Happy Monday! Thank you for joining us today where we Share our Lives with you. My co-hosts are: Adrienne, Dara, Jen, and Joanne. We are here on the second Monday of each month. If you have a blog and posted on this topic, please link up with us below.
Everyone has different preferences for their sleep environment, so what works for me may not work for you. I really don't struggle to fall asleep, but there are times when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep right away. My kids are older now but I remember those nights of having someone crying from the other room, needing me to sleep with them in their bed, or coming to sleep in our bed. Those days do stop eventually!
Here is what works for me to get a good night's sleep:
Weighted blanket - All of us have a Hush blanket on our beds. I love that feeling of being extra cozy.
White noise - I use Spotify to play rain noise while we fall asleep. I can set the timer so it turns off and doesn't run all night.
Dark room - We make sure our doors and blinds are closed, and there are no electronic lights around.
Warmth (in winter) and Cool (in summer) - I like to be warm when I get into bed, and I will often wear a sweater or wrap myself in a blanket. The room is warm when we go to bed, but the heat turns off in the night so it does get cooler. In the summer we make sure the air conditioning is on so we aren't sweating.
Exercising. Getting a workout in during the day is a sure-fire way to be tired for bed. If my body is feeling especially sore I will take an Advil before bed so my body can relax and I'll get a better sleep.
No coffee after 3:00 pm. This is non-negotiable.
Mindfulness while falling asleep. I try to say a prayer of thanks and then a prayer for other people that need it, and then if I'm still awake I think about how I will start my day in the morning.
Staying "sleepy" if I need to get up to use the washroom. I try to keep my eyes closed, I don't check the time, and try not to transfer to an awake state if I can avoid it.
Not worrying about it. If I ever do have problems sleeping, I try not to get worked up about the fact that I am awake when I should be sleeping! Instead I remind myself that my body is resting and I will get to sleep eventually.
Things that people say you should do but I haven't tried:
Avoid eating several hours before bed. Although most days I don't snack after dinner, I will have some chips and a drink before dinner, and I don't find it affects my ability to sleep.
Take magnesium. If I struggled with sleep I could try it, but I haven't felt I needed it so far.
Don't look at your phone or other screens before bed. We are that couple that looks at their respective phones right up to the time the light turns off, sorry not sorry.
Cooling sheets. See above, I like to be warm and cozy.
Limit naps. If I have a short nap in the day, like less than 30 minutes, that doesn't affect my ability to fall asleep at night.
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If I'm having a really hard time falling asleep, I try to go through my next day minute by minute in exact detail. That does often help me fall asleep. I also try to stay "sleepy" if I have to get up to use the washroom -- keep my eyes closed, lights off, etc.
ReplyDeleteI am a screens girl too and do not feel bad about it; in fact I really struggle to sleep if I don't have that. A quiet dark room just gets my thoughts going and I start making lists and plans and can not turn off my brain. I have gotten so much better about not stressing when I can't and think I should be asleep and I do find that not worrying about it seems to help me fall back to sleep a bit faster.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about buying a weighted blanket, I love the idea of them and think they would help me sleep. Great tips!
ReplyDeleteI am all for being warm and cozy too. unless it is summer and I am hot then. Even in the summer I need at least a sheet on me, its like a security blanket.
ReplyDeleteI love my weighted blanket. I don't realize how much I miss it until I arrive home after a few nights away.
ReplyDeleteWeighted blankets make me feel too constricted! I used to review what needed to be done the following day before falling asleep but haven't done that recently!
ReplyDeleteI’m a screens person too! I find it relaxing to watch something before bed. I’ll have to remember not to stress when I can’t fall asleep. That’s such a great tip! It’ll definitely come in handy next week when I go back to work on Wednesday. I always struggle to fall asleep the night before heading back after the holidays.
ReplyDeleteI like the "don't worry about it" advice. I have had to take the same approach because I've not been sleeping well in general for the past couple of years. I'm in bed, I'm relaxed, not worrying or anything like that, but I can't fall asleep. But as you say, my body is resting, so I trust that things will even out. I'm almost a week late in visiting, and getting some useful tips. Hope you've been sleeping well lately!
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