Can't Sleep?
Author: Shannon McBrayer
July 12, 2023
Can’t Sleep?
If you are like me, you find yourself going to bed at night unable to sleep. The body is willing, but the mind says “Hey, remember me? Let’s think ALL the thoughts right now, shall we?”
It never fails, going from one thought to another. I forgot to do this today, I was supposed to call so and so, did I dry the clothes in the washer? I wish I had said this during that discussion. Wonder what the migratory pattern of the American Goldfinch is? On and on, random and frustrating.
Next thing you know, it’s into the wee hours of the morning and not too long until your alarm sounds. This issue plagues so many and it really does affect us. Makes us too tired to remember what we are supposed to, makes us grouchy or unable to pay attention like we need to. It also will affect your physical health after a while.
Here is the good news! There is a reason and a way to help solve it.
The main reason? Distractions. We are surrounded by them all day. Our phones, jobs, children, tasks and so many other things. Our brains are so occupied up until we lay down most of the time. Yes, some of these are necessary things that we must do, but when I say distractions, I mean things that are taking up the space we need to just sit and gather our thoughts.
What happens is that when we finally do lay down and give ourselves a moment to unwind, that’s when all the thoughts that we simply did not have time to address all day come flooding in.
How do we stop the overthinking or intrusive thoughts from robbing us from sleep? Well, there are a few things that we can do to help alleviate some of this.
Give yourself 5–10-minute intervals throughout the day with no distractions. If you have small children, you are probably laughing right now, but there are ways to do this! Nap time or setting a timer so they know it’s quiet time (they may even learn to enjoy this) and it also teaches them that slowing down is important. If you work at an office, or from home, take the breaks they offer instead of powering through them. These are vital to you! This is called relaxing. Which we forget to do sometimes.
Some things that you can do are up to you and whatever helps you to relax and think things through. During this time, there are to be no electronics. No TV, phone or laptops allowed.
I like to keep a notebook and paper handy in case I need to write something down to remember later. I can always enter it into my calendar when time allows. This way, I am not stressing about remembering and can continue with my quiet time.
The most obvious ones I think that can be a huge help are praying and/or reading the Bible. This is a great reset! If your day started off terribly, after you spend some time with the Lord, you will find it is not so terrible after all. I like to start thanking God first, before you know it, you have filled more than a few minutes with all that you are thankful for. Gratitude can be very healing.
You can also do puzzles too, mental puzzles, crosswords, or word searches. Sudoku, if you love numbers.
Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, or something like those are also great. You can integrate praying into these as well as it’s very effective.
Establish a healthy bedtime routine! This helps tell your brain that it’s time to wrap up the day and welcome sleep.
All these things serve to disrupt your brain from “busy” to slowing down and allowing you to take care of your mental and spiritual health.
To make these techniques earn a permanent place in your life, you can use the 21/90 Rule. This rule suggests that it takes 21 days to form a habit and 90 days to make a permanent lifestyle change. Yes, it’s that easy. Set a goal and stick to it for 21 days, that forms the habit, then continue your goal to 90 days and then you have established a permanent lifestyle change.
Then, take these moments for yourself to slow down and allow your brain to stop the steady stream of information it's bombarded with every day and instead to learn to expect these moments. Then you will experience less stress in general and as a result, better sleep!
Psalm 4:8 is a fantastic verse to say over yourself and your family each night:
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord make me to dwell in peace and sleep: for thou, Lord only makes me dwell in safety”
Isn’t that a beautiful promise of a restful and safe night’s sleep?
Another great one is Proverbs 3:24: “If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet.”
Sweet dreams, friends.
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