I can't tell you the number of nights I have laid awake for hours going over every detail of the day, rehashing a fight, mulling over the possible outcomes to a problem or even just wondering what is happening with friends and family. Not once have I been able to solve all the problems I've stayed away worrying about. Never have arguments gone exactly the way I have meticulously planned out. The time I have wasted hasn't benefited me at all, at least not as much as the sleep I gave up would have. Though I know it's not helpful it is so difficult to just stop your brain from going in a million different directions and just sleep. Over time I have developed a few strategies to help with this that might be beneficial to you as well.
Though this first one isn't usually recommended by sleep clinics it has worked wonders for me. Reading in bed has helped my mind to focus on something other than the actual problems going on in my life. There are still a few things that I need to be careful about when reading. The first being the type of light I read by. If you use a bedside lamp the bulb can not be a blue or cool light. The same goes for a clip on reading light. Reading from a E-reader would also be considered tech if the light comes from screen itself. The book choice I make for bedtime reading matters as well. For me it can't be something I would need to concentrate on very deeply so fluffy fiction works best. Then when I am feeling tired enough to be on the verge of sleep I can shut off the light and will hopefully be distracted enough from my own thoughts to drift off.
If my brain picks back up on some unhelpful thought and refuses to shut off again I need another distraction from myself. We have all heard the old idea of counting sheep to sleep but this is actually very close to what I do. I will start at 100, picture the number very clearly in my mind and begin counting down to one. Sometimes this is so menial a task that I find myself still with a wondering mind even while counting. In that case I stop, refocus and begin at 100 again. This time with a more determined focus on every number. Usually I will be able to drift off before I get to 1 but sometimes the pull of insomnia is just too strong.
Another tip for falling sleep is to systematically relax all the muscles in your body. I will thing about each part, starting with my toes and work my way up. Sometimes I will realize that I am tensing a muscle in my shoulders or neck without even realizing it.
Your bedroom should be your sanctuary. If something bothers you or distracts you from sleep steps can be taken to eliminate that issue. One issue that is definitely a sleep deterrent is children. I know that having really small children can already be a hindrance to sleep but having a small child in your bed will not help you rest soundly or even teach your child good sleep habits. I know that it can be tough to get children to sleep in their own rooms and the fight to get them out of your bed might not even seem worth it in the heat of the moment but in the long run having kids sleep in their own bed will be beneficial to everyone. If your kids sleep with you every night you might have a lot of trouble trying to change this arrangement now, however there will come a time when it will have to change so why not sooner rather than later? If you are able to get a more restful sleep without your child in your bed then you might actually be helping them by giving them a parent that is more patient, understanding and alert.
Many people don't have kids in their bed but they do still share their sleep space with a fur baby. Pets in the bed are just as disruptive as children. This can also be just as difficult a habit to break as sleeping with children. Once it has become their place then they might not take so kindly to being shut out. I know many people would just refuse to stop sleeping with a pet since they feel they bring them comfort being close and they enjoy that happiness that a pet brings. For this it would be a matter of doing a cost/benefit analysis. How much sleep does your pet honestly cost you? How many times do they wake you? Do you then have to attend to them in the night? Does the benefit of having them close outweigh the cost to your rest? If the cost is too much then it might be time to utilize your door and keep that pet out. This might lead to quite a few nights of worse sleep because they will not take kindly to the change at first. If you stay consistent and don't cave to the crying then eventually they will find a new spot to sleep and your sleep environment will improve. A tough call but it could make a huge difference. I know that our cat being in the room would mean less sleep for me and though the idea of curling up with a kitten seems so quaint and sweet I know the benefit would be minimal and the sleep loss isn't worth it.
Then there is the issue of what to do if you aren't falling asleep. If you are in bed awake for longer than a half hour clinics recommend getting up so that your bed does not become a place you associate with frustration. I regularly take longer than a half hour to fall asleep however so this would end up a little bit counterproductive for me. I can usually tell if my body is ready to rest or not though so if I am in bed and know that there isn't much chance of falling asleep I will get up, go downstairs and do something quiet for a while until I am feeling a little more tired. If you are planning to try to sleep again shortly I don't recommend watching TV or doing something that would produce wakefulness. Going for a walk, drinking alcohol or having a cup of tea are all things that have been recommended to me when I can't sleep. The tea might be helpful as long as it was not caffeinated but the other suggestions...not so much. Going for a walk gets your blood moving and your body warming up for being awake. It will not help you to wind down and prepare to sleep. The weather outside could also factor into your sleep cycle. The best temperature for sleep has been shown to be between 15-19 degrees celsius or 60-67 fahrenheit. If the temperature outside isn't in that range it will be more difficult to produce the sleep hormones you need to rest. As far as alcohol is concerned, I know many people that say drinking will make them fall asleep. Though I have found that a drink or two does help me to fall asleep, it does a number on my ability to stay that way. The more I have to drink the more often I wake up at night and the harder it is to fall back to sleep. The affect of alcohol on sleep has been studied and confirm what I have observed. The more alcohol you consume the shorter your REM sleep cycle.
If only sleep were as easy as my husband makes it seem. He says, just close your eyes and sleep, it's as simple as that. For many of us though it's not quite that simple but maybe some of these tips can help you get better quality sleep. I still don't rest as well as I would like but I have definitely improved my ability to sleep enough that I am no longer having weeks of only 3 or 4 hours a night. A bad string of sleepless nights does tend to perpetuate itself so making steps to improve sleep hygiene will at least move you in a better direction.
Good luck and here's wishing you better sleep for the New Year!
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