Having problems with sleep? Read this. (1 Viewer)

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therium

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I also had sleep problems. I normally had trouble going to sleep and would wake up tired, because I only had 5-6 hours of sleep, and this is compounded from day to day to day. So I went to a sleep specialist and I found out I was doing some things wrong. Here is what he said:
  1. Do not use your bed for anything but sleeping. Do not read in it, do not watch TV in it. In fact, try to watch TV in a separate room. This will make your brain associate your bedroom with sleep.
  2. Avoid caffeine or ginger too late in the day. I personally cannot have ginger tea after noon o'clock or I will be up. Ginger is a stimulant.
  3. Chocolate may have small amounts of caffeine in it as it's natural to chocolate and thus not listed on the ingredients (I think).
  4. The lack of sleep could also be related to energies going on, or anxiety in your life.
  5. Dim the lights 1-2 hours before bedtime.
  6. Stop watching any TV or videos at least 1 hour before bedtime, on any device. Bright lights help keep a person awake. Bright lights can also help reduce or stop jet lag when travelling through different time zones.
 

Lila

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House rules for us (not always adhered to though still a big help as a guideline) are that after dinnertime is contemplative, cooperative, quiet activity time; without screens. Some of my favourites include reading a book (not from a screen, lol), crocheting or playing a game.

There are lots of exceptions. When we watch a movie it involves a screen. Even then, having a discussion about what we watched brings in that contemplative mood afterward though it can be tougher to fall asleep immediately afterward.
Playing a game may not be that quiet per se though the human-to-human interaction without devices etc does, again, add to the atmosphere of it being time to 'turn off' from the cares of the day.

Really the point is that after dinnertime has a purpose and that purpose involves unplugging from the day. I feel the difference on days when we do this well. It's relaxing in a way that things are not if we each go to a computer or undertake some additional activity. The downtime is vital to our systems even if we do not manage it every day and knowing that you have that 'end of day downtime as a reward' incentivizes more focused activity earlier so as to be really able to enjoy the relaxing time. It is also like 'do not use your bed for anything but sleeping' rule in that you begin to associate digesting after dinner with relaxing and then you begin to expect it.

I love to add the soft light of candles to the atmosphere and have a plethora of pretty containers that light up when a candle is placed in them and lots of beeswax candles (they smell better than regular and especially chem-scented candles). The kids love to take on the music aspect and we've all concluded that after dinner music is the quieter stuff. We've had a dance party or two in the living room that was more raucous and that was fun too:ROFL:My husband adds to the atmosphere too by just being the quiet guy after dinner and often falling asleep on the couch. He certainly knows how to show he is relaxing:)) Our systems digesting and slowing us down after eating also help:D
 
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Snowmelt

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House rules for us (not always adhered to though still a big help as a guideline) are that after dinnertime is contemplative, cooperative, quiet activity time; without screens. Some of my favourites include reading a book (not from a screen, lol), crocheting or playing a game.

There are lots of exceptions. When we watch a movie it involves a screen. Even then, having a discussion about what we watched brings in that contemplative mood afterward though it can be tougher to fall asleep immediately afterward.
Playing a game may not be that quiet per se though the human-to-human interaction without devices etc does, again, add to the atmosphere of it being time to 'turn off' from the cares of the day.

Really the point is that after dinnertime has a purpose and that purpose involves unplugging from the day. I feel the difference on days when we do this well. It's relaxing in a way that things are not if we each go to a computer or undertake some additional activity. The downtime is vital to our systems even if we do not manage it every day and knowing that you have that 'end of day downtime as a reward' incentivizes more focused activity earlier so as to be really able to enjoy the relaxing time. It is also like 'do not use your bed for anything but sleeping' rule in that you begin to associate digesting after dinner with relaxing and then you begin to expect it.

I love to add the soft light of candles to the atmosphere and have a plethora of pretty containers that light up when a candle is placed in them and lots of beeswax candles (they smell better than regular and especially chem-scented candles). The kids love to take on the music aspect and we've all concluded that after dinner music is the quieter stuff. We've had a dance party or two in the living room that was more raucous and that was fun too:ROFL:My husband adds to the atmosphere too by just being the quiet guy after dinner and often falling asleep on the couch. He certainly knows how to show he is relaxing:)) Our systems digesting and slowing us down after eating also help:D
Lila, it sounds like you and your family have quite a handle on balance. Hats off to you. Balance doesn't come in a blink, but requires some effort first.
 
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Lila

Collected Consciousness
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Lila, it sounds like you and your family have quite a handle on balance.
Sometimes.
This is one of the things I am glad we did from the beginning. It was really born of the desperation to get some sleep and sanity:)) ... like so many things that are great. As they say, "necessity is the mother of invention."
 
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