I was on vacation recently and I know I was relaxed because I took two naps in one day and still got a solid eight hours that night.
I didn’t know how tired I really was but I was reminded when I got back home.
How did sleep suddenly become a challenge?
it’s not my imagination. Many studies demonstrate that the ability to get a good night’s sleep drops with age. It makes me wish I had taken more naps when I was in college.
Sleepy Time Tips
Right now, I’ve been focusing on getting early sun and exercise with a well-curated selection of walking music (Hell-o Sly and the Family Stone!), stopping at half a cup of java at 8 am, and avoiding caffeinated drinks.
Don’t tell me a cocktail will help. If I have a glass of wine or a White Claw with dinner I’ll fall asleep at 9:30…but wake up watching the digital clock tick from 3 am to 3:30am. Besides, when I wake up the next day my mind is so fuzzy I”ll try to put my jeans on over my head or something equally brilliant.
So far my results to improve my sleep have been inconsistent. I have a sleep routine, I got a new mattress topper, my room is a comfortable temperature, I avoid screens before bedtime (OK, Seinfeld, but that’s it!). What am I missing?
How about you? How have you been sleeping? Let us know your tips the comments!
Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send Open Thread suggestions to editor@seniorplanet.org.
Photo: David Clode for Unsplash
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