Sleep Difficulties PM

Sleep Difficulties?

Understanding Sleep Patterns..
We all have a natural sleep rhythm in our bodies. Since we are all different, our patterns are different. You may have the natural "night owl" pattern, or maybe the "early riser" pattern. The trick is to realize which pattern dominates, and give your body what it needs. Anytime you wake up groggy in the morning, it may mean that you just need to get a BETTER sleep at night.
Believe it or not, we should feel refreshed in the morning...not groggy. Here are some common concerns and helpful tools to try and increase the amount of good quality sleep you are getting..

Having trouble GETTING to sleep at night?
When the mind is so cluttered with thoughts, it is hard to focus on getting our mindset ready for sleep. To help combat this, you can try the following :

Breathing: While in bed, start to bring your direct focus to the breath ... slowly start to feel yourself inhale to a count of about 4, then slowly exhale to a count of about 7 or 8. Your mind is completely focused on the breath. Notice the sensation of the air as it gently flows in and out of your nostrils. Feel the shoulders start to release and let go. Concentrate completely on this, as you feel the body start to relax and release... This style of breathing taps directly into the parasympathetic nervous system, the system that calms and relaxes the body. Routinely work on this breath, as it gets easier the more you practice it.
Shut off all stimulating television shows and any upbeat music at least an hour before bedtime. Allow yourself that hour to start relaxing the body as you prep yourself for sleep. You can try turning on the soft, relaxing music, which can help get you focused on relaxation, and let go of the stressors of the day .
Breathe and stretch: Breathe and extend the exhale while you slowly move into simple stretches. (Forward fold is a favorite of mine.) Allow yourself to focus in on the breath, and relax the body as you stretch. Also see Helpful Relaxing Poses Before Bed. Be sure to do the last two poses, (legs up in the air and into chest) which can be done right in bed. These poses help stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system by naturally calming the body and mind. You can end by just laying your body flat, and focusing in on the breath.
Allow yourself a little bit of turkey before bed. (Turkey contains Tryptophan, which is a natural sedative) Try to avoid "deli" turkey, if you can. You can typically find turkey tenderloins, or turkey breast in your local store or Whole Foods. Ingesting turkey before bed, can give your body the protein it may need to level out your glucose, as well as give you that "Thanksgiving Day" sleepiness, we all know so well.
Allow yourself some Chamomile Tea before bed. Chamomile also contains a natural sedative and has relaxation qualities that can help you get to sleep. (Steep without sugar, since we are trying to avoid any stimulants, of which sugar can be. Consult with your doctor if you are taking any blood thinners before you drink a lot of Chamomile, since too much can thin the blood.)
Warm milk ... Although, I haven't personally tried this myself, there are those who swear by a "glass of warm milk before bed". Milk, like turkey, has protein, but also contains tryptophan as well. As with tea, allow the warm liquid to relax you as you drink it down.
Practice mindfulness in bed. Telling your body "it's time to sleep" is another great tool to help you feel relaxed. Focus on different body parts and say "goodnight, its time to sleep". You are using "focus" as well as "self-talk" to help yourself get to sleep. You can start with your toes and work your way up the body...to the ankle...then to the knee...then the hips, and so on. Counting is another type of mindfulness technique, that may be helpful. Tapping is another great tool. (See below)

Having trouble STAYING asleep at night?
This can be a tricky one since our normal circadian rhythm is about 5 hours long. People differ, so if you notice that you wake up the same time every night, that is your body completing one of it's cycles, and preparing for the next. Our bodies go through a light sleep, then deep sleep, then light sleep. It then goes back into a deep sleep, and repeats this through the night. The problem may occur when we get back into our "light" stage of sleep, we may wake. The key here is to NOT freak out that we have awoken again. Most people go directly into "something is wrong" mode, which can open our mind into "panic mode". We can also wake up in "panic mode". If this is your issue, I understand this completely, as going thru this myself. This process can take longer to relieve.

First you need to remind yourself that waking up is NORMAL. It can be caused by many different things such as: hormone levels and glucose levels. Talk to your doctor if you think you may have either of these going on. Hormone levels are a bit trickier, but glucose levels can be helped by planning what you are eating before you go to bed.
If you are waking up due to glucose, it is your body's way of saying "I'm hungry, feed me now". This can be helped by having something small to eat before bed. This is why I typically eat a small portion of turkey and have a cup of either Chamomile or Peppermint Tea before bed. (If you have acid reflux, both Peppermint and Chamomile Tea soothe the belly and can help with acid reflux at night. Just check with your doctor first, if you are on any blood thinners, before you consume too much Chamomile tea, for it can have blood thinning affects.) Turkey contains a lot of protein which helps keep your glucose levels stabilized . By eating protein before bed, you are giving your glucose levels some balance which can help you sleep better. Turkey is preferred, since it contains the tryptophan, which kicks in the natural sedative, and is an added tool for the issue.
When you wake up at night, we typically just toss and turn, cause we don't want to move much and just want to fall back asleep. In these cases, you can use a focus technique, (see Focus Techniques), but the one that has helped me the best is "tapping". Just start tapping a finger on the mattress and focus on the movement of the finger. This keeps additional thoughts away from the moment and keeps you focused in on the movement of your finger. Tap to a relaxing beat, and soon enough, you may find yourself asleep. But try the other techniques as well, as another may suit you better. Remember that we are all different! (See "Tapping" below...)

You can refer back to 2.2 (E) Focus Exercise: Tapping or watch the video again here: