10 Ways To Sleep Better
Sleep is an essential aspect of maintaining good health, and several factors can impact the quality of your sleep. Here are some tips for improving your sleep:
TEMPERATURE. It is best to sleep in cooler temperature, about 67 F / 19.44 C. Don’t leave your heater on while you sleep, you'll wake up groggy and dehydrated, with dry eyes, dry mouth and maybe a headache. A few hours before bed, warm up your space with a heater and sip on hot water to help get you relaxed and sleepy. Finish drinking an hour or two before bedtime, so you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Using a heater can make the air dry, so turn on a diffuser or humidifier to offset the dryness.
TIME. Typically, 7 to 8 hours of sleep is recommended, but for cancer patients, it is important to sleep as long as your body tells you to. If 9 to 10 hours feel right, then that’s your number. Avoid scheduling anything early if that interrupts your sleep time. I know I need a couple hours to do my morning routine including breakfast. Try not to set an alarm to wake, instead allow your body to get up on its own time. And when I tell myself I'm going to get up at 6:30, I get up at 6:30. It’s an odd trick that actually works.
LIGHT. Light can disrupt your melatonin production, so it's best to sleep in total darkness or minimize the light in your room. Get curtains that block out light or use a sleep mask to help you sleep better. A contoured one like this won't press on your eyelids or smudge eye makeup during power naps.
STRETCH. Try doing a yoga pose called King pigeon stretch. You can also lie on your back, with your left knee up and rest your right ankle on the left knee. For more of a stretch, pull your left thigh towards you and push the right knee forward and away from the body. Hold the pose and take long, drawn out breaths. Switch sides. This will stretch your thighs and make falling asleep easier. Each time I do this, it really knocks me out.
It’s better to do this pose in bed, so that when you are finished, all you have to do is roll over and pull the covers over you. Doing this on the ground and in another room will take away the nice sleepy effect when you get up and walk to your bed.
This is the best image explaining how to do this. I found it here: http://www.tinareale.com/yoga-poses/
5. SUPPLEMENT. If you have trouble getting to sleep, try one of my favorite products, Calm tea (Plus Calcium). The orange flavor one too sweet. Raspberry-lemon is my favorite, it tastes like hot, tart lemonade when you add hot water. Another option is to take melatonin. Start off with a small dose of 1 or 3mg, working your dose higher a few days at a time until you find what works for you. To avoid dependency, do 3 weeks on and 1 week off. This is the one I use:
6. EMFs
Watching TV is a common habit for many people because of its tempting and easy-to-use nature, making it an ideal form of escape from the stresses of the day. However, the electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emitted by TVs can disrupt your body's natural ability to produce melatonin, leading to poor sleep quality. The negative effects of excessive TV use can go unnoticed if one isn't paying attention.
I started to notice that after a couple hours of watching a movie, especially an intense one, I would sense a buzzing in my body after I turned it off and tried to sleep. And when I shut my eyes, it was a similar sensation, a sort of vibration that I “saw”. This feeling made the effects of EMF more tangible and it turned me off to this habit. This experience is one more reason for me to choose not to give in to this old habit.
I recently noticed that I don’t sleep well staying in a room with a dozen devices plugged in. Charge your phone in another room or as far as possible. Use a surge protector to plug in all of your devices, when not in use or at bedtime, switch it off.
Use a battery operated clock by your bed instead of a plug-in one.
Block blue light from your smart phone, iPads, and computer by installing an app called f.lux. It blocks the blue light emitted from screens, which will disrupt your body's melatonin production; the hormone that regulates sleep cycles. F.lux will automatically adapt the level of blue light being blocked to the time of day, turning your screen more orange as it gets later. The more blue light you choose to block, the more orange your screen will turn. I adjusted mine so that it isn't at it's maximum, the super orange screen was not appealing. It takes just a moment to install on each device.
7. PILLOW. Using a buckwheat pillow can help you stay cool while sleeping. The pillow offers firm support, helping to align your head with your body for a comfortable and restful sleep. The pillow's firmness can make it easier to read while sitting up in bed
8. WINDOW. Make sure not to miss your window for sleep. When you start to feel sleepy, don't resist it. By fighting sleep, you could miss the opportunity to get a good night's rest and end up staying awake for a few more hours.
Avoid engaging in over-stimulating activities such as playing games, watching stressful movies, listening to upbeat music or reading suspenseful books before bedtime. Instead, give your body time to unwind and do calming activities. When you have trouble falling asleep, try reflecting on the best parts of your day or visualize your ideal day to help you relax.
9. ACCEPTANCE. If you miss your opportunity to sleep, don't dwell on it. Avoid constantly checking the time as this can make you more aware of how much sleep you're missing. Instead, try some slow, deep breathing and reassure yourself that whatever amount of sleep you manage to get will be sufficient for your needs the following day. Practicing breath work can help you calm down and quickly induce feelings of peace and relaxation.
Much of our ability to sleep is influenced by our thoughts and mental state. For instance, on days when I happen to sleep late and forget about it, I don't even feel tired. However, when I do remember that I didn't get enough sleep, I start to feel drowsy. It's interesting to reflect on the day and realize how much I accomplished despite lacking the quality sleep.
On the other hand, if I worry about not getting enough sleep, I tend to wake up feeling more exhausted. It's important to pay attention to our mental state and try to cultivate a positive mindset towards sleep.
10. DISTRACTION. Engage in a low-stress activity if you're consistently having trouble getting solid sleep and are awake for hours at a time. Give yourself a set amount of time and choose to do something that doesn't require a lot of focus.
During my first 5 months of chemotherapy, I suffered from insomnia for about a year. I would be up for 3 to 4 hours at a time. To manage it, I started working on jigsaw puzzles. It was a great activity because I could visually see progress being made, and it was stimulating enough to keep my mind occupied without exacerbating my insomnia.
When you find yourself unable to sleep, take advantage of the alpha state you're in and use it for creative endeavors. Try journaling or drawing, as both can be relaxing and allow for creativity to flourish. Consider trying Zentangle drawing, which involves repetitive strokes in patterns and promotes a relaxed focus similar to meditation.