My Quest for a Good Night's Sleep

I've struggled a lot with getting a good night's sleep. Almost every night I laid awake with my racing, anxious thoughts. I was exhausted physically, but couldn't quiet my mind. Once I finally fell asleep it wasn't for long. I would get up several times throughout the night. Some days I couldn't keep my eyes open at work. I would find a way to take a nap if at all possible. My situation felt desperate so I have been on a quest the past several months to discover ways to get a good night's sleep.

How I've Tried to Get a Good Night's Sleep

I tried an over-the-counter sleep aid first.

One of the first things I tried was an over-the-counter sleep aid. I thought maybe the answer to my sleep problem could be a quick fix, but the sleep aid was not intended to be used every night and not for a period of more than two weeks. I ignored both of these precautions. At first, the sleep aid seemed to help, but after a while, I became extremely groggy in the morning. It was awful trying to get ready for work. I stopped taking the sleep aid and was back to square one.

I tried distractions.

Then came the distractions. 

I discovered autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) videos after watching a documentary on them on Netflix. The videos include sounds like whispering, tapping, brushing, and scratching. Not everybody responds to ASMR, but for me, it feels like my scalp is tingling. It's very relaxing. I focus on the sounds on the videos to distract me from the thoughts keeping me awake. Sometimes this helps me fall asleep.

There were other distraction techniques. My husband suggested reading, but I couldn't concentrate and the intrusive thoughts would take over.

Sometimes I would lie in bed, close my eyes, and count to 100. Then back down. Then up again and so on. This had the same outcome as reading.

I would also meditate with my mala beads sometimes, which helped me redirect my anxious thoughts. I did this by touching each individual bead and saying an affirmation or mantra. This helped a lot.

I bought a new mattress and a weighted blanket.

Recently, I saw a huge improvement in my sleep. I bought a new mattress and a weighted blanket. It was a simple solution, but definitely not cheap. It's a little embarrassing, but the mattress my husband and I had been sleeping on was 20 years old. Through most of our relationship, we simply didn't have the means to replace it, so it was long overdue. It's made a huge difference.

Soon after I bought a weighted blanket on Amazon. I had been hearing good things and decided to give it a try. I got up a few times the first night I used it, but after that, I slept peacefully.

I Achieved a Good Night's Sleep

I finally feel good in the morning. I fall asleep quickly now and sleep through the night. I have energy during the day. I also feel my mood has improved.

If you are struggling to get a good night's sleep, be willing to try different things to figure out a better way. It takes a little work, but it's worth it. Sleep is crucial to good mental health, and you will feel better once you are getting it.

Are you getting enough quality sleep? Are there any tricks or tips that you use to get a good night's sleep? Please post them in the comments.