by Claralynn Schnell of ContemporaryVA

Are you struggling with sleepless nights because the stress is overwhelming? Because you can’t turn your brain off? We have all been there and will probably be there again, however, there are ways to deal with the sleepless nights and anxiety that they can cause.

First, you must figure out what is keeping you awake and then deal with that problem.  Are you struggling to find time to do things and feel like when you sleep you are wasting valuable hours? I struggle with this as a single mom who works full time.  However, I have realized, that getting no sleep makes me useless to almost everyone around me.  Here is what I do, and I know that I am going to sound a little nerdy, but…I make lists…lots and lots of lists.  It is my way of coping and organizing.  While this may not work for everyone, it works for me! I get a piece of paper and write down every single thing that I need to do.  From there I organize it with most to least important.  And finally I then make a list of what I need to do to accomplish those things.  Sound crazy? It can be, however, I love the feeling of crossing things off and feeling like I have accomplished something! This helps me to sleep at night, because I crossed off everything for the day! My mind can rest at ease, because my tasks were complete!

Second, find a way to relax 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep.  Is it reading a book? Having a hot cup of tea? What is it that will help you relax not only your body but also your mind?  It is much easier to fall and stay asleep if you do so in a relaxed manner. Take a bubble bath or hot shower, use extra blankets, find that thing that will allow for a great sleep and then do it!

Finally, allow yourself some grace and realize that you can’t do everything in one day.  Life will continue even if you didn’t do everything on your list and getting a good night’s sleep is key to accomplishing so much of what you need to do!  However, if your problems are not allowing you to sleep, if you are stressed and don’t know where to turn, contact Paul and he can help you.