Some simple steps to better sleep. Fitful sleep, fatigue and lack of energy are common topics of conversation lately. It may have been going on a long time or be a temporary blip but no one wants to struggle through the day in a lethargic fog.
Where you are
Trying to fall asleep and getting frustrated / anxious or angry about not being able to? We all know it can be a vicious circle, the more you try the harder it gets and our chances of getting to sleep get slimmer and slimmer.
Where you’d like to be
Imagine how you’d feel if you could wake up after a sound nights rest. Feeling relaxed yet alert. Opening your eyes, welcoming the daylight! With more energy any enthusiasm. Maybe you could take a moment now to wonder just how that would make you feel? Relaxed refreshed and totally at ease? What sounds would you like to hear? How would everything look? What would be different? What would your partner/family notice that was different about you? Write down 3 or more things that changed for the better when you opened your eyes that imaginary morning….
Some simple steps to better sleep
How you’re going to get there
1.Prioritize your needs. Decide how important it is to you to get this rest. (Next Weeks Blog: The Health Benefits of Better Sleep ).
2.Get medical advice from your GP. Be sure that there is no underlying health condition that could be causing insomnia.
3. Avoid Drinking. Lockdown has seen a rise in lots of our drinking habits. If you weigh up how much do I want this drink how much do I want a great sleep? The more you focus on the big picture the easier it is to choose sleep.
4. Set a regular bed time and wake time. Getting too much or too little sleep is not good. We need a healthy balance of all the sleep cycles to do the best for our mind and body health. Don’t stress if you wake up in the night. We can actually wake up naturally a few times in the night between sleep cycles. Most of the time we wake so lightly that we don’t even notice.
5. Eating and Drinking. Try not drinking anything or eating 2 or 3 hours before bed, when your body’s digesting it’s too busy to be resting!
6. Exercise. Get some kind of exercise every day.
7. Exercise your brain. Like physical exercise your brain also needs to be tired enough for sleep.
8. Avoid caffeine. Find a cut off time that works for you 6pm or 4pm or noon…
9. Only use your bedroom for sex and sleep. Avoid screens and their blue light as much as you can. Don’t do any work in there!
10. Check your comfort level. Do you need a new bed/mattress or bedding? Are you too warm or too cold? You want to get it just right with a slight dip in your body temperature.
11. Get up if you can’t sleep. Lying too long? Get up and while away the time doing something relaxing until you get tired.
12. Try listening to a guided meditation/ self-hypnosis track in bed. This will help focus your attention and relax you before drifting off.
As we know getting anxious, angry or irritated about not getting to sleep will slim down our chances of dozing off. Try the simple steps above to not only get to sleep but enjoy a better quality of sleep too!
Author: Janet Adams
I am a qualified Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist based in Belfast but offering treatments virtually as well.
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Phone Number: +44 7952 345840
Email: janet@welcomehypnotherapy.co.uk
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