I have always had trouble sleeping. ALWAYS. Always, always, always. When I was a baby. When I was in high school. Now. Still.
I don't know what the deal is exactly...I know some of it is anxiety related, and I think another part of it is just how my body functions. I have tried SO MANY things to help me sleep through the years, including the usual "Don't look at a screen an hour before bed", "Don't exercise within 4 hours of bed", "Don't eat right before bed", "Develop a routine for bedtime". (HA!) So for anyone out there who happens to read this, and you feel like you're in the same or similar boat, here are some non-traditional strategies that you could try, coming from a fellow chronic insomniac.
Now, my trouble is actually getting to sleep. Once I'm asleep I'm usually out (unless I have a nightmare), so these resources are mostly centered around that issue.
1. Worry List
I lay in bed and worry and worry about...everything. It used to be really bad, where I would be up for at least 4 hours just worrying. Going to sleep within 2 hours of getting in bed was a freaking miracle. When I learned this trick, it did actually shorten my awake time by a fair amount. Here's what you do.
Keep a notepad and pen by your bed. When you catch yourself worrying about something, write down what you are worrying about. Tell yourself that the worrisome thing is recorded, now you won't forget it. It's there on your bedside waiting for you in the morning, it's not going anywhere. Promise your brain you will take care of the worry later, and now it can calm down a little for the evening. Some night I had pages full of worries - hey, you do what it takes. Things become frantically important at 2am. And most of the time, when I woke up, I was able to cross a few things off the list since I didn't actually care about them anymore!
2. Imagine that it's morning
Sometimes at night when I'm tired but I don't feel like going to bed, or I'm anxious about going to sleep, I use my imagination. I imagine that it's 5:30am, the alarm clock has just gone off, and it will be time for me to get up soon. I think about having to drag my butt out of bed, get dressed in the cold, brush my teeth. Makes me instantly happier about being in bed.
3. Get up. (A.K.A. Who are you kidding, you're not sleeping now)
You may have heard this one before. When I get really anxious at bedtime, sometimes I will just get up out of bed and fuss around the house. No use in laying down just to work myself into a panic. I'll pick up my room, fold some laundry, sweep, organize a space, something quiet that will burn off a little anxious energy. Usually after about an hour I'm feeling more relaxed and ready to try and sleep again.
4. Get ready for tomorrow
My anxiety levels go down at night if I have an idea of what I'm getting into in the morning. Going to bed and not knowing what I'm going to wear, where my keys are, if I have any clean underwear - I know that is all WAY too much for my half-conscious morning self to deal with, and I get anxious about running around and being late the next morning. So I will go through and lay out my clothes, pack up my purse, make sure I have my badge for work, plug in my phone, find my keys, put my shoes somewhere I can find them, wash my armpits, whatever it takes. Calms my brain down significantly.
5. Positive affirmations
I have a piece of paper taped to my nightstand, visible to me from where I lay in my bed. They are things I feel I can believe and things that are comforting to me, such as:
I am capable of handling all my problems in the morning.
Today is complete. I am grateful for the good of it and let the rest go.
I grow stronger every day.
I give myself credit for all that I accomplished today, no matter how small.
I will read these and think through them, kinda like "Yeah, yeah that IS true", and connect them to pieces of my day. Many of the affirmations I used or adapted from Weighing the Facts blog.
6. Conversation in my head
This is a more recent thing I've been doing. When I lay in bed, I split my mind into two of me. Me 1 is my anxious, worried self. Me 2 is like a compassionate, wise, sweet but fun friend. Me 2 listens to and validates Me 1, talks her down from her stress and worries, and helps her feel like things are ok. Somehow - and this is going to sound weird - but Me 2 always knows the right thing to say. I know this could be a little out there for some people, but, hey, it works for me!
These can/should be used like I described in the coping skills post - use multiple if needed, they probably won't knock you out immediately, etc. I have more tips and tricks up my sleeve, but I think I will save them for another post. I hope even one of these will be helpful to somebody out there! I hate to think that someone goes through all the pain of sleep issues if they don't have to.
Going to bed now -- wish me luck!
:)
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