Establishing Healthy Sleep Patterns (from an ex-insomniac)
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When I was unwell, years ago, one of the worst symptoms that I had was a complete LACK of sleep. I was a hopeless insomniac, so perplexed by my inability to sleep at night that I would lie awake for hours, running through the day’s events in my head.
I had never realised how much of a toll lack of sleep can take on you until it happened to me. I was exhausted all the time; even if I did get some sleep (which was rare) it was never deep enough or long enough to feel like I had rested properly.
As a result, I often felt lethargic and struggled to focus on even the simplest tasks. The worst thing was the frustration, anger, sadness and feelings of being overwhelmed (all of which I dealt with poorly). I felt like a failure for being unable to pull myself out of it and for letting my family and friends down because I couldn’t commit to meeting arrangements.
I was completely unable to comprehend why I couldn’t sleep when there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with me.
11 years later my life as an insomniac came to an end and I now know what healthy sleep looks like.
So what did I do to turn things around?
I had no special knowledge of insomnia or sleep disorders. I was on no medication, had never been tested for sleep disorders. My life was not chaotic in any way, my home environment was quiet and calm, my bed was very comfortable, there were no distractions preventing me from falling asleep although I did suffer from tremendous anxiety (which is also now gone).
In this article, I’ll go through some generic tips and tricks to help other insomniacs become ex-insomniacs, like me. Let’s first look at the “obvious” tips and tricks and then I’ll go through the more uncommon ones.
Let´s have a quick look at what is sleep and how it affects your health. It is always beneficial to read this first, I’ll get to the tips and tricks in no time, don’t worry 🙂
What is sleep?
Sleep is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. It helps regulate your mood, heal your emotional upheavals and process information. But what is the best way to get enough sleep?
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends adults should sleep 7-9 hours every night for good health. This may be difficult to achieve at first but there are ways that you can help form better sleep patterns like establishing a bedtime routine, setting up a comfortable sleeping environment, and turning off electronics before bedtime.
Effects on the body: how can it affect weight, risk of chronic diseases, and mental health?
The effects of sleep loss on the body can be serious. Lack of sleep can increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and stroke. Napping can help but it’s best to get a full night’s rest.
Sleep loss may also decrease physical activity, contribute to obesity and disrupt hormone levels. It is recommended you do at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. Exercise promotes better sleep and quality of life by helping you manage stress and improve your mood.
“Sleep affects almost every tissue in our bodies,” says Dr. Michael Twery, a sleep expert at NIH. “It affects growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure and cardiovascular health.” Research shows that lack of sleep increases the risk for obesity, heart disease and infections.
News In Health
COMMON TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP: How to improve sleep: what are the best habits for getting enough sleep?
Poor sleep habits have a wide range of consequences as we saw above. It can affect your productivity, mood, and general health. Not to mention the risk of over-eating, depression, and accidents are higher if you don’t get enough sleep.
NOTE: Not all sleeping tips work for everyone, unfortunately. I’ve tried most of them and they failed to work for me. But even these tips can be helpful in calming down, relaxing and helping you sleep. If a particular method doesn’t seem to be working at first, try a different one, as some may suit you better than others.
With a little motivation and discipline, it’s possible to establish healthy sleeping patterns that will pay off in spades!
Get Started
• Establish a routine that includes going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every day.
• If you have trouble going to bed, avoid using electronics an hour or two before bed.
• Try to go to bed as early as possible and get up as late as possible. This will help your body get into a cycle that benefits your sleep patterns.
Plan Ahead
• It’s important to plan what you will do in the evenings when you are tired but can’t sleep. The last thing you need is more stress and anxiety!
• Plan a relaxing activity for after dinner, it could be watching TV, reading, or listening to music. Do something that jogs your memory of the day and makes it easier for you to fall asleep at night.
• Make sure you don’t eat late at night, this could prevent you from going to sleep.
To Finish Off With
• If you’re having a rough time sleeping, try going to bed and increasing your exercise by 30-60 minutes. This might hopefully help you fall asleep faster.
• Don’t underestimate the importance of the shower before bed! To help you relax and fall asleep, warm up your muscles before going to sleep if possible. The steam from the shower could also help calm your body.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day to improve your digestion and hydration levels.
• Darkening your bedroom environment will help you fall asleep faster.
In a nutshell:
- Go to bed and wake up within regular times. Even on weekends.
- Block out distractions like TVs or computers when in bed
- Read a book or take a relaxing bath.
