Sleep. Peaceful, restorative, blissful sleep. I have no idea what that is! It is elusive, meaning I have difficulty falling asleep, and even when I do sleep, it's often fitful leaving me groggy in the morning. I'm technically not an expert, but I have done a lot of research on how to achieve restful sleep. Not all of them work for me, but here we go.
2. Decreased Exposure to Blue Light. Blue light, the kind that you're exposed to on electronics like your phone or computer, supposedly mimics daytime light which prevents your body from producing melatonin. Wearing blue light blocking glasses at night is supposed to help, but I haven't tried them. Have you?
3. Meditation or relaxation. There are a dozen or so apps out there to help with meditation. I downloaded one and used it once. I know. If I don't use it, how will I know if it works or not?
4. Quiet. The noises in your home or outside your windows could possibly keep you awake. I have a white noise machine that prevents those noises from interfering with my sleep, and I do think it helps.
5. Temperature. It's difficult to sleep if you're too hot. My husband turns the AC way down at night, so my room is always cool.
6. Dark. I used to like a nightlight on, and there was a time when I slept with the TV on every night, but as I've gotten older, I need a dark room to sleep well. My daughter has used a sleep mask for years.
7. Exercise. Just don't exercise too late in the day. Exercise gives you an initial burst of alertness and energy, but it also contributes to more restful sleep. Kind of ironic.
8. No naps. Self-explanatory. This one is sometimes difficult for me.
9. Aromatherapy. Lavender is said to induce relaxation, particularly when the essential oil is diffused into the room. There is a variety of lavender products available: lotions, bubble bath, body spray, pillow mist. Other essential oils can aid in relaxation such as bergamot, chamomile, and cedarwood.
10. Melatonin supplements. Melatonin is a hormone the body produces that helps control your sleep-wake cycle. These can be taken in tablet form, melts, or chewables.
11. Reduce caffeine intake. I try to limit myself to one soda's worth of caffeine a day, and I try not to have any past the afternoon. I think it helps.
12. No eating or watching TV in bed. Use the bed for sleep (and if this were a different kind of blog... well, you know.)
13. Medication. According to drugs.com, there are about 74 medications that are used to aid with sleeping, some over-the-counter, some prescription. The ones I know of are Ambien, Lunesta, Diphenhydramine, and Sonota, but clearly, I haven't experienced all of them.
I find lavender helpful and sometimes tryptophan. Definitely a mask and sometimes earplugs. I keep lorazapan (anti anxiety) as needed in the med cabinet for those really hellish wakeful nights.
ReplyDeleteI tend to fall asleep at my computer and TV, so I don't believe that about blue light. I can't sleep if I get cold! I wake up quite distressed, and HAVE to get up and find an extra blanket or change into warmer pyjamas. And if I really can't sleep, the thing that helps is to get up and make myself some toast and cocoa and enjoy it leisurely while having a bit of a read, after which I go back to bed and sleep peacefully. All of which rather contradicts the usual advice. Maybe I'm just a total freak.
ReplyDeletePS Lavender doesn't help me a bit.
DeleteI find sticking to a routine helpful. We go to bed at 10 and get up at 6, and on mornings when we sleep late I get grouchy.
ReplyDeleteI don't sleep that well, either. I do have to get up at the same time almost every morning, but what time i get to bed varies with what i have to do and whether my Sweetie has to get up or not. If he doesn't have to get up (which is most of the time, as he's retired), he stays up late the night before and wakes me when he comes in.
ReplyDeleteThe cats in the bedroom are another factor, i wish i could banish them but no dice.
Sleep masks do help.