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As a chronic insomniac, I have tried almost everything to end the cycle of going to bed wide awake, thoughts whirring around my head, and then waking up exhausted, irritable and anxious after considerably less than the optimal 8 hours of sleep.
Fellow insomniacs know just how crippling this condition is-getting to the point where bedtime brings a feeling of dread.
While I do appreciate the sleeping pills I am prescribed, I try to avoid them unless I am desperate.
My sleep doesn’t feel natural, I often wake up feeling groggy and over time, my body starts to build a resistance against them.
I came across the concept of sleep hygiene, ironically, in the early hours of the morning while I surfed the net after 2 hours of trying to sleep and not succeeding.
While I’ve read bits and pieces about what to do (and what NOT to do) in order to get a good night’s sleep, sleep hygiene is a more structured concept, and follows a set list of techniques to follow.
I decided to try it out, and after a week my insomnia had improved drastically. I had no idea just how bad my sleep hygiene was.
I had some terrible habits that had put me into a dreadful cycle of sleep deprivation. Don’t get me wrong-I do still suffer from bouts of insomnia, but following these tips helped me big time-these were the ones I was getting oh so wrong!
1- Establish a routine. Set yourself a bedtime and stick to it. If you don’t go into an office in the mornings (I work from home), don’t sleep in-as tempting as it seems.
Get it over with-get out of bed, jump in the shower, and get dressed. Try not to oversleep on weekends (yes, this seems ludicrous), as this will disrupt your routine.
2- Don’t nap during the day. This was a big one for me. Because I was so out of synch with my sleeping patterns, I found myself snuggling up for an afternoon nap almost daily.
As tired as you may feel, push through it until you get to bed. If you really can’t cope, a 45 minute nap (this is a complete REM cycle), can be occasionally allowed.
3- Avoid caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime. As a coffee lover, this was a toughie. Funnily enough, after laughing at the idea of decaf in the past, I now find it to be my saving grace. If you get a good brand, you’ll hardly notice the difference.
4- Practice relaxation techniques before bed. This could be yoga, meditation or breathing exercises. I choose stretching exercises-my brain (and house) is just too busy for meditation.
5- Don't bring your worries to bed. Guilty again. Try to set aside an hour a day (preferably a few hours before bedtime), for worry time.
It sounds funny but it works! Sit down (I like to write my worries-and possible solutions-down), get it all out, whether it be work, relationship, health or financial worry-stress it out before bed.
6- Do not watch TV in bed. My biggest and most difficult habit to break. I don't like the idea of falling asleep in dead silence and in the dark.
This is due to personal reasons (and if you have a similar issue, perhaps consider seeking counselling), and I still find myself sneaking the TV on once my partner has fallen asleep.
Unfortunately, trying to fall asleep and stay asleep with any kind of artificial light and noise can only worsen your sleeping problems. If you don't like the dark, get a night light. If you don't like the quiet, listen to the radio softly-it is a less engaging medium than TV.
Use your bedroom for sleep and sex only. Enough said there!
These are just a few of the top techniques in good sleep hygiene. These were the habits I personally needed to break in order to increase my quality and quantity of sleep.
I'm still working on some of them, but when I get them right, my sleep is noticeably better and my insomnia is eased significantly.
The best part is that my husband only wakes up grumpy 50 percent of the time now, as opposed to all the time. Grumpy being me, of course.
Follow Women24 on Twitter or like us on Facebook
Fellow insomniacs know just how crippling this condition is-getting to the point where bedtime brings a feeling of dread.
While I do appreciate the sleeping pills I am prescribed, I try to avoid them unless I am desperate.
My sleep doesn’t feel natural, I often wake up feeling groggy and over time, my body starts to build a resistance against them.
I came across the concept of sleep hygiene, ironically, in the early hours of the morning while I surfed the net after 2 hours of trying to sleep and not succeeding.
While I’ve read bits and pieces about what to do (and what NOT to do) in order to get a good night’s sleep, sleep hygiene is a more structured concept, and follows a set list of techniques to follow.
I decided to try it out, and after a week my insomnia had improved drastically. I had no idea just how bad my sleep hygiene was.
I had some terrible habits that had put me into a dreadful cycle of sleep deprivation. Don’t get me wrong-I do still suffer from bouts of insomnia, but following these tips helped me big time-these were the ones I was getting oh so wrong!
1- Establish a routine. Set yourself a bedtime and stick to it. If you don’t go into an office in the mornings (I work from home), don’t sleep in-as tempting as it seems.
Get it over with-get out of bed, jump in the shower, and get dressed. Try not to oversleep on weekends (yes, this seems ludicrous), as this will disrupt your routine.
2- Don’t nap during the day. This was a big one for me. Because I was so out of synch with my sleeping patterns, I found myself snuggling up for an afternoon nap almost daily.
As tired as you may feel, push through it until you get to bed. If you really can’t cope, a 45 minute nap (this is a complete REM cycle), can be occasionally allowed.
3- Avoid caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime. As a coffee lover, this was a toughie. Funnily enough, after laughing at the idea of decaf in the past, I now find it to be my saving grace. If you get a good brand, you’ll hardly notice the difference.
4- Practice relaxation techniques before bed. This could be yoga, meditation or breathing exercises. I choose stretching exercises-my brain (and house) is just too busy for meditation.
5- Don't bring your worries to bed. Guilty again. Try to set aside an hour a day (preferably a few hours before bedtime), for worry time.
It sounds funny but it works! Sit down (I like to write my worries-and possible solutions-down), get it all out, whether it be work, relationship, health or financial worry-stress it out before bed.
6- Do not watch TV in bed. My biggest and most difficult habit to break. I don't like the idea of falling asleep in dead silence and in the dark.
This is due to personal reasons (and if you have a similar issue, perhaps consider seeking counselling), and I still find myself sneaking the TV on once my partner has fallen asleep.
Unfortunately, trying to fall asleep and stay asleep with any kind of artificial light and noise can only worsen your sleeping problems. If you don't like the dark, get a night light. If you don't like the quiet, listen to the radio softly-it is a less engaging medium than TV.
Use your bedroom for sleep and sex only. Enough said there!
These are just a few of the top techniques in good sleep hygiene. These were the habits I personally needed to break in order to increase my quality and quantity of sleep.
I'm still working on some of them, but when I get them right, my sleep is noticeably better and my insomnia is eased significantly.
The best part is that my husband only wakes up grumpy 50 percent of the time now, as opposed to all the time. Grumpy being me, of course.
Follow Women24 on Twitter or like us on Facebook
