[Yawns] Hmm, what was that? No, I wasn’t. I was totally awake.
Do you ever get those months where you just feel exhausted all the time?
So, yes, I was meant to post two days ago about my latest 30-day challenge coming to an end.
The challenge involved really listening to a piece of music a day. I completed it (yay) and it was actually great fun (yay) and I was all ready to write about it.
But, ugh, quite honestly I’ve just felt too tired to bother. I’ve not had a day off work for a while and all I’ve wanted to do when I get home is watch Netflix and crash out. In fact, literally as I was writing the last sentence I paused, tilted my head to the side, closed my eyes and just turned my brain off for a few seconds.
Which brings me neatly onto my next challenge: getting some goddamn sleep.
‘Sleep hygiene’ seems to be quite the hot topic at the moment.
Huffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington is perhaps its most famous proponent, having passed out from sleep exhaustion at work, hitting her head on her desk and breaking her cheekbone.
Meanwhile, every podcast out there seems to be advertising super-expensive mattresses that make all sorts of promises.
And there’s so much advice out there about the rituals you should go through, as well as the many things to avoid, before hitting the hay. Quite frankly, I’ve not noticed this many nagging voices about what not to do in the bedroom since I came out.
The thing is, I think I do everything right. I don’t take my phone to bed. I always aim for the full eight hours.
I have fancy apps on my iPad and my laptop which turn off the blue light after sunset, so my brain doesn’t get all confused and think I’m sat in a brilliantly sunny piazza in Rome at noon in July.
Yet …. still …. so …. tired.
So this month’s challenge is all about the sleep. I’ll be trying out a few different techniques every few days to see what works and what doesn’t.
I began a few days ago by trying a new rule: bed before 10pm. I didn’t tell my other half and I think I must have seemed like a creepy house robot or something because I would just look at the clock, stop whatever task I was doing, turn around and march myself upstairs.
I like the idea of an early night. It’s like a lie-in, but in reverse. But in reality, it’s been a little disappointing, because just because you’re in bed, it doesn’t mean you can get to sleep.
Yesterday, I spent nine and a half hours in bed. Ridiculous. AND I’M STILL KNACKERED!
Anyone got any sleeping tips I should try out this month?
Feel free to share yo…
Oh, look at the time. 9.59pm. Bye!
I have many medical issues, including insomnia. A few months ago I got a salt lamp for my bedside table that I leave on overnight. I am under the impression it is helping with the quality of my sleep while I am asleep. I also think it helps with my sinus issues.
A two by four applied, by my other half, with force to the back of my head has worked well for me…..joking, of course. I personally had to go to see a neurologist/ sleep specialist but my daughter and son-in-law have found that two stage release melatonin helps them tremendously.The two stage release formulation is especially helpful if you have trouble, not only falling asleep, but staying asleep all through the night. Take a half hour before your desired bedtime.
Wow, you must have really been through it if you had to go to see a sleep specialist…thanks for the tips.
I wouldn’t start supplements until you’ve tried a few more things. Make sure you are not using devices or anything that emanates “blue light” for an hour before bed. No food after 7pm. Take 10 deep breaths in silence separating day from night. Also, on a more “counting sheep” level, try reading the most boring book of all time before bed. I used to read a book about loons whenever I had insomnia. This knocked me out immediately. Finally, getting up earlier will help you get to sleep earlier.
Loons, like the birds? I’m intrigued!
My question is anything keeping you awake? So you get to bed early but can’t fall asleep? Are you getting outdoors during day? I wonder what else may be triggering sleep issues.
One thing that might make a difference is making sure your bedroom is properly dark. Do you have decent curtain linings or can you see like every street light through them? Are there a bunch of LEDs still lit on your appliances when the lights are out?
Blackout linings are around £30 a set, if you can afford that, and to my mind are well worth the investment.
For me, it’s no tech/screens after 9. I read (a real book) for an hour or so after that and I’m usually snuggled in bed reading. Lights out by 10, sometimes earlier if I can’t keep my eyes open.
Best way I’ve found to sleep is to get close to an hour or two of strenuous running or tennis or gym work at least five or six days a week. It helps you think better at work and sleep better at home. If you aren’t working your body as hard as your mind you are out of balance. Of course you probably are already doing this and I know it doesn’t work for everyone. I’m amazed none of the commenters mentioned exercise. I’ve done this my whole life and always slept like a baby. Sure it takes up some time but in the long run you’ll live many years longer and get that back.