The relationship between anxiety and sleep patterns is one of the few that is utterly incontrovertible.
It is therefore essential it be addressed as part of any stress busting strategy.
Sometimes sleep deprivation is inevitable, as in the case of bringing up an infant, shift work or illness, in which case mitigation techniques are in order.
The average adult, it is said by recent research, needs 7-9 hours sleep to be firing on all cylinders and reduce the risk of health conditions relating to lack of shut eye.
The challenge a lot of people have is that it’s when they lie down in bed that their anxieties start to circle around in their heads.
Someone once described this to us as being like a “tumble drier” and it us a good description.
This in its turn prevents sleep and can lead to insomnia.
So how do you maximise they chances of getting a good night in and feeling your best for the next day ahead.
Well, for us this involved a pattern of “evening wind down” that prepares the body and mind for restful sleep.
The same considerations apply to shift workers, just practiced at a different time of day.
The human condition adores routine and creating an evening / bedtime routine is for us an essential and enjoyable part of our day.
While own routine has to be largely based around Her Majesty the Baby, others can reflect what works best for them in their own circumstances.
The important thing is to have some kind of routine practiced nightly which works in helping wind you down and that in time your sub conscious will treat as a message that you are indeed winding down in readiness for deserved sleep.
We aim for an early(ish) evening meal of around 5.30-6 to enable proper digestion before bed time and while we are coffee lovers (if not connoisseurs 😁), we try out utmost to avoid the gorgeous stuff after 3pm.
Having Her Majesty the Baby means we like to put a little distance between her bedtime and our own, limiting screen time towards bed time in the process.
We do this by doing a nightly “arrow word” (a crossword but with arrows and easier 👍) together, which gently exercises our little grey cells without overstretching them and gives us a combined sense of achievement to go down to sleep with.
If once in bed you still don’t settle, try with your eyes closed to think of 3 achievements you have made during the course of the day, 3 achievements you are aiming for tomorrow (these need not be huge, say eating a healthy breakfast or smiling lots could be examples) and finish by recalling an enjoyable experience from your past and imagining it.
Such positive thoughts help naturally release the positive chemicals that aid sleep and help deflect your mind from any worries that might otherwise occupy it as you are trying to get off, without medication.
If for any reason we simply can’t sleep despite deploying such simple techniques, then our philosophy is there is no point struggling on, so it’s up for a cup of tea, a hot bath to relax the muscles or a breath of fresh air before we try again.
It’s amazing how often this strategy works.
Try separately to eradicate Toxicity from your daily life if possible (see our post entitled "The Relationship between Toxicity & Stressbusting™ for further context) and appreciate that the worst thing you can do is worry about not sleeping, as this in its turn makes sleep even harder to fall into!
Everyone will have some sleepless nights now and again, so don’t beat yourself up about it, as it doesn’t necessarily mean tomorrow night will be the same.
Focus instead on treating yourself kindly and surrounding yourself by positivity so far as circumstances permit.
Our post entitled "10 Stressbusting™ Themes for Decorating to Innovate & Inspire" might well assist in this regard.
Obviously if you are concerned at ongoing lack of sleep, particularly if it is affecting your ability to function, then consult a medical professional (please see our Legal Notices page for further detail).
But a good, consistent routine of self care and evening relaxation should, we hope, help along the way.
Love LouLoU&MikeyM™ xxxx