Is anxiety keeping you awake?
At the best of times, I’m not a sound sleeper – chalking up my restlessness to stress, hormones, excitement, and mom worry. Now amid COVID-19, I find myself on even more of a rollercoaster ride of tossing and turning.
While interrupted sleep is frustrating, it is par for the course especially during stages 1 and 2 of our sleep cycle. During this light sleep stage, our muscles begin to relax, our heart rate and breathing slow down, and we wake up easily.
Good to know, but this breaking news doesn’t help solve my fragmented sleep pattern. I’m fine during the day. However, it’s a different story when day turns into night and I find myself pushing my bedtime hour to 1 a.m. in hopes that I am so exhausted I just sleep and don’t think about anything. But the minute I jump into bed my mind churns out a slew of what-ifs such as: “What if that impulsive run to the local grocery store for ice cream is the defining moment that I catch the virus?!”
Researchers say this is because my routine has been disrupted by what’s going in the world and my brain processes this additional stress that comes along with social distancing causing me to have more nighttime awakenings.
Well, friends, I want to get a good night’s sleep. I deserve a good night’s sleep. Thus, I went on a Google scavenger hunt as well as tapped into the wisdom of Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale Professor of Psychology and teacher of the Science of Well-being course, for tips that will hopefully send a signal to my brain that it’s time for quality, uninterrupted sleep.
How to improve your sleep with these six habits
Create a ritual. Even small habitual tweaks to your bedtime routine can help you feel more mindful and in control (when things are out of control) of your environment. Experts suggest that aromatherapy might have a positive impact on sleep. So slather on delicious smelling lotion or invest in a diffuser and a few essential oils.
Power down your mind. Strategies include reading a book, listening to relaxing music, and compiling a to-do list. Oddly enough writing things down eases anxiety by “offloading nagging thoughts” about the next day.
Clear your thoughts. Bedtime mantras are a way to calm and center the mind. Select your “chant” (think along the lines of “I welcome sleep into my being”) and repeat the phrase until you fall asleep. Similarly, deep, slow breathing is a good way to transition your racing mind into sleep.
Stop bedtime scrolling (this means stop reading the news, too). Your phone is doing you no favors. Blue light actually tricks your body into thinking it’s daytime. Enforce a tech curfew about one hour to 90 minutes prior to lights out to help your body release melatonin. Santos recommends reaching for a physical book when you get the urge to look at your phone.
Keep a consistent sleep/wake schedule. Our body’s circadian rhythm functions on a set loop. The more you maintain the timing of your body’s internal clock the easier it will be to settle into a regular sleep pattern. Studies reveal that when you prioritize sleep not only does your mental health improve but your immune system stays in fighting shape.
Optimize your body’s temperature. Science shows that cooling your head while keeping your body warm is the best way to achieve a good night’s sleep. I recently tried Moona, a bedside smart pod device that is connected by a tube to a memory foam pad that you slip into your pillowcase. The Moona uses a water-cooling system that regulates the temperature of your pillow throughout the night. Who knew a cool pillow would help me sleep better?!
I can’t promise I’ll take all of the above into consideration, yet I will certainly give them go. Sleep tight 😴
