Getting My Zzzzs: You're Doing It Wrong

I'll just admit it: I get a great night sleep. 

Even as a upper-40ish perimenopausal lady, I sleep well most nights and I know this is special because most of my friends complain about their poor sleep. I suspect it's mostly on them, because, when asked, they're clearly not prioritizing the habits that will help them. And with just a few tweaks and some focus, they'd sleep better. But do you ever notice some people make "I'm a poor sleeper" just part of their personality and they don't really care to change? 

Anyway, I'm documenting all my sleep secrets here because maybe you're doing it wrong. And maybe you want to sleep better.   

First, do the stuff everyone says to do, because these habits are obvious and they work. 

  • Stop eating after 8pm (or 7pm, if I'm really paying attention). Go to bed just a teeny bit hungry. If your body is digesting, it might be hard to fall asleep and stay asleep, too. 
  • Stop drinking anything after 8pm, too. The reason is obvious (no one wants to keep up in the middle of the night to pee).
  • Put your phone down! Stop looking at it hours before you want to sleep. All that stimulation to your brain is obviously going to interrupt falling to sleep. Duh. 
  • Follow a nightly routine. Like when we had little kids, a routine just helps tell your body it's time for bed. Not having little kids really simplifies things here, too. 
And now the things I think definitely help me sleep well and through the entire night: 
  • Read until you can't keep your eyes open. Once my bedtime routine is done, it's my reading time. A few chapters in my romance book, a novella from Kindle Unlimited, whatever. Any light, happy story that will fill my head with nice things. With a Kindle, you don't even need the lights on. Keep reading until it's hard to keep your eyes open. That could be minutes or hours. Once you put down the book, you will probably nod right off to sleep.
  • Weighted blanket! In the winter months, I sleep under a 15lb weighted blanket. It. Is. Awesome. Not only is it super warm, the gentle pressure keeps me from tossing and turning all night. It's the best. I also hear it's great with people with anxiety. 
  • Love that feeling of falling asleep. I learned this two-parter strategy on a podcast. 
    • First, fall in love with the feeling of falling asleep. If you think about it, what a miracle nodding off to sleep is. That surrender. That fall into oblivion. Feels incredible. Waking up and having to fall asleep AGAIN is kinda great. 
    • Second part, stop being frustrated when you wake up in the middle of the night. Your body heard something or felt something, it's just working as designed to keep you alive. But also, why have an opinion about it at all? Ok, you're awake, but it's bliss to fall asleep again, so control your invalid emotional response, go to the bathroom and fall back to sleep. 
  • Tell yourself a story. If I'm really stubbornly awake, I tell myself a story. Or explain a book plot. Or plan a house renovation. 
I have poor night sleeps, sure, but it doesn't annoy me or ruin the next day. 

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