Sleep- Or Lack Thereof

For the past few months I have been having some difficulty sleeping. There are many factors attributing to this, but I cannot remember the last time I've slept through the night.

I have been having trouble falling asleep and when I do I wake up with wrist pain, or because the cat is chewing on plastic, or Isabel wakes up crying with a nightmare, or Patrick is snoring... These are just a few of the nightly annoyances keeping me awake. I can honestly say that a huge issue with my sleep patterns is pretty simple. I have no schedule for the day as I did when I was working.

I had started the habit of going to bed early in order to get up early. I was eating better because I could limit what I ate throughout the day by not keeping food at work and only bringing what I was planning on eating that day. I was also working out more often throughout the day and would be tired for the right reasons at night.

Without that schedule I have been allowing myself to stay up later than necessary and when possible I lay in bed later than necessary as well. I've been getting better about getting up and being productive, but I'm not where I want to be quite yet.

Pinterest has become a friend of mine. An obsession would be more accurate. But it's been beneficial because I've found a lot of recipes, a lot of motivation for running and weight loss, and a lot of great articles to read.

I enjoyed this article about 27 Easy Ways to Sleep Better because it's what I need right now. I know that sleeping better will help in so many other areas of my life including weight, energy and being more patient to name a few.

I really connected the most with the following tips and am planning on incorporating them in the near future to hopefully sleep through the night.

1. Establish a bedtime routine. This lets the body know it's time to unwind from the day's stress and chill. Figure out a schedule and stick to it every night of the week - even weekends!
2. Exercise regularly. Studies suggest some aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety and improve quality of sleep in people who suffer from insomnia.
3. Work out earlier in the day. While exercise can help improve sleep quality, it's important to schedule workouts that end at least two hours before hitting the hay so that post-workout adrenaline boost doesn't keep you up.
4. Bedroom activities only, please. Reserve the bed for bedtime-only activities so the mind associates the bedroom with relaxation. Sleep and sex, yes. Work and bills, not so much.
5. Create a comfortable environment. Whether that means picking the perfect mattress, splurging on 800-thread-count sheets, getting heavy-duty curtains to block out light, or keeping a fan in the room for background noise, make sure it's comfy before climbing into bed. Share a bed? Work with your partner to make any changes necessary so everyone sleeps well.
6. Take a hot shower or bath before bed. This can help the mind relax, while the rise and fall of body temperature induces sleepiness.
7. Set a daily wake up time. Just like it's best to go to bed at the same time every day, it's a good idea to keep a consistent wake up time - even on the weekends. Irregular bedtime and wake-up hours can lead to poor sleep patterns.

There are so many more great suggestions, but those 7 are the ones that I can easily change and are the ones that hit home to me. I plan on working on these things in order to improve my sleep. I think that the more I work on my sleeping habits the more other things in my life will improve, including exercise and eating habits.