SLEEP is literally such an important thing! It’s part of our human nature, and as a result, we rarely consider what an imperative part of functioning this really contributes to our lives. Many times, the only way we recognize its importance is when we are lacking this necessity!

Unfortunately, sleeping is something I struggle with almost every night. I never used to be a light sleeper; however, after kids came into my life it’s just like something changed in me and a good night’s sleep became sometimes only a fantasy. I’m finding even more recently, depending on what’s happening in my life- thoughts, happenings, and energy being spent on other things additionally impact getting to sleep, but also the quality of sleep I get!

It’s amazing how often I do not sleep a full night. I go through day after day of just doing life… making it through the day like a slug! I think it’s common for most of us to just become seasoned in our lives lacking certain necessities that it becomes habitual. In fact, most days I don’t even realize that I’m not getting the amount of sleep I really need to fully function.

That one day though, that I do get shut eye, like a real full night’s deep sleep, I wake up feeling energized and amazing! I’m happy and motivated… my full self feels complete and centered. It’s then that I realize how much this impacts my mental clarity, my physical energy level, and my overall life. Sleep lessens anxiety, lessens depression, and helps me focus on almost every task 100% more. I then wonder, how my life would change if I slept well every night? 

In a sense, quality of sleep is out of our control. I mean, once we pack it in for the night, I don’t think one person would say ‘I hope I sleep like crap tonight’. What we can do is practice some self-care tips that would increase the chance of getting a better night’s sleep so you can feel your best! 

Practice these things from waking up until you go to bed. If we are truly taking care of ourselves and doing our best to get the most sleep we can, then yes- there could always be other factors impacting sleep such as something medical. All in all- it does take an effort to care for oneself all around and sleep is just another piece of self-care!

Self-care tips to help me get the best sleep I can:

1. Be conscientious about the amount of caffeine you are taking in and the time of day you are taking it in. I know for myself; I can’t drink caffeine after 3pm or I will be up all night! My body won’t relax, and I will be wound up ready to go. I find caffeine affects me very differently in the afternoon or evening than in the mornings.

2. Reduce daytime naps and late day naps. I love naps… they are so relaxing and sometimes our brains or bodies just down right need a nap; however, it’s proven that a 15-30-minute nap is more effective than a two-hour nap.
   
   Sleeping for long periods during the day can confuse your internal clock and have a significant impact on sleeping at night. Additionally, if you are sleeping late in the day, your body may again become confused about it’s sleep cycle.

3. Go to bed early. Yes, I’m 41 years old and there are many nights I am in bed before 10pm. When you are forcing yourself to stay up instead of going to bed, you are taking away from what you need. It’s ok to go to bed at 9pm.

4. Use a sound machine or white noise to help your body relax and create a better sleeping environment. White noise will mask sounds that would normally wake your sleep and if you do wake, the noise will likely help you fall back asleep faster and easier due to the relaxing tones.

5. Limit your screen time in the evenings. I limit my phone, kindle, laptop usage and try to eliminate it at least 2 hours prior to going to bed. The blue light in the screens you are using blocks the melatonin which makes you sleepy. By limiting your screen time, you are limiting the blue light intake.

6. Limit alcohol intake. I’m sure like myself, plenty of you may have a drink or two after a hard day’s work- I find the more alcohol I intake the less likely I will be to sleep well, the more my anxiety increases, and the greater the possibility to feel not very spunky the next day.

7. Sleep in a cool room. I’m not saying sleep in a cold 50-degree room; however, try to sleep in about a 65-degree room. It’s important to let your body temperature regulate itself. Your body will cool down as it sleeps- when your room is too warm, your body can’t cool down resulting in interrupted sleep. 

8. Know your mind racing triggers. I have no doubt everyone reading this can say that they either couldn’t fall asleep or have woken up in the night with your mind racing about a certain topic or situation. If you know that a certain situation or topic gets your mind racing, don’t partake in it for at least 2 hours before bed. When you stop your screen time, stop partaking in your triggers too. 

9. Create consistency with going to bed and waking up in the morning. Going to bed at a consistent time every night and waking at a consistent time every morning is much easier on your body than fluctuating times daily. Our bodies get accustomed to routines and when we are fickle in those routines our bodies become confused which can prevent us from effectively falling asleep or make it more difficult getting up in the morning.
   
   When I hit that snooze and fall back to sleep, I get very groggy. Make note of how awake you feel the first time the alarm goes off; you might just start your day on the first alarm and find you feel a lot better!

Quantity versus quality of sleep… that is the question. One might find that, just as most other things in life, the quality of sleep outweighs the quantity. If you have a hard time sleeping at night, make note of what you do and don’t do throughout the day and before bed. Think of what you can change to try to improve things. You will find with good sleep, your world CHANGES!

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