2024 - Week 30 - How are You Sleeping?

Why Struggle? Podcast w Barbara J. Faison

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2024 - Week 30 - How are You Sleeping?

You can listen to this on my podcast - 5:42 mins or click the link here for the YouTube Channel version (audio only)

This is an episode about sleep!

Have you ever had a night where you didn’t sleep well? I didn’t rest well for a few days because I had some pains in my body. It was rough. My left shoulder was bothering me so I couldn’t get be on my left side, and my right lower back above my hip was hurting and when I turned to lie on my back, I just couldn’t get comfortable. I could feel the after effects of the restlessness several days later. I’m grateful that my sleep is back to normal now .

Having a sleep hygiene routine has been very helpful. I usually get off my phone or tablet about 30 minutes before I go to bed and lately I have been either reading a book with essays or doing a jigsaw puzzle to calm my mind down and get ready for bed. The mind likes to have something to do, so I do my best to make my before bed that stuff, relaxing.

I did a little research to find out how common sleep issues are. According to the State of Sleep in the U.S. and Sleep Statistics from the Center for Advancing Health, I found out a few statistics about sleep and sleep habits:

• 53% of U.S. adults say worrying about inflation/cost of living has negatively impacted their sleep.

• 43% of U.S. adults say they experience insomnia.

• 18% of U.S. adults say worrying about the 2024 presidential election has negatively impacted their sleep.

• 51% or more than half of Americans say their symptoms prevent them from getting enough sleep. Symptoms include back pain, joint pain, and heartburn.

• 41% say their anxiety over what will happen the next day keeps them up at night.

• Temperature also plays a role, with 31% saying it’s either too hot or too cold to sleep.

• 73% of U.S. adults follow a regular bedtime routine.

• 20% of U.S. adults say they stop using devices with screens 20-30 minutes before going to sleep.

The mind is usually still active until we give it something to do to calm it down. My current sleep hygiene routine may include:

• Getting off my devices (phone, computer & tablet).

• Reading a few pages from a book that isn’t stimulating.

• A short bedtime qigong practice (about 10-12 minutes)

• Deep breathing while in the bed- 4 breaths in through the nose and 8 breaths out through mouth.

Here are a few suggestions for you to consider before bedtime:

1. Put away your phone/tablet/devices at least 30 minutes or longer before bed.

2. Turn off the television before bed.

3. Do a jigsaw puzzle.

4. Do word search, Sudoku or crossword puzzles (not in the bed).

5. Bedtime Qigong (search on YouTube for short practices).

6. Deep breathing - try 4 breaths in through the nose and 6 or 8 breaths out the mouth.

7. Practice Yoga Nidra for sleep (search on YouTube for short practices).

8. Take a warm bath with epsom salts (Dr. Teal is one of my favs.)

9. Sleep with the phone in a different room.

10. Listen to a bedtime story or meditation.

A few years ago I collaborated with another teacher, JuneB, on the Insight Timer APP to create a few adult bedtime stories, she wrote the scripts and I narrated them. You can find time on the Insight Timer APP if you are interested. I also have them on my Bedtime with Barbara Playlist on my YouTube channel.

Going to bed at the same time is part of a routine that many sleep experts recommend. I’m not there yet, on the weekends, I tend to stay up later than usual. Lol. Do you have a bedtime routine that you use?

You can leave a comment wherever you are listening to this podcast. If you’d like to share your thoughts with me - [e-mail] is the best way to reach me. And if social media is better for you, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, are best.

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