FEATURE

Sleep Well Despite Uncertainty

 

 

By Dr. Wayne Pernell

 

America is grieving. With the number of COVID-19 deaths still rising, unemployment, and widespread civil unrest and protests in cities across the country, sleep for Americans is seriously lacking.

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“You don’t have to have a long-term sleep issue to be sleeping less soundly during this unprecedented time” explains Dr. Wayne Pernell, breakthrough coach, relationship expert, best selling author, and international speaker. “Sleep issues can happen to the best of us amid this much uncertainty. That’s why we need to practice excellent sleep hygiene.” 

    

The same way we need to shower and brush our teeth every day, we also need to attend to our sleep hygiene.

    

Below are Dr. P’s tips for how to sleep well despite the uncertainty in the world:

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· Keep a notepad and pen by the bedside and do a brain-dump. Yes, go old-school. Do NOT pick up your phone. Use a notepad to park your thoughts. 

· If you wake up in the night, don't just lie there.  When you wake up, get up.  Wait about 15-20 minutes.  Sit out on the couch or at your kitchen table with the lights on low.  Then, go get back in bed. This can help you catch a new sleep cycle, which happens about every 90 minutes. Think about getting up and then laying back down as your “reset” or rebooting the sleep triggers for yourself.

· Don't exercise within a few hours of going to bed. Even if you exercise to the point of exhaustion, it only serves to throw sleep cycles off. 

· Alcohol is your foe. Alcohol before bed might help you get to sleep but is a serious sleep disruptor, so it won't help you stay asleep. Ditch it too close to bedtime.

· Think about something you're grateful for. When you relax and feel happy about what you have, it stops you from feeling anxious about the uncertainty of what might be.  

· Warm your body in order to induce sleep. Use an electric blanket or tuck hot water bottles around you, but keep your bedroom relatively cool to maintain a more sound sleep.

 

The bottom line is that you want a quiet, cool space for rest.  Don’t let blue light from your phone or other screens stimulate your brain.  Go to bed happy and wake up with purpose.

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Dr. Wayne Pernell is a breakthrough coach and seasoned leadership advisor, helping entrepreneurs, executives, and their teams to break through to great new levels of success. He is also a noted relationship expert and international speaker.  Having helped thousands of clients across the country and beyond, Dr. P is sought for his speaking and consulting, as well as his wisdom that can be found in any of his bestselling books. For resources from his weekly podcast or his blog to books to online courses or free downloads like Relationship Recharge, from retreats to 1:1 advising, visit www.waynepernell.com for more.