All Blog Postings by Mary
Sleep Better
By Mary Francis · Originally published: February 25, 2022
Archive notice: This is a historical post from Mary’s years of blogging. Some older posts may mention products, courses or shop items that are no longer available, as Mary now focuses her time and energy on supporting widows inside her private Facebook community. The guidance and stories remain here as a free resource for widows.
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We widows need to sleep better so that we will have enough energy to grieve. For many widows, clocking a full eight hours of sleep each night is easier said than done.
Here are a few tips that can help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up refreshed:
- Snuggle under a weighted blanket. When movement is restricted (like how swaddling calms infants down) it triggers a neurological reflex that comforts you.
- Practice Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTi) to promote restful sleep, reduce night time awakening and increase daytime energy. Try the free app “CBT-i Coach” developed by Stanford University sleep researchers (US Department of Veterans Affairs).
- Is the quiet house or a sudden noise disturbing your sleep? Try listening to pink noise, calm and mindful Zen sounds to help you sleep. A free app to try is “SimplyNoise”. Leave it on all night or set the app to turn off after 30 minutes so that you don’t become dependent on it. You can also try the free app called “Pink Noise” at iTunes store.
- Take a relaxing Lavender aromatherapy bath before bed to help you sleep soundly and awake refreshed.
- Unwind before bed by doing a few minutes of meditation or prayers before bed. Sitting quietly, eyes closed and focus on your breath or your blessings for 10 to 15 minutes. Duke University researchers say regular bedtime prayers calm the brain and release the soothing hormone oxytocin.
- Studies have shown magnesium (starting at 100 mg and slowly working up to 500 mg) taken nightly may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Check with your doctor before trying this.
- Snoring may be depriving your brain of oxygen and interfering with your sleep. Try using a neti pot to rinse your nasal passages with a saline solution before bed. Also, ask your doctor or dentist about a mouth guard to move your chain forward and stabilize your tongue.
- Quick and easy tweaks to help you sleep – skip evening caffeine and sign off electronics several hours before bedtime. Improve the air quality in your bedroom by opening the window several inches to let air circulate at night.
- Melatonin rises in the body at night, but high doses can cause levels to spike too fast, then drop too early, which triggers night time awakenings. Ask your doctor about a time release product with 300 mcg to 1 mg of melatonin that sustains the levels for a natural sleep process.
