Do you struggle getting to sleep at night??? Do you fall asleep easily but then constantly wake up throughout the night????
Being unable to sleep is not only frustrating, it can have significant health consequences. Poor sleep has been linked to headaches, obesity, poor exercise recovery and many more. Yes there are sleep aids available over the counter or by prescription, but that is just an addictive bandaid to your problem.
You need to understand why you are struggling with sleep, and listen to your body.
You have to learn how to sleep better.
I used to struggle with sleep. I would wake up every morning tired, feeling like I didn’t sleep the night before. Sometimes I would struggle to get to sleep because my mind would go a million miles a minute, then other nights I would fall asleep quickly but then toss and turn all night. It was terrible, I was struggling living my life. I was tired, irritable and not performing well in the gym like I wanted.
I needed to make a change!
Many people struggle with sleep like me because of stress. The mind is very powerful and if you have negative thoughts about sleep, then you will sleep poorly. For example if you lie awake in bed worried that you will never get back to sleep, then you won't. If you spend the day dreading yet another sleepless night, then you're even less likely to get a good night's sleep. You need to change the negative thoughts of sleep to positive thoughts.
Here are some techniques I have done to help change my mind and help get a better nights sleep
1. Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. Your body thrives well on a schedule. This was one of the first things I tried. I found going to bed at 10pm instead of 9pm and waking up at 6:30am was great for me.
2. Relax before bed. This is to turn off the “noise” in your head and prepare your mind and body for rest. You can try guided relaxation or meditation apps, take a bath and deep breathing. Personally for me reading a book is relaxing. The best techniques are the ones that work for you, so experiment until you find your favorites. Make sure to avoid any stressful activities such as watching the news or any kind of work.
3. Have a good bedtime routine. Think of when you had a baby you did the same thing every night to be sure to get your child to sleep, eat, bath, pjs, cuddle, and bed. You need to do a routine for you too. Your body thrives well with routine.
4. Use your bed for sleep and sex only. Avoid watching tv, surfing the internet or other non-sleep related activities in your bed. If you do these it can wire your brain of needing to be awake in bed.
5. Proper sleep hygiene. Limiting caffeine after noon, exercising too close to bedtime, drinking alcohol and working up until bedtime can all interfere with falling or staying asleep. Limit blue light, ie. laptops, tables and phones, they can suppress melatonin, which is the hormone that helps you fall and stay asleep. If you want/need to use these devices use blue light glasses or set it to the “night” setting.
6. Proper sleep environment. This is a huge factor here. You want to sleep well and make sure your room is cool, dark, and quiet. Use black out curtains, and eye mask, have a fan blow to keep your room cool and for the white noise sound.
Try these different techniques and see what works for you and try not to stress about it. Once you just let go you’ll start waking up feeling refreshed and ready to crush the day!
Comment below how these worked out for you
As always I hope I helped you on your health/fitness journey! Have a great one!!
-Janee
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