It’s common for clients to want to get better sleep and especially so when sleep difficulties are related to a health issue.
When your sleep is interrupted by pain it can be very draining, and sleep problems interfere with our ability to cope with daily life due to fatigue. I’m prioritising getting plenty of sleep myself, because a recent accident left me exhausted, and my body needs rest time to heal the injuries.
If you’re struggling with sleep, especially if you need better quality sleep to recover from a health condition, here are some practical steps to try and improve your sleep:
- Decide that you’re going to make sleep a priority, and commit to this as a project, with a spirit of possibility and curiosity.
- Get to bed early – ideally before 10 p.m.
- Reduce or eliminate caffeine – remember it’s in black tea, energy drinks and chocolate as well as coffee and Coke.
- Avoid alcohol before bed – while you may think it helps you drop off, it disrupts your sleep cycle during the night.
- Include starchy carbohydrates in your evening meal so hunger doesn’t keep you awake.
- Add some calming activities to your day – walking, meditation, simple breathing exercises and yoga have all been shown to help with better sleep. If these aren’t your sort of thing, find something that works for you and is calming.
- Minimise blue light exposure and screen use in the evening before bed.
- Avoid bright lighting when preparing for bed.
- Take steps to ensure your room is comfortable, dark, quiet and cool.
- Keep all technology out of the bedroom.
- Clear off your nightstand and the area around your bed. This is the last thing you see at night and the first thing you see in the morning. Keep it calm and uncluttered, so it’s not distracting you with signals that you need to tidy up.
- Talk to your GP or a nutritionist about whether more magnesium could help you get better sleep.
- Avoid work and stressful situations before bed – including news reports and social media.
- If worrying is keeping you awake, try my free PDF which explains 4 techniques you can use to stop worrying
- Listening to a bespoke hypnotherapy recording can be very effective in helping you sleep, as can addressing underlying concerns. Contact me for a chat if you’d like to know more.