Sleep Tips, Chronotypes, and Mindfulness

Every year in October is autumn season and severe weather can frequently interrupt your sleep. It is a magical and mysterious season. It is also harvesting season and the second month of the autumn season. At the same time, it takes a while to get adjusted to the short daylight hours and the long nights. However, there might be days when you cannot sleep.

Coping with night phobias and sleep disorders can make you feel anxiety. Also, if you or your partner snores it makes it more bothersome to get sleep. Phobias are often misunderstood due to their complexity and its origins of how it occurred. Nyctophobia is a fear of the dark which often occurs during childhood experiences. However, adults can have this phobia.

This phobia is also a fear of not seeing things in the dark. Shadows at night, noises at night, natural weather phenomenon, and the mysterious environment of the dark can cause more anxiety. Furthermore, not sleeping enough at night can also be caused by trauma affects especially if the traumatic event happened at night. Watching scary movies at night can make you too scared to sleep. If you are alone watching frightening movies at night, your nervous system gets activated. 

Somniphobia is when you cannot fall asleep. It is also a fear of sleeping by yourself. When you are grieving someone that you slept with can make you lose the physical attachment of sleeping with them. Also, feeling loneliness can sometimes make it tough to sleep by yourself. Nonetheless, somniphobia can be caused by genetics, trauma, sleep disorders, anxiety, and some medical conditions.

Astraphobia is another phobia that can occur at night especially if there are thunderstorms. A fear of thunder and hearing thunder causes your whole body to jump. As well as feeling sleepy during the day, it makes it difficult to focus on the daily tasks that you need to do throughout the day. Also, the sounds of thunder can cause more anxiety, heart palpitations, and nervousness. This phobia also begins during childhood because of the experience of hearing thunder.

It is also a fear of seeing lightning and seeing weather changes throughout the day. Anxiety disorders such as Noctiphobia have a stronger sensation of fear of the dark and silence that the night brings. Always consult with your primary doctor, sleep therapist, or a sleep medicine specialist for getting treatment for night phobias and for more sleep tips. However, mindfulness can help you feel relaxed before going to sleep. Feel the texture, the fabric, and see the color of your blankets, pillowcases, and sheets when you are making your bed. 

See the scenery outside of your bedroom window. Continue making your bed by changing your sheets every seven to fourteen days or every five days if you have skin allergies or other allergies. Add extra pillows to elevate your legs if you snore in the middle of the night and sleep on the side so you do not disturb your partner. Even if you sleep alone, snoring can often startle you and keep you awake which makes you lose sleep. Nonetheless, smell your laundry detergent on your blankets, sheets, and pillowcases.

Sometimes you can use an all-natural pillow mist that can prepare you for sleep. You might want to use a pineapple, lemongrass, eucalyptus, or a vanilla calming pillow mist. Furthermore, you can use essential oils for your skin such as orange and vanilla, lemongrass, sandalwood, cedarwood and juniper, or other essential oils that help you relax your nerves. Nonetheless, use an essential oil that makes you feel relaxed and a scent that you prefer to apply to your skin with a carrier oil. Always evaluate an area of your skin before applying the essential oils with the carrier oil.

It is possible to manage the symptoms of phobias. Although you cannot prevent yourself from having nightmares, consult with your doctor, therapist, or sleep specialist for sleep medications, minerals, or other sleep aids. Continue practicing meditation by visualizing yourself at your favorite vacation dream location while wearing a silk or weighted sleep mask. If you keep hurting your head on your headboard from your bed, you can use a large wedge pillow to protect your head from the headboard. Limit having too much salt from your meals, especially for your dinner, so you do not wake up feeling thirsty which can interfere with your sleep.

Reduce your anxiety by practicing yoga with mindfulness, yoga with meditation, tai-chi, or other physical activities four hours or three hours before going to sleep. Also, try to have one meal with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, and Zinc. Practice mindfulness when you are having dinner. Have your dinner with a decaffeinated tea such as Turmeric, Lemon, Lemongrass, Pumpkin Spice, Caramel Apple, or other seasonal tea to help you relax in the autumn season. Last, avoid watching scary movies at night by playing a puzzle, a card game, or blowing soap bubbles with a bubble wand or use a bubble machine.

Count the bubbles before they disappear, count the trees from your window, or visualize counting rabbits. Distract yourself. Fears, phobias, and other negative experiences can be manageable with group therapy. Speaking about your phobias and writing about them can help. Meditation, walking meditation, or mindful walking for ten to twenty minutes can make you feel serene. 

Make a sleep schedule based on your chronotype. Although chronotype quizzes are not scientifically proven, they can permit you to adjust your sleep schedule based on your sleep animal. The chronotype quiz was developed by Dr. Michael Breus. There are four sleep animals based on the chronotype quiz: Bear, Lion, Wolf, and the Dolphin. Knowing the type of sleep animal can help you adjust your sleep schedule, your work productivity, and other items to get sleep. 

Practice mindfulness before going to sleep by stretching, focusing on breathing, slowing down to make your bed. Sit down on your bed and do breathing exercises. Hug your pillow, fluff your pillow, and hug your pillow before putting it on your bed. Put on socks that feel soft but fit well. Lie down in a comfortable position. 

Close your eyes and imagine walking in a rainforest, beach, island, or any other area to make you feel warm. Imagine yourself swimming in a warm lake. Then Imagine a warm and relaxing waterfall. Focus on your breathing. Keep imagining a blissful place as you smell your pillow mist. 

Hum or sing a gentle song. If you still cannot sleep, think about a mantra, word, or phrase to help you focus. Nonetheless, continue relaxing while being on your bed. Think about sleeping in a comfortable and calm place while listening to chimes, wind instruments, or string instruments. Here are websites about coping with night phobias and suggestions for getting sleep. 

 

Phobia of the Dark: 4 Ways to Beat Fear of Darkness-Hack to Sleep:

Phobia of the Dark: 4 Ways to Beat Fear of Darkness-Hack to Sleep

7 Simple Ways to Manage Your Night Time Anxiety:

7 Simple Ways to Manage Your Night Time Anxiety

Somniphobia: Understanding the Fear of Sleep:

Somniphobia: Understanding the Fear of Sleep

Chronotypes: Definitions, Types, & Effect on Sleep:

Chronotypes: Definitions, Types, & Effect on Sleep

Chronotypes Quiz-What is Your Inner Sleep Animal-Sleepopolis: 

Chronotypes Quiz-What is Your Inner Sleep Animal

* Stickers, background, and font created in Photo Collage Editor Maker