I am trapped in the body of a theatre kid and have the work schedule of a swim club kid.
Almost 60 years ago, Mom put me in morning kindergarten to try and break me of the habit of sleeping late. Early morning classes and a full career of early morning meetings (plus getting kids ready and out the door to school before my workday started) hasn’t entirely broken my of my night-owl ways.
I am really struggling to get enough sleep, especially with sore muscles, arthritis pains and three cats who demand late night or early morning cuddles. I rarely fall asleep before 11 pm, and sometimes have to be in my lifeguarding chair for 5:30 am swim practices.
When I try to go to bed early, it’s not unusual to wake up 4-5 hours later and be unable to return to sleep.
I know some ways to improve my sleep hygiene: I already broke out the winter duvet so my bed is comfy. I’m reading magazines before sleep instead of looking at my phone, though I do need to move my Duolingo practice to earlier in the day. I am trying to remember to hydrate more throughout the day instead of suddenly feeling the need to drink a litre of water out before bed; that one is very much a work in progress.
What are your best tips to get enough good quality sleep at the times you need it?
