Insomnia
At this time especially, many people are having sleepless nights- a hard time falling asleep, waking up throughout the night and/or waking up early and not being able to fall back a sleep. The Corona pandemic has left a lot of people feeling scared, uncertain, worried about their future, their finances and their health or their loved ones health. Stress and anxiety can be dampened in the day with schedules and things to do but at night it creeps in. There are many unknowns and worries. Minds tend to race at night- overthinking, anxiety and/or panic can set in when your body is suppose to be a rest. The fear of not sleeping can keep you in a loop creating more sleepless nights. In the morning the lack of sleep can set you up for feeling more overwhelmed and anxious. It is a challenging cycle.
Sleep hygiene is the first place to begin to address insomnia. Here are some helpful tips:
Remove phones and other electronics in your bedroom. Get a blue light to help with the sleep/wake cycle.
Do not use electronics one hour before bed
Limit caffeine especially after 12. Also limit or do not drink alcohol before bed. Alcohol acts as a stimulant during the night.
Add a small protein snack before bed to help blood sugar levels throughout the night.
Take naps early in the day or not at all
Have a relaxing bath with epson salts and lavender essential oils before bed
Have a time in the day where you write down all your worries and make lists of things you need to do
Listen to relaxing music or read a non-stimulating book before bed. Some people like audiobooks or Mandala colouring books. Try not do anything stimulating before bed like work, having a stressful conversation or reading the news. This will induce a stress response at the time when you are trying to unwind.
Have a cup of relaxing tea. Chamomile, Lavender, Passionflower, Oats, Valerian are examples of herbs/plants that calm your nervous system.
Exercise early in the day to reduce stress and increase your mood.
Make sure your bedroom is dark to help set sleep/wake cycles. Also make sure your bedroom is not too warm.
Use a weighted blanket at bedtime to help decrease anxiety.
Add drops of lavender essential oil to your pillow before bed to help soothe your nervous system.
Keep a routine including when you go to bed and wake up. This helps your body regulate.
Do breath work and/or mindful meditation before bed. With practice these techniques can help your nervous system become more resilient. You need to keep this up though to get the full benefits. I will be posting about both of these techniques soon.
Try these but if you are still having trouble with insomnia, please contact me and we can work on a more comprehensive and individual plan. Anxiety, depression, past trauma, hormonal issues, thyroid issues, Iron deficiency, respiration problems and other conditions maybe contributing to sleepless nights and need to be addressed.
I am here for you.