Sleep, The Pandemic, Memory and Me
This post is in conjunction with TEMPUR® but all thoughts are my own.
I’ve spoken a few times about how I struggle with sleep. We seem to be frenemies, some days I sleep a lot, some days not enough. However, thanks to my ME I always wake up unrefreshed and wanting more.
Over the past year, things have got worse. Since I was in hospital my fatigue has kicked up a notch.
While the pandemic left me having the strangest dreams. Something that I found was echoed by a lot of people when I spoke about it in posts. It also seemed to be something that even experts stepped up and spoke about due to it being so widespread. With ideas around isolation, stress and even sleeping in more, being a part of why this could be happening to so many people.
One issue I’ve found that is linked to my sleep is my memory. The more fatigued I am the more I forget words. Ash has become quite fluent in trying to decipher what I mean when I say “you know that ‘thingy’ or ‘whatsit’” while waving my arms about.
Of course, it doesn’t just mean I lose my words, it also means blog work is impossible. While jobs around the home can also become difficult.
What’s more, it’s also the times I am more likely to do stupid things, such as forgetting how time works, putting a freshly made cup of tea in the fridge and bringing the milk into the lounge.
With so many people struggling with sleep now, I thought I would put together a few ideas to hopefully make sleep easier.
Set a routine.
From going to bed to getting up, making sure you have a routine is a must as it will help your body know your sleep-wake cycle. Meaning your body is more likely to become naturally tired when bedtime comes around.
It is a good idea to spend 30-60 minutes before you go to bed winding down. This could be doing something like having a warming bath, reading a book or meditation. It, however, shouldn’t include electronics as the blue light from them can help keep you awake.
If you find your mind is running wild with things to do or just running away with you, keeping a notepad and pen is a good idea. Write down things you need to remember while letting them go for the night.
Make sure your bed works for you.
We all need a bed that works for us. By that, I mean both our mattress, pillows and even the size of our bed frame need to work with our bodies.
For instance, someone who sleeps on their side may need a different pillow from someone who sleeps on their back. You may not think too much about a pillow’s job, it’s just to make you feel comfortable? While in reality, it is so much more. A good pillow will hold your head and neck in a way that helps reduce pain and morning stiffness while keeping your body in good alignment. While our mattresses should support our back and hips as we sleep.
There are many choices on the market when it comes to both mattresses and pillows, with many people choosing memory foam these days. However, did you know that not all memory foam is made the same? For instance, TEMPUR® offers a 10-year guarantee. While it precisely adapts to your body, offering pressure relief in all areas including, hips, back, shoulders and joints and offers just 3% movement transfer, compared to an average of 20% with other memory foam products Making for a better night’s sleep for both you and your partner.
This unique mattress material was first made in the 1970s to cushion astronauts during take-off. Meaning it really has some distinguishing features, which have been really put to the test.
Make your bedroom a haven.
It is important that your bedroom is a place of calm and relaxation, that your mind relates the area to winding down and not with being up and active. As such even if you can work from home, working from your bed is not a good idea. Try and get up and out and into a different area of the house once you are awake, when possible.
When it comes to the room itself, using calming colours and scents in the bedroom while trying to keep it free from clutter can also make it a more tranquil space.
Keep Out The Neighbours And Their Noise
Most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night, but many find it challenging to get the rest they need due to noise pollution. From loud neighbours to passing traffic, there are a variety of sounds that can interrupt one’s slumber.
Soundproof doors can help to reduce the amount of noise that enters a room, making it easier to get a good night’s sleep. In addition, soundproofing can also help to create a more restful environment in general.
By blocking out unwanted noise, soundproof doors can make bedrooms more tranquil and inviting places to relax and unwind. As a result, investing in a soundproof door may be the key to getting better sleep at night.
Of course, there are many other ways you can help make your bedroom a space for sleep. This will hopefully in turn help with those unwanted side effects of not enough sleep, such as those memory lapses.
As such I would be interested in knowing what your top tip to a good night’s sleep is?
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I definitely find keeping a pen and paper on my bedside tablet helps, as I always seem to remember things just as I’m falling asleep. So now I write them down and get them out instead of lying there worrying about forgetting about it!
