Matters of Sleeplessness - Part Two

Last week I talked about resetting sleep clocks and gaining better long term sleep quality, but what do you do if, despite your best efforts, you continue waking up in the middle of the night or still struggle to fall asleep?  There are still many options available to you, so don’t despair.  Ultimately, keeping good habits will eventually make you a better sleeper, but it does come easier for some than others.

A good place to start is increasing your activity level during the day.  Take a walk during your lunch break at work, get up early and go to the gym, or have a dance party with your kids after dinner.  Increased activity during the day will tire your body and make you more likely to sleep soundly.  You may also want to set your alarm a half hour earlier than usual and get up when it goes off every day, even on the weekends or when you have suffered a sleepless night.  You will likely experience a few days where you are seriously tired, but this will force your body to adjust.

Finally, if all else fails, teach yourself small meditations, breathing exercises or tension and release exercises.  It can be as simple as counting deep yogic breaths or practicing meditations.  Invest some time in finding CDs or podcasts of meditations that work for you.  Check out the Headspace application or Dr. John-Kabat Zinn’s mindful meditations.  For those who prefer an approach that involves more guided imagery, you can check out meditation CDs lead by Dr. Brian Weiss.  If you are unfamiliar with tension and release, it is truly simple.  Beginning at your feet, you tense and hold for a few seconds every muscle working your way up your body to your face.  As you release your hold on the muscle it should feel warm and loose.  This progression often helps your body to feel more relaxed and brings on sleep. 

If you are someone who doesn’t struggle to fall asleep but wakes often, try not to get out of bed when you awake during the night.  Keep your room dark and quiet.  Do not look at your phone or any other screen as this is stimulating to your brain and will affect your ability to sleep long afterward.  Changing bad sleep habits can take time, but the overall health and emotional benefits are worth all the work.