Sometimes I wake up on the wrong side of the bed, and when I do it’s a bad day from the get-go for me. I’ve asked myself why this happens. And today is a good day to look at.
This morning I got up on the wrong side of the bed and I realized it was simply because I had a horrible nights sleep. This is a mini personal breakthrough because until just now I would normally blame someone or something else.
But I don’t need to be upset with my husband, or the work I have to do, or anything else that crosses my path after I get up. My rotten feeling has nothing to do with anyone else, it’s just a bad nights sleep. Wandering around getting dressed, feeling more tired than when I went to bed, I thought about my night of frequently looking at the clock, tossing and turning, weird dreams, sensing bodily aches and pains, and constantly feeling either too hot or too cold.
I hate nights like that.
And what I hate about not getting enough sleep is how I often let it affect me for the rest of my day. What are the consequences you dread most about a bad night’s sleep? Here are a few of mine:
- Irritability – I’ll be a bit crabby
- Slower Work Pace – everything takes more effort
- Lower Productivity – harder to get things done
- Headaches – make everything worse
- Sluggish Brain – I’m in slo mo
- Sour attitude – related to being crabby
- Tension in Relationships – irritability and sour attitudes don’t help
- Frustration that I can’t get past the tiredness – reality
- Increased Stress level – it just happens
- Forgetfulness – comes from the sluggish brain
Instead of just coping until bedtime tonight, when I’ll hopfully get a decent night’s sleep, I wrote down a list of things I can do to decrease the likelihood of having a bad night again. Everyone’s different, but here are my ways to get to sleep more easily — I figured out some of this on my own – and learned the rest from surfing:
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day - I’ve read this everywhere
- In the evening gradually reduce the amount of bright light in your environment – Ok, willing to try
- Only get in bed when you feel tired – well, mostly Ok
- Find something relaxing that can become part of your evening wind down, such as reading a book, listening to relaxing music, doing sudoku puzzles, taking a warm bath or shower.
- Adjust the bedroom temperature – try cooler, you might like it.
- Leave the mental junk pile alone. Don’t worry, it will be there tomorrow!
- Get exercise during the day but not during the 3-4 hours before bedtime.
- Figure out how many hours of sleep you need and just go to sleep.
- Avoid caffeine and other stimulants in the evening.
- Be positive and expect to have a great night’s sleep.
Photo by mahalie
A couple last thoughts for the day (I’m telling myself these since I had a bad night ). Don’t give up on getting good sleep. It is worth the mental thought time to discover what works best for you.
Extra Helpers
It’s okay to get a little help sometimes. On occasion I take an Advil PM and it works great. I just don’t depend on them.
A bad night’s sleep doesn’t have to ruin your day.
Naps work
Take a 10-20 minute power nap in the afternoon instead of running for more caffeine. I try to remember it’s not my family or co-workers’ fault that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, so I smile and try to be nice. Last thought I tell myself: just do something good for someone else. I’m feeling better and more energized already, just hoping this might help someone else! What are your tricks?
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