Sleep
*These reflect my own personal thoughts & experiences, and is in no way professional counseling or medical advice.*
The other day I was getting ready for bed and it just hit me…. “This is a lot of shit I gotta do”
Over the years I have added another routine or item for me to sleep peacefully, far from the days as a kid just plopping down in the back of our family minivan and waking up in my bed fully rested.
Since being diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2016, I have taken my sleep hygiene much more seriously and learning about the ins and outs of my body in rest.
When I did my sleep study, I was shocked to learn that I had over 70 episodes a minute, essentially, in 60 seconds, I would stop breathing seventy times. I would wake up with a gasp of air as I’m suffocating or wake up with an extremely dry mouth and a fatigued body with foggy mind. Getting on a CPAP machine has changed my life more positively, but also I feel restricted to it and hope to be able to shed it. The biggest recommendation is to lose weight, and unfortunately, after losing 30lbs and retesting, I was told it was genetic.
6 years later, I’ve added on a right arm brace for an ulnar nerve damage where there’s tingling down to my fingers and weakness in grip strength. Mouth guard for bruxism, aka teeth grinding due to stress. Eye mask and black out curtains from my time on graveyard shifts and now my sensitivity to light. Weighted blanket to assist with anxiety and better hold me down from my tossing and turning. Hot sleep tea. Occasional melatonin gummy. And a boring counseling book. What a time to be alive.
Through my sleep doctor, I’ve learned a few things that I apply in my work as a counselor developing a better sleep hygiene with my clients (may not apply to everyone):
Get regular: have a consistent sleep & wake time, even on days off & vacation
Sleep when sleepy: Sleep when you actually feel tired, rather lay awake in bed for too long
Get up & try again: If you haven’t been able to sleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something “boring”, sit in the dark on the couch, don’t go on your phone or turn on the TV (that’ll stimulate the mind), then try again.
Avoid coffee, nicotine, and alcohol too close to bedtime
Bed is for sleeping: Often times people are on their phones or doing work in bed, ideally, try to separate the bed space for sleep & sex.
Naps: Limit naps to less than an hour, ideally 15-20 minutes.
Sleep rituals: Stretch & wind down. For me, that’s tea and a boring book.
Shower or bath: studies shows a connection to sleepiness with drop in temperature. Some may notice themselves feeling tired and relaxed after a hot shower.
Avoid clock-watching: Frequently watching the clock can reinforce negative thoughts, especially those who turn to their phone for the time.
Avoid technology/screens: My sleep doctor said that studies are showing that the technology/screen time prior to bed is not as negative as once thought, yes it stimulates the brain, but it doesn’t change as much. What they said was more a negative impact, is when people turn to their phones when they wake in the middle of the night or go to the bathroom, going from darkness to a bright light is what makes it difficult for people to get back to sleep. So if you get up to use the bathroom, avoid using your phone, and lie right back into bed.
As I get older, I continue to remind myself to be better at taking care of myself physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. Sleep is (ideally) a quarter to a third of our day, which makes it important to develop a good sleep hygiene and routine for ourselves to get that optimal sweet sweet plopped in the back of a family minivan, waking up in your bed type rest. Good night.
