Yesterday I mentioned that I was having trouble sleeping. Thankfully whatever it was that was keeping me up took a night off and I managed a decent nights sleep.
Most of my sleep problems come from the fact that my toddler sleeps in the same room with me and we had to remove his crib side to prevent him climbing over it and hurting himself. So he crawls into bed with me whenever he happens to wake up. He's afraid of the dark. He is also not the best person to sleep with. He is actually probably one of the worst and I wake up constantly with his feet in my back. Not much I can do about that. It's really not that big of a problem unless he wakes me up more than twice or I didn't fall asleep until after 1 am. After him waking me up twice it becomes difficult for me to go back to sleep.
The past few nights he was actually not so bad. It was me. I just couldn't fall asleep and I really couldn't tell you why. Usually when I go to sleep I read and wait for E. to fall asleep so he doesn't get out of bed. Then I listen to an audiobook while I fall asleep. Something about a British accent is very soothing. I usually set the timer for 45 mins and I'm asleep before it goes off.
Sleep is important. Especially when you have a stressful or dangerous job. Lack of sleep can make you irritable, makes you more prone to accidents and illness, impairs your brain function, can cause weight gain, and if severe enough can lead to hallucinations or death.
I know not everyone pops out of bed after a good night's sleep and walks around whistling. That would be irritating for one thing. I am definitely one of those people who spends a good 20 mins laying in bed staring at who knows what before I get up. My husband could turn it into a sport. He sets like ten alarms and then lays in bed for an hour before rushing around trying to get ready for work like it's anyone else's fault. It makes mornings interesting. Even tho it takes me a while to be ready to face the morning good sleep makes the day easier.
There are lots of reasons why we have problems sleeping. It may surprise some people, but drinking alcohol can make it difficult to sleep. Stress can also make it hard to sleep at night. Can't stop thinking about all your problems? Definitely makes it difficult to sleep. If you're having trouble sleeping or staying asleep almost every night I suggest seeing your doctor. You may have an undiagnosed sleep disorder.
There are lots of things you can do to improve your sleep:
Turn off electronics an hour before bed. No tv or video games. You will fall asleep faster.
Have a routine. Do something that signals to your brain that it's time for bed. Even if it's just putting on pajamas.
Make sure you're room isn't too hot or cold. The ideal sleeping temperature is about 70 degrees.
Make sure your room is dark. If you have a lot of outside light pollution consider blackout curtains or an eye mask.
Make sure you room is quiet. We live near a train depot, a small airport, and Lake Eerie. I can see Cedar Point from my front yard. Not to mention all my neighbors have barking dogs. There can be a lot of extra noise at night. That's why I listen to audiobooks. If that's not your thing try a white noise machine.
Exercise early. If you have trouble sleeping because you exercise late at night you should try doing it earlier in the day.
You can do some calm exercises, like yoga, or meditation to help you sleep. Meditation and I are not friends. My house is too active for me to focus. Yoga and I are good friends. It was introduced to me by my theatre arts teacher in high school and I've slowly added it into me life over the years. I've been trying to add this into my bedtime routine, but D has been coming home early and that makes E hyper in the evening so I spend more time playing damage control. I've managed it a couple times and I felt so much better getting into bed then I do when I don't do it.
This one takes 20 mins...
http://www.livestrong.com/blog/natural-way-relax-fall-asleep-faster/
And this one takes 8.
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/yoga/poses/yoga-routine-before-sleep/
You can also try a warm glass of milk or a lavender spray for your sheets to help you get to sleep at night. If you keep a schedule your body will get used to it and you will have an easier time falling asleep at the same time every night.
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