Struggling with Sleep?
Let’s talk about sleep. How is yours? Solid? Peaceful? Interrupted? Irregular?
Why is there such concern for those who are sleeping poorly?
At some point in your life, I am sure you’ve had a lousy night’s sleep which impacted your day in an undesirable way. We may feel sluggish and foggy, often setting a goal to just “get through” on a day like this.
For some this is an ongoing battle, fought each and every night, and those undesirable effects are felt daily.
For others, I’ve heard the response of “I’m fine on 4-5 hours of sleep.” Now, in truth, there aren’t too many people who are truly wired to be able to survive and thrive on that little amount of sleep.
If you are someone who gets by on 4-5 hours, can I ask, have you ever consistently had 7-8 hours of good quality sleep? I am sure you’re an awesome person now…….how off-the-charts awesome could you be if you were sleeping consistently 7-8 hours each night?
While it has been generally understood and accepted that we feel less than our best when we haven’t had a good night’s sleep, it hasn’t been until more recently, that we’ve been aware of how poor sleep affects our mood and mental health, our performance and physical health.
More specifically, taken from the Canadian Sleep Society (https://css-scs.ca/):
“Insufficient sleep, even on a single night, has a number of immediate consequences including lower alertness, negative mood, reduced motor and visual acuity, longer response times, and impaired attention and memory.
Chronic sleep restriction over days and weeks leads to cumulative deficits in alertness, mood and cognitive performance. As well, insufficient sleep can have long-term consequences for health including weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease.”
So, what are some of the things that can impact our sleep?
There are areas in which we can make significant progress with coaching tools and techniques.
In other areas, notably medication or anxiety/depression related, I would recommend connecting with a medical professional to obtain further support.
This is by no means, an exhaustive list, but does speak to many of the common things that impact one’s sleep.
-chronic pain,
-stress,
-some medications, whether it be prescribed, over-the-counter or supplement based,
-smoking/vaping,
-anxiety,
-depression,
-light,
-noise,
-temperature,
-lack of physical activity/movement during the daytime
-caffeine/energy drinks
-eating and drinking too close to bedtime
-screen time close to bedtime
-alcohol intake
So, what can we do to positively impact our sleep?
My number one suggestion here is to evaluate sections of your day to discover where some hidden culprits may be, and as well, schedule sleep positive habits and routines throughout the day/evening.
Morning:
-have a consistent waking time, and do not stray too far from this on the weekends/days off.
Throughout the day:
-ensure that you incorporate movement and exercise throughout each day.
-learn and practice breathing/relaxation techniques
Dinnertime/early evening:
-Remove any sources of caffeine/nicotine etc (that is, anything that is a stimulant)
-limit alcohol intake
-put away screens two hours before bedtime
-choose calming activities (e.g. if watching TV, choose a lighthearted comedy vs. stressful news or violent movies)
Bedtime:
-ensure a dark, cool room, with no distractions (e.g. TV/phone)
-choose a consistent bedtime
-use relaxation and breathing techniques to calm the mind and body
Throughout the night, if you wake and are having a hard time getting back to sleep:
-should you be awake for more than 20 mins, get up and do a quiet activity (reading, meditation) and return to bed when you feel sleepy again
For more information and resources, visit Canadian Sleep Society or reach out to discuss how to incorporate the above strategies into your daily routine.
In kindness and health,,
Deanna