Strategies for night rest

Question: Hi! I am a woman of almost 42 years old. I have felt exhausted from time to time and have diffuse symptoms that no one can figure out. Because of everything, I have developed health anxiety, but have had relatively good control over it in recent years. I work in a kindergarten in the toddler department and am in orange (stress) all day at work. The stress usually continues during the afternoon as well, but not as much. After I started working again this fall, I have several nights where my body does not recharge at all, and I am in orange a lot, especially early in the night. I usually do not eat after 5 pm. I have poor fitness, since it has become a vicious circle and I now feel exhausted again.

Any advice for me to get rest at night? I often have good sleep quality even though my stress level and body battery are not good throughout the night.

Answer: Hello! It is very good that you are exploring how good habits can affect your night’s sleep. It is really a good start on the path to better and more restful sleep. It is also good that you often have good quality sleep, even if you have a lot of stress during the day. My experience is that what happens during the day is very important for finding peace, rest and energy at night.

When the nervous system is in full alarm mode during the day, it becomes difficult for the nervous system to calm down in the evening. It is therefore important to find good strategies to land a little during the day and actively rest. Then it will be easier to get to rest at night:

– Practice taking short check-ins where you stop and shift your focus to your breathing in the morning, lunch and before dinner.
– Feel free to put your phone down and start calming down at least two hours before you go to bed.
– I would also recommend that you try going for a quiet walk in the evening without your phone.
– In addition, it is a good idea not to eat after 5-6 pm. You are already doing that.
– Make sure to keep your bedroom dark, cool and use earplugs if you are sensitive to sound.
– A cold shower in the evening can also help. Test it out if it works for you.

Best of luck!
Regards, Dr. Ragnhild