Hello!
We have had a bit of a radio silence recently – all of us at Clarity Road have been utterly run off our feet! Commitments from the real world have been stealing a huge chunk of our time and made it difficult to find the hours to manage the site. As we write this, there are a million other things on the to-do list that need attention as well.
But hey, we need to start practising what we preach, and make time to do the things that we love! So gosh darn-it, here is another article!
Given our busy schedules recently, an issue that has become all too familiar is lack of sleep. When our plates start to fill up, sleep is often that the first thing that we sacrifice– sleep’s just a waste of productive hours right? Ah, if only!
Life changing events usually mean that your personal workload, at home or in the labour force, increases exponentially. Many of us find no other option but to stay up until the wee hours of the morning to get everything done. But after a life changing event, workload isn’t the only thing that means you can’t sleep.
I can’t sleep
After you have experienced a major event, it can become difficult to switch your mind off when you finally hit the pillow. Thoughts and worries can run around and around in your head. While functioning off three hours sleep is possible every now and then, sleep deprivation is simply not sustainable. If you can’t sleep, you will become drained physically, emotionally strained, and find yourself more susceptible to stress. Most of all, you will be darn tired!
Can’t sleep?
Here are some simple strategies that may make switching off the voice in your head that little bit easier when you crawl into bed at night.
Don’t wait for sleep to come to you
If you can’t sleep, something’s not quite working for you. As hard as it is to haul yourself out of those warm blankets, it is important that you don’t stay inactive lying in bed. Instead, find something to distract your mind. Grab a book, read a magazine or do something mechanical like knitting. A small task will distract you from your worries without over-stimulating your brain, and have those eyelids feeling heavy in no time.
Write your worries away
Another way to slow down the conveyor belt of thoughts running through your head when you can’t sleep is to keep a pad and pen next to your bed. Use this to record anything that is dwelling in your mind before trying to fall asleep. This may range from the instruction, “I am leaving worries about Child Support on this page” to “I am not worrying about what to make for dinner tomorrow night once I put down this pen”. Even though you may feel like an angsty-teenager again by writing in a mini journal, recording your thoughts is surprisingly effectively. By physically placing these worries outside of yourself, you will give your mind the queue that it is time to rest.
Get into a bedtime routine
We all know that the best way to rest kids is to create a bedtime routine, but when we can’t sleep we forget to employ this technique ourselves! Most of us spend the entire day running a millions miles per hour, and can charge into the bedroom without having a moment of downtime. If you feel like you haven’t stopped, take ten minutes before climbing into bed to have sit down with a cuppa or enjoy a warm shower. This will relax your body, and make it easier to relax your mind!
If you still can’t sleep after trying these techniques, create time to see your doctor.
There are many ways to medically address sleep deprivation – you don’t need to be suffering.
If you’re in need of help, ask for it.
