Can't Sleep? 45 Sleep Hacks to Help You Get Your Zzz's.
Orlando Therapist Providing Tools to Combat Insomnia
Last week, I was up with my sick kid multiple times a night. At one point, I struggled to fall back to sleep. As I lay there, I thought back to a session I had with a client earlier in the week where we came up with things to do when you can’t sleep. My mind reviewed all the tools I suggested to my client and rather than employ the tools immediately, I did the exact opposite of what I suggested, and I started mapping out this blog post on sleep hacks.
As my readers know, I’m a therapist in Orlando and I work with folks struggling with anxiety, whether it stems from work stress, social encounters, dating and relationships, or from unresolved trauma, helping anxious people feel settled is my thing.
Often times, anxiety and insomnia go hand and hand. Anxiety is a loop: the nervous system revs up, negative thoughts ruminate, and then feelings of dread, fear, and worry perpetuate the problem. The interplay of body sensations, negative thinking, and difficult emotions maintain and intensify the feelings of anxiety.
In the most basic form, the autonomic nervous system has two branches that I liken to refer to as a gas pedal and a brake pedal. The gas pedal, which is known as the sympathetic nervous system, speeds things up and the brake pedal, which is called the parasympathetic nervous system, slows things down.
We need both systems to operate in homeostasis in order to wake up in the morning, get things done during the day, and to have a restful night’s sleep.
When feeling anxious, the sympathetic nervous system (the gas pedal) engages and prepares the body for a potential threat and sends you into fight, flight, or freeze.
As I am sure you can imagine, your body cannot both prepare for action and for a sweet slumber at the same time.
Establishing healthy sleep patterns takes into consideration your autonomic nervous system’s gas pedal and brake pedal. I will talk a little more about this later, but for now, let’s explore healthy sleep hygiene.
Establish Healthy Sleep Hygiene
Healthy sleep hygiene includes your daily behaviors and attitudes that contribute to getting a restful night’s sleep. Many people think sleep problems originate from dusk to dawn; however, the choices we make in our day to day impact how we sleep at night.
If you’re struggling with getting a restful night’s sleep, then consider what behaviors you can change during the day that will impact your sleep at night. My suggestion is to reach for low hanging fruit here. Don’t try to implement all of these changes at once. Choose one to three of these behavior changes that you would consider easy to implement and start from there.
Workout for at least 30 minutes daily
Avoid or limit caffeine (to only mornings)
Avoid or limit alcoholic beverages
Limit napping
Eat a healthy diet that it is easy to digest
Expose yourself to natural light daily
Designate the bed for sleep and sex onlyHave a regular bedtime and wake up time
Establish a relaxing sleep environment
Use soft lighting in the bedroom
Set night time temperatures to 62-68 degrees
Use ear plugs, fan, or white noise machine to muddle out external noises
Make your bed as comfortable as possible
Create Healthy Bedtime Rituals
When you are considering your bedtime ritual, think back to the gas pedal and the brake pedal of your nervous system. At least 60 minutes prior to going to bed, choose activities that engage your brake pedal. You want your nervous system to down-regulate so your body will prepare for sleep. Below is a list of activities that are sleep promoting that you can include in your bedtime ritual.
Take a warm bath
Light candles
Listen to soothing music
Burn relaxing essential oils, like lavender, clary sage, or chamomile
Practice breathing techniques focusing on longer exhales
Cuddle with your partner
Masturbate or have sex
Cuddle with your pet
Read a comforting book
Journal about the good things that happened during the day
Brain dump important tasks or to do lists into a journal so you can let go before bed
Practice Yen yoga
Enjoy a small cup of non-caffeinated tea with honey
Before bringing any activity into your bedtime ritual, ask yourself, “Is this a gas pedal or brake pedal activity?”
Things to Avoid
Below is a list of things you to avoid 60 minutes prior to bedtime, since for most people, these are gas pedal activities.
Drinking caffeinated beverages
Drinking alcoholic beverages
Smoking cigarettes
Eating candy or sugar
Engaging in a vigorous workout
Engaging in a heated discussion
Watching a stressful or violent TV show
Working on a project
Reviewing your finances
Trolling Facebook or other social media
Exposing yourself to bright lights, lamps, or screens
Talking about your problems
Implementing healthy sleep hygiene will help set you up for a restful night’s sleep and will likely be enough to get you on the right path. If you, however, have difficulty falling or staying asleep, follow the tips below.
Trouble Falling Asleep or Staying Asleep
If you have trouble falling asleep, don’t lay there and agonize about not being able to fall asleep. The agony is engaging the gas the pedal. After what feels like 20 minutes, get up and go do something else, like cuddle your dog, read a book, or do another brake pedal activity. Wait until you feel sleepy and then go back to bed.
Most importantly, don’t look at the clock to see how much sleep you are not getting. Counting down the hours until the alarm goes off is anxiety provoking, which engages the gas pedal. I tell my clients to set their alarm at night and don’t look at their phone or the clock again until the alarm goes off. If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it is better to leave the clock alone.
Below is a list of things to do when you have trouble sleeping.
Avoid looking at the time
Get up after 20 minutes and do something relaxing until you get sleepy again
If your mind starts problem-solving, put all aspects of the problem in a Container
If your mind starts racing, don’t follow the thoughts. Bring your attention back to the comfort of your bed
Put your hands on your chest and belly and say soothing words such as, “I am safe. I am loved.”
Feel the natural ebb and flow of your breath
Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, I started mapping out this blog post in the middle of the night. As soon as I realized what I was doing, I stopped and reminded myself that planning a blog post is a gas pedal activity. I put the idea of this article in my metaphorical container, put my hands on my chest and belly, and told myself, “I love you and now it’s time for rest.”
Additional Self-Care Resources
Orlando Therapist Shares Importance of Self-Care
Want more ways to de-stress?
Follow me through some guided meditations.
Check out these Mindfulness and Meditation Apps.
Have a read through my Tools for Anxiety series.
Take a look at these De-stressing Strategies.
Want to chat more?
When you’re ready schedule your free 15-minute phone consult here.
Mindful Living Counseling Orlando is a trauma healing center. Our Orlando Therapy Services include anxiety therapy, trauma counseling, eating disorder recovery, teen counseling, and healing from toxic relationships. At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we use a down-to-earth approach infused with cutting-edge therapies that go beyond traditional talk therapy so clients can heal at the root level and experience lasting change. Feel free to access one of our Guided Meditations to help you feel settled and calm now.
