Why good sleep hygiene matters, especially in grief.

Do you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep? Do you toss and turn, reviewing your thoughts, feelings, and memories? Do you wake up in the middle of the night and then lie there, unable to fall back to sleep?

Many people have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep while grieving. Sometimes it’s just an occasional wakeful night, while other times bring about a longer stretch of sleeplessness.

Even years later, certain days may trigger another time of insomnia. My son died on a Sunday evening, and sleep was elusive for a long time on most Sunday nights. Now 7 years later, when I occasionally have a sleepless or restless night, it’s usually on a Sunday.

One of my 4 Facets of Grief is replenishing, which means taking the best possible care of ourselves we can. This is the time to pay extra attention to our wellness needs, and stabilizing the sleep cycle (both getting enough sleep and getting regular sleep) is important.

What is sleep hygiene?

How we manage our sleep cycle is referred to as sleep hygiene and it affects many aspects of our health. There are various ways of improving sleep hygiene, and bereavement is a particularly vital time to pay attention to it.

Health Magazine lists 11 benefits of good sleep hygiene. They include:

• Improving memory
• Enhancing quality of life
• Reducing inflammation
• Stimulating creativity
• Increasing athletic skill
• For students – improving grades
• Sharpening your attention
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Reducing stress
• Avoiding car accidents
• Decreasing depression and anxiety

Now that you know how healthy sleep can help you, what can you do to get rid of those sleepless nights? Here’s an article with ideas to try: https://www.tuck.com/sleep-and-grief/
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Read the suggestions and let me know in the comments what you’ve tried and how it’s worked. 

Wishing you health and peace,
Ruth



Read The 4 Facets of Grief

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