My 8 tips for a good nights sleep
Hi, my name is Hannah. I’m 27 years old and have been diagnosed with MS for three years.
I’m going to talk about my tips on how I try to get the best nights sleep. Now on many occasions I’ve slept for a solid eight hours and woken up feeling like I haven’t slept at all. Yep - I’ve been there!
But I still try to have a good bedtime routine to help me feel as relaxed as possible, so that I can drift slowly off to sleep.
So here are some tips that help me get relaxed in the evenings, to hopefully get a great night’s sleep.
1. Avoiding caffeine after 12noon
I’ve definitely noticed since cutting it down/out that I’ve been able to sleep better. Instead in the evenings I have a nice herbal, decaf tea.
2. Turning my phone off
And putting it out of the way at 7.30pm. Having a phone detox really helps me to wind down. I still have my iPad at the moment, but I don’t look at social media or YouTube after this time. I usually like to watch a nice film.
3. Having a nice relaxing bath or shower
And putting on clean pyjamas.
4. Doing some light exercises
Things like a couple of yoga poses just to get my body ready for sleep... Not a full work out!
5. Getting things off my chest is important
If I have thoughts running around my head, I find it near on impossible to sleep. Talking to someone or writing these things down can help me feel more relaxed and drift off to sleep. I also talk to my partner George if I have any worries, no matter how silly they sound! He’s always there for me and it always makes me feel better once I’ve got things off my chest.
6. Doing something I love!
For me this is either painting my nails, reading a book or writing in my Bullet Journal. It’s so important to make time for yourself, even if that’s five minutes of undisturbed peace.
7. Listening to a relaxation mediation video/app/music
So, when I said that I don’t go on YouTube... Well I kinda lied a little. When I start to yawn I know that I’m ready for sleep. So I look on YouTube for guided meditation for sleep and this really helps me to drift off.
8. Giving it 5 minutes
If I really struggle to sleep when I’m lying in bed, I give it five minutes. If I still can’t sleep after five minutes then it can help to get up and do something else, maybe reading a book or writing in a journal... I’ve found I can’t force myself to sleep, it will just happen naturally.
> What are your tips for getting a good night’s sleep? Share them with us on Twitter or Facebook
Sleep and MS
If you find you're not getting enough sleep, or your sleep is disturbed, this can be for many reasons. These might include symptoms such as muscle spasms and pain, or issues in the environment such as noise or temperature.
If you are concerned about not getting enough sleep, talk to your doctor.
Fatigue and sleep
Lack of sleep, or disturbed sleep, can be a cause of secondary fatigue. (Secondary fatigue is a result of factors which may be related to MS, but are not MS itself.)
> Read more about fatigue and MS, and ways to manage it.
About Hannah: Hannah is 27 and loves blogging and doing makeup. You can visit Hannah's blog or follow her on Twitter (@HannahEliza1) and Instagram (@Hannaheliza_1990).
