Sweet Dreams, When You Get There!

        When was the last time you considered your bedtime routine? 

        I mean, being really mindful of it?

        Here's some food for thought, on the matter...

        I realize every country, culture and individual situation varies, but bear with me.  Maybe you feel tired, or you have a time you go to bed so you can get up at a certain time.  You head toward your bedtime routine: go use the personal plumbing facilities, then maybe bathe; shower; wash your face; brush your teeth.  You change into whatever you wear (or don't wear) to sleep.  You climb into bed, and then do whatever it is that gets you to sleep.

        Sounds simple enough, right?  30 minutes or so?  Maybe a bit more if you include the bath or shower, and maybe read?

        What if your bedtime routine took a couple of hours, and included a list of items required in order to maintain quality of life?  Countless people have to practice something similar to the following:

        You know you need to sleep, probably around a certain hour, but you have to take medications, and some of them help with sleep (or at least make you otherwise "out of commission" for the night), so you take them at the time you know will give you the best chance of getting the rest of the routine down, and getting to sleep at a decent hour. 

        Some of the meds require they be taken with food, so you have to find something to eat that isn't going to interfere with sleep, won't add a bunch of unneeded calories, but still allows the meds to work properly and/or not make you sick.  Sometimes certain meds interact with different foods, or other meds, so that has to be worked out, too.  They need taken with enough water to allow them to be processed effectively in your body while helping ease the load on your liver and kidneys, and to help in swallowing them so they don't get stuck, going down.  You might also have injections, sprays, inhalers and/or topical medications which need done, too.

        Once all that is taken care of (up to 30-45 min, maybe?), you still need to do the body care routine.  Showering or bathing might be overwhelming or exhausting, depending on the day you've had, or they might help ease the tension and pain that some chronic conditions create.  You might need to check your skin for issues, reactions, etc., and apply lotions or other things to help protect or relieve issues with the skin.

        Next: what you do, or don't, wear to bed.  You take a quick inventory of how your body feels, and choose whatever will be the most comfortable.  If your skin is sensitive to textures and touch, some fabrics and cuts of clothing will be better than others, and sometimes turning clothing inside out can relieve irritation from seams.  Dressing for the changes of temperatures throughout the night may need to be considered, because the room and body can change, and perhaps keeping socks or other items next to the bed can help with regulating body temps, in case you wake up in one discomfort or another.

        Making sure all required bedside supplies are present and handy, you make sure they are prepared properly, including water, any medical equipment, medications, inhalers, tissues or other items that might become of use in the night.
 
        Sighing with exhaustion, you climb into bed, and do what you can to get yourself to sleep, hoping that tonight won't be a long, (physically, mentally nor emotionally) painful night of insomnia.

Kinda puts a different kind of perspective on things, hmm? 

        I also have muscle cramps in my legs and feet, in the night, but can't use certain kinds of pain relievers due to medical interactions, so I've found various means of helping relieve the pain of those, which also takes a few minutes.   Little things like that help make the chance to sleep a little easier to accomplish, most nights.

        Many find breathing, progressive relaxation, mindfulness or meditation exercises, either guided by recordings or self-created, to be very helpful in relaxing the mind and body, thus helping relieve pain and tension and ease into sleep.  Others might find reading something can be relaxing to the mind, and therefore the body.  Gentle stretching, under the guidance of a doctor or physical therapist, can be very helpful, too.  There are many tips and tricks, and and trying to learn a variety that work for you can help in different times or situations, when one will work better than another, for instance.

        This post is mostly just to bring awareness to us, as a way to help us be more mindful of our individual circumstances, and perhaps through that mindful awareness, we can find ways that help us develop routines that are healthy and successful.  We can always use a few more options when it comes to something as vital as our sleep hygiene.

        Better days ahead, my friends!

(NOTE: this article by no means provides any kind of professional evaluation nor advice, and any questions, ideas or medical concerns should be brought to a licensed, medical practitioner for evaluation and counsel.  Each body and situation is different, and only a legally-licensed practitioner can properly diagnose and treat any underlying conditions that may affect things such as sleep.)