Tips for Falling Asleep and Staying Asleep with Share Our Lives
This month for Share Our lives we're looking at tips for falling asleep. Now, I rarely have any trouble at all falling asleep. I am and have been an "early to bed, early to rise" kind of person since long before I had kids. So if you're looking for a new bedtime routine don't look at me.
Most days, especially in winter when it's dark and cold out, I change into my pajamas and comfy clothes just before I start cooking dinner. In the spring and summer I typically don't change into comfy clothes until after 7 since we do go out and do things after dinner. But just the act of putting on comfy clothes gets me into a relaxation mode.
Then we watch TV or I a read a book for a few hours and I'm usually in bed by 9 the latest. I turn on the TV-- yes we have a TV in our room and yes I watch it to fall asleep. I know all the studies say this is awful but it's what works best for me. I try to watch a show I've already seen so I'm not really invested in what's going on, I turn the volume down low and put the sleep on (usually for just 30 minutes). I rarely make it more than 10. The distraction of the TV helps me turn off my mind so those thoughts are not cycling round and round keeping me awake.
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| Photo taken on a sick day last year |
Most nights I easily sleep through until 5 am getting nearly a full 7 or 8 hours every night. But there are other nights that I am awake for a few hours in the middle of the night and I'm trying to figure out why/how to stop this.
- Some nights I wake up with horrible hot flashes that leave me dizzy and nauseous and while I know it's hormonal there doesn't seem much I can do to stop them. I've learned to sleep in layers and shed as needed.
- Some nights I wake up and my brain immediately starts churning-- if it's a to do list or any sort of list at all I try to get up (quietly!) and write those thoughts down to get them out of my head, but often it's worries or anxiety over one of my kids or some future event so I try to pray it away (though honesty that rarely works!). Some nights if my husband is up and unable to sleep too (something that has been happening more and more lately) we turn the TV back on and set the sleep and start the whole routine over again.
- Some nights I just wake up really really early 3 or 4 am and I am WIDE awake. I used to lay there and try to convince myself to fall back to sleep but it never worked and since I rarely even feel tired during the day when this happens I've learned to just get up and start my day earlier. I read on the couch or work on my painting-- anything quiet that wont disturb the rest of the house.
I do know I sleep better on nights where I have exercised and spent time outside so I try to incorporate that into most days. If I can't get outside I'll throw myself into housework-- just something to get the blood pumping.
I find that eating junk makes me feel like junk and I don't sleep as well so I try to keep my eating fairly clean with lots of fruits and vegetables and keeping processed foods to a minimum. We don't eat fast food at all and I try not to eat fried or high-fat foods either-especially not close to bed.. in fact I won't eat past 6 p.m. at all unless I know we'll be staying up later than usual.
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| salad with homemade dressing |
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| vegetable/quinoa soup |
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| omelets with homemade English Muffins and homemade jam with clementines |
I try never to nap during the day even if I am tired (as long as I'm not sick; then all "rules" are off) but I will go to bed early and can easily sleep 12 hours in a stretch.
Do you have any sleeping tips or rules you try to follow?
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Thanks for the tips! I find when I exercise I sleep better on those days too!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I find exercise makes a bit difference.
DeleteA friend told me of something that was over Facebook a few months ago to help with falling asleep You pick a word and each letter of the word you name other words commencing with that letter, example, colour (country, Christmas, Curry) O (orange, outside) etc. it works for me and I don’t make it through all the letters. My issue is staying asleep. I wake during the night and toss and turn for the rest of it.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to try that the next time I have hard time falling asleep!
DeleteEver since menopause, sleep is horrible. I usually wake up at 2 and am awake for 2-3 hours but last night, I was sleeping good and the dog unusually got me up at 4 gosh darn it. Sleep is a struggle for sure. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteI am like that for a week or so each month but usually make up for it the other 3 weeks of the month (though I am fearful that menopause might make it a more permanent thing!).
DeleteI agree that getting fresh air helps so much with getting good sleep. I never thought about how what I'm eating impacts how I sleep and I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before!
ReplyDeleteGlad I could help!
DeleteVery good tips! I stop water and food by 6:30 or 7 usually. I take a magnesium gummy. I think this helps me stay asleep. I also watch a mindless show before sleeping. I want to get back to reading, but Tom is already in bed and I worry the reading light will bother him. I watch a show with my phone and my headphones. I like the room very cold. I wear a tank top and shorts. A sleepless night is the worst.
ReplyDeleteWater I definitely stop several hours before bedtime; as it is I have to get up far too often to pee!
DeleteI always change into my pyjamas before making dinner too in the winter. It is nice to get cosy.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry you have been waking up during the night. I wake up some nights usually needing the bathroom or a drink, I always feel so annoyed when it happens.
