Hi everyone!
Yesterday I wrote a post about dreaming and what our dreams mean. See that post here.
But what if you are having the opposite problem? Lately, Himself is having awful problems falling to sleep at night. He works in Leicester and so has about a 2 hour commute to and from work everyday which means he has to set him alarm for about 5am and he doesn't get home till close to 8pm some evenings depending on traffic. He usually comes in from work, does the dishes (we have a system in place where I cook and he cleans after it) and then flops on the couch rubbing his eyes and telling me through yawns how tired he is. However, once he takes his sleepy self off to bed somewhere between 10 and 11, he is wide awake and tossing and turning all night until the final hour, where he has told me he has the deepest sleep, only to be woken rudely and unsympathetically by the dreaded alarm. He then has a day ahead of working, driving for 4-ish hours, he gets home and the cycle continues. Not very fun for him.
I too have experienced the horror of insomnia in the past and it is no joke I can tell you, so I really do feel for him when I hear his alarm going and him groaning and sighing before dragging himself from the bed reluctantly. But, my gut feeling is that he isn't preparing himself for sleep at night time. After dinner he usually has his head buried in the iPad doing online banking, sending emails and God knows whatever else. He then expects to be able to jump into bed and switch out like a light? No! It doesn't work like that, he needs to be winding down for a least an hour before bed. Tip No.1! Steer clear of all laptops, iPads, P.C.s etc before bed.
So, if you find yourself staring blankly at the ceiling while your loved one snores their head off beside you here are a few tips you could try to help ease you off to the land of Nod:
- Drink Warm Milk: It may be a cliché but the calcium that milk contains works on helping your nerves to relax.
- Get Up: Don't lie awake longer than 30 minutes trying to fall asleep, this will only frustrate you and future ruin your chances of relaxing enough to nod off. Get up and do something that is quiet and non-stimulating. When you feel tired again go back to bed.
- Sleep On Your Back: It is the best position to allow your internal organs to rest properly. If you must lie on your side, lie on your right side as sleeping on your left side causes your lungs, liver and stomach to press against your heart. Never sleep on your stomach as it can lead to a stiff neck and back problems.
- Visualize Something Peaceful: When I was a little girl and couldn't sleep my Mam would sit on my bed, rub my hair and tell me to "just think of something really nice". It always worked and it still does today! While you are lying in a comfortable position in bed, imagine you are in your most favourite place, doing your most favourite thing or with your most favourite people. Before you know it you will have drifted off.
- Purple Giraffe: Right now while you are reading this try to imagine a purple giraffe. It's not so easy is it? If you try to visualize a random bunch of animals with the wrong colours while in bed this will distract yourself from thinking about the stressful or negative thoughts that are keeping you awake.
- A Short Walk: If you live in a safe area, a short walk around the neighbourhood may help you to wind down before bed.
- Warm Towel: Putting a towel in the dryer for a few minutes and placing it over your eyes can help to relax your eyes.
- Food Allergy Elimination: This may seems like a strange one but if you have a hidden food allergy or intolerance anxiety and insomnia are common symptoms. You can either begin to eliminate certain foods that you suspect to be the problem from your diet or you can go and have a food allergy test done
All this talk of sleep is making me think about a having a nap! I better get up and do some work.
Have you ever struggled to get to sleep at night? Do you have any remedies I haven't mentioned? Please share by leaving a comment below or my emailing me.
I hope you have a beautiful + creative day
Ciara
xoxo
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