The Importance of Sleep Routines and Attitudes and Beliefs around Sleep
The routines you establish around sleep are surprisingly very important. As sleep is a learned behaviour it is important to be consistent so your body and mind are prepared for repeat performances
Sleep Routines and What to Consider ….
Stick to a strict routine initially. No matter how tired you are get up at the same time every day and go to bed at a similar time each night.
Do not oversleep in the weekends.
Avoid daytime naps and only sleep in the bedroom. If you must make them a “power nap” ie time limited
The aim is to have a sleep cycle that has a regular rhythm.
Establish behaviours that you do in order each night to give your body cues that it is time to slow down and sleep eg, listen to music, have a warm non caffeine drink, a warm shower etc.
Hard to maintain initially I know …… but it’s worth it long-term
Attitudes and Beliefs about Sleeping (and Not Sleeping)
How you think about Sleep can have a huge impact on how well you fall asleep and your perceptions of your sleep patterns. Read more…..
People with poor sleep tend to have a range of negative thoughts and beliefs about their situation and its consequences.
Research has shown that we tend to underestimate the amount of time we sleep.
This has implications for our expectations for the following day and levels of tiredness.
Time is easily distorted in sleepy states and problems can get amplified.
Beliefs about “catching up” can also affect behaviour i.e. sleeping in – such responses can actually contribute to ongoing sleep difficulties.
So the message here is to try and not focus on your sleep – acceptance of whatever happens is at the centre of this and will ultimately aid relaxation which in turn promotes good sleep patterns.
This is SUCH an important component to achieving good sleep – lots of people struggle with this understandably …. if you find this is an ongoing problem no matter what you try it may be worth addressing this further .
