What is happening to your sleep and rest?
Feeling rested and having enough sleep are key to wellbeing for most people. Not feeling on top of life due to frustrations with sleep is a topic of conversation in many workplaces, living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms etc.
When do you know that sleep is causing you problems? Is it the hollow eyed feeling when you simply have not had enough rest and it is telling on you and to you throughout your day. Conversely, some people sleep too much and this can also impact that quality of life feeling.
Sleep and rest patterns can change as a result of many things including situations, memories, intense emotions, pain, ill health or personal and professional dilemmas. People may also seek counselling because their sleeping is the presenting issue and they have not yet found any effective strategies to fix it.
If sleep patterns don’t seem quite right, people also tend worry. Trust that rest will assist them to deal with the tough things - especially when in the middle of them evaporates and we may feel stuck with a serious if temporary condition. Generally people can tolerate pushing beyond normal limits for a period of time, though on reflection is lifestyle better served with time to rest, relax and refresh even if sleep is evasive or hard to escape from?
Ideas to Help with the 3 Rs, (Rest, Relax Refresh)
Self care to reclaim your rest times can enable adequate rest as a lifestyle norm. Sleep and rest can be great topics of conversations as chances are you may not be alone with sleep disruption. Others may also then understand if they have noticed a change in you.
Effective strategies may include rest times throughout the day such as a 5 - 20 minute lie down. Mindfulness or gentle exercise could also enable the 3 Rs. It may be you need time off in order to de-stress. Simple activities are often neglected when sleep and rest feel disrupted. For example, do you get pleasure and distraction in preparing and eating a meal, drinking water, listening to music, a walk or indulgence in time with nature, reading, art, massage or bathing? Input from counsellors, medical and wellbeing professionals may assist a successful early intervention and a greater understanding of the impacts of sleep disruption. Re-working busy schedules to allow some down time can also help. For example factoring in travel time when attending appointments. Working as a team to enable colleagues to take that 5 minute toilet break and increase their comfort can also be helpful as it reduces that sense of physical stress and urgency.
Final comments and Notes
Best wishes for 2023. Keep following the Kindred Centre Blogs in 2023.
Thanks to Mo Eid and pexels.com for the wonderful image on this blog.
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Please contact one of our skilled counsellors or your medical professional for personal advice and support.