Trouble sleeping? Me too...

Oh, the undiluted joy of still being awake at 3am, wondering: Why ME? Am I the only one on the planet who’s still counting sheep, listening to my Other Half gently snoring, snuffling and farting his way through the night? Did I do something bad in another life? Pull spiders’ legs off – that sort of thing? No, I don’t think I did, and I don’t think it’s my ‘fault’ - it’s just the way it is.

It could be that trying to run a business, get to grips with Facebook, understand (not to mention implement) the impenetrable jargon of SEOs, keep my in-box empty, answer the phone, agonise over the next advert I need to run and keep my accounts up to date, whilst simultaneously worrying about what we’re having for dinner and trying to ignore the dog’s crossed legs (and eyes) imploring me wordlessly to take him for a walk are to blame. Not to mention keeping up with my grand-children’s birthdays, Christmas looming and the bin needs to go out tomorrow…sigh…

But we all have lives like that, don’t we? It’s called multi-tasking, or juggling. And it’s exhausting. When you finally crawl into bed after ticking the very last thing off your daily list (physically or mentally), it’s no wonder your mind is still whirring like a dervish is it?

So what can we do about it? Well, personally, I love lists. I have lists for everything. Shopping lists, ‘To Do’ lists, Christmas lists (presents and tasks), Must-phone-and-organise-a-meeting lists – in fact, I have a list for everything you can think of. And I take great delight in ticking each one off as I wade through them, feeling morally superior to how I felt that morning – one step closer to my goal (not sure what my goal is, at this stage – it’s on a list somewhere…). It helps me to feel organised, and as if I’m achieving something. Anything, actually.

But what can you do, on a practical level, to help yourself glide gently into the Land of Nod without the aid of a stiff drink or reaching for a box of pills? Well, here’s a list of my top 10 solutions. Try them. They may help you.

• Stick to a regular sleep pattern. Go to bed, and get up at the same time every day, including weekends.
• Have a nice hot bath before you go to bed – add in candles, a good book, that sort of thing.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, large meals and cigarettes for 2-3 hours before bed.
• Don’t nap during the day – save your sleep for night time.
• Exercise! Get some fresh air, go for a walk, go for a swim – whatever floats your boat and you will stick to without it becoming a chore.
• Get rid of any light, noise or too much heat.
• Invest in a good mattress, and pillows – I’ve got an airing cupboard full of them!
• Get into meditation or relaxation. Invest 10 minutes every night just before you settle for the night.
• Get a good book (or comic for the boys?). Avoid playing on your tablet or phone (like I do…).
• Don’t watch programmes on TV that will play on your mind (horror, violence?).

And if all else fails, go and see a good therapist that can help you work out how to make your world a better place to be, so you don’t want to spend all night mulling problems over. And over. And over…

So there you have it. Simples! Have a great night’s sleep tonight, friends. I’m just off to find my cocoa and my Teddy. Sweet dreams. Zzzzzzzzz.

Please accept this blog in the spirit in which it is offered. I am intending only to give you some light hearted food for thought here – not reams of indigestible facts that you can find elsewhere all over the internet. If any of the suggestions ring a bell for you – great. This is a simplified version to give you a taster, so if your problem is more serious, and you feel you need more in-depth professional help, please contact a coach who can help you identify any underlying issues that may be holding you back, and allow you to kick-start the process of moving you forward again. And of course, if you feel the need to visit your GP please go straight away. NLP, hypnotherapy and counselling are not a substitute for professional medical advice, but a complimentary therapy. Thank you for reading this.