Sleep is one of the most underrated health elixers in our society.
It is not until you have wrestled with insomnia or had a newborn in your house that you realise how important sleep can be to your productivity. The problem is sleep begets sleep and the other way round, the less sleep you have, the less you can sleep.
It is a crazy cycle.
One of my greatest struggles over the last three years in becoming a Mumma Bear, has been working out how to survive creatively on less sleep. I think my pregnancy weight has also stayed around longer, because of sleeplessness that bombards you with smalls in your world.
These are some of the little things I have been trying to do to help me sleep a little better, even when it is interrupted;
1) Put my ear plugs in and ignore anything that happens to my little people and let my husband get up. (smile not really.)
1) Seriously, remove my phone out of my bedroom. I have started charging my phone in our lounge room, rather than my bed side table. For many reasons, waking up to your phone and going to sleep with your phone, is a really bad habit for deep and restorative sleep.
2) Great Pyjama’s! I used to go to sleep in anything I could grab as I was tumbling into bed, old tshirts, falling apart gym/ yoga pants. I went through a wardrobe cull a few short months ago, and threw out anything that didn’t make me feel fabulous. Peter Alexander nighties are my current go to favourites. But intentionally putting on something that makes you feel inspired, comfortable and intentional is an important part of the winding down process.
3) I have been trying to read every night before I go to sleep. Reading really helps me relax and turn my worrisome mind towards more positive or interesting dialogues. Instead of the stupid status update that that random person in your world typed on facebook an hour ago. (smile)
4) No coffee after lunch. I am trying really hard, firstly to have only one, maybe two maximum coffee’s a day. And definitely not after lunch. Honestly caffeine doesn’t impact me that much, but I know the accumulative result in my body affects the overall quality of my sleep. A coffee doesn’t stop me from falling asleep, but it changes how well I sleep.
5) Having the hard conversations. Lately I have been really aware of the internal conversations that plague my sleeplessness or that make me restless. You know, that unresolved conflict. That worry, unspoken. That late night conversation with yourself that is never rational or helpful. I have been trying to stop pleasing people less and putting boundaries in my life to help me carry myself lighter. It is a battle I promise.
6) Being much more intentional about late night cravings, of chocolate or cheese or wine. Trying to work out where the hunger is coming from. Eating more intuitively rather than emotionally.
7) I have been trying to do some stretches before I go to sleep. Even just 10 minutes of stretching will increase your quality of sleep.
These are just a few of the small changes I have been making.
How about you?
How are you sleeping?
Is it affecting your productivity and relationships?
Let me know your tips.
Sleep well, o creative one. Sleep tight.
