“I don’t get enough sleep”
Well what do you mean? There are a lot of things this has meant to me? Some things it’s meant and how I navigated the issue.
…I go to bed late. Why? Watching youtube, facebook, instagram, netflix. Why? It’s relaxing. No, actually I get stressed the morning after because I regret wasting that time. It’s addicting. Why? It’s too easy.
A: putting my phone away when I lay down has been helpful. If I want to use it, I let myself, but in the living room, at my desk. Refraining from using in bed has been very helpful
…I lay down but can’t fall asleep. Why? Too hot.
A: So I turned down the heat or cracked open the window and used a thinner blanket. When my body feels cold, it makes me drowsy and helps me fall asleep. So much I put away my phone!
….I sleep but I always wake up in the middle of the night. Why? Nightmare. Well, what’s going on before and after the nightmare?
A: I’m cold. So I make the room cold enough to make me sleepy but not so much that I get a nightmare. Sometimes this is hard to fine tune.
…I sleep but I feel tired. The most frustrating situation. Interferes with daily life. Drinking coffee which makes me feel bad, feeling drained at work, irritable thoughts, exhaustion, prolonged muscle soreness from runs or workouts. Wasted time being tired and lost productivity. Went to my primary care physician. Suggested sleeping an extra 40 minutes to balance needs of busy lifestyle while getting in another cycle of sleep. Instructed me to block out as much light as possible from my windows, doors, computer lights, charger LED’s. And he also suggested lowering the temperature. Avoid caffeine, and definitely avoid melatonin and sleeping aids for concern of developing a dependency. Hardest one: refrain from looking at computer or phone screens a few hours before bedtime (8pm in my case). Honestly. Struggle with this very much.
A: I make a mental note that after 8pm I should think about brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed. After 8, I usually feel a little drowsy at times, and I’ll drop what I’m doing (messaging, working, watching) and just go lay down in bed. (Continue the conversation in the morning. Messaging is casual anyway). BEST results so far. Feeling more rested, but also a small enough change that I can keep up with it.
Be Specific 