It’s amazing what good sleep can do for us; it can make us feel rested, calm, energetic, clear-minded, optimistic and also give us lots of patience – something you’ll particularly appreciate if you’re a parent.
I have always been a good sleeper. However, about four years ago, I struggled with insomnia which lasted for a couple of months. It was terrible. So, I decided to learn about it; I read and watched everything I could find about sleep and what affects sleep. Finally, I was able to find solutions and get back to a normal sleep pattern.
I’ve been enjoying a good night’s sleep and managing my sleep since then.
However, lately, I noticed again that I sometimes don’t get good periods of sleep. I thought about what might affect the quality of my sleep. I observed that the underlying, subtle stress caused by the pandemic had a lot to do with it. Having an anxious child waking up to go toilet in the middle of the night, plus a cat who suddenly decided he was a singer at dawn didn’t help either. And I admit, also watching YouTube videos until late was not helping!
After pondering about it, I adjusted a few things around my habits and environment. I already started to see some positive results.
So if you are reading this, I assume you are having some sleep issues yourself and want to understand what might be causing it.
I thought It could be helpful to share my own experience, and hopefully bring you more awareness around your personal sleep issues.
Just a word of caution though – self-help articles like this are about taking care of ourselves and sharing experiences. The intention is to bring awareness, not prescribe remedies. We are all unique – some things may work for some and not for others. Most importantly, if your condition affects your daily life or is of a chronic nature, please seek help from your doctor or specialist.
So, good sleep is essential for our well being, and lack of it can cause serious health problems.
First of all, we need to understand what affects our sleep and may be unique to our personal situation.
I believe we all have our own personal wisdom. So, I suggest you get out pen and paper and take some notes about your evening routine (or just think about it if you don’t feel like writing). What do you do before you go to bed? Are you looking at screens, watching TV, checking social media or reading from your tablet or phone? Do you consume alcohol or black tea or coffee before bed or late in the afternoon? Are you feeling stressed or anxious lately, or can you not stop thinking about some things, or are worrisome in some way? And what other things are there that might be affecting your sleep?
Below is a list of what might affect our sleep and which I gathered during my personal sleep (less) journey. You will see a big emphasise on digital life and how it affects our sleep (and life) in a negative way, and within all that I’ll also share about what sort of adjustments I have made for myself around all of that.
Know yourself!
I know by now that if I drink coffee in the late afternoon it does affect my sleep. The point is, caffeine causes alertness in our brain. That’s why we drink coffee; to wake up! Consequently, I no longer drink coffee after 2 pm. I don’t drink black tea at night either, because it also contains caffeine and stimulate alertness. Instead, I have some herbal tea – red bush or chamomile or so. I occasionally like to drink wine, but I know If I drink more than 2 glasses at night it does disturb my sleep. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night and feeling thirsty. Also eating too much or too late can trigger sleep issues. So observe what happens to you, and know yourself around the consumption of food and drink.
The dangers of blue light!
Blue light, which shines from our devices, can disturb our circadian rhythm, the body’s natural sleep and wake cycle. So first of all, check all your devices and switch them to warm light or night settings at night.
Switching your device to night mode can help, but our eyes did not evolve for the intense use of devices. The best solution is, to limit the screen time at night.
So, I decided to reduce my watching time to only a few nights a week, and not to watch anything or use digital devices after 10 pm.
Know your circadian rhythm!
As I mentioned before the circadian rhythm is our sleep and wake cycle. It may be different for you, but for me, sleep time starts between 10-10.30. If I miss that window it may take a long time until I can go to sleep.
Overload of information!
We already have busy lives, but we continue to feed our brains with lots of additional information day and night. And we hope the brain will process it all. Unfortunately, it is too much information to process. And it can cause sleep problems because it overstimulates the brain. It can be good to have a break and free our brains from time to time.
So, I decided to switch off the internet and devices on weekends. Best choice ever! I feel rejuvenated and relaxed when the new week starts.
Negative impact on emotions!
We tend to browse social media or YouTube for hours, read comments & posts etc, and some content can trigger our emotions. I came across some disturbing content on YouTube recently without being prepared, and I still can’t get over it. I’m sure you might have had similar experiences.
Also, social media has become a platform on which we share & post things without considering what this may trigger in our audience. If we were to talk to people face to face, we would be much more careful about what and how we say or share things.
So, I don’t check social media at night. I try to stay away from things that could disturb my emotions before going to bed in general.
Stress and anxiety can trigger sleep issues!
Stress and anxiety can cause sleep problems. Stress is worrying about an external problem or challenge, for example, a deadline, an exam, etc. Stress is a short term affair, and when it’s over, our stress level goes back to normal. Anxiety is more persistent, and it lingers even when there is no external stressor. Mild stress and anxiety can be managed with healthy habits & lifestyle, but if it becomes chronic and starts to affect your day to day life, please seek help from a mental health expert.
I consciously try not to overload my mental capacity. I reduced stress by doing several different things: I walk in nature, take mindful breaths, and do bite-size mindfulness meditation throughout the day. I go dancing, journal, talk to friends and family and allow myself to cry sometimes. So, I suggest you sprinkle activities into your weekly life that would nourish your body & soul and de-stress you.
Now please check your notes. What stands out, what can you notice?
Is there anything you overdo, or lack?
What can you change or adjust?
What choices don’t serve you in terms of being able to sleep well? After pondering on this, see if you can replace them with healthier ones.
Starting with micro-changes is a good idea, that way we don’t feel overwhelmed.
To summarise:
Think about how consuming certain foods and drinks may affect your sleep.
Have a good understanding of your circadian rhythm. Go to sleep when you feel sleepy and start yawning.
Do activities that de-stress you, e.g. exercise, yoga, seeing friends and so forth.
Enable night settings on your devices and reduce the exposure to blue light.
It’s best if you can limit watching or browsing time at night. Both the blue light and the content can stimulate your brain and cause sleep issues.
Instead, have a relaxing evening. It may include:
– Having herbal tea
– Journaling
– Choosing light/funny or feel-good programs to watch
– Reading easy and feel-good books (actual book-books, not reading from a phone!)
– Having light conversations
– Letting go of worrying thoughts
– Meditating, mindful breathing
– Maybe saying a little prayer or having a positive self-talk
It’s all about becoming aware of what works for you, and particularly being mindful of your screen time.
There is life beyond screens. There is the forest, the ocean, the sky and your beautiful community.
Take care, and have a good night’s sleep.
With Love
Nalan
List of further reading topics and links here
–https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomnia
–http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/health