Getting Better Sleep: Part Two

Welcome back! Last week in the first part of this six part blog series, I introduced you to the concept of setting a sleep goal so that you can get better, more restful sleep. So, how did it go? Do you have your sleep goal ready? Keep it solidly in the forefront of your mind as you continue to learn about sleep obstacles and notice what may apply to you. This week, let’s talk about one of the most common barriers that get in the way of my clients getting their best nights sleep.

A too busy schedule

You’re busy! I already know. Between family, friends, partners, school, work, appointments, house hold chores, hobbies, and down time, who has time for sleep?! Part of the problem of not getting enough sleep is the seemingly limitless options of what we can do or are told we should do with our time. Whether we want to do these things, volunteered to do them, were told we need to do them, or just feel like it’s our responsibility, sometimes it just feels like there’s too many things! I’ve known a lot of people who just don’t get as much sleep as they know they’d like or need in favor of getting more done on their “To Do” List. I can understand that and sometimes even condone it; rather than lay in bed for 2 hours fretting about what didn’t get done or how much you’ll have to do tomorrow, a compromise can be to stay up for an extra hour and put a dent in it all. Then, you’ll have an easier time releasing what didn’t get done, and feel proud of what you were able to get accomplished. And still come out an hour ahead! Hypothetically, at least.

For others, the never ending to do list won’t feel any better if they spend an extra hour working on it all. If you find that that’s true for you, or that you still have a hard time getting yourself to stop and go to bed even after making the “Extra Hour” compromise, let’s add in something else. Something simple, but effective.

Trick #1:

Consider setting a bedtime, as in, the time you want to go to bed. Setting an intention will help you get to your goal: rather than say “I want to go to bed earlier” let’s get really clear on the when of it. What makes the most sense for you, your responsibilities, and schedule? For example, I would love to go to bed at 8:00pm every night, but that’s not realistic for my work, lifestyle and other goals or for other people in my life. What is more realistic is for me to start to wrap up whatever I’m doing at 9pm, to get into bed by 9:30pm, to be asleep by 10pm. It’s still two hours later than my bodies ideal time, but it is much more realistic and a happier medium then staying up until midnight!

Rather than focus this aspect on what time you want to be asleep by, focus it on what time you want to start really unwinding and unplugging from external stimuli. One thing that has been helpful for others is to set a reminder a half an hour before you want to head to bed to remind yourself to wrap up, kind of like I talked about earlier. This is just a gentle, daily reminder of your overall goal for yourself, whatever it was that you exactly set. A gentle nudge to help guide you in moving in that direction, not a hard and fast, inflexible rule. It may also help to set a second reminder, a set amount of time later, that not only is it time to be in bed, but it’s also time to finish up whatever you’re in the middle of and turn out the lights, set down the phone, and any other thing you might already know is helpful for setting the stage for sleep. Again, this shouldn’t be a huge, no arguing rule you have to follow as that can bring up anxiety to hurry and frustration with yourself, that’s not helpful in unwinding and relaxing into sleep.

Trying it out

This week, take a look at your goal and how your busy schedule may be affecting it. Would it be helpful to set a bed time? To cancel plans? To start looking at what responsibilities you can shift or change to be conducive your sleep health? See what you see, then try something out. It doesn’t need to be everything at once or change overnight; let’s treat this as a gradual process and lifestyle shift to support your overall health. And be flexible with it, too. Some changes might not work out, and others might be a more realistic compromise. Let’s keep figuring out what works best for you!

In the next blog, I’ll explore another common barrier to sleep and some ways to address it: Sleep anxiety. I am so excited to share more with you next week about this specific topic! Overcoming this has been pivotal in supporting mood change and shifting energy levels during the day for a lot of my clients, and I can’t wait to share it with you, too! See you there!