IS SLEEP TRAINING FOR ADULTS TOO?
While this post is a bit different from all the others, it can apply to you too! After all, caregivers also need their sleep! My husband, Paul, had been a horrible sleeper for several years. He had a difficult time falling asleep. He would wake up in the middle of the night. He would wake up way too early. Sound familiar? Does this sound like YOU?
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE
There is good news: it is never too late to try to remedy any sleep issue. I am NOT a professional/certified adult sleep trainer. However, many of the tools I use for babies parallel good sleep hygiene for adults. Mind you, if you have an actual sleep disorder, this is not the blog for you. I recommend seeking professional help for this. On the other hand, if you feel like your sleep hygiene could use some work, keep reading as some of these suggestions might resonate with you. Why not give them a try?
Since we consciously made some changes in Paul’s sleep, AND there was success, I wanted to share it in hopes that your sleep can improve as well. Although some of these things sounded silly to me at first, they ACTUALLY worked!
SOME BACKGROUND ON PAUL
I wanted to provide some background on Paul as I feel like this is important Paul is probably one of the most active guys I know. Ever since I met him (over 28 years ago), he has always engaged in physical activity: triathlons, surfing, road cycling, mountain bike riding, let alone all the physical work that he does around the house. He is a fairly healthy guy (when his wife chooses to shop and cook healthy!) He takes vitamins on the regular, doesn’t drink soda, and will drink the greenies I put in front of him. Other than the jaw-dropping amount of sugar that he puts in his coffee every morning (he won’t be reading this I’m sure, but it is probably one of the things I fiercely judge him on regularly), he does not eat many sweets. He is an average height and weight and has no health issues. Oh, one last thing of interest, he is a happily married man of 26 years TODAY! Hence the blog post dedicated to my favorite guy! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
6 TOOLS FOR GETTING PAUL TO SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT
Sound machine
Weighted Blanket
Blackout blinds/curtains
Exercise
No caffeine after 2 pm
Bedtime Routine
THE TOOLBOX
SOUND MACHINE
The first major change that we made was buying the Hatch Restore Sound Machine. The Hatch is my number one recommended sound machine to parents. I have always wanted one, but Paul resisted stating that he didn’t like the sound of anything as he was going to sleep. However, at this point, he was willing to give anything a try.
What I love about the Hatch Restore is that you can choose a wind-down routine. You have different options to choose from but we decided on Island Getaway paired with Marine Midnight light. When we were ready for bed, we pushed the start button and the sound would start and the light would come on. Gradually the light would get dimmer until it would turn off and the regular sound machine would kick in: Light Rain. We then set the “Sunrise Alarm” to wake him up which started with a dim Conquering Fuji light and low Meditative Flute. These all sound a bit silly to me as I’m writing this, but it works!
If you go to sleep to the sound of your TV and the light of your Instagram on your phone, this can definitely contribute to having a hard time going to sleep and staying asleep. Studies have proven that blue light does indeed affect and hinder your sleep. Ideally, you should have all blue lights off 1 hour prior to bedtime.
While Paul occasionally still woke up in the middle of the night after using the Hatch, he said that he went back to sleep quicker due to the rain sound.
Funny and not-so-funny story…He is a superintendent for a construction company. On occasion, when it truly was raining outside, we had to switch the sound to Campfire. He was waking up in a panic thinking that his job site was getting flooded which would then keep him awake.
WEIGHTED BLANKET
The next thing we did that made a huge difference was pull the weighted blanket that our son just “HAD to have” from a few Christmases ago, out of the cupboard. Just like your little one finds comfort in a special lovey or sleep sack, this was Paul’s lovey (I joke!) But it did the trick! We were both amazed that adding the weighted blanket helped him fall asleep for bed and again when he woke up in the middle of the night. It aided him in going back to sleep quickly.
This advice is only for adults as the AAP does not recommend any weighted products for babies. They do not deem these safe.
BLACKOUT BLINDS/CURTAINS If you don’t already have these, order them ASAP. While these might not help you to go to sleep, they can keep prevent you from unnecessarily waking up, especially when it gets lighter earlier. A small sliver of light coming through the curtains can wake you up and keep you up. This is a simple fix and definitely worth a try.
