Insomnia or restless sleep patterns can devastate your mood and daytime productivity levels. You know how challenging it is to concentrate and get motivated at work if you’re running on only five or six hours of sleep compared to your usual eight. It’s even more difficult as a parent, as you must also worry about your children’s sleeping behavior.
What can you do differently during the day to fall asleep earlier and wake up well-rested the next morning? Consider using these valuable tips during the day to help your dream state arrive more promptly and stay the whole night. In some instances, you can encourage them in your kids as well.
Use Your Bedroom Sparingly
If you work from your bedroom at home or spend weekends and days off watching television there, you should change your routine. Spending too much time in your bedroom can subconsciously cause your brain to associate it with the things you do most there. Your precious sleep may suffer as a result.
As parents, even spending too much time talking in your bedroom could create an unconscious link. Instead, keep most of your activity elsewhere in the home— your bedroom should ideally only be for sleeping and very private essentials. Your sleep will likely improve, as climbing into your bed will create the subconscious association you want — one encouraging the sandman’s arrival.
Exercise Regularly
More than 60% of American adults could do with more physical activity during the week. Regular exercise helps synchronize your circadian rhythm — your brain and body’s built-in timetable that guides your hormones, chemicals and enzymes to work optimally and rejuvenate properly. You're also more vulnerable to illness with your circadian rhythm out of sync.
Be careful about timing, though. Morning exercise can help advance your circadian rhythm, making you feel more alert during the day and sleepy at night. On the other hand, exercising too close to bedtime might delay your sleep onset, leading to disrupted sleep patterns and several other adverse side effects.
Playing outside working hours will stimulate creativity and improve your social life. Being young at heart and burning your creative flame reduces your stress levels, so keep active while indulging in your favorite hobbies and socializing with friends. Afterward, you’ll find sleep comes faster and more comfortably. Your productivity will also soar when you return to work the following day.
Limit Screen Time and Choose Lighting Well
You have probably set rules around your children’s screen time — now it’s time to apply some to yourself. Phones, tablets, computers and TVs emit short-wavelength enriched light, also known as blue light, that cuts down and delays melatonin production. Using these devices for activities like watching videos, reading articles or playing games reduces your time in rapid-eye movement (REM) and slow-wave sleep, which are essential for your brain’s cognitive function.
Establish a “digital curfew” by turning off all your electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime. Use this time to relax with low-tech activities like meditating, practicing yoga stretches, taking a warm bath or reading a book.
Ideally, read somewhere other than in your bedroom and avoid bright lights like fluorescents. Reading under yellow, orange or red lights maintains your circadian rhythm. While e-reading subjects you to blue light, it is far healthier than using other electronic displays and better for REM and slow-wave sleep. Remember to turn down your display brightness, though.
Eat and Drink Wisely
A hearty meal can improve or disrupt your sleep, depending on when you eat. By all means, enjoy a big dinner, but try to eat earlier. You should finish eating about three hours before bed. This allows your body to begin digestion and gives time for the contents of your stomach to move into your small intestine.
A better option is to eat smaller meals during the day and reduce the size of your dinner. If your stomach grumbles before bed, snack on something healthy like nuts.
Also, avoid caffeine intake for as long as possible before you sleep. Ideally, as a coffee lover, you’ll want to enjoy your favorite drink in the morning and switch to water in the afternoon and evening. If you crave a warm beverage before bedtime, make yourself a soothing cup of caffeine-free chamomile, lavender or lemon tea.
If All Else Fails, Visit a Professional
Visit a professional if you’ve tried absolutely everything else and sleep still evades you. Occasionally, people with constant sleeping issues could be experiencing problems that need clinical solutions, but cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) and other sleep issues doesn’t require medication.
Unfortunately, medication has become a go-to option for many without first trying to remedy poor sleeping patterns themselves. After trying the other steps and CBT-i without success, visit your doctor if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms:
- Excessive snoring
- Chest or stomach pains
- A dry or clammy throat
- Leg discomfort
- Chronic and enduring insomnia
Sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease are common sleep disorders that typically require medical intervention to alleviate. If you struggle with chronic insomnia, you might need melatonin supplements to correct an imbalance.
Your doctor may prescribe a sedative. If so, be honest about your medical history and symptoms and follow instructions — request to start on the lowest dose and avoid alcohol while on the meds. However, keep trying everything you’ve done to remedy your poor sleep.
Persevere and Remain Positive
Though it’s sometimes easier said than done, staying upbeat makes a difference when facing challenges. In any situation, maintaining a proactive mindset while attempting to find solutions alleviates stress and chances of depression more than giving up does, so use your daylight hours to try different things and work toward a positive solution. Getting a good night’s sleep is well worth the effort.
