As you get older, getting a good night’s sleep can seem more and more elusive. This can be a cruel irony as you may feel more in need of rest than ever, as your body undergoes the wear and tear sustained by everyday life. Not getting enough sleep can lead to a variety of health concerns, but fortunately there are lots of things that you can do in order to restore your ability to have healthy sleep patterns.
Bedtime routines may sound like something that you left behind long ago in childhood, but creating the right bedtime routine can actually be essential to helping you sleep and restoring your wellness. Take time before bedtime to do an activity that helps you unwind, such as taking a warm, relaxing bath, writing in a journal or reading a relaxing book. Take care that your reading material is not too stimulating at night. Conversely, during the day you should try to be as active as possible. Not only will this boost your fitness and wellbeing, but it will tire you out physically and help towards getting a good night’s sleep later on.
If you tend to lie awake worrying, try to find a way to deal with these worries in the light of day. Writing things down can help, or talk them through with a friend. Sometimes just vocalising or writing these worries can help to clear them from your head and allow you to sleep.
It’s okay to spend some time planning tomorrow and thinking about how you want things to go, but try not to dwell too much on anxious thoughts at bedtime. Making sound plans for the day ahead can help you to switch off as you will feel that you have a ‘strategy’ in place and any anxiety-producing events are pre-planned.
Finally, make your bedroom a relaxing space, free from clutter and with suitably relaxing lighting. Avoid electronic forms of entertainment and make sure that you have a comfortable bed and use natural fabrics for your bed linen.
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