The alarm went off, blaring at me – SNOOZE. It went off again and I dragged myself out of bed. It hadn’t felt that long ago that I had gone to sleep, how could it be time to get up? I slowly woke up as I went through my morning routine. And I thought, “I’m so tired, how will I make it through the day?”
Sleeping and getting enough can sometimes be extremely difficult. Do you ever long for the days when we took naps at school? Me too! I didn’t realize just how good I had it.
The scenario above, or something similar, happens for so many of us. But how can we break free from that?
Is it just about getting to bed earlier? Or having a certain kind of mattress? What about one of those weighted blankets – would that fix it? Should we go to the doctor for a pill that will magically make it better? While it’s not a bad idea to rule out any physical issues that could contribute to sleep problems, a pill isn’t always the answer. There are some great options to try before deciding on the need for medication.
Growing up, many children don’t give much thought to sleep other than that they’re tired, or that they don’t want to go to bed yet. (In fact, I can vividly recall being put to bed just after 8 pm when it was still light outside and being so frustrated that I couldn’t stay up later!) For many people, sleep wasn’t something they had to worry about as they were growing up – it just happened.
As adults, many of us experience problems related to sleep.
Some issues could include: falling asleep, staying asleep, feeling rested when waking up, or having trouble staying awake during the day.
Often, we are caught up in the busyness of life, and it’s easy to forget to care for ourselves. As kids, we (hopefully) had our parents to make sure that we got enough sleep. Now, we need to care for ourselves, but it can sometimes be a bit more complicated than getting to bed on time.
We now have the freedom to choose a lot related to sleep: to watch TV beforehand – to eat in bed – to stay up late or go to bed early – to scroll videos on our phones – to talk or text in bed, and more. None of these are bad, but they can serve to “wake up” our brains. We might decide it’s time to go to sleep, but our brains are still running.
Just as it’s important to set ourselves up for success in other areas of our life, it’s essential to do so to promote good sleep. For example, if someone wants to become good at something (a career, a sport, anything), they need to learn about it, work on it, maybe gain some kind of credentials, and keep growing in it. The point is, rarely does it just happen with a snap of the fingers.
Similarly, caring for and being proactive about our sleep habits can help us to have better sleep.
Many studies have been done to research what helps and don’t help people to get good rest. I won’t go into all of those, but I will list several areas to consider and observe in your sleep habits.
To start, it’s important to observe our sleep habits and practices. Notice what you do before bed and what is different on nights when you sleep well vs those when you don’t, or when it’s easy to go to sleep vs not.
A few questions to ask yourself are:
How many hours of sleep do you need to feel well-rested?
How many hours of sleep do you get?
What time do you normally go to bed and what time do you get up?
What do you do in the hour or two before bed?
When you get a good night’s sleep, was there anything that helped?
How much caffeine do you drink?
How much “screen” time do you have before bed? (Studies have shown that the light and other stimulation from our electronic devices tell our body it’s not time to sleep.)
I could probably go on and on with this list. After observing yourself and answering these questions it could become clearer to you what might be impacting your sleep. Now you can plan to build better sleep habits for yourself. This looks different for each person.
I will give you a few suggestions here, but this is far from comprehensive! These are all meant to promote good sleep. Some might work for you, some might not, but they all are worth considering and trying.
Getting regular exercise can often help to tire us out, reduce stress, and help us to relax. (But don’t exercise right before bed!)
Limit your caffeine intake during the day and especially within a few hours before bed.
Create a soothing atmosphere in your bedroom – quiet, comfortable, and clean.
Create a nightly routine for yourself. This could include: going to bed at the same time each night, doing some relaxation exercises (such as deep breathing), washing your face, brushing your teeth, listening to music, reading, and so on.
Limit time on your phone or computer before bed (or, if you’re having trouble going to sleep – don’t pick your phone back up to scroll).
Find ways to reduce or limit your stress.
Remember to be kind to yourself.
Begin Therapy in Smyrna, GA
If you want to learn more about how to help yourself to get better sleep, we would love to meet with you and help you to explore your options. Our team is happy to work with you to consider what might be causing you problems. If stress is something that is contributing to difficulties with sleep, that is something we could help with as well. I hope you will be able to find better, more restful sleep.
“I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.” Psalm 3:5
“If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24
You are a unique and special individual, but like everyone else, there are limits to what you can do physically. Remember to be kind to yourself and to your body and seek out good rest. You can start your therapy journey with Remain Connected Counseling by following these simple steps:
Reach out to talk to an Atlanta therapist.
Have your first appointment at Remain Connected
Start feeling more balanced on a physical, mental, and emotional level!
Other Services Offered at Remain Connected Counseling
We understand the multiple mental health concerns you may experience. THis is why we are happy to offer a variety of services including teen therapy, anxiety treatment, and EMDR therapy. In addition, we also offer Pastoral counseling, life transitions therapy, depression counseling, and more all under a Christian counseling lens. By using online therapy, these services are available to anyone in Georgia. Learn more about our team of dedicated therapists and contact us for more information.