Better Sleep Checkup

So, last month, I shared my Action Plan for Better Sleep and I figured it was time to check in and let people know how it went.

For starters, I deviated from the plan almost immediately.  Not with the media ban (which we managed to keep up for a full month) and not with my sleep plan visualizations and such, but I added something to it, which makes it difficult to know if the presence of media was part of the problem or not.  But, more on that later. 

Over the course of the month I am very happy to report that I did not have to relocate to the living room and didn’t have any nights where hours were spent trying to fall asleep.  Not that I didn’t sometimes still have difficulty falling asleep.  And I still had many nights where I woke up part way through the night, though I managed to fall back asleep when that happened.

A few nights into the month, I decided to start using earplugs as well.  I was finding that it was the sound of snoring was still bothering me.*  When I used earplugs, it was dampened enough not to keep me awake.  At first I used some foam ones, but they were aggravating as I have oddly shaped ears and it was taking a long time to get them in properly (like 20 minutes of fiddling!).  Then I got some wax ones that you warm with your hands and shape into your ears and they worked better.  But I’m still getting used to them.  I don’t like wearing them.  But, my fondness for sleep is stronger than my dislike of them, so I guess I’m going to have to get used to it.

Now that the media ban is lifted, we’re slowly introducing media back in.  We started with some music, which is fine.  I’m sure I’ll also start reading in bed again, when I’m back to reading books instead of listening to audio books (just going through a phase right now).  And, I’m sure sooner or later we’ll put on a movie before we go to sleep.  The key now is going to be to see if the sleep problems return or not.  I’m hoping not.

But, even though I got more sleep than I was getting before, I’m still not getting enough sleep to feel truly rested.  My biggest enemy to sleep is myself.  I stay up too late and am so busy with plans that it becomes almost impossible for me to get everything done and get enough sleep.  I’m working on getting to bed earlier but I’m not sure how much of my social life I’ll want to sacrifice right now.  With the work schedules of our friends, getting together earlier in the day just won’t work.  So, I’ll have to see if I can manage it some other way.

So that’s where I stand for now (or should that be ‘sleep’?)  I’ll try to keep updating as things progress.  If anyone has any tips, tricks, or advice, feel free to comment away!

 

*And I just had a revelation the other night that when L sleeps facing towards me, it’s much more difficult to fall asleep because the snoring is louder :(

Better Sleep Action Plan

I had originally thought to write this post titled as “Insomnia Action Plan” but thought that it really set the wrong tone for my intention.  My intention isn’t to devise a plan for insomnia, my intention is to devise a plan for better sleep. 

This week, like many others before it, I’ve been having difficulty in getting a full night’s sleep.  It’s a problem I’ve dealt with on and off for years, but lately it’s been intensifying.  In the past, I’d go through short periods where it almost felt as though my body needed to reset.  I’d have a night or maybe two, where despite my best intentions, sleep would evade me.  Then I’d be fine and not encounter it again for months.  Now, it’s getting to be a problem that crops up several times each month.

So, L and I have finally had enough of it and are going to try to change things up.  So, my better sleep action plan is borne. 

The first thing we are trying is a media ban in the bedroom.  When L suggested this, I was surprised.  He is the type of person that usually sleeps best with some sort of background noise – music or a movie.  So, we have a computer in our bedroom just for such purposes.  But, it’s going to remain silent for an entire month, while we test out the effectiveness of the media ban.  Books, since they are also media, are banned as well.

So, any DVD watching, any book reading, any music enjoying will be done in other rooms.  For the next 30 days, the bedroom is for sleep and sex. 

I also have another part of the plan, that just affects me.  I’ve got an action plan for how to handle difficulty falling asleep.  I won’t bore you with all the minute details, but I’ve got different stages mapped out that are complete with sleep positions, visualization techniques, etc.  I’m hoping that having a plan like this will help to stem the tide of frustration and help me to feel more relaxed when the problem does come up.

Last night was the first night of no media and my own action plan and I didn’t have any sleep problems.  I’m hoping it’s the start of a trend.