Conquer Sunday Night Insomnia!

How did you sleep last Sunday night? Not well? It turns out you’re not alone!

We all know that sleep is essential for overall health, affecting everything from weight gain to stress levels and motivation. But even for those of us who normally sleep well, Sunday nights can pose a particular challenge.

Although there technically is no such disease, Sunday night insomnia, as it is affectionately called, is well known to many, according to recent news sources. Anxiety about the week ahead can be one of the factors at play, but it’s also often the case that we sleep in on weekends and aren’t as tired when we try to go back to our regular weeknight bedtime. This affects our circadian rhythms, which act as our bodies’ internal clocks.

It can be a vicious cycle as well—the harder we try to sleep, the less likely we’ll succeed, because stress and anger are the antithesis to the relaxation necessary for sleep.

Although many of us who suffer from Sunday night sleep woes will typically get on track the following night, walking around like a zombie on Monday morning doesn’t start the week on a positive note. Try these top sleep tips:

• Keep your weekend sleep schedule as close to your weeknight sleep schedule as possible.
• Don’t use your bed for reading, watching TV, using a laptop, or writing.
• Ensure that your bedroom is very dark—brightness triggers us to be more alert, while darkness prepares us for relaxation and sleep.
• Similarly, avoid bright lights before bedtime—consider giving yourself a computer and TV curfew, and try reading in a dimly lit room to help you relax instead.
• If you find that you’re not falling asleep easily, get up and do something else that you find calming until you find yourself becoming sleepy—again, reading is a perfect example. There’s nothing worse than tossing and turning and becoming increasingly anxious or frustrated.
• Try a natural sleep supplement such as melatonin, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), or camomile, which can calm sleep-related anxiety.