I'm Soooo Tired/ On Sleeping Well

I'm sooo tired, I haven't slept a wink
Although I'm so tired, my mind is on the blink.   The Beatles

Those "no-sooner-have-I-touched-the-pillow" people are past my comprehension.                                           J.B. Priestly

Getting a full uninterrupted night's sleep has become the new sexy. Anyone with any doubts about that last statement has never been in the care of a colicky infant or a child sick with the stomach flu. The next day guarantees that even the thought of the bed acquires a certain longing and lustfulness usually reserved for a lover. It is drink for the thirsty and food for the hungry all rolled into one. Depriving a human being of sleep, and waking them frequently remains a favorite method of torture. Nice thought, couple this with waterboarding and you've got a 'Dick Cheney ideal'.

"When I'm worried and I can't sleep I count my blessings instead of sheep and I fall asleep, counting my blessings." from the movie "White Christmas"

Unless something earthshaking is going on in my life I sleep very well. I make sure I do something physical most days, I don't watch TV, I go to bed early, I read in bed, then I fall asleep for at least 7 1/2 hours and wake up refreshed. However years ago when menopause hit, it was like a sledgehammer. Suddenly I was wide awake at 3 AM wondering, "what the hell"? So my study about how to induce sleep and stay sleeping started about 20 years ago. Here are some of the best methods that I've found and I joyfully pass them on to you:

1. Read before falling asleep. Think about it, reading with your eyes going back and forth mimics how the eyes beat back and forth in REM sleep. I know there are people who advocate getting up out of bed to read and I call them spoil sports. Nothing is comparable to snuggling down with a good book in a cozy bed. A cautionary note, don't read something too frightening or exciting, try something soothing or funny. That book can lighten the heart in even the darkest hours.
2. Exercise during the day or up until about 3 hours prior to bed time, this improves your sleep quality immeasurably and makes you feel virtuous to boot. Not a bad combo. Yoga and stretching exercises three to four times a week helped women to fall asleep according to the Fred Hutchinson Research Center. Vigorous exercise too close to bed time is overstimulating, really good love making is the exception, go for it.
3. Temperature: Make sure that your room is cool, [less than 65 degrees]crack open a window if possible. Try for approximately the same bed time each night. Then body expects to sleep and so this enhances the chances of falling asleep sooner. My daughter in law swears by sleep socks and on really cool nights so do I.
4. Bath or a shower: Many parents do this with their children and you should do this for yourself: take a warm bath, it relaxes the mind and soothes the body.
5. Lose the caffeine:  Cut off the coffee or any caffeinated beverage after 2 PM. Use the teas and foods that work to induce sleep: chamomile tea, peppermint tea, milk and carbs [like breakfast cereal, toast, crackers] cherries, [dried or fresh or juice]; walnuts, and peanut butter is a partial list. Remind yourself that alcohol can compromise the sleep cycle, it is a depressive sedative drug and it may get you to sleep but when it starts to wear off it irritates the nerves and bingo you're awake in the middle of the night. No fun at all. The widely accepted studies state that men should have no more than two drinks a day and women one. More than one gals and you're asking for semi-insomnia.
6. Self hypnosis: Should you wake in the middle of the night try saying to yourself, "I'm asleep, I'm asleep..."etc. or "I'm so sleepy" or "I'm 9/10ths asleep". Do this before the brain kicks in with: "oh, drat I'm awake" and then agitates your system. Do these sleeping mantras and you'll be giving your conscious and subconscious directions to stay asleep instead of being awake.
7. Quiet the mind: my favorite saying to myself is "the mind is clear". Make the mind behave, you are in charge. If that doesn't work, one good trick is to put yourself mentally in a beautiful, comfortable room, imagine yourself closing all the doors, turning off the lights and letting all be blackness. Another tack to take is to let your imagination go on an internal guided journey to a lush and wonderful place. Enjoy the warmth of the imaginary beach or deep forest and sink into your cozy bed. Revel in these thoughts and smile, and if you need help keep saying the word 'smile' to yourself until you drift into dream land. 
8. The Breath: Do various gymnastics with your breath such as "let the body breathe you" as one of my yoga teachers was fond of saying. I read about another technique in Andrew Weil's book: put the tongue on the top of the roof of your mouth behind the front teeth. Breathe in through the nose for 4 counts, hold for 7, then out for 8 counts. Supposedly this simulates how we breathe when asleep and I've used it often on myself and a host of clients and it works well. Again from yoga, the three part breath: first let all of the air out of your lungs, then bring the air back in visualizing the three parts of the lungs, lower, middle and upper. Starting with the diaphragm, breathe in for 3, breath in for 3 more in the middle lung and then 3 more for the upper lung until you are full of air, then hold for 2 counts and slowly breathe out for 12. Do this routine for 5 rounds.
9. Counting backwards with the breath: One of my favorite elderly [anyone twenty years older than me] clients gave me this one. She said, "Take a deep breath and say to yourself, '100'  as you let go and breathe out, then the next breath, '99', then '98'...you get the picture. I never make it past 80 before I'm asleep." In counting also remember "when I'm worried and I can't sleep I count my blessings instead of sheep and I fall asleep, counting my blessings." It's a lovely way to induce slumber. Always have a gratitude/blessings list you can work off of.
10. Tense and release the muscles: first tense all of the muscles in your body, be as stiff as a board then roll up in a tiny ball, tense then release with the breath. Next do one part of the body at a time, starting with the feet, tense, tighter, tighter, then release; then the ankles, tighter, tighter --release; then the calves, etc. until you reach the top of your head. Let go completely and drift down the river of dreams. Say to yourself, "my arms are relaxed, my legs are relaxed, my mind is clear."
11. Vitamins and pain reducers: One old client got me on to "two aspirins and two Tums" but I got concern about taking too many aspirins [or ibuprofen or Aleve or Tylenol] so I quickly switched to a calcium, magnesium, vitamin D tablet every night. This settles the stomach and calms the nerves. Sometimes if I am really agitated I will resort to a half of an antihistamine, or an aspirin and perhaps a Calms tablet which has Valerian in it.
12. Aromas: lavender and jasmine are effective for inducing sleep [Health Magazine], the easiest way is to get some lotion which has either or both of these and rub some on your and what the heck, under your nose. If you still find yourself tossing and turning, get up and write a list of what's bothering you with some possible solutions you can tackle in the morning. If you are still awake remember what my sister Trisha says, "you'll get plenty of sleep when you're dead".
13. The mysteries; being awake in the middle of the night is a great time to practice meditation. You are already laying in the corpse pose so just revolve your arms so that your palms are facing up and let your body breathe you, let your mind go and keep coming back to the breath. Listen to what the universe is trying to tell you, "think lovely thoughts" as Peter Pan suggested just allowing yourself to drift into a meditative state.

14. Acupressure points: put all four fingers up on your forehead between the eyes, press gently for one minute, breathe evenly and deeply. Then put the four fingers on the top of the foot between the big and second toe, hold that for a minute, next on the sole of the foot toward the heel and finally rub the outer edges of both ears for a minute. If you are lucky enough to have a willing partner to do this for you it is blissful.

Remember that even laying there awake but meditating or thinking loving thoughts has scientifically shown to be almost as beneficial as sound sleep.

So to all a good night, may you sleep well and enjoy the pleasure of waking rested.

susansmagicfeather copyright 2019 Susan R. Grout all rights reserved.