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Even as a child, I struggled with sleep, so I spent the better part of my life tired all the time. But even when I went to bed exhausted, I'd sleep for a few hours and then wake up for several hours or the rest of the night most nights of the week. This was not ideal. Because I didn't sleep much, I was chronically wiped out, and it affected every aspect of my life, from mental health issues like anxiety and my ability to cope to physical issues like aches, pains, immunity to illness, and energy levels.
I spent years trying to find ways to sleep better. Some things didn't work at all. Other things were game changers. So whether you have the occasional sleep problem or chronic sleep issues like I had, I'm hoping that the things I found that helped me just might help you, too.
9 Things That Actually Worked to Improve My Sleep
As elusive as sleep felt to me, I was determined to make mine better. After years of randomly trying different things, I decided to take a more measured approach, so I started with an analysis of why sleep was so darn hard for me and what was interrupting it.
I Started a Sleep Journal
First, I wanted to know why I was waking up almost every night. I spent years with an anxious, racing mind, and I was pretty sure this was part (but not all) of my insomnia issues. So it made sense to record everything I did around sleep to see what might be causing the issue. I recorded anything I could think of related to sleep: how much caffeine I had throughout the day and when I drank it (a lot. I had a lot.), what I did in the run up to bedtime, what I noticed when I woke up, the thoughts I had when I went to bed, woke up, and couldn't go back to sleep, and more.
I Used This Sleep Journal to Get to the Root of My Issues
Once I started isolating the cause of my sleep issues, I was able to address them one by one. I implemented the changes one at a time, and I started to notice a difference in my sleep right away. It wasn't perfect, but with each change I added, it got a little better.
I Cut Out Caffeine
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a total caffeine addict. Caffeine was how I was managing my lack of sleep, and I used it several times per day. Over the years, I'd quit cold turkey, go three to five days with a terrible migraine, and then start back up again after a block of particularly difficult nights. This time, I took a different approach, tapering off the caffeine over several weeks. First, I stopped having it after 2 PM for several days. Next, I stopped having it after noon. Then 10 AM. Then 8 AM. Then, when I was down to my final morning dose of caffeine, I simply used less and less of it over a period of about four weeks until I was able to quit completely without a headache. Even stopping drinking caffeinated beverages after 2 PM made a difference in my sleep. I was finally able to stay out of the vicious cycle of making up for my lack of sleep with caffeine, and caffeine causing me to be unable to sleep.
I Created a Bedtime Routine
For years, I'd heard advice about the importance of creating a bedtime routine, going to bed at the same time every night, and waking up at the same time in the mornings. But since I had busy kids, a job, and an active social life, it was hard for me to commit to getting up and going to sleep at the same time on weekends as weekdays. According to the Sleep Foundation, bedtime routines, "create habits that tell your brain it's time to get ready for bed."
So I started with getting up and going to bed at roughly the same time, and over the years, I've added different things into it that help me... no eating after 6 PM, taking a warm Epsom salt bath before bed, turning of screens two hours before bedtime, and spending a time of quiet reflection before bed for meditation, affirmations, and visualization.
I Changed My Sleep Environment
One of the things I isolated in my journal was how many things in my environment were affecting my sleep and causing me to wake up due to discomfort. I noticed that when I woke up in the middle of the night, there were some common things that factored into it, so all I needed to do was find ways to cancel those things out.
I Hung These Light-Blocking Curtains on My Windows & French Doors
I Put This White Noise Machine on My Bedside Table
I Switched to These Super-Soft, Cooling Sheets
I Added These Super Comfy Gel Pillows
I Bought the Most Comfortable Mattress I've Ever Slept On
I Sleep Better Than I Ever Have
With changes small and large, my sleep is almost entirely transformed. Sure, I sometimes wake up, but most nights I'm able to go right back to sleep. And better sleep makes a better me all around. I'm more focused, in less pain, and I don't stagger through my days like a zombie — all good things. So, if sleep is an issue for you, I urge you to start by assessing your sleep hygiene, and then making changes that make sense for you. You'll not only feel better, but your physical and mental health will improve, too, and that's priceless.