Catching Z’s

We’ve all been there.. You’ve hardly slept a wink. You roll over, pick up your phone to check the time & realise it 4am and immediately you despair at the thought of facing a demanding day while struggling to keep your eyes open & summon the energy & motivation to give anything your best.

Sleep problems are surprisingly common, but that will be of little consolation to you at 4am when you haven’t had a wink of sleep.

So, let’s see if we can help & try to lay out some strategies for improving your sleep.

1. Preparing for sleep: A common mistake people make is waiting for the end of the day to prepare for sleep. Actually, our preparation should start at the beginning of the day.

This highlights the importance of routine: It’s likely that your daily routine has been completely messed up by the impact of the coronavirus. If your daytime routine has gone awry it should be no surprise that your ability to rest peacefully at night has been affected.

‘The new norm’ is a phrase which has popped up on our radar over the last year. So what does it mean? Well, it’s just another way of saying that a lot has changed. It’s really important for your sleep to establish a new routine and not simply let the days drift, getting up & retiring at random times, meal times all over the place; And, if you’re spending more time sitting around, not actually doing much to engage your body & mind, then you may well end up feeling more tired without having really exerted yourself. By all means take the opportunity to get more rest but there’s a balance to be struck between work, rest, & play here. Put together a routine that involves rising & retiring at similar times each day; Eat at regular times & don’t get drawn into snacking too much in between meals, particularly late at night.

In sum, incorporate your daytime routine into you night time routine.

2. Create a bed time ritual: Think about the things that relax you and integrate them into your sleep strategy. Avoid using computers, phones & tablets, late at night or before going to bed. These devices emit a particular wave length of blue light that can reduce levels of melatonin in your brain. That’s the stuff that helps us sleep, so, less melatonin = less satisfactory sleep. If you’re reading your phone in bed, try substituting it for a good book.

3. Diet & Nutrition: Essentially, don’t eat or drink too much, too late.

Alcohol – It’s not wine o’clock! It’s a common misconception that alcohol helps you sleep. Indeed, it can make you drowsy but the quality of sleep you get after drinking alcohol is adversely affected. It decreases the amount of REM sleep you achieve, adversely affecting deeper, more restorative sleep, particularly in the second half of the night. It can also hinder breathing during the night & cause sleep apnea. The more alcohol drank before sleep, the greater the disruption to sleep.

Whichever way you look at it, alcohol does not improve sleep. If you’re having issues with sleeping & are self-medicating with alcohol then I advise you to get some professional help with your sleep rather than rely on alcohol which ultimately only makes matters worse.

Caffeine – This stimulates the Central nervous system and remains in your system for about 8 hours. It can therefore disrupt your sleep. Consider reducing your caffeine intake as much as possible 8 hours before you intend to go to bed.

4. Exercise & Daylight: You are probably spending an awful lot more time at home than you are used to and, because of the restrictions on movement, home can feel more like a cage than the sanctuary. If you have the opportunity to use your travel zone for safe exercise & you don’t meet the high-risk criteria, then use it. There’s good evidence showing that getting out for some light exercise like walking for about 30 minutes by 9:30am in daylight helps sleep later that day; And the effects are boosted if you can get out in natural settings where there is plenty of greenery like a park, meadow, or wooded area.

However, it’s important to stress the importance of personal safety. If you are high risk or anxious about exercise in public because of COVID19, use your garden if you have one. Above all, take care & stay safe.

5. Try not to sleep during the day: A nap of around 20 minutes is as much as you should need. Anymore than that & you could be affecting your ability to achieve satisfactory sleep at night.

6. Think about the bedroom environment. Is it too warm, too cold, too light or too noisy? These all have the capacity to disrupt your sleep so if you’re finding that your sleep is being affected by environmental factors then consider how to reduce their effect. Additionally, consider when & how you use your bedroom. If you are using your bedroom throughout the day & for reasons other than sleep & intimacy then the distinction of that environment for sleep in your mind becomes less clear. In short, the more time you use the bedroom for reasons other than sleep, the less you associate it with sleep. Try to avoid using it for other reasons.

7. Consider your stress levels. If you’re finding things stressful at the moment you may well find your sleep affected.

If you are finding sleeping difficult get in touch for a free consultation and see how BroadMinds can help you. You can reach us on 0899420568, email help@broadmindstherapy.org or message via this page. Your messages with be dealt with discretely, privately & in complete confidence.

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Finally, take care & stay safe. Thanks for reading!