4 Healthy Habits to Start When You Can’t Sleep at Night

The night feels unending when you can’t sleep. I remember in my 30s I would hear lots of chatter from my 40 something friends that they were having trouble sleeping and dealing with hot flashes at night. The joys the menopause.

When I hit my 40s, I did experience some of these issues, but honestly it wasn’t too bad. Life was busy and I was typically exhausted and went right to sleep. Yes, I realize that this was a huge blessing!

Night sweats and sleepless nights are no fun. But, I’ve discovered that in my mid-50s I am having more trouble sleeping than any other time in my life. I seriously feel like my body has forgot how to fall asleep! I figured I can’t be the only one dealing with this and it turns out I’m not. Here’s what I’ve learned while trying to get more sleep.

Sleepless Nights and Middle Age: A Disruptive Duo

Did you know that, starting in your late 40s and all through your 50s, disruptive sleep patterns are typically high for women and men? There’s some physical reasons for this, like waking up to go to the bathroom at night.

However, I think sleep may be harder for some more spiritual reasons. Here are just a few things I think cause us to lose sleep, even though we might be exhausted when we hit the pillow. These are based on my own experience as well as things I know others thinking about at night.

Honest Reasons You are Losing Sleep

• Our adult kids and the paths they are choosing. We are letting go and praying often.
• Our grandkids and the unstable world they are growing up in.
• Our jobs and stress from greater responsibility, travel and deadlines
• Our family and keeping close to all the generations and many times from a distance.
• Our finances and the future. Retirement is approaching quickly. This could be good and bad.
• Our country: This is the decade when we care more than ever about what is happening religiously, politically and economically.
• OUr church community and the struggles others are facing. These burdens can seem heavier now that we are older and wiser.
• Our health and the changes that come as we celebrate more birthdays.

Biological Changes Impacts Sleep Too

So, stress and worry play a role in our lack of sleep, but so does biology.  “For both men and women, the hormones that promote healthy sleep are on the decline. At the same time, sleep-disrupting hormones—including cortisol and others—are often spiking, thanks to stress and an ongoing lack of sleep.” – Psychology Today

You can probably think of more reasons why you aren’t sleeping, maybe some back pain or muscle cramps? The reality is that there’s lots of reasons. But, what do you do when you can’t sleep?

Healthy Habits When You Can’t Sleep

1. Don’t Eat a Late Supper

That’s right, stop eating a late supper because your digestive system needs some time to settle down before bedtime. And even better, don’t snack in the evening. My husband and I fall into “late supper” habit very easily.

We are both working and lose track of the time. Or, we go out and start working in the yard trying to take advantage of the last hours of daylight. The late supper habit honestly started when we still had kids at home and we wouldn’t eat until after ballgames. Whatever has got you off track, make an effort to EAT EARLIER AND DON”T SNACK.

Here’s what research has found. “

when eating earlier, individuals had better blood sugar regulation and improved fat metabolism, which is a factor in fat storage. Eating an early and light dinner helps to improve sleep, improves digestion, boosts metabolism, and reduces blood pressure.”

Prevention.com

2. Get Off Screens a Few Hours Before Bedtime

This is helpful for two reasons. First you are relaxing your mind and pulling away from all the information you are consuming on your phone. You’re giving your brain a chance to relax. It seems pretty obvious that this would lead to better sleep.

Second, you are decreasing your exposure to blue light that is likely to keep you awake. Light affects our sleep, but blue light is even worse.

Light suppresses the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. And while all light can have this effect, our eyes may be more sensitive to blue light. – RiseSceince.com

So make it a habit to put your phone away. If you like to read a book on your iPad or Kindle, it’s a good idea to wear blue light glasses. This will help you produce more melatonin.

If light really is a factor that keeps you awake,a sleep mask and blackout curtains are good things to try. Light keeps me awake, especially if I wake up in the night and there is light filtering in from the moon or street lights.

3. Use a Natural Sleep Supplement

Magnesium and melatonin are two natural supplements that are easy to take and can have a big impact on your sleep.

Magnesium

Aside from all the other benefits of taking magnesium, it can also help you sleep. This is because magnesium help your brain relax, which means it can also help when you are anxious and worried. It is difficult to get enough magnesium in our regular diet, which it why it makes sense to take magnesium.

Because magnesium helps regulate melatonin, it helps induce sleep. Magnesium and a good night’s sleep are also linked to building physical strength.

Evidence shows that magnesium can help improve sleep quality and duration.  It can even shorten the amount of time it takes to fall asleep.-Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND

It’s also good to note that magnesium can help with muscle cramps. So if a leg cramp is waking you up in the night, you might give this a try.

PICKING A MAGNESIUM PRODUCT

I’ll be honest, I am no expert on which brand is best. Also there are many types of magnesium. To get the best bang for your buck, I would get a Magnesium-L-threonate. It absorbs quickly and there is evidence that it can help with brain function, including memory loss. You can read more on this in the book, “The End of Alzheimer’s.” (I keep recommending this book to all my friends and family!)

For some less expensive form of magnesium that is still great quality, here’s an option. I have a dear friend who does a ton of research on supplements and she recommends Kingdom Come Home, based out of Ohio. They have a magnesium cream that she loves. This is on my list to try! You can also find Kingdom Come Home on Public Square, which is awesome! Bottom line, do your research and look for a clean brand.

Melatonin

Taking melatonin is another great way to help get into better sleep patterns. It will help you fall asleep faster and wake up less groggy because you’ve had a good night sleep. It can especially be helpful if you are traveling and work a shift that alters your normal sleep patterns.

PICKING A MELATONIN PRODUCT

I do have an opinion about a melatonin product when you can’t sleep at night! Arbonne has a vegan melatonin Sleep Spray that I really love.

Most of my family has used it at some point when they were having trouble sleeping. And, it worked! THis was a great help to my son when he was having trouble sleeping in the dorm at college. It has definitely worked for me.

It’s definit

4. The Best Way to Fall Asleep? Read Your Bible and Pray

Your hear it often. I try to read my Bible before I go to bed but I always fall asleep. Or, I’m trying to get in a habit of praying when I get in bed at night but I fall asleep in the middle of praying.

Can I suggest that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing! I can’t think of a better way to fall asleep.

Sure, we need to be reading our Bible and praying, but we can certainly be doing this more than one time a day. If you aren’t maybe you should be. So, if you get sleepy reading your Bible in bed, this is a wonderful thing. Just don’t close your Bible and pick up your phone. Turn off the lights and go to bed!

HOW TO FALL ASLEEP PRAYING

But what about in the middle of the night? YOu are laying there and you just can’t fall back to sleep. I suggest you pray. If you are really awake, get up and go into another room and read your Bible and maybe journal to God.

When you are lying in the dark and unable to sleep, praying is the very best use of your time Give over to God all the things that are keeping you awake. If you still can’t fall asleep, just keep praying.

We know that Jesus spent some sleepless nights praying. Have you ever considered that he might have been trouble sleeping. What we do know is Jesus is our perfect example how to pray.

It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. - Luke 6:12

Examples of All-Night Praying

I put together this printable of Bible verses where Jesus and many others stayed awake all night in prayer. I thought it might encourage that you are not alone on your next sleepless night. Scroll up to the image with the download button to print it.

I hope these healthy habits help when your can’t fall asleep. But, take comfort in knowing that Jesus also had restless nights and felt the weight of the world.

You are precious in His sight,