Menopause Night Sweats & Hot Flashes

Improve Your Sleeping Habits – Conquering Sleep Problems Can Be Done – I Did It Myself!

If you are having sleeping problems at night then you have to pay special attention to the things you do prior to going to bed.

You need to pay attention to:

What time you go to bed

Time you eat before going to bed

Last drink you had and what type

What time of exercise and last time you did it before going to bed

Time you turned the TV off

Time you play on the computer

…any other type of activity that requires you to be alert.

The reason why you need to pay attention to the activities mentioned above is because you need ample time to unwind. If you go to bed right after any of those activities, your brain will be busy and cluttered.

I have experienced my share of sleeping difficulties in the past but I have been able to overpower them by paying attention to what it is that bothers me. It took me a while to find a routine and when I did, it made a big difference in my sleeping pattern. I also discovered that I was going to bed too early and becoming aware of this made a difference.

My bedtime used to be between 8:30 and 9:00 PM when I had to go to work the next day. I also found out that every time I did a number of activities, like watching TV for instance, would make my brain very busy and thought all night long about a particular show I watched (insomnia). That is not a good feeling because if you get any sleep, it feels like you where wide awake the whole night and you feel tired the whole day. Now my bedtime is at 10:00 but I put the lights out between 10:45 and 11:00 PM.

My tribulations lasted for years and thought I was going to remain that way for ever but when things where getting out of hand, elevated blood pressure, palpitation, nervousness, bad mood, tired all the time, that’s when I decided to make some modifications.

I worried about little things all the time (pressure) and that was one of the major problems that affected me. I learned how to overcome my worries by finding something positive out of every negative and concentrated only on the positive. It takes a lot of work but it can be done.

I quit caffeine, period. You should avoid it too. Get in the habit of drinking decaffeinated goods. No matter how fatigued I am, I refuse to drink products loaded with caffeine. Last time I had a high dose of caffeine was 17 years ago. I get little doses when I take small bites of chocolate from time to time but not sufficient to trouble me.

Every person is different and you need to develop your own bedtime routine.

This is my routine:

I quit watching TV at 10:00 if I have to work the next day. If I am off, then I go to bed as late as midnight.

I stop playing on the computer between 9:00 and 9:30

Last time I eat is at 7. I try to but some times I find myself eating past 8. Not good for digestion but I am working on it.

Last time I drink lot’s of liquids is at 6:30 and if I am feeling thirsty, I take small drinks from then on. If I drink a lot past that time, then I have to get up in the middle of the night and this should be avoided.

I go to bed right at 10:00. Reading makes me drowsy so I grab a book and read it for 30 to 45 minutes depending what time my wife comes to bed; She also has her own routine. By the time she comes to bed, I am sleepy. I get up to brush my teeth, go to the bathroom one last time, and when I get back to bed, we talk for a few minutes. Then I turn off the lights and I fall sleep, according to her, in few minutes.

Sleeping problems as a result of stress and anxiety disorders affect millions of people and a lot of them depend on sleeping medications. I tried a few sleeping aids myself at one time but refused to remain on them. If you are experiencing sleeping problems yourself, you too can overcome them just like I did.

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