I used to underestimate the importance of a good night sleep until I had kids. Routine for your kids is important but then I realise that routine for myself is equally as important too. Now it’s TV off every night at 9:30pm so I can wind down to go to bed, latest at 10:30pm.
During the pandemic I even changed our mattress to the firmest I could find and same for the pillows. It made such a big difference to how long it takes me to fall asleep. Although our bedroom is not a haven yet as it’s overflowing with hand-me-downs for the kids, I hope one day it can be. But at least I am lucky to have a lovely view outside my window to look at before I sleep.
It is amazing how much a bad night’s sleep can have a knock-on effect on our health and wellbeing isn’t it?
I take Valerian Root for a good night’s sleep.
I’d need a miracle to get a good night sleep at the minute . I am struggling so badly with it
Oh no I am so sorry it hear you are struggling so badly I hope you find something that helps.
One thing that often helps me fall asleep is a weighted blanket. I find it very soothing!
I do have one actually but I can’t use it that much as I struggle with the weight and not being able to move it which is a pain.
Some really useful advice. Definitely need to look at one of those pillows.
They are really good pillows I have to admit – I have been really surprised by them.
Thank you for this wonderful post as sleep is so important and it really makes the difference for me as to what type of day I will have… I love a good solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep. That pillow looks pretty amazing and I m always on the hunt for some new pillows so I will have to check this one out 😉
It is really nice – I was surprised at how nice it felt, definitely different to any pillows I have tried using before as well.
I also struggle with sleep but it’s more part of my autoimmune condition, I accept it for what it is but still make sure I have a comfortable pillow, I sleep on my front so it’s important pillow supports me properly, the bed isn’t too warm or cold, I have no TV or computer in the bedroom and leave my phone in the sitting room.
It sounds like you have got yourself into a good routine, I am so sorry you struggle with your sleep as well. It is awful when you just can’t seem to get what you need.
Completely agree that having the right bedroom environment is so important. I use Tempur myself and memory foam really makes a world of difference. Especially if you have sleep problems!
Definitely, it is incredible how much the room we sleep in does knock on to how we feel.
I like the idea of making our bedroom our haven. I’ve also lost sleep during the start of the pandemic but I slowly adjusted to it and eventually slept much better.
I am glad you are starting to sleep much better now, I think it was so common to have sleep issues.
Having a comfy mattress and pillows plus are definitely a must. And we updated our bedroom last year and made it a haven. 🙂 Great ideas!
Ohh I bet that was lovely having a bit of an update, hands we could do with doing the same with ours.
I make sure my bedroom is my haven so I have somewhere comfortable to retire to after a long day at work
Definitely, I think if we equate it to sleep and relaxation it really helps.
I am not a great sleeper, I can’t sleep if my feet are cold! I often use a hot water bottle even on relatively warm nights
I’m the same, Ash thinks I’m crazy as I sleep with socks on most of the time.
I can’t get off to sleep if I’m too warm. So, I keep my bedroom as cool as possible, with a window open – not always possible, I know, depending on where you live. But if you like to shower or bathe before bed, keep the water cool so you don’t emerge looking like a boiled lobster!
Oh, definitely it isn’t good to have hot baths or showers anytime not good for the skin or so they say. I try and keep mine cooler.
I totally agree with you regarding ME and sleeping and the fatigue, me and C have our own language now as well. I do need to get her some new pillows not thought of memory foam ones but may help her sleeping
It is really comfortable I was surprised how well it supports, moulds to the head and shoulders so really feels nice.
Yeah, a lot of people are lack of sleep right now. Mostly because of their jobs or online games.
It’s a hard one isn’t it – the pandemic has definitely made a dent in how people are feeling which has a knock-on effect too.
Thanks for the tips. Sleep is quite hard to do for me but thankfully I can still do all the tasks I have to do.
That is good – I am glad you managed to have enough energy.
I’m lucky for always sleeping well. The mattress and pillow look really cosy. I want to have these
I can say when it comes to the pillow it is definitely comfortable and supportive.
I too have troubles with sleep. This is a pillow that I need to check out.
It is so comfortable – supports the head nicely which feels so comfortable.
I am very lucky that I sleep well most nights and have some tired old pillows. I know we would sleep even better with a new set of pillows,
That is good, it is always good when you can hit the bed and just sleep, definitely think about some new pillows!