All I Want for Christmas is a Good Night’s Sleep
By: Marilyn Flower
Tags: Insomnia, Sleep, Wisdom, Health, Mental Health

Tonight’s the night!

Tonight, after making sure the stockings are hung by the chimney with care and all the other preparations, you’re supposed to be tucked in your bed with visions of sugar plums dancing in your head.

In other words, sleeping, perchance to dream!

Or maybe not. If you’re like me and you have what’s called sleep maintenance insomnia, you tend to wake up way too early in the morning.

According to WebMD.com:

During the deep stages of Non-Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the body repairs and regrows tissues, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens the immune system. As you get older, you sleep more lightly and get less deep sleep. Aging is also linked to shorter time spans of sleep, although studies show you still need as much sleep as when you were younger.

The other part of our sleep cycle is REM sleep, associated with dreaming.

If you’re like me and wake up early, unable to go back to sleep, you’re not getting enough sleep. And you’re missing an important part of the sleep cycle for healthy brain function and protein production.

Not good anytime. And especially now, during the holidays, we want to be well-rested to enjoy our families and festivities. Even if they’re on Zoom, we want to be as bright-eyed if not bushy-tailed as we can — enjoying every minute. Not yawning in our cocoa.

What can we do about it?

According to Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., DABSM, AKA The Sleep Doctor™, lots of factors in our control affect the quality of our sleep. His website, www.thesleepdoctor.com, offers suggestions and information.

Some of it is common sense. Have a regular bedtime schedule, so your body gets acclimated to falling asleep 7–9 hours ahead of when we want to wake up. It’s so easy to keep doing things instead of taking it easy at night.

This includes getting off electronic devices. Whether it’s a PC, tablet, or phone, these critters are highly stimulating. It may take hours for your brain to relax and let go, even though your body’s exhausted. Do your self a favor and power off!

Make sure your bedroom or sleeping area is conducive to rest. Do your best to control the environment so it can be dark and quiet. I swear by eye shades given the streetlights on our block. I don’t use earplugs, but I do have them on hand if need be.

There are noise-canceling headphones if lesser means fail. Your sleep and well-being are worth the investment. Some people run a fan or humidifier, creating a “white noise” background, muffling other sounds.

Substances to Avoid

Call me a party-pooper but for your life’s sake, take it easy on the alcohol. Or avoid it altogether. There’s a delay in how your body processes alcohol, which stimulates your system, waking you at inconvenient times.

Limit other stimulants as well. Caffeine is not just in coffee and tea, but chocolate, cocoa, soft drinks, and other products. It’s in a lot of medications to counteract their drowsiness, so read the labels.

Note: Don’t give the chocolate to your pets. Per my sister, the vet, it could prove fatal.

Nicotine is a stimulant. Please, tobacco users, make a plan to quit. We want you around when the virus is finally over!

Dr. Breus recommends limiting liquids at night, so we’re less likely to need to get up to pee. This is a challenge for me. I tend to drink water at bedtime because I drink tea all day.

Either way, I almost always wake up at least once in the wee hours of the morn to relieve myself. Why do you think they call it the wee hours?

You could have sleep apnea.

It’s very common, per Dr. Breus. Do you have any of these symptoms:

Sleep apnea has many symptoms, including loud and chronic snoring, morning headaches, high blood pressure, excessive daytime fatigue, and difficulty waking up in the morning. Waking very early in the morning can also be a sign of sleep apnea. Episodes of apnea — the temporary interruptions to breathing that’s the hallmark of the disorder — can occur in every stage of sleep. But sleep apnea episodes may be worst during REM sleep, when the body’s major muscle groups are temporarily immobilized and muscle tone is weakest. In some people, sleep apnea only occurs during REM sleep. What You Can Do: Be aware of the symptoms of sleep apnea, in yourself and in your sleep partner. (Often, it’s bed partners who are able to recognize signs of sleep apnea, before sleepers themselves.) Loud, chronic snoring and other signs of sleep apnea shouldn’t be ignored. Talk with your physician and ask for a sleep apnea screening. Or go to www.sleepcenters.org and find an accredited sleep center near you. If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea and prescribed treatment, whether a CPAP or a mouthpiece, use it — and use it every night! When people comply with therapy, sleep apnea is highly treatable, and the symptoms and health risks associated with sleep apnea improve considerably.

Insomnia could be stress-related.

Not likely, right? Who could possibly be stressed right now — after all, it’s Christmas!

We’re probably all stressed even if we’re not aware of it. Even when I’m not conscious of being stressed, it raises my heart rate anyway.

When my mind or my heart race, it’s hard to relax enough to fall asleep or go back to sleep.

Stress activates areas of the brain that keep us alert, ready to fight, or flee. This is from over-production of the stress hormone cortisol.

Are you depressed? Or minimizing it? Depression interrupts your circadian rhythms, which regulate sleep cycles. If you’re depressed, you’re not alone. Don’t ignore it; get help. Please!

Here’s what Dr. Breus says about stress and depression:

When it comes to managing stress and sleep, I often remind my patients that it takes all day to create a sleep problem at night. If you ignore your stress all day long, you can’t expect it to magically disappear at bedtime, allowing you to sleep soundly until morning. In addition to the standard sleep hygiene practices, relaxation exercises, mindfulness meditation, and mind-body exercise all can help reduce your stress throughout the day, and in the evenings before bedtime. Many of the natural supplements that help sleep also are beneficial for stress and anxiety, including magnolia bark, magnesium, CBD and others. It’s important to bring symptoms of anxiety and depression to your doctor’s attention. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, despondent, or in crisis, don’t try to go it alone. Tell a friend or a family member, or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273–8255 or text 741–741 for the Crisis Text Line. If you are in danger of acting on suicidal thoughts, call 911.

We women in the middle of life have a tendency to put others first. Sleep is such a crucial area — think about safe driving — we can’t afford to ignore these issues. Especially our mental health.

We’re no good for nobody if we don’t, as they say, put our own mask on first. Then help others. I mean it. Merry Christmas!