New Goal: Healthy Sleep Hygiene

[Lady of Longbourn]

I have noticed that having a healthy sleep cycle really improves my mental health and my general outlook on life is more optimistic.

I know the basics of 'sleep hygiene' which would be sleeping and waking at the same time even on weekends etc. [DLMURL]http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/ask-the-expert/sleep-hygiene[/DLMURL]

Sleep is something I have been struggling with since I was about 10 years old, when all the insomnia started. When I mentioned my new goals to my therapist of improving my sleep he was very happy becasue as he said "I've never heard you talk about that." He seems to think my general mental health is improving so I am able to think about those kinds of things, while a year ago the question was more if I would sleep.

Has anyone struggled with this too? Or maybe also think it makes a good goal?

I have to admit when I think about it, it really feels like a small life change. I struggle with it already but I am up to the challenge.

 

[Lost Pup]

Wow, I am on exactly the same page right now. I find it so, so, so challenging. My sleep has been disturbed for years and I've been on some sort of sleep aid for years. Melatonin or Benadryl, mostly. But a change like this is one of my top new years aspirations. Glad I'm not alone!

 

[DMerish]

Yep, me too (despite it being 1:00am and I'm watching Jimmy Fallon : -)

 

[Seasounds]

I agree. Sleep is number one; without it my emotional well-being plummets, my tolerance to stress is zero, and I want to cry all the time.

I recently took another step. I took away an interference. In November, when a storm came through and knocked out my cable service, I never replaced it.

 

[Barconian]

I think you are doing well

 

[Ghostybear73]

This is very inspirational. I am going to jump in and try to have the same thought process and see if I can't help myself change my sleep cycle. Thank you for the link.

 

[Leah123]

I'm really glad you posted this. Sleep is a huge issue for me too, and I agree it's critically important to mental health. I have also had a lack of sleep, lack of relaxed sleep, and nightmares that I've dealt with on and off since I was about 10 also, when my parents divorced. I have devoted a little therapy time to focusing on this too. My therapist gave me a story online by Estes (Women who Run with Wolves author) to listen to, and I also sometimes listen to lullabyes she's sent me, or a 'sleeping' playlist I created on YouTube to help.

I devoted a whole Personal Health class in college to sleep as my number one health challenge a few months ago, it helped some, but it does seem hard to sleep better consistently, a work in progress.

Two things that've been helping lately are taking a nap in my office for an hour sometimes and letting myself catch up on sleep during the weekends, but I'd like to try and sleep better consistently too. Bit harder with the dog and kid and husband all waking me up at different times.

 

[afvet]

Kept a dream diary for years so the nightmares don't wake me up. Downside is I wake up exhausted. Do calming things before bed & no TV so that helps. Regular schedule but my PTSD still "owns" the night.