Sleep.
I wish I could say sleep and I have a long, loving history -- but that would be lying. I am a terrible sleeper and always have been. It is not the falling asleep (I’m typically exhausted), it is the staying asleep. I wake up at any sort of sound, light, bump, bark, bad smell, or rustle of the sheets. I have many theories on why this is, but as I have watched my father struggle to get a good night’s rest his entire life, I can’t help but think I was cut from the same cloth. Along with the acne and large nose, I inherited his inability to sleep well. Love you, Dad :)
A typical night for me will be between 4-6 hours of interrupted sleep. My kids were/are great sleepers thanks to this book
, the culprit is my overactive brain that does not have an “off” switch. Yes, I do have a notebook by the side of my bed and yes, I do write down my racing thoughts in the middle of the night. Then I lay there and stew and stress about them.A friend of mine and I were talking about my frustrations a few years back. She said, “Don’t you get used to it? After a while don’t you just adjust to getting less sleep?” I could honestly answer, no. No! Are you kidding? You think being exhausted, grouchy, shuffling around in a daze, nonproductive, and acting like a tall two-year-old from about 4:00 PM is called being adjusted? Did I mention that I have a short fuse when I'm this tired?
I have not accepted this lying down (ha!). I have read books. I’ve researched online. I’ve tried many techniques that find success with others but do nada for me:
-Melatonin
-Benedryl
-Prescription sleeping pills
-Herbal tea before bed
The things I’ve tried that do help are:
-Ear plugs.
-My husband and I sleep in two twin size mattresses that we push together during the day, then slide apart about 4 inches when we sleep. We even have our own sets of sheets and blankets. And for heaven sakes, no touching allowed!
-Warm bath before bed.
-Read a book before bed.
-No computer or screen time after 8:00 PM. That just wires me big time.
-Yoga.
-I must eat 100% awesome in order to have a restful sleep. This is a HUGE motivation for me to eat clean and keep my calories in check during the day.
Despite all these extensive measures, I still go to bed with my fingers cross each night.
Please sleep. Please sleep. Please sleep.
So, the Doc and I have instituted for the past two months something we fondly call the “Quest for Rest”. Immediately after the kids get tucked away around 8:00 or 8:30 PM, we have one hour before lights out for us. I know, this sounds nuts and nearly impossible, but it has been working for us. Most nights we are both in bed by 9:30 and at the very latest 10:00 PM.
I am happy to report that we are getting more sleep and I can detect a huge difference in my day. I am getting between 7-8 hours of sleep (yes, I still wake up to use the restroom every stinking night at 3:00 AM). I feel like a new person. Reborn. Energized. Renewed. Restored. Less stressed. Happy. Things are funnier. I no longer find myself just hanging on, but actually productive.
I know this is not realistic for many people, particularly those of you out there with teenagers. However, for now, I’m hanging on to my Quest for Rest. I’ll take as many ZZZ’s as I can catch.
How about you, Fit Mommas? Have you ever struggled for sleep? What have you done that works? Comment below and let us know?
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11 comments:
Sleep is super important to me, and I honestly believe I was successful in my weight loss because I was getting enough of it. Unfortunately, I am finding that now that I've lost the weight, I am not sleeping as much or as well !!!!!!! Is there a correlation? Does weight loss in anyway effect sleep patterns? I would love to be the great sleeper I was a year ago!
The only way I get a good night's rest is by sleeping in a completely different room than my husband. He is like sleeping with a concrete mixer, both in motion and noise level. It's probably damaging my children, but I don't know what else to do. I have to get some rest!! We usually start out in the same bed, but I move at lights out or at some point during the night.
I have never read anywhere that there is a correlation between weight loss and sleep patterns. If anything, when I was heavy I even slept worse than I do now. I realize now a lot of that were digestion issues. I had to digest 4 scoops of Rocky Road ice cream most nights... No wonder I was a mess. I guess more of a mess than I am now. I've improved greatly, but I'm no snoozer.
I can't sleep without a fan for noise.
Growing up and into college - I always needed a good 8-10 hours a night to be functioning at peak capacity. if not, I napped during the day. Since having my two kiddos, I have definitely not been getting enough sleep. I need naptime more than they do! My three year old isn't a fantastic sleeper either ... maybe I should pull out the Healthy Sleep Habits book again!
