It’s bedtime.
The lights are out. The bed is cozy. The temperature is perfect.
You snuggle in with your head on the nice, cool pillow.
And then…
Your brain starts its nightly banter:
- Did I remember to put eggs on the grocery list?
- What time is the party on Friday?
- Have I given the dog her medicine this month?
- Why didn’t Jim at work say anything about the Christmas gift exchange?
- I need to get an oil change this week. Maybe Thursday. Or Friday. No, Wednesday.
And around and around it goes!
One of the main reasons many people find surrendering to sleep to be a challenge is that, very often, their mind starts to chatter away just like that.
Today, we’re wrapping up a month talking about sleep on The Habit Thrive Podcast with Episode #22: Strategies to Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep.
We've been working on our daily routine (which may now include an evening and morning ritual) to prepare for sleep. Things like:
- Being mindful of when you consume caffeine, alchol, sugar
- Eating your heavier meals earlier in the day
- Stopping screen time an hour before bed
- Meditating or listening to sleep podcasts in the evenings to wind down
But what happens when you finally lay in bed and despite all your preparations, you just can’t surrender to sleep?
The key is to distract your thoughts.
You may try using your phone or a sound machine to drift off to the sound of the ocean or a nature scene or rainstorm. The sounds take your mind to another place, away from those thoughts creeping in and keeping you awake.
Maybe you prefer not to have any electronic devices in your room at night; or you find that while the sounds distract you from your thoughts, you eventually end up unable to sleep because you can’t stop listening to the birds or the waves or the traffic sounds…
Try breathing exercises instead, focusing on the sound of your breathing or even counting your breaths.
Or count sheep. Or backwards from 100.
And if none of this works, simply try the method of closing the book on your thoughts. Picture the thoughts running through your mind as words on a page in a book or in your journal and, in your mind, close the book on those thoughts for the night. You’ll be surprised how well it works!
But falling sleep is only half the battle. Some of us struggle with staying asleep, too!
So you finally drifted off - surrendered to that good sleep - and suddenly it’s 3am and you’re awake again.
Maybe you’re hungry or need to take a trip to the restroom. Maybe you got too hot or cold. Maybe the dog was barking or a loud truck drove by. Or maybe you just woke up and really have no idea why.
Don’t worry over why you’re awake or even THAT you’re awake.
Instead, focus on your breaths and tell yourself:
“It’s OK. I’m still resting. My body is still resting. My brain is still resting. I’m still rejuvenating. I’m just going to keep resting.”
Keep the light to a minimum. Don’t turn on the TV or get out your iPad. Go back to whatever exercise helped you give in to sleep the first time, and surrender again.
And gently remind yourself that tomorrow is a new day!
Lorrie xoxox
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Website: https://lorriemickelson.com