Basic strategies beyond sleep hygiene.
Has it happened to you that you read a lot about sleep, always reaching 10 or 12 sleep hygiene (S.H.) recommendations to become more overwhelmed? Have you tried a thousand and one times all these S.H. recommendations? You follow them to a T and still do not sleep?
I fully understand! Plus, I know that following all of these recommendations can be overwhelming, if not impossible. This is why I want to teach you three essential keys to sleep better without stress.
> A fixed time to wake up.
The first thing is to set a fixed time to wake up from Monday to Sunday, including holidays. This time should be kept fixed regardless of the time you go to bed or what the night was like.
Initially, you may feel more tired. However, over time, both your body clock and homeostatic system (sleep regulators) will regulate; your body will begin to indicate your ideal time to sleep (if you are willing to listen).
This process can last from 2 to 4 weeks, so you have to be patient and keep your wake-up time fixed ... You will not regret the effort when you see the results!
> Do not go to bed if you are not sleepy.
We often confuse being tired with being sleepy; you have heard the phrase: "I'm tired, I'm going to bed."
It is usual for us to confuse being tired with being sleepy, especially with the high sleep debt we have worldwide. However, it is NOT the same.
On the one hand, when we are physically or mentally tired, we feel without energy, do not concentrate, or perform at our best. At this time, the body is asking us to change tasks and give ourselves the necessary time to rest with activities that do not require high energy levels.
On the other hand, we are sleepy when we begin to show signs of sleepiness, or it is difficult for us to stay awake (we start to head uncontrollably).
So, the next time you feel exhausted, ask yourself if you should sleep or rest.
> A pleasant sleep routine.
You probably have a hectic life - like most of us - running from one side to the other, without giving yourself a space of tranquillity and enjoyment, as if the least important thing in your life were you. Then night comes, and one of two things happens: either you lie in bed exhausted, after having put on your pyjamas with difficulty and you don't even know when you fell asleep; or you go to bed (just when you finished work) to think about work and life worries, where the hour's pass without being able to sleep.
Neither of the two previous scenarios is good (although the first seems better than the second). So to avoid them, you must set a time for yourself at the end of the day. A sleep routine where you can relax and do activities you like, achieving an organic transition between day and night.
Sleep routines have many benefits; for example they:
√ Increase the total number of hours of sleep.
√ Decrease the time it takes you to fall asleep.
√ Reduce sleep problems at night.
√ Decrease the number of awakenings that occur throughout the night.
Additionally, it protects your mental health since it allows you to have a moment for yourself, a moment of personal care when you can dedicate yourself to nourish your body, soul, and mind through relaxing and pleasurable activities.
How often do you give yourself this permission? ... That is why I invite you to design a pleasant sleep routine, full of activities you like, allowing you to prepare for sleep, even if it only lasts 30 minutes.
I hope you found these three tips simple enough to put into practice and that you find them much less overwhelming than a sleep hygiene guide.
Sweet dreams!