The only time I will nap during the day is if I am ill, sleeping during the day always seems to make me feeling more tired.
I don't think I have ever slept fully through the night and not have to pee at least once... ever. I must have a very tiny bladder. Naps definitely make me feel more tired and I just can not wake up from them.
DeleteWow! You really are an early bird! I also like putting on my cozy dressing gown on a winters evening and hanging around in that, though I would never go to bed at 9pm. If I did that, I'd also be wide awake at 3am. I really don't sleep well these days - too much one my mind - so am grateful when I do very occasionally get through the night.
ReplyDeleteI usually sleep 9-5 since my husband's alarm is set for 5 I'd be up then anyway!
DeleteThat is great you normally get so much sleep! As we get older, sleep seems to be a struggle. I don't feel like I am a good sleeper, so I don't have many tips right now but will enjoy reading all the answers!
ReplyDeleteI find my sleep tends to really cycle where I go through spurts where I sleep really well and others where sleep is more of a struggle. Lately I'm sleeping really well so I am thankful for that!
DeleteOh my goodness, you sound exactly like me. I have to fall asleep to a tv too. I can't sleep if I don't watch tv first. And I also have that 3:00 am wake up call. I hate it.
ReplyDeleteYes; what is up with that? It's got to be something hormonal because it seems to effect a lot of us.
DeleteThat all looks yum!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI sleep better when I get out for a walk or go to the gym. I have to concentrate on eating cleaner and doing less take-out food on the weekends. I love how you and your family are eating such healthy meals. I enjoyed this topic this month and I'm looking forward to reading the other posts.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I really appreciate your feedback on our topics too. It can be so hard to figure out what areas to focus on each year.
DeleteI generally sleep ok. I do struggle some nights to fall asleep, like you on the days I don't eat well or am in front of my computer too much I can feel the difference in my sleep.
ReplyDeleteI definitely find that makes a huge difference!
DeleteI definitely notice I don't sleep as well if I've had a big meal like steak or something. I agree that getting outside helps so much!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI could never fall asleep to the tv or music.We do use a sound machine most nights though I usually forget if hubby isn't here. I love my sleep and try to prioritize but I also love a good nap. I linked an old post of mine with a sleep trick I still use. I agree that eating right and getting out in nature definitely help.
ReplyDeleteFunny but noise machines don't work for me (in fact my sister and her boys travel with one on vacation and I found it actually kept me up!). I have never been a good napper; if I nap I find I am groggy and tired the rest of the day.
DeleteI sleep better when I can get outside, and I have used the three words for each letter mind trick. But my biggest helper is not going to bed too early. Anything before 10pm and I am done by 2...
ReplyDeleteWeirdly I find going to bed too late throws me off! LOL.
DeleteI've read a ton about menopause and those night issues are very much all part of it. Here's one woman (OBGYN) that is very helpful --I've also read her book) https://www.instagram.com/drmaryclaire/
ReplyDeleteI've been pretty lucky with sleep, but I do think the HRT helps.
XOOX
Jodie
I've debated a lot about HRT! Thanks for the link.
DeleteWe fall asleep with the tv on too, it works for us!
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only one!
DeleteI put my PJs before I start cooking dinner during the winter, too. It's so cozy!
ReplyDeleteIt really is!
DeleteI am usually a really good sleeper--in fact, I've been known to be able to sleep 10 hours without waking! My husband, on the other hand, is not, and now after surgery he's been very restless and unable to get more than an hour or two. His surgeon recommended melatonian as she said often sleep cycles and hormones are disrupted afte rsurgery and taking melatonian for a while should help.
ReplyDeleteYeah two of my boys take melatonin and swear by how much it helps them sleep; it was recommended to us by their pediatrician.
DeleteI remember those nights when I’d have a hot flash, throw all the covers off, fall asleep, and then wake up freezing and nauseous. I still have a hot flash occasionally, but they are only a few seconds. I watch tv for a couple of hours, but when I’m ready to go to sleep, I have no problems getting to sleep. I’ve also learned if sleep isn’t coming not to fight it. I get up and do something until I’m tired.
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
Yes! That's where I'm at! LOL. Luckily I only have a couple bad hot flashes a month.
DeleteI sleep better if I don't do any kind of work or thinking project for the evening. Once my mind starts it doesn't stop quickly
ReplyDeleteYes, once my mind gets going it's so hard to stop it.
DeleteThese are great tips. I went through a phase of waking in the night or earlier than usual in the morning just like you described. It has started to go away, so it must have just been a hormonal phase. There is light at the end of the tunnel!
ReplyDeleteMine seems to be fading away already too; it was way worse last summer/fall so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
DeleteI struggle with sleep a lot. I see a sleep specialist and even then I have more bad nights then good. All tips are good tips.. thanks.
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