I seldom link to other sites, but sleep is such a common
problem for widows and others who grieve, and this website, "Tuck"
has the latest and greatest research on sleep. They gave me permission to
briefly summarize their 10 tips, but
please visit the website for the full article and even more helps. They offer links to a TON of resources. They're all secular and of course I'm not giving them a blanket endorsement, but it's
good to educate yourself and recognize various symptoms you might experience.
Once you can identify problems you can ask God for His grace and help to deal
with them. đź’—ferree
The evidence is strong that good sleep hastens recovery
toward “successful” bereavement...
1. Consider cognitive-behavioral therapy. (CBT) If your symptoms and sleeplessness have persisted for 12
weeks or more, it may be time to get professional help.
(Sleep
problems are very normal during grief but they can become a vicious cycle of
worrying about not sleeping and not sleeping because you’re worrying. Don’t
hesitate to see your family physician and find some referrals for counsellors
and types of therapies. Choose a counsellor or therapist as carefully as you do
a physician. Talk to a biblical counsellor; they might be able to help you with
sleep problems too). f.h.
2. Follow a regular sleep schedule. . . . avoid napping for
more than 20 or 30 minutes.
3. Spend time with friends and family. Find people who will allow you to share your stories, your
grief, and your tears without judgment, but who will also know when to help
distract you by doing an activity together.
4. Avoid self-medicating with alcohol, drugs, or sleeping
aids. While they may help you fall asleep initially, many of these
substances actually disrupt the quality of your sleep – and they can lead to
addiction and permanent changes in your sleep architecture when abused.
5. Keep up a healthy exercise routine. Exercise gets your endorphins going and helps you feel
physically better. It provides a distraction from the pain you are going
through, and it also helps you sleep. By physically tiring your body, you will
fall asleep more easily by bedtime.
6. Eat well. …Do your best to eat healthy foods and avoid overly
sugary, junky, or fatty foods. The same foods that don’t make you feel great
emotionally or physically also disrupt your sleep. . . Also, even though
caffeine is fine for some people, limit your intake past the afternoon and
overall. It activates your nervous system, keeping you alert and potentially
anxious.
7. Develop a calming bedtime routine. Creating a bedtime routine is helpful for anyone who wants
to fall asleep faster, but for those in grieving, it gives you something to
focus on besides your grief.
8. Try journaling. If you wake up during the night, don’t stress. Disrupted
sleep is a common part of grief. If you can’t fall back asleep after 10 minutes
or so, get out of bed and go into another room. This part is key – you don’t
want your mind to start viewing your bed as a place where you lie awake and
frustrated.
9. Avoid electronics at night. (Let me insert a memo here: Get off Facebook! f.h.) Electronics like our smartphone flood our eyes with strong
bluelight. Our brain perceives this as sunlight, and accordingly tries to keep
us up and awake.
Beyond the physical reaction, electronics often provide stressors
of their own. . . Avoiding electronics in the 60 minutes before you go to bed
helps you mentally break away from these distressing reminders, while avoiding
confusing your brain about what time of day it is.
10. Reframe your bedroom. It’s possible you have items that remind you of the loss in
your bedroom . . . It may
be easier for you to cope if you remove reminders of that person from your room
– at least temporarily. . . You may take this time to redecorate your room, giving you
something to focus on that provides hope. Choose calming, relaxing colors and
clear your bedroom of clutter. A calmer bedroom environment makes for a calmer
mind, more conducive to sleep.
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Counting sheep never works for me... but talking to The Shepherd helps!
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