Getting Your Sleep Back on Track
We’ve all been there. Something happens and before you know it, we’re unable to fall asleep, stay asleep or worse yet—we find ourselves pleading and bargaining with our alarm clocks for, “just 5 more minutes” of rest. With these 5 tools, some mindfulness, and good habits, we can get our sleep train leaving the station on time and on track. All aboard!
1. Come Up with a Schedule and Try to Stick with It
We’ve all heard “variety is the spice of life”, but when it comes to getting a good night's sleep, this is a big no-no. Consistency is key when it comes to getting a fruitful rest and trying to go to bed at the same time each night, and waking up at the same time each morning, will not only serve you in getting the best sleep, but also in feeling better overall during your waking hours.
Studies have shown that although we might fight it, we crave routines. They give us structure and control over our environment and by setting a sleep schedule, you’re letting your mind and body know what to expect. Over time, your body will learn that 9:30 pm means bedtime and you will notice that at around 9:00 pm you might start getting a bit dozy. The same applies for when you get up. If you set your alarm for 6:00 am, with time, your body will naturally start waking itself up so you won’t have to smack the snooze button on your alarm.
Let your body's natural rhythm do the work for you!
2. Turn Off Electronics Well Before Bedtime
Unwinding with television, scrolling through social media, online shopping—we all are guilty of it. We’ve also all probably been lectured by a well-intentioned friend telling you how bad it is for you—and for good reason!
Stimulating activities such as playing video games can keep your brain in a state of overactivity and it is hard for it to wind down. By turning off the television and putting down your phone before bed, you give your mind some time to wander naturally and process what has happened throughout the day—so it doesn’t have to do this when you’ve already fallen asleep. Our minds need time and space to decompress and while doing these activities feels relaxing because it’s distracting, it’s not allowing our brains to really do the work it needs to do in order for it to prepare for tomorrow’s challenges. Additionally, research has shown that these devices emit blue light which may interfere with melatonin production. Try starting with 15-minute increments and build your way up to an hour or two and see what a difference it can make!
3. Try to Not Eat Before You Hit the Hay
Chips and ice cream in bed? Who doesn’t like a cookie while reading a book? A nibble here-and-there won’t make or break your sleep, but a meal might. Eating late might be what’s holding you back from those few hours of great sleep, so consider eating dinner a few hours before going to bed. With our busy lives, it’s understandably hard to always fit this in. If having a larger lunch and lighter dinner is the route you need to go (and very European of you, might I say), then that’s a great compromise! Your body needs to digest, relax, and cool down before bed so you can slumber peacefully. Digesting your food, especially spicy food can really raise your core temp and make undisturbed sleep a challenge.
4. Jot Things Down Before Getting Ready for Slumber
As you’re settling in for the evening, things might start popping into your mind. Tomorrow you need to make sure to go to the store to get milk. Today you forget to tell your associate about how you used the last stamp…these little things can turn into big anxiety quickly. Instead of holding on to them, jot them down quickly and let them go until the next day.
Noting these things and releasing them will help you from waking up in the middle of the night stressed about trying to remember something that happened earlier. When we’re in our sleep-state, while we think we’re as cogent as we are in our waking life, we simply do not have the same faculties, and trying to remember what you need from the store can be so taxing mentally, you might end up waking yourself up entirely in order to remember something as simple as “milk”.
At first, keeping a notepad and pen next to your bed can help so you can quickly write things down as they pop up but ideally over time, you’ll train yourself to complete this task well before bed so this becomes automatic and your time around bed becomes more focused on sleep over anything else.
5. Practice Deep Breathing Exercises
If we’re unsettled, anxious, stressed, distracted…mindfulness can ground us in the moment and prepare us mentally and physically for sleep.
One of my favorite techniques is Box Breathing:
Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds
Hold breath for 4 seconds
Breathe out through your nose for 4 seconds
Hold breath for 4 seconds
Repeat 3-5 times or until you feel more at ease.
With time and practice, hopefully these steps will make good sleep something you look forward to rather than something that seems unachievable. Be patient with yourself, and over the course of a few weeks, you should notice a marked improvement in the quality of your sleep.
Roubicek & Thacker Counseling is Fresno’s premier provider of individual, couples, family, and group therapy. We offer in-person and online remote therapy sessions. Contact us today to change the way you feel.