Some nights I wear an eye-mask as my way of shutting the world out so I can get some shut-eye. |
I haven’t
slept well on a regular basis in years, maybe not since I was a young adult and
that’s been awhile. I didn’t appreciate a good night’s sleep back then because
I hadn’t really gone without, at least not on a long term basis. But after
years of attending to little ones at night and then years of staying up late
waiting for teenagers to come home, and given some of the sleepless nights I’ve
experienced due to stress, and the fact that I was thrown into menopause at a
very young age because of cancer, I just don’t know what it’s like to get a
good night’s sleep night after night.
Exercise
helps me sleep better than I otherwise would. And meditation too, but getting
enough sleep is still a struggle overall. I got only four hours of sleep Sunday
night and they weren’t quality hours, so Monday was a rough beginning to the
week. The thing that kept me from cratering completely is that I am eating
healthier these days. I would have been a completely non-functioning mess if I
hadn’t been eating food that gives me energy – lentils, salads, and whole
grains.
As far
as sleep goes, Monday night was better. So tired from the previous night’s
sleep deprivation, I fell asleep easily and slept for nearly eight hours, and Tuesday
I woke feeling like a whole new person, someone who has a reserve of energy and
no fatigue headaches, someone who is well rested. And that’s how I would like
to feel more often – well-rested.
So, as I
continue to eat healthier than I have in a long time, I’m ready to start getting
more sleep on a regular basis. Here are a few things I think I can do to make
it easier –
Limit screen time in the evening. After I fall into bed at night,
I pick up my smart phone to set my wake-up alarm and then end up doing one last
check-in on social media, emails, and the news, and inevitably, I stay at it
longer than I intended and the bright glow of the screen gives me a second
wind, which makes it hard to fall asleep anytime soon. So, going forward, I
will set my cell phone wake-up alarm earlier in the day and cut the computer
off at least an hour before I call it a night.
Wind down before bedtime. Overall, I need to be more
conscious of winding down earlier in the evening whenever possible. Often, I go
through the day full-throttle and then dive into bed as if I should be able to
fall directly asleep, which is impossible because I never took the time to unwind
ahead of climbing into bed. I will make a conscious effort to wind down earlier
in the evening, so I will be able to fall asleep earlier.
Establish a regular bedtime. I have read again and again over
the years how much having a set bed time and wake-up time can do for the quality
of our sleep. According to Lawrence Epstein, M.D., a professor at Harvard
Medical School and an expert in sleep disorders, “Keeping a regular sleep
schedule – even on weekends - maintains the timing of the body’s internal clock
and can help you fall asleep and wake up more easily.” I’m ready to give it a try.
I do not
think for a moment that my busy lifestyle is suddenly going to let me get
enough sleep every night forever more. After all, there are nights when I am up
late out of necessity or by enthusiastic choice, but if I make a few basic changes,
I’m confident I will get more sleep overall. And I’m more than ready to live my
life well-rested. I’m ready.
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