Sleep

There are numerous reasons as to why we struggle to fall asleep at night, or even wake during the night and then have problems getting back to sleep, so one of the most important things to do is identify your sleeping pattern and any reasons that may be affecting your sleep.

For example, is it hormonal? The drops in estrogen levels during a woman’s menstruation cycle or during menopause could cause night sweats, incurring difficulty sleeping.

Is it something you ate? Night-time heartburn can be extremely uncomfortable, so avoiding eating a heavy meal too soon to bedtime. Also, the kinds of foods you consume can have an impact on this too, especially spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. Furthermore, you may think that alcoholic night cap helps you sleep, but research shows that it can prevent you from maximising on the vital parts of the deeper sleep cycle. So try to avoid alcohol too close to bedtime.

Is it stress related? Are you simply having problems winding down to prepare the mind and body for sleep before bed? This can cause problems, both falling asleep or waking prematurely with a sense of anxiety or preoccupied mind. If the body/brain is in a Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) state, we are in a “survival” mode, keeping you on alert and sensitive to potential threats around you. Not conducive to sleep, right? When the body moves out of a more SNS (Sympathetic Nervous System) state it becomes more Parasympathetic (PN), encouraging you into a state more about rest, recovery and digestion.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to move the body more into a Parasympathetic Nervous System state, is to focus on diaphragmatic breathing, breathing in to inflate the belly on the inhalation, exhale emptying out the belly of air. This is however, sadly, not how most people breathe. Most of us breathe into the chest, conventionally a Sympathetic form of breathing, keeping us primed for attack not relaxation. I have further guidance on the importance of breathing properly here

Other forms of stress to the body that keep us parasympathetically overstimulated are environmental stresses; whether the lights are too bright, or the room is too hot or cold etc. Or sometimes it simply is that we didn’t take time to “switch off” from the stresses of the day ie. going to bed on argument, reading that email from the boss just before you got in bed, or worst in bed! I try to encourage, both myself, and my clients to have a cut off point with emails and work stuff. Try listening to some relaxing music, work on your breathing, or read a good book. Sitting watching a horror movie is not going to put you into a relaxed deep sleep!

If you find that you often wake in the night with a head whirling through ideas, or things you panic about forgetting, then you are probably not winding down effectively either. One of the most effective things I have used is the classic, keep a notepad by the bedside. If you wake up with that urgent thought on your mind, and worry that you will forget it when you drift back to sleep, chances are that sleep is going to be elusive to you. Keeping a pen and pad by the bed, and with minimal disturbance, just write a brief prompt note, and then you can just let it go until the morning.

Is it your exercise program? We all know that exercise is good for you. However, exercising too late in the day can raise your core body temperature, and raise your cortisol levels (your fight or flight hormone) keeping you “wired”. Try to avoid strenuous exercise at least 2 hours before bedtime. Better still make your evening work-out a more parasympathetic one, focusing on simple yoga routines and breathing techniques, rather that high intensity or cardio.

I have explored a number of different techniques both for myself, and with clients, when they are struggling to sleep, but one of the most effective long term is to build a pre-sleep routine. Whatever you find works for you, and based on your reasons for trouble sleeping, try incorporating that, where possible, into a night-time schedule. The more frequently you practice this routine, the more your body gets easily prepared for sleep, soon it just becomes a good habit.

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