Do you ever struggle with falling asleep at night? Are you one of those people that feel exhausted during the day, finally climb in bed, shut off the light and your mind decides to go crazy with thoughts, worries, to-do's, regrets, fears, and everything else in-between? You struggle to quiet down your busy mind. Well, take heart, you're not alone. We all seem to struggle when the lights go out and the darkness consumes us. There's something about the quiet of the night that can be deafening. Our own minds can be the source of misery, unresolve and lack of sleep. Now, I don't claim to have it all figured out, because I don't; I still have nights from time to time where sleep eludes me and I'm awake until the wee hours of the morning trying to shut off the brain so I can catch some zzz's. But I have found several tricks that have helped to leave the day behind and fall into a restful sleep. Now, some of you may not struggle with sleep. You may be one of those people that can lay their head on the pillow and you're out. If that's you, than I applaud you. That's a gift not all have, but all wish to possess. So, what I'm about to share won't be for you, but if you are like the other 99% that struggle with sleep, than this is for you!
We really need sleep. More than just a couple of fitful hours of sleep- we need real sleep. The kind where you are out all night, at least 8 hours. Sleep is that small window of time where our bodies will recharge and repair. It's a time of healing. Have you ever noticed after several nights of rough sleep, that you start to feel like you're getting sick? Your body feels run-down and you feel on edge. Everything seems to bug you and your fuse is short. It's because your body didn't have adequate time to repair, clean out, and declutter.
Sleep has been crucial for me in my cancer healing. I have strived to make that a very important part of my journey and I want to share a few tips and tricks I have learned to help me achieve a good night's rest!
Here are 5 things that I do to allow myself the best possible night's sleep-
1. Go to bed at an early hour. If you stay up until midnight every night, try to climb into bed a half hour earlier the following night. Do this until you can get your body into a good rhythm of going to bed at an earlier hour.
2. Allow yourself at least 8 hours in bed before you have to wake up the next morning.
3. Keep your room cold and dark.
4. Wear earplugs to keep sounds out.
5. Have a fan on or some sort of white noise while you sleep.
Those are 5 very normal things that you probably already know, but may need to reinforce if you are having trouble staying asleep. But here is also something else that I have done to help quiet my mind and to help me fall asleep at night.
Even with the stress and worry of cancer, I have been able to sleep relatively well. I have had some rough nights here and there where I can't stop thinking and worrying, but overall God has really helped me to get the sleep I need and to leave my worries and cares in His capable hands.
Every night before I go to sleep, I pray. But back in April 2017 I started to do something else. It's what I like to call the, "ABC's".
Before I tell you what that is, I want to share with you one of my favorite movies- White Christmas! I LOVE that movie! Well, there is a scene in the movie where Bing Crosby's character and Rosemary Clooney's character are both awake at a late hour. Rosemary is having trouble sleeping(or so her little sister insists), so Bing starts singing, "Count your blessings, instead of sheep". I can't help but think that he was on to something- counting our blessings.
I found, in my own life, that I needed to get my mind right before I could relax and sleep. I needed to thank God for my blessings and remember who HE is and what HE says in his word is true. That my "feelings" weren't true, but God was. That would relax me and help me to cast my cares onto Jesus. So, I began saying truth, which turned into the ABC's.
God is-
A. All powerful
B. Breathe
C. Compassionate
D. Devoted
E. Everlasting
F. Faithful
G. Good.......
I started going through the alphabet coming up with words that described who God is. That brought peace to my heart. It erased the fear and worry of the unknown to a known God. He is my source of strength and the one who is giving me peace amid my cancer storm.
I have also used the ABC method in positive affirmations.
I am-
A. Authentic
B. Blessed
C. Caring
D. Disciplined
E. Enough
F. Forgiven
G. Glad.......
If you are struggling with sleep tonight and wrestling with your mind, try the ABC's and see if they work for you. If anything, they will help to set your mind on heavenly thoughts, rather than earthly ones. And if you like words, try thinking of as many as you possibly can for each letter! It can be a fun game and hopefully you will be so lost in thought, that you will forget life's stresses and fears for a few moments and can bring peace to your heart.
You are safe, you are cared for, you matter and you are loved. Rest well tonight and count your blessings instead of sheep.
Thank you Kimi!! Love the idea of Counting your Blessings to go to sleep! Love you!!
ReplyDeleteThanks mom!
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