In Shakespeare’s Hamlet this quote appears and is more about death vs. a good night’s sleep but anyone who has sleep issues knows that you can come to the end of your rope when your sleep is disturbed.
In my writing journey, I am exploring issues that personally affect women like me (middle-aged) and looking for solutions.
As I continue to work on my health, sleeping issues can have a negative effect on our health.
It is an issue that affects many women of a particular age (ahem!) and there are reasons for that, but it is not gender specific or age specific. It is something that affects a lot of the population.
Personally, it can drive me to distraction, irritability, and the brink of insanity.
I remember sleeping in on weekends in my 20s and 30s. I loved those Saturday and Sunday mornings. Now, just a distant memory.
In my 40s, I became a mother, so obviously my sleep was lighter as I had to jump up at a moment’s notice to quiet, feed, or change a baby. I know a lot of people can relate to this.
As my child got older, slept better and became more independent, I noticed that I was sleeping deeper.
But that was then…
As women know, the 40s are a crazy decade, filled with lots of changes: to our bodies; to our hormones; and to our brains.
What can we do?
There is a lot of information out there about this issue. There are a lot of people suffering with insomnia and scanning the internet for solutions.
I have been one of these people.
There are millions of websites and a lot of the information is similar. Personally, I have been searching for solutions that do not involve medications.
But if you are looking, there are tons of recommendations for prescriptions to help with sleep issues.
In the past, I have used an over-the-counter sleep aid when I felt desperate. There were times when I was facing 2:30 AM with no sleep in sight and was getting to the brink trying to fall asleep.
The problem was, for me, that I was lethargic the next day as well. I did not like that feeling.
There is not one solution for everyone.
Seven tips for a better night’s sleep:
- Have a consistent bedtime and wake time.
- Block out all light.
- Do not drink caffeine at night.
- Stop all devices (phone, tablet, etc.) 1-2 hours before bedtime.
- Do not exercise before bed. Exercise should be 3-4 hours before.
- Do not take naps.
- A warm shower can help relax your body.
You may have already tried many of them.
I know I have.
Since this has been an ongoing problem for me, I have used and tried many different strategies to improve my sleep.
If you also have searched for help in sleeping problems, the following may be ways that you have heard of or maybe even tried on your own.
Seven more ways to help you sleep.
- Breathing Techniques-using slow breathing can help you relax and slow your heart rate to calm down for rest.
A popular one is the 4-7-8 technique where you inhale for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds.
There are many methods you can find online as well as breathing apps.
- Meditation-similar to the breathing techniques, meditation can help quiet the mind from distractions and help you relax.
Again, there are many online, such as You Tube and apps you can get as well.
- Aromatherapy-scented oils, diffusers, and lotions can contain scents that help you relax. Lavender is a favorite to help promote sleep.
- Relaxing Music-you can search for night music online and download it. There are many versions and different time lengths.
- Weighted Blanket-this trend was a very popular Christmas gift this year. They were in all the catalogs before the holidays. They come in different weights and the pressure helps you sleep.
- Journaling-get a notebook and before going to bed, you write. It does not have to make sense or be anything life changing. It is just a way to get everything out of your mind before you settle down to sleep. Many times when we lay down to sleep, a million thoughts come and distract us. This method is to help you get it all out and clear your head.
- Chamomile Tea-this has a calming effect to help you relax.
Seven Different Ways That I Have Personally Tried
- Breathing Technique
- Sound Machine/White Noise (can be found as an app as well as buying an actual machine). I like the waves sound, personally.
- Night Music (downloaded from iTunes-classical or soft music you can put it onto a CD to be played or stream to your device)
- Meditations (I found some on You Tube and apps that talk you through the winding down part of beginning sleep). The calm, monotonous voice of the narrator has a calming effect when you focus on their voice.
- Melatonin (not consistently helpful for falling asleep and staying asleep so this stopped).
- Reading (as long as it is not an exciting story).
- Television (the one I should NOT do but I have gone to sleep for decades with the television on for background noise). It stops the other thoughts from keeping me awake mostly.
No matter what your age, your job, or your family situation, there are times when we have trouble sleeping.
