Sleep has been alluding me. Blame it on my raging pregnancy hormones, my racing mind, or my enormous over-sized 34 week belly. I have been a bit cranky and certainly very tired. And what have I done about it? Well, like any normal person, I have continued to stay up way too late and wake up annoyingly early.
I used to sleep like a champ. Dead to the world. No siren, or street noise, no ringing phone or door slamming could wake me. Now however, it’s as if I awaken when a fly lands on a piece of paper three rooms away.
So, as I dream of someday achieving that kind of coma-like sleep again, my Favorite (Sleep) Things Friday will hopefully inspire and encourage beautiful nights followed by even more beautiful days.
Here are my Favorite (Sleep) Things:
A good way to block out that darn pesky sunlight? A sleep mask like this purple pirate one from Peet’s Shop on Etsy. I had one friend laugh at me when she heard I used a sleep mask. Well, not laugh at me but, scoff. I proudly explained that the seemingly silly item actually helps me take sweet naps. So silly aside, I love ‘em.
My Snoogle is a massive pregnancy pillow shaped like some deformed worm. My husband lovingly refers to it as my “boyfriend” since it is this pillow, not him that I snuggle up to at night. I don’t sleep much these days, but the little sleep I am granted is due very much thanks to my priceless Snoogle.
A good book to snuggle up with, like these gems from Anthropologie. They are classic titles such as Great Expectations and Wuthering Heights, but with stylish retro inspired covers. A tasty novel almost always keeps me up longer in bed but reading does help me drift off faster. I guess it’s a draw but I’ll always like a good book in bed.
White noise, I have discovered is my friend. I recently purchased a cheap $8 sound machine I found on a clearance rack. It has 6 different sounds from birds chirping to waves crashing. The thing is, the only sound that actually helps me fall asleep and stay asleep (versus fixating on the chirp of that one bird again and again) is the sound of white noise. My cheap-o sound machine sounds more like a mechanical track which throws me off sometimes. There is one from Marpac called the Sleepmate (cute name, huh?) that is suppose to be one long whoosh of wind that sounds believable…and that sounds helpful.
My husband. Yes, I really like him and not only that, but if for some reason (say he is working late) he doesn’t go to bed with me, I never sleep quite as well. Maybe it’s his sporadic yet highly erratic sleep talking that soothes me. It’s like some kind of crazy lullaby.
A delicious before bed snack like milk and cookies. That’s a bedtime snack right? Milk and cookies isn’t just for kids coming home from school? I hope not because that would be highly disappointing.
So how do you sleep? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has trouble. I feel confident though that tonight when my head hits the pillow, I will drift off into dreamland and awaken refreshed and renewed. Or am I dreaming? I mean I do have two little people, super sonic hearing, and a large fetus kicking me all night long, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
What are you favorite things to help you sleep or do in your bedtime routine? Any sleep tips for me to get a better night’s rest? Where do you sleep best?
Hah! What’s worked for me this week is being post-op. I had an outpatient surgical procedure this week (screws taken out of my ankle), and I can hardly stay awake. Between the prescription pain meds and the lingering anesthesia, all I want to do is sleep. A LOT.
But I wouldn’t recommend my way.
I must read before I sleep. Peppermint tea helps me get sleepy and rubbing lavender oil helps soothe me and keep me sleepy. It helps for newborns too. just make sure to keep it off of your chest if you are breastfeeding.
I have always had trouble falling asleep. Even as a kid it took me about an hour to fall asleep at night. I’ve tried a lot of things but what has worked well for me recently is listening to Dr. Amen’s mp3–Medical Hypnosis for Sleep–each night at bedtime. I started a week and a half ago and am both much more relaxed and sleeping better. You can buy it at the store on his website, http://www.amenclinic.com. It’s expensive for an mp3 but was worth it for me. I’m a big fan of his books and his philosophy of brain health. Whatever you end up doing, I hope you get some good zzzzz’s soon. I forget who’d Psalm this is from, but there is a verse that says, “He gives to his beloved sleep.” You are His beloved!
It’s http://www.amenclinics.com with an “s” at the end. Ooops!
I am an expert at sleep and losing sleep. An insomniac and I used to have sleep apnea (surgery cured that 2 1/2 years ago). My insomnia has greatly improved since I bought the sideSleeperPRO pillow. This has made my 20-30 minute falling asleep time to less than 2 minutes. I have recommended it to so many people! Also, some people have insomnia when they are dehydrated. That is one of the reasons why the “warm milk” sleep cure helps (besides the other benefits from warm milk). Drinking water works too. :)