You get into bed, exhausted after a long day. But alas, sleep does not come. Instead, you toss. You turn. You worry about how tired you’ll be the next day because you can’t sleep.
Sound familiar?
Our lives tend to be busy, often from the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep. And though we may not realize it, our brains need time to decompress from all the thinking we make them do during waking hours.
Changing your habits before bed is the key to better sleep. Tips for better sleep include replacing activities that raise your energy or increase your brainwaves with more relaxing ones. Take a bubble bath. Put on soothing music. Journal.
Therapeutic Journaling at the end of the day is a way to clear the mind of thoughts and worries and to frame your day positively. Writing what I call “Night Notes” in your journal will help you process what happened during the day and let it go. Here are three suggestions for clearing your mind.
What’s on your mind? I’ll bet that you can’t do much about it now that it’s bedtime, so write it down to get it out of your head and onto the page. Documenting any loose ends allows your brain to relax instead of remembering. Whatever it is, you can deal with it tomorrow.
What things did you accomplish today, big and small? What are you thankful for today? Write down as many things as you can.
You might write, “Exercised for an hour” and “Weather was warm and sunny today.” Reflecting on what you did accomplish today (rather than what you didn’t), and what blessings you have (rather than those you don’t), will help you contentedly drift off to sleep. Over time, this gratitude practice will get you in the habit of framing the events of your day in a positive manner, no matter what happens.
Writing a quick reflection or prayer is a ritual for closing out the day intentionally and letting it go. As you shut your journal, let a sense of closure and peace come over you. As you close your eyes, let your mind go quiet, and let your muscles relax. Know that your day is complete.
For menopausal women, therapeutic journaling before bed is a particularly helpful because insomnia is so common during menopause. As Physician’s Assistant Anne Vaillancourt explains in this video on Menopause and Sleep, hot flashes and fluctuations in hormone levels typically disrupt sleep.
Anne shares several useful tips for sleeping better during menopause, including this one: “The brain needs time to relax. It needs time to distress. So you need to take at least an hour before you’re wanting to fall asleep to relax.”
For part of the hour that Anne recommends allotting to relaxation, do your Night Notes. Make them a habit. Your well-rested body and mind will thank you.
Anne Vaillancourt, PAC, and Life Coach Bruce Bair, PAC run the website Female Menopause Mentors which connects women in menopause with expert advice.
Free Guide
To support you with your wellness resolutions the guide "Muscle Recovery After a Workout: The Important Role of Sleep" is available here:
https://myslumberyard.com/blog/muscle-recovery-and-sleep/