Several things that helped me sleep better:
1) Black Out curtains. Keeping the light out of our bedroom helped considerably.
2) No TV, No Computer, No Media whatsoever. Keeping the bedroom for sleeping instead of lounging has also helped with sleep issues.
3) A security system. I didn't realize it, but once we had it put in, my sleep became even more restful.
4) The #1 improvement for my sleep is: Training myself to not look at the clock.
I used to think I *needed* to know what time it was - what if I was ever needed in court like all those people on Matlock... When sleep became an issue, I turned it all over to God. I prayed that if HE needed me to know what time it was, that he'd let me know.
If I wake up during the night with the need to "go", I get up and "go" without even thinking about looking at the clock. If I do, I end up getting back in bed and thinking, "It's 3:00, that means I only have 2 more hours of sleep. Oh, no! I want more!" and it continues on and on - and ends up where I have no sleep.
So, if I can get up and force myself to not think. I can get back to sleep pretty quickly.
that is so funny--when we get our kiddos to bed at 9pm (this is after their quiet time, scripture reading family prayer etc) both Jon & myself r in our beds--either reading or talking or whatever..and if we can go to sleep at 10--we sleep GREAT--if we are up watching tv etc till midnight--we are a mess...
i understand the "brain wont shut off thing" when jon broke his neck--believe me my brain was going a million miles a SECOND! i kept saying "i just cant shut OFF my brain!" --- when this happens..i start reading the scriptures...JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!
no when this happens--i start thinking about where i'd love to travel ALLL BY MYSELF (what kind of rental car i'd pick, what kind of food i'd have, if im at the beach, walking the streets of italy, watching people and figuring out their lives, etc)--no hubby, no kids--kinda like a "eat love pray" scenario--then my thoughts all go towards that..and before i know it im a goner!!!!!!
I am such a light sleeper that I finally got a white noise maker. It lives right next to my head in my nightstand and is great for drowning out a noisy spouse and house sounds. I don't have a cure for racing thoughts, but no that I'm right there with you. What kills me is that lately jingles from kid shows keep me up. Darn you Thomas the Train. Darn you.
I am pretty exhausted around 8pm but then i get wired and run around the house finishing up little projects or my mind remembers stuff i need to do the next day, etc. And by the time I am ready for bed I am pretty much awake. And like now...it is almost 1130 and I am relishing in the quiet house...not wanting to go to bed because the next day awaits!!! Sleep is amazing. Our bodies are amazing. Naps are heavenly to me! :)
ps. funnyI am the opposite of Tanya...i like to get up in the middle of the night and see what time it is because I get excited at how much more sleep I have! But when I wake I am up and ready to move. It is like the alarm jolts me awake..i think if it took me a while to wake up I would feel differently. In college- when I only averaged 5-6 hours a night- I would purposely drink before going to bed so I would wake around 2 and feel great going back to sleep for those extra 3 hours!
Mary Kate
Oh this post was for me! Thanks for the reminder. Today I have felt in a daze. It doesn't help with nursing babies, but I go to bed far too late.
It's not like I'm awake doing productive stuff, but doing "no-brainer" rest "me" time.
In all reality, sleep WOULD be best.
I am SUCH a light sleeper too.
Hubby and I don't share a blanket.
I wear ear plugs (now i'm so used to them i even wear them when he's gone).
I just started wearing one of those little eye masks because the sun creeps thru our curtains so darn early (4amish). That helps.
NO tv in bed.
Hot bath before bed.
Boy. I think I need to go to bed now!
Ta ta!
I too have suffered for years with what I call "Active Brain Syndrome." I'm tired, my body's tired, but I can't get to/stay asleep. I tried several remedies as well, including the doctor recommended strategy of the bed is for sleep only - never a book, TV, etc.
My relief finally came when my hubby and I (entirely on impulse) bought a Tempur-pedic bed. It sounds silly, but it shut off my brain. Within 2 nights of having the bed I found that I was falling asleep within 10 minutes of lying down and I was getting a full night's sleep. It may not work for everyone, but it has been such a blessing for me!
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