Sleep, stop messing with me!

Sometimes I really don't understand how my body works, I think it likes to mess with my mind.  At least I'll always be on my toes and look forward to an "exciting" life, haha.  I've been dealing with a virus for the past two weeks now, and for the first week and half all I did was sleep!  I was so exhausted, and slept about about 13-14 hours a night.  Now, for the past few days, sleep has evaded me!  Especially Thursday night, I think I got about four hours, and woke up pretty early.  I just could not get comfortable for the life of me, every spot I moved to, hurt a different part of my body.  I ended up feeling okay when I finally got up around 630am, but as the day progressed, my body was getting more and more tired.   I have a hard time taking naps too, I need darkness when I sleep and my apartment has these huge, beautiful bright windows that let in the light.  I try covering them up in my bedroom, but it still doesn't seem to help me.  I feel like the only way I get a good night's sleep is if I take some Tylenol PM or my cough syrup with codeine.  I don't want to take sleep medicine and get addicted, I just need to find different ways to help me sleep. 

Does anyone else have difficulties with their sleep patterns?  I notice that my sleep is definitely affected by stress, excitement, pain and worry.  I'm due to have my colonoscopy in a little more than a week, I know I'm worried about it and am sure this lack of sleep is due to that.  I wonder how much my medicine plays a part, I'm sure some.  Also, having to miss my RA meds due to me being sick, my joints are hurting and can definitely affect our sleep in more ways than one.  As always, I looked into some different tips and ideas for a better night's sleep.  Hopefully this can also help any of you who have trouble catching some zzzz's.

1.  Try to go to sleep and wake up at about the same time everyday, even the weekends.  Having a regular sleep pattern can help you fall asleep easier at night.

2. Nap every single day, contrary to different beliefs, naps can help you sleep better at night.  However, keep it short about 20-30 minutes, and try to keep it early afternoon.

3. Go to bed when you're tired! Turn out the lights and get into bed, however if you don't fall asleep within 15-20 minutes, don't agonize and stress over it. Get up and try to do a few things until you feel more tired.

4. Don't take a hot bath close to bed time.  Your body sleeps better when it's cool, so if you want to take a bath make sure it's at least two hours before bed.  Your body takes about an hour to fully cool down. 

5.  Make your room cool and comfortable, create an environment that's good for sleep.  Use dark, light-blocking curtains, ear plugs, eye mask, a fan, and/or a humidifier.  If you want to sleep well, you need an environment that is good for you!

6. Exercise regularly, and intensely!  Getting exercise, especially when it physically exhausts you, can definitely help you sleep.  Intense workouts vary by person, some people are able to run 5 miles, others only 20 minutes on a stationary bike, whatever gets your heart racing and makes you feel tired afterwards.  Avoid exercising right before bed though, it can make falling asleep more difficult.

7. Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol in the evening, since they all act as stimulants and can definitely distrupt your sleep.  Caffeine takes a while to get out of your body, so they say try to stop any caffeine intake 8 hours before sleep time.

8.  Watch what you eat and drink before bed, try to stop any intake of food or drink at least two hours before bed.  Those prone with heartburn, can make it worse by eating before bed, and drinking too many liquids will have you up a few times during the night using the bathroom.

9.  When you wake up, get some sunlight and if you can, go outside.  Don't lounge in bed for a while, when your body feels sunlight it registers it's time to wake up and sets your internal clock to go to sleep 14-16 hours later.

10. Turn off the TV and stop computer work 30 minutes before bed.  While these activities seem restful, they actual stimulate the brain, causing you to be more awake.  Instead, read a book or do a few minor things you need to get done off your to-do list.

11. Choose the right mattress and pillow.  Having a comfortable bed will help, and if children and pets are disruptive, try to avoid them coming in to disrupt your sleep as often as you can.

12.  Have a regular bedtime routine.  Doing the same thing every night will tell your body it's time to sleep.  Whether it's reading a book, drinking some hot tea, or listening to relaxing music, try to do it with lower lighting so your body knows it's dark out.

13. Use sleeping pills as a last resort.  If you're having lots of trouble sleeping it's advised to speak to your doctor about it so they can prescribe you the correct medicine and dosage. 

14. Keep a journal or pen and paper near your bed.  Often I wake up, or can't fall asleep because my mind is running a million miles a minute and thinking of different things I need to do.  By writing down these ideas and/or tasks, it can be taken off your mind and make you worry about it less. 

15. Block out noise! Some people get easily distracted and awoken by different noises, especially in an apartment building.  Use a fan or a/c to help block out some noise, don't block it all out though, in case you need to get out in an emergency.

Some of these tips I've tried in the past, and some I think I will implement into my nightly routine.  If anyone has any other tips or advice for a better nights sleep, feel free to let me know.  I hope these tips can help all of you sleep better.

Sweet Dreams everyone! :o)