1) Cool yourself and your bedroom down in the evening:
Our bodies need to drop in temperature by 1oc to initiate sleep, and the optimum temperature for good quality sleep is 19oc.
In the summer, achieving this in the UK can be challenging as many of our homes are not fitted with air conditioning.
If you are desperate to sleep and can invest in an air conditioner, this should help you.
Please note the associated energy costs and environmental impact, but please remember your mental health is important, and getting good quality sleep will support it.
In conjunction with earplugs, any fan or air conditioner you use will create a calming white noise and cover up any external summertime sounds.
Other things can be done like closing all windows, curtains & blinds on hot days so that the room will stay a bit cooler at night. Also, affordable cooling pads can be purchased that slip into pillowcases and provide you with a couple of hours of cooling when you first go to sleep.
I've found these are also handy to place on my head or on my body on very warm evenings to lower my body temperature. They are stored in the freezer so it's important to wrap them in a
T shirt when you put them on the body to avoid burning your skin.
2) Drink at least two litres / 3.5 pints of water per day.
Cutting down your caffeine intake is always sensible if you are having sleep issues, and if you can replace some of it with water, even better. Plain water, squashes, juices, herbal teas are all great substitutes. You may need to wake up to go to the toilet in the night and this is completely normal, it is sensible not to have any liquids in the couple of hours before you go to bed if you have concerns about this.
If you drink alcohol in the evenings this will negatively impact your sleep, it is a myth that it helps.
If you are drinking so much that you pass out and you are becoming dependent on it to sleep then counselling and/or an alcohol support group might be worth checking out.
3) Remember to take a break and leave the house or office every day / do exercise / walk in nature / get fresh air:
It’s important for our physical and mental well being not to stagnate or be too sedentary and this of course has a knock on effect to our sleep. Get away from that screen and go out for a walk on your lunch break, take in the air and the different sights, sounds, and smells. Go to a green space if you have access to one. Moving the body and being in nature will help to dissipate any buildup of the stress hormone cortisol which can have an extremely negative impact on sleep.
4) Breathing – Notice 3 exhalations:
We breathe an average of 20,000 to 25,000 times a day, most of the time it is unconsciously controlled. When we get caught up with emails, to do lists, stress & life we start taking shallow breaths or holding our breath. Inefficient breathing drains your energy and stops you sleeping.
Try to stop what you are doing five times a day for the next 21 days and take a few moments to notice three exhalations. Don’t try to change anything, simply allow your body to breathe.
Each time you breathe out, silently and softly say to yourself “OOOOUUUT” for the length of the out breath. Notice that each out breath is different and not necessarily uniform.
5) Writing / journaling with pen & paper: The possibilities of things you can write down are limitless, give some space to your creativity and this will help if you are struggling with vivid dreams etc
Some suggestions of things to write about to help get you started: any worries that you have, things you have done well today, things you are grateful for, poetry, a to do list for the following day. It is important to do this with pen and paper and not on a device as the blue light interrupts melatonin production. Witness the power of transferring your thoughts onto a page, you will find a new perspective and it will help clear your mind ready for quality sleep.
If you are interested in discussing sleep issues, anxiety, or anything else you may be struggling with then please fill in the form on my website to arrange a no obligation initial chat with me. Thank you
Robert Ferguson (MBACP) Humanistic Counsellor
I reference and give credit to Dr Nerina and her book "Fast Asleep, Wide Awake" for inspiring me and this blog.
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