My Sleep Routine
Hey, all you cool cats and kittens! How are you, really? During this whole quarantine, one thing I have struggled with and been able to refine is my sleep routine. When I was living on the campus of my university, I had a decent sleep routine. From walking around to various places on campus to theatre rehearsals at night, I had enough activity to keep me busy and awake during the daylight hours. With everything online, I found myself sleeping less and being on my phone/laptop more than usual. Everyone knew that I loved my sleep and that it was suffering, so I looked at my habits and started making changes. Here's what I changed (plus two bonus things to consider).
Create my space
Did you know that we spend roughly 1/3 of our lives sleeping and approximately 8-10 (if not more) hours in our room? And what's more anxiety-inducing than a messy room? I can be pretty messy and lazy when it comes to my room, so when I am getting ready for bed, I take 5 - 10 minutes only to pick up my space if I need to. Usually, that means taking down a few dishes from that day, putting some clothes and books away, and fixing the part of my room where I keep all of Bella's (my dog's) things. I've also found out that I can't sleep if my room is hot, if the air from my fan touches my face or if my feet are cold. To aid that, I keep my fan on high most of the day and turn it off or on low at night. I also always wear socks to bed because nothing is worse than cold feet that hurt.
Stretch
As a dancer, I would stretch for roughly 30-45 minutes in the mornings and then an hour before bed. Stretching before bed helped increase my flexibility, and it helped me feel less sore the next day. I do it 2x a day like I used to. Half an hour in the morning (time permitting) and close to an hour at night. While I stretch, I listen to a Spotify playlist called Tranquility. Peaceful music like this puts me in a good state of mind for sleeping. It doesn't fully relax my anxious brain, but it does help some.
Read a book
Before the cyber age came and took over my life, I was an avid reader and still tried to read books during high school. I always loved being transported to a new place through a book, fangirling at all the parts I liked, and then dreaming about said people, situation etc. So every night, I try to read a book for leisure, not a book for school or self-help. I am currently reading, Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I do this for at least an hour before I turn off the lights.
Sleep aids
I've found sleep aids to be a massive benefit for me when it comes to getting good quality sleep all night. Melatonin is the one I've primarily been using, and it has helped me tremendously. I've found that on days when I don't have work and can "sleep in," I can take 2 melatonin (10mg). It makes me feel groggier in the morning and more likely to go back to sleep a little later on, but according to my Sleep Cycle app, I get a good 80-90% sleep quality those days. On the days I work or have to get up early, 1 melatonin (5mg) works well. If I'm in a lot of physical pain, taking ibuprofen helps ease the pain, making sleeping easier.
Reduce anxiety
Everyone who knows me knows that I have anxiety and depression, and both of those things act up at night. To combat that, I have a few tricks.
I listen to audiobooks when I sleep. Sounds strange, but listening to a story (even one I know by heart) is better than listening to my own dark thoughts. Listening to audiobooks that I already know (i.e. Twilight, Gallagher Girls) are better because when I fall asleep, I won't be missing out on anything, and I know those books aren't scary and won't cause nightmares. This practice I've been doing this for at least three years now. Twilight is easily my most listened-to series. It also helps if the book's end is as long or longer than you plan to sleep, so you won't be woken up to no audiobook (it happens to me all the time).
I am often crippled and have to sleep in casts, boots, braces etc. On those nights, I untuck my sheets and blanket from my mattress to make it easier to move around in bed if I have to. I also can't use my weighted blanket when injured because it's too much weight on my body.
I am petrified of having low blood sugars at night, so I always try to keep my levels on the higher end of my range. I also keep my meter kit and snacks nearby if I have a pesky low at night.
Gratitude journaling is another massive part of LOA, so I spend a few minutes writing out what I'm grateful for, my affirmation for the day, and answering any other prompts from this gratitude journal.
I've watched one too many horror movies recently, and I am terrified that either a serial killer will somehow creep into my room at night or that Samara Morgan or Mara will kill me in my sleep, so yes, I am that 22-year-old who sleeps with a light on. I block out the light from a black silk night mask and my blackout curtains.
BONUS THINGS TO CONSIDER are limiting caffeine/alcohol intake and screen time.
So there you have it, my tips for my sleep routine. Make sure you like, comment, and share this post. Follow me on social media (listed below) and join my mailing list to be updated about all future posts. As always, sending you all the light and love in this world.
