The Changes I’ve Made to my Sleep Habits This Winter
In my last post, I promised to delve deeper into the ways I’m prioritising sleep to look after my physical and mental health this Winter season.
Before I go any further, a couple of small disclaimers. First and foremost I’m not a medical professional and this won’t be your standard sleep hygiene guide with “go to bed at the same time every day”, “leave your phone in another room”, and “stop drinking caffeine in the afternoon”; rather these are the little things that are working for me.
Secondly, my sleep routine is far from perfect; I didn’t implement these changes and suddenly sleep like a log for 9 hours every night. That being said, I’m already seeing a huge shift in my energy levels throughout the day!
Why I’m Making Changes
A quick recap; I identified 3 factors that would shape my approach to sleep going forward:
Mental and physical performance rely on a foundation of good sleep. I struggle to get by when I don’t get enough sleep, not just feeling sleepy by the afternoon, but also seeing the quality of my work and physical training suffer.
Recent research suggests that we need more sleep in Winter (!!). This checks out for me; the 7 hours of sleep that would suffice throughout the Summer now leave me feeling sluggish.
I recently discovered I have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. A condition highly comorbid with ADHD, this means my natural sleep pattern is shifted 3+ hours later than what is considered a ‘usual’ pattern.
So, with that in mind, here are the changes I’ve started making to prioritise the quality of my sleep.
Honouring My Body Clock
Unless I’m particularly exhausted, trying to fall asleep any time before midnight will result in hours of tossing and turning. Thanks to the DSPS, I’m a natural night owl—a groggy mess if I have to get up before 8am, getting my best work done later in the day and not getting sleepy until the twilight hours (this quickly starts to paint a picture of my road to burnout working a traditional 9-5, but that’s a story to elaborate on another day).
Sure, I could try to force the disorder out of my system with earlier nights and regular alarms, but that would inevitably lead to exhaustion for who-knows-how-long until the new routine settled—if it ever did in. Now that I’m living and working on my own schedule, why not sleep on my own schedule too?
I’ve stopped setting an alarm for the morning unless I absolutely have to be somewhere before lunchtime. At first, I was worried that I’d end up sleeping the whole day away, but I’ve found myself naturally waking up between 9 and 9:30 most days. This has led to slower mornings, doing the majority of my work in the afternoons & evenings, and popping off to bed when I naturally feel sleepy at around 1am.
I still get the same number of hours in the day as someone with a ‘regular’ circadian rhythm, but actually sleep through all the hours I’m in bed and wake up with tons more energy. It’s a win-win.
Sleep Aids
Some (most) nights it’s my racing mind that keeps me staring at the ceiling, so gone are the days of trying to sleep in a silent room. I’ve started listening to podcasts specifically designed to help you get to sleep—just about interesting enough to quiet your thoughts, but boring enough to send you into a slumber. It’s made a world of difference.
My favourites at the moment are Sleep With Me and Bore You To Sleep, both of which I listen to on Spotify. Most nights I can listen to it through a speaker without issues, and I’ve asked Santa for a SnoozeBand so that when I’m with my partner I can listen without worrying about waking up with the imprint of my headphones in the side of my face.
Pair this with an eye mask (I like the kind with padding and contours for added comfort), and I’m off to Snoozeville in no time.
The “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mindset is out, prioritising a full night’s sleep is in. What works best to help you get off to the Land of Nod?
Further Reading: