My aim for January was to get into the habit of having earlier nights and as a result, get more sleep. Whilst I started out well, over the month I got a bit complacent. For a whole 10 days my kids actually slept in until 6am (yes, that’s a sleep in for our house!) so I stupidly told myself I could go to bed a little later again. But no more. 5am is now the average wakeup time, sometimes a little later but also sometimes earlier! And for the record, in case you’ve missed it before, I’m NOT a morning person. Not at all.
My doctor has told me I need to be really strict with earlier bedtimes, but I’m still struggling, as night times are the times when I get to do the housework and things I want to do (eg. read, scrapbook, blog, or just plain put my feet up) without the interuptions from my little munchkins. I’m still learning to lower the expectations that I put on myself. So this is not a post of “do what I do”, because I haven’t mastered the art. It’s a post written from the lesson’s I am learning, and trust me that I’m still learning! I hope you can gain something from my struggle!
5 steps to getting more sleep
1. You have to prioritize sleep. It must be important to you, otherwise you will find things that are more important and do them before going to sleep, meaning a later night!
2. Write a list of things that MUST be done before bed – do these things first and don’t get distracted! Everything else can wait. This is where I struggle, often getting caught up in doing things before bed that don’t NEED to be done. These things can be helpful (eg. getting a load of washing for the next day), but at this stage I need sleep more. This list may include things such as packing the dishwasher so you have clean bowls for breakfast, setting the table for breakfast, packing lunches, filling out a school form, making sure school uniforms are clean etc.
3. Set a deadline for “switching off” or “unwinding”. Don’t break it. It’s time to turn off the TV, log off the computer, put away the telephone, stop doing the housework, or whatever it is you find yourself “caught up in”. How much time you need to allow for unwinding depends on you. I’ve set my time for 8:30. I find it SOOOO tempting to break. I say “It’s just 5 minutes…” but then 5minutes turns into 10minutes which quickly turns into 30minutes. Set a deadline. If you’re serious about your sleep, don’t break it!
4. Have a routine to get ready for bed that is relaxing. Every person is different. This can include things like having a shower/bath, laying down with a heatpack, washing your face, having a hot drink, reading a book, chatting to your spouse, cleaning your teeth, doing a crossword or suduko puzzle, putting a glass of water beside your bed, lock up house/shut curtains etc. I find it takes me about an hour to go through this process. I want it to be relaxing so I don’t want to be rushing.
5. Set a deadline for “light’s out” . Don’t break it. Aim to get into bed a few minutes before this time so you’ve got time to get comfortable.
Other things to consider….
Whilst it’s important to have routines, it’s also important to have night’s off! I’m allowing myself 1-2 nights per week when it’s okay to stay up a little later. These are for things like dates with hubby, Bible Study, family outings or other social events (eg. weddings, parties etc).
Keep a notepad beside your bed for anything you think of whilst trying to get to sleep. You can quickly write it down (eg. must sign that school note in the morning) without getting out of bed and then can forget about it because it’s written down and you won’t forget.
If you struggle to keep to your deadlines, briefly write down on your notepad why you think you went over. You can then look back and see a pattern, and if you need to add something else to your “unwind” routine, start your “unwind” routine earlier, or if you need to do that task earlier in the day.
Do you have any tips based on what works for you?
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