It’s what keeps me awake in the wee hours of the mornings.
That’s the bad news.
But…
I can finally admit I have a problem.
I have a label for it now.
I have gathered some research about this issue.
Now I can start to deal with it.
And THAT is the good news.
I have never been the greatest sleeper.
My mum tells me I didn’t need much rest when I was younger – always on the go, looking for the next adventure, full of energy.
Through my childhood, teen, and young adult years I suffered from nightmares – pretty bad ones sometimes – much prayer and sharing a bedroom with my Joshua seems to have really helped with that.
Having wee ones to care for kept me up alot of nights and I turned into a very light sleeper – this one I don’t mind at all – really. There’s something magical about holding a baby in the early hours (yes, exhausting as well).
And finishing up university while raising children and being in ministry – this made for many sleep-less nights for a couple of years.
One constant through all my years of sleep cycles – I never had trouble FALLING asleep (except during my colic stint as a baby – my poor mum!).
It’s the STAYING asleep that has me baffled just now.
Over the past few years I’ve noticed it’s getting worse – like it used to only happen once in a while, then a little more often, then once a week, then twice a week, then most nights…
So here I am.
Middle Insomnia.
OK… good to know… now I have to start to deal with it.
Turns out many things can cause Middle Insomnia – stress, anxiety, eating habits, lack of exercise, too much caffeine, chaotic schedule…
How many of these boxes can I check off at once?
Ya, I have some work to do.
I’m taking a good, hard look at my life and re-evaluating.
Another area of Crazy Change.
Here’s where I’m starting, after doing some research…
I’ve been on this road for about a week now, and this week was better (still woke up 3 of those nights, but better).
- Decrease stress! How? Being more organized in some areas, letting go of perfectionist tendencies, trusting more, moving ahead with confidence and kicking low self-esteem to the curb, enjoying life, practising contentment, no more comparing, LIVING IN THE MOMENTS.
- Beyond that… No caffeine (including chocolate!) after 1 or 2pm. I have been working on decreasing my chocolate intake, and bought a dark chocolate bar the other day to divide into a week’s worth – then gave the bar to Josh to divide out for me every day – ya, hard! And hard to admit and be accountable to him that way… but he was absolutely fine with it and wants to help me out.
- Exercise – this should be way easier with the warmer weather – a walk, bike ride, swim when the local lakes warm up… yes!
- No overeating and no snacks after dinner except a bowl of cereal or piece of toast if needed.
- Regular bedtime and night time routine – this is the hardest one for me since our lives seem to be so chaotic sometimes.
- Ministry commitments down to one night out per week. We have other family commitments like sports to keep up with as well.
- No emotional chats close to bedtime.
- I’ll be trying to go to bed same time as boys (about 9:30) so I can read for a while and relax into sleep.
- Maybe an herbal tea after dinner – this would help alot if I drink it early enough – so I don’t wake up for a bathroom break in the night!
- If I wake up in the middle of the night, don’t panic – journal, read or blog – then go back to sleep after an hour or two. Apparently our ancestors used to sleep in two shifts (especially in the winter) – so this makes me feel a little more relaxed and normal about my wakefulness in the night.
My goal is to get at least 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep per night – this seems to be the magic number for me. On holidays, I seem to sleep a little more.
I don’t mind getting up at 6am to read, blog, or enjoy some quiet before the day begins for me at about 7:00 or 7:30.
Do you ever have sleep troubles? I discovered many of us do! At least 40% of us.
How do you deal with the issue?
[…] we were away over March Break, my old friend Middle Insomnia paid me a visit quite a few nights. I’m learning to see the potential in these […]
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I drink chamomile tea about an hour before bed. That way, I’m relaxing and I still have time for the loo right before sleep. I usually read a little in bed too. Regular schedule REALLY helps. If I get off schedule, I don’t sleep well. I’m happy to hear you’ve discovered what it is, but I was looking forward to leaving you a middle insomnia chores list next time you visit!
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Sorry to burst your bubble on the chores list, Mum, but I’d be happy to complete the list when I’m all alert and chipper after having a wonderful night’s sleep! We’ll all be happier that way… Trust me…
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Love your blogs. Have you considered a sleep study? Also consider protein before bed instead of carbs. Almond butter or cashew butter. I’ve had a lot of the same symptoms that caused sleep issues and have found changes to my diet has helped a great deal. Hope this helps. Hugs.
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Thanks Brenda… I’ll remember the protein vs. carbs thing. This week was much better, even just with trying to do a few things differently and keep a regular schedule at bedtime. Here’s hoping!
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