- Don’t eat within 2 hours of going to bed. When you’re hungry, your mind may stay awake because your body is still active from digestion.
- Make sleep a priority but avoid naps
- Set a bedtime if possible
- Establish a routine before bed, a calming one
- Limit exposure to screens before bed
- Use tools such as apps and music to help you sleep better
- Exercise during the day when you can
- Avoid drinking caffeine after 3pm and other stimulants before bed
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark
- Keep a consistent wake-up time if you can
- Establish a sleep schedule
- Create your own bedtime ritual
UNCOMMON TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP: How to sleep better when all of the above doesn’t work
All of the above didn’t really work for me. I was too ill to plan ahead or to simply go to bed. I was almost always tired but couldn’t sleep. Hot showers in the evening didn’t help me. A quiet room didn’t help because now I know my head was not quiet. I had TREMENDOUS anxiety attacks and my thoughts would run wild. I would hallucinate when trying to sleep and that was terrifying. I still got side-tracked thinking about things in my life that were simply not important at the time. I had to resort to drugs to help me sleep, I tried everything, from strong pills to mild teas and even detox methods.
Nothing worked.
Until I followed this method, which came to me by chance…
I was very ill. I was dealing with anxiety attacks every night and chronic insomnia. It came to the point of overdrinking and hospitalisation. I really thought something was seriously wrong with me. So I turned my life around by applying a few simple steps to my daily routine… Soooo simple! Here, take a look – it works, it really does!
- PRAYER
One of the simplest ways to create change, truly! All it takes is a little faith. Put everything in Goddess’s hands, ask for her help and follow the steps I have laid out below for you.
To pray at least once a day:
“Lordess, thank you for giving me this day and all things that I may enjoy. Help me to know my path and find rest from my many worries so that I may be able to sleep tonight. Help me to remember you are always by my side in all things and I am never alone. Thank you, dear Mother of the Earth, thank you.”
- MEDITATION
Meditation is an important piece of the puzzle that helps us to connect with our higher self and our spiritual energy. Following this will help you gain perspective, knowledge and wisdom of our many realities.
To pray before meditation:
“Lordess, thank you for helping me to stay connected with my higher self through meditation. Help me go within and relax into my deeper voice so that I can overcome stress, anxiety and restlessness as I sleep tonight.”
Then close your eyes for 2 minutes. If 2 minutes is too long, try 1 minute, 30 seconds, anything goes to get started. Don’t be tough on yourself. Thoughts and uncomfortable feelings will surface, that’s normal. It means you’re doing it right! Just take a deep breath and continue. Leave the thoughts and feelings behind you as you go deeper into meditation.
Again, even 10 seconds is a start!
- GRATITUDE
Every morning and every night without fail, think of ONE thing you are grateful for. Then, try to recall another thing that made you smile during the day. Then another. It doesn’t take long, just a few minutes, but it can create positive energy in your life on a daily basis!
To pray at night:
“Lordess, thank you for waking me up today and helping me to find rest as I lay down to sleep tonight. Help me to remember some of the things I was grateful for today as I fall asleep.”
- FORGIVENESS
Do your best to let go of every negative you can during the day. Don’t dwell on the things that make you unhappy or uncomfortable. Take a step back and just let it go!
To pray in the evening:
“Lordess, thank you for helping me to remember to forgive those who have wronged me today. Help me to find rest tonight without these worries weighing on me.”
- SERVICE
Look for opportunities to serve. Maybe get yourself involved with a local charity or non-profit. This will help you find purpose and make a positive impact on the world around you!
To pray at night:
“Lordess, thank you for helping me to see how I can make a difference in the world today. Help me to find rest from my anxiety tonight.”
- FINALLY SLEEPING !!!
A great deal of my anxiety and endless worry would leave me even as I lay down at night. I would feel that if I slept, everything would be OK. So, I began to see that sleep was one thing that would bring me closer to the Goddess.
To pray at the beginning of your sleep time:
“Sacred Mother Goddess, please help me to fall asleep so that I may be able to awaken in peace in the morning.”
After practising the above principles I saw my first 6 hours sleep only 2 weeks later. It was a miracle. It was a miracle! Most of the improvement took place within the following 2 months. My anxiety was gone and I had a calmness I’d never known before. My mind was finally quiet! Thank you!
If you have trouble sleeping, try the above easy method which will only takes minutes each day….. And please, share it if it worked for you!
Take care and love,
Patri ❤️💕