For me, it is becoming a chronic problem that I am looking to solve. Not getting enough sleep can lead to medical problems.
Recently, I have come across a lot of information about magnesium and how it can help with sleep.
I have been researching and learning about magnesium, but what I have found is that a lot of people are deficient in this mineral.
It helps with many parts of the body and its processes.
Magnesium helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function, support a healthy immune system, helps adjust blood glucose levels, and helps your heart and bones as well.
Magnesium is found in foods, like green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, broccoli, and fish.
That is another reason why we should all eat healthier.
Magnesium also comes in supplement form.
That may be the next thing I try. After all, there must be some solution to this problem…I hope!
How about you? Have you had trouble sleeping at times? Is it a chronic problem with you too? What have you tried, and has it worked for you? Share your knowledge and maybe help somebody else out.
I often have this problem, but mostly it’s waking up at 4am. Tried most of your suggestions, finally resolved to age, and body not needing so much sleep. Be careful of magnesium, it is a good supplement I took it for night cramps, but make sure you tell your doctor you are taking it and to check when you get your next blood test. You can overdose on it as well as Vit D.
A friend had a sleeping problem and listens to books on tapes, she claims they help her.
Red wine, helps me. And is actually good for us. In moderation.
Sweet dreams
Funny, I wake up a lot around 4:30 and try to get back to sleep. I sometimes lay in bed for over an hour waiting to fall asleep. I’ve been using an app that helps, talks me to sleep. I can focus on the voice and eventually fall asleep. Haven’t started magnesium yet, going to check with dr but a lot of research says a lot of us are deficient. My vitamin D was low but now in the lower end of okay range. Just looking for answers and passing along the information.I don’t remember my dreams, hope they are sweet.
Once I’m asleep, I usually do fine. For me, the trouble is falling asleep. It takes me a while, and then I have trouble getting up on time in the morning. I have tried many of these techniques, but I am not consistent, so I needed the reminder. Thank you.
I think it is a part of getting older too. Sometimes, it might take an hour or even more and that drives me crazy. I hope you end up finding what works for you though. I am still searching. Here’s hoping…
I feel like ever since I was a child, my body just naturally enjoyed sleeping during the daytime. It’s something about falling asleep when the sun rises that has been very satisfying to me. Unfortunately, when I became an adult and realized that I could no longer sleep in the daytime because of work, school, and everyday responsibilities – that’s when I began having trouble sleeping. I may try some of the tips you shared because having trouble sleeping or uncomfortable sleep patterns are not fun!
No, they are not fun! I remember loving sleeping in on the weekends in my 20s. But in my 40s, sleep was more elusive, which led to a lot of frustration on my part. Naps would never work nowadays, I’d never sleep at night. Here’s hoping that we find a solution and hopefully one of these tips will help.
Thank you for posting this, I have such a hard time with sleep. I think since Covid it has gotten worse. Working from home doesn’t help either, seems to make sleep time worse. Its the hours Im up and going to bed that are all out of wack too.
Covid definitely did not help sleep matters. We have had many concerns on our minds with everything going on, that can add to sleep problems. It is hard to try and turn off your brain when we have 24 hours news on this virus. Hopefully, one or more of these tips and suggestions will help. It is so weird because the other day I slept for about seven hours and I was amazed. It really should not be a surprise with solid sleep. I hope it ends up being the norm. Good luck!
I always struggle with sleep during times of change. I’m a teacher, so back to school is always miserable for me. I really appreciate that you lay out a lot of options and give us the honest truth on your experience. It’s easy to throw together a list without much thought, but you are really comprehensive here. You reminded me to start using my weighted blanket again!
I am a teacher too but I am not working full-time at this point but for many years I could not fall asleep the night before school started. I checked with my colleagues and many of them were the same way. It would take a little for the anxiety and anticipation of the new class to wear down to start getting into the routine. Of course, freedom of summertime did not help. The routine took me about a month to get back into it. Also, being a teacher, I have to research everything too much and find out everything I can. Occupational hazard. I am sure you can relate to that. The weighted blanket was so popular last year at Christmastime. I wonder if it helped a lot of people get a good night’s sleep. Have to find out what works for us, I guess.