Inability To Sleep: A Major Milso Complaint

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Every night on social media I see MILSOs talking about how they can't sleep. I have been in the same boat many times during the past months of deployment. I thought I would share some of the ways I help myself get to sleep.

1) Give yourself plenty of time to wind down. It often takes a couple of hours for your body to shut down if you have been busy all day.

2) Before bedtime try to avoid TV, computer, phone -- electronics in general which tend to mess up your mind's ability to calm itself down.

3) Put on calming instrumental music before you get ready for bedtime. No emotional love songs that will bring you down. Just simple religious, spiritual or mediational types of music.

4) Meditate and calm yourself with downloadable meditations. There are tons of great ones on iTunes. I have mediations for centering myself, energizing myself, sleep, relaxation, weight loss and relationships. It's great to have another voice in your head besides your own, saying positive things.

5) Exercise early in the day. Working out late at night can bump up your energy and make it hard for your body to wind down.

6) Avoid sugars, caffeine and spicy food in the evenings. They can rev up your energy levels or mess with your stomach just as you're trying to sleep.

7) Read a book. That will usually put me to sleep pretty quickly...unless it's an amazing book and then I'll just stay up all night to finish it. But that means the next day you'll be exhausted and probably go to bed early...that's sleep, right?

8) Wake up early and keep a regular sleep schedule. Don't sleep late or take long naps that will confuse your body. Try to do the same thing every day as much as possible. Then your body will know to get tired at your chosen bedtime and help regulate itself to sleep.

Hope these simple little tips help. I find we all basically know this good stuff but sometimes it helps to just hear it from someone else. Now get to sleep! Wink.