I’m writing this article in order to remind myself of the power and magic set around the task of attempting to sleep. I wish also to share this information with struggling to achieve this fundamental daily element of good wellbeing.

As someone who has struggled with insomnia since I was born (though it was not always my struggle; once upon a time it belonged to my parents), sleep can continously be a challenge for me and requires my attention now and again. Insomnia really has had an impact on me, through school, college, university and the world of work. I can go for months and months in a good routine and sleeping well, or at the very least feeling like I’m ‘getting enough’ and it’s ‘good enough’ sleep. And then, out of nowhere insomnia can creep up on me and I am stuck in this mental trap until it has run its course.

I am currently in this situation right now, and for the first time I’ve noticed there seems to be something about this time of year that unfortunately kicks a bout of insomnia off for me. During the winter months, my body/mind seems to forget when to be tired; as the darker months creep in, I find myself more tired in the mornings and day and then before bed I am either wide awake, or exhausted but unable to switch off. Any time when a bout of insomnia comes to haunt me, I know that I need to be extra vigilant around sleep “hygiene”. (For those unfamiliar with that term, it means to set things up in such a way that it provides you with the best sleep, keeping your mental habits ‘tidy’ and approach to sleep ‘clean’).

Anyway, even as I’m writing this now, I’m thinking of the range of sleep-hygiene rules that I know I’m breaking; these are important rules that really do set the scene for a good night’s sleep. Our minds are finicky things, and are subconsciously impacted by external cues and routines, getting ourselves to unwind and settle provides our brains the signal to know it’s time to rest.

So, this is a start of a series of posts relating to sleep, sleep hygeine, and creating the set and setting to cast the magic spell to invite the sandman and get the good night of rest that is crucial for our wellbeing.