Let’s Sleep on It
My 12-year-old is a really good sleeper. For that matter, my husband does a pretty good job at it as well.
I, on the other hand, rarely have what many would call “a good night’s sleep.” A light sleeper, I’m easily awoken by the tapping of the dog’s nails on our hardwood floor. If the cat jumps on our bed, I’m up. And these are on the nights when I’m actually able to get to sleep.
Come 9:00 PM, I’m getting ready for bed, though there are some nights when I’ve binged on Yellowstone, Handmaid’s Tale, or Dark Matter and surprise myself to see that it’s after 10:00 PM. Regardless of when I head to bed, it takes me a while to fall asleep. My feet are cold. I’m too hot. The hallway light is distracting me. By the time I work out those issues, I have to pee—again.
My husband will often ask, “How’d you sleep?” because my sleep is a litmus test for my overall mental health. When I’m particularly rattled or stressed, my sleep suffers. If my sleep suffers, my mood is affected, and it’s a terrible cycle of trying to sleep well to feel good. I’m caught in a toss and turn cycle in pursuit of peace and happiness.
Just about a decade ago, I suffered a terrible bought of depression and could rarely find my way to slumber. Even if I did fall asleep, my nightmares woke me in the middle of the night, and I’d inevitably lay there for hours haunted by my thoughts. My therapist recommended a sleep regimen that proved helpful. No, it didn’t deliver me to a solid, uninterrupted 8 or 9 hours a night, but it did yield significant improvements.
According to Dr. William Kormos, seven hours a night is the sweet spot for healthy sleeping. “No matter how much you sleep, always make sure you practice good sleep hygiene. Avoid large meals, caffeine, alcohol, and stressful activities right before bedtime. Keep your sleep schedule consistent, even on weekends. And put away the laptop and smartphone at least 30 minutes before hitting the pillow.”
What Is a Sleep Regimen?
A sleep regimen, or routine, is a set of healthy habits you practice every night to remind your body that it’s time to rest. What worked for me might not work for everyone, but here are a few steps that I took to help me both fall asleep and stay sleeping longer.
Set a schedule—I had to establish a regular bedtime and stick to it.
Use a lavender lotion—who knows if the lotion itself was the elixir, but the habit helped to train my brain to get into sleep mode.
Play white noise—maybe smooth jazz is more your jam. Try to find some soft, subtle music or background noise to send the message to your brain that it’s time for bed.
Avoid liquids after 7 PM—because even the slightest inclination that I had to go to the bathroom would keep me from falling asleep, I have to stop drinking liquids hours before bedtime.
Get a great pillow—I was on a quest for the perfect pillow, and I justified spending a lot of money on it because I valued the serenity and calm that came from a good night’s sleep.
These won’t necessarily work for everyone, but there are myriad resources out there to offer a wide variety of tips and tricks to help the troubled, weary soul find rest. Have a great sleeping tip? Share it with our readers!