EXERCISE
Exercise can be so important for our overall health. However, when it comes to sleep, physical activity can aid in sleep. When we are engaging in physical activity, it truly helps us sleep better. Paul is a very active person as stated earlier. For his job, he does so many “steps” that most people would be exhausted following him around all day. However, he did notice that since it has been raining a lot around here in Southern California AND he has an ear infection, he has not gotten his daily dose of exercise. Typically, he would either go for a mountain bike ride or surf every day. Since he couldn’t do either of those activities, he noted that his sleep had suffered and he had been waking up more often AND earlier on those days. There’s something to be said about that. Obviously, everyone is different.
CAFFEINE
This goes without saying. However, I feel like the older that I get, the less caffeine I can consume later in the day. If I drink coffee after 5 pm, I won’t be able to go to sleep until midnight. I like to use 2 pm as the cut-off time to have a cup of coffee. Pay attention to your caffeine intake and decipher whether you believe there is a correlation between sleep and the amount of caffeine you consume and the time you drink it. If it is causing sleep issues, make adjustments.
Believe it or not, whenever Paul takes vitamins at dinnertime, he also has a hard time going to sleep. The vitamins that we take are organic and pure and also have properties to give you energy! So, that one makes sense.
BEDTIME ROUTINE I am a huge fan of a consistent and solid bedtime routine for babies. In all honesty, we do not do each of these action steps consistently, but if you are struggling with sleep as an adult and you need some more “items” in your toolbox, I recommend adding a bedtime routine. A simple routine can be: turning off electronics, shower/bath, essential oils, stretching, reading, prayers/gratitude, and bed.
- NO ELECTRONICS 1 HOUR BEFORE BEDTIME – Not only is this good for your mind, the blue light from your phone and your tv can cause your body to signal that it is still daytime. Blue light keeps us awake. It can send a signal to the brain that it is time to BE awake. So what the heck are you going to do instead of veg out? A few things that I recommend would be a nice warm shower, yoga, and a book! You could talk to your significant other if all else fails. Ha!
- ESSENTIAL OILS – I love essential oils and I believe they work! Lavender is the most popular and well-known essential oil to help you relax. Another one that I just recently discovered is Cedarwood. This oil has been characterized as warm, comforting, and sedative. It aids in relieving stress as well. Cedarwood is reputed to reduce harmful stress and ease the tension which in turn promotes the body’s rest and encourages the onset of quality sleep that is both restorative and reparative. Diffusing oils is something I love to do! Not all oils are alike, though. High-quality oils are important to use. You can put them on your pillow or your chest as well. *Please note, while essential oils can be a fantastic addition to an adult bedtime, you should be careful when using oils with babies. Always do your research before putting any products on your baby or using oils in your diffuser.
- STRETCHING/YOGA This is something that I don’t do, but I need to start. Most of us are probably not as flexible as we were when we were younger. A little bit of stretching and yoga could help us wind down for the night. This can help us wind down and calm our minds and focus on relaxing.
- READING Reading can be another way of calming down your mind. Personally, whenever I read to my kids when they were little, I would often find myself struggling to keep my eyes open. I suggest reading something happy and positive for obvious reasons!
- PRAYERS/GRATITUDE If you are a person of faith, as I am, I like to end my day with prayer and gratitude. It truly does help me sleep better. I like to reflect on my day and remember things I am grateful for. Keeping a gratitude journal is a great idea, but even a moment or two of quiet reflection on all that is good in your life can put your head in a better place.
THAT’S ABOUT IT! I hope that you can take something from this blog that will help you to sleep better. If you have a sleeping child, you should be sleeping too! You need to recharge just as much as your little one. Maybe you need to wind down with a calming bedtime routine. Perhaps you should buy a Hatch, weighted blanket, or blackout curtains. Maybe you need to focus on getting some exercise throughout the day or even just limiting your caffeine intake. Try just one thing at a time and see what works! My hope is that you will get positive results like Paul.
HOW CAN I HELP?
Normally I finish my blogs with “if any of this resonates with you, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.” However, I don’t necessarily offer help to adults. I would love to hear if you did try any of these tips and how they worked! I hope that something did work and you are sleeping better!
As always, feel free to contact me if your child is struggling with any sleep issues. I offer a free 15-minute discovery call to all inquiring clients! I can help you and let you know if sleep training is right for you and your family. My goal is to encourage you, coach you through every situation that might come up, and cheer you on along the way. I don’t judge any situation because I know what it is like being a mama.
