Do you ever feel like you’re sleepwalking? I’m not talking about actual sleepwalking during the night when you’re asleep. I’m talking about zombie sleepwalking during the day while you’re “awake” desperately sipping on coffee as a means of “waking up”. Anyone else relate? Or is it just me?
Life stops for no man, especially in this day and tech age that we are living in. We are so busy trying to “keep up” with the hustle and bustle of life that we forget to rest, slow down, and prioritise our health. Then we crash and burn, because our bodies cannot keep up with our lifestyles.
We become stressed, anxious, and struggle to switch off our brains at night, and we end up waking up feeling exhausted and demotivated before the day has even begun – we end up carrying stress in our bodies, which in turn affects our moods. Therefore we need to be more conscious of eating healthier, taking vitamins, exercising, resting, and getting enough sleep at night.
Seasonal sleep
Depending on the season of life that we are in, sleep will look a little different for everyone. For example, when my son was a newborn with colic, we never slept. At all. Maybe three hours during the night if we were lucky. Those early days were such a blur – thank goodness for maternity leave. Now that our son is older, he sleep talks during the night and I often wake up when he does. This means my sleep patterns are inconsistent and I never get a full eight hours of sleep at night.
My problem is that as soon as my son goes to bed, I try to make up for all things that I could not do while he was awake, which means I go to bed late, and wake up early, and then wake up during the night to tend to him… which means I become a walking zombie during the day.
However, if we want to feel alive and less dead during the day we need to focus on prioritising sleep as best as we can for the season that we find ourselves in. Therefore, we need to be more mindful of creating sleep boundaries by investing in a good night’s rest.
Benefits of sleeping:
- It improves your mood and emotions. You will feel less anxious, overwhelmed, and depressed
- You will have healthier looking skin
- It strengthens your immune system
- It helps to prevent migraines and headaches
- You will feel more focused and be more productive
- Good sleep keeps your heart healthy and functioning well
- It inspires creativity
- Strengthens muscle stamina
- Sleep improves your memory
Train your body to get better sleep
- Unwind your mind before bed
- Limit caffeine intake after 12 pm
- Work out in the mornings
- Sneak in a bit of sunshine during the day
- Journal before bed
- Make lists
- Have a bath before bed
- Sip on chamomile tea
- Stay consistent with bed times
- Take magnesium supplements
- Keep electronics out of your bed
- Use essentials oils like lavender in your room
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to merely make it to the end of the year. I want to still feel strong as the year draws to a close. If that means I need to retrain my body and brain to get a better night’s rest, then so be it. Here’s to better sleep!