Tips to Improve Sleep

Sleeping is one of those things that you as a nurse may have come to terms with the fact that it's something you will have to live without.
 
I'm here to help you realize that nursing and sleep are no longer oxymorons, but can become compliments to one another.  It seems only natural that you should be able to come home from an exhausting 12-hour shift and just fall right asleep, right? Well for some it is not so simple, and I'm here to show you how to bridge the gap between awake and anxious to asleep and peaceful.
 

 
Take a warm shower before bed.
Taking a warm shower can make you feel sleepy and snuggly warm right before you fall asleep.  Better yet? Take a shower with the lights off and light a few candles.  The warm glow of the candles will make you feel so cozy, you'll think you're already asleep!

 
Put down the cell phone.
Your cell phone is nothing but a mental stimulation device once you've laid down.  I've definitely been a victim of this temptation, laying there for hours pinning things with my Pinterest app, wondering why I cannot fall asleep.  The lights in your phone and all the information processing it takes to scan through things on your phone will keep you up all night.  If you find this urge too tempting to put down, try getting an alarm clock. Use this alarm clock to wake you up in the morning, and plug your phone into another room! I know it sounds impossible, but you'll be thankful when you miss the phone buzzes of text messages, phone calls and emails that normally disrupt your sleep.

 
Turn on a fan
The fan will not only help keep your temperature stable all night, but it will also be a great white noise to keep snoring, outdoor noises, or anything else that would jolt you awake somewhat "drowned out" so that you can sleep peacefully.
 
Turn down the temperature
If you're one of those people that likes to be hot as you fall asleep, unfortunately this may be having a negative effect on your sleeping pattern. Your body is more calm and restful as you sleep in lower temperatures.  So keep that fan on, turn down the heat, and bundle in blankets. Your sleep patterns will thank you!
 

 

Avoid heavy foods and liquids before bed
Try having a light dinner and promise yourself a huge breakfast.  Eating your biggest meal of the day gives you the longest time to digest it, leaving your body light and ready for resting at the end of the night.  Having a huge meal before dinner is only exhausting because of how hard your body has to work to digest it.  The harder your body is working, the longer you will be awake.  Liquids are somewhat self-explanatory, but obviously a bulging bladder and multiple trips to the bathroom are not condusive to a solid sleep schedule!
 
Is your mind thinking a million different (somewhat irrational) thoughts right as you try to sleep?
I suffered with this for a really long time, when I realized that all my thoughts were things that I could not do anything about at that exact moment and they could almost always be put off until later.  Write these thoughts down! Keep a pad of paper by your bed and jot down the things that are on your mind, and you'll be amazed at how quickly your thoughts calm.  You can rest assured that you will sleep without forgetting your important thoughts - they'll be right there waiting for you in the morning.

 
Taking a long time to sleep?
If it has been 20 to 30 minutes since you laid down and you cannot fall asleep, as counterintuitive as it sounds - get up and read for a few minutes. Get out of bed.  Your body is associating the bed with a restless feeling, when it should be associated with sleep and relaxation.  Avoid television, computers, your cell phone, anything digital that could be stimulating to your brain - all you'll do is wake it up further.  Go sit in the living room with quiet music, read a few pages of your favorite book, write in a journal, anything quiet that will calm your mind.

Do you use any other tips or tricks to get yourself to fall asleep? Leave them in the comments below to help another nurse out!