Back to January 2008: Managing Fatigue During and After Treatment
Tips to sleep through the night?
- Question from Lissa: I fall asleep well, then wake at 3 am and spend time thinking about everything I need to do. When I do fall back to sleep, I am exhausted when I again get up in the morning. Any tips to sleeping through the night?
- Answers —Tish Knobf, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., A.O.C.N.: Waking up and having trouble falling back asleep can be related to anxiety. It could be related to menopausal symptoms. It could be related to emotional distress. So there are recommendations for what's called good sleep hygiene. And that includes not taking naps late in the day, going to bed at the same time every night, and if you do wake up during the night don't stay in bed. Get up, read or do something for a while, and then try and go back to bed.
- Lillie Shockney, R.N., B.S., M.A.S.: I find it helps if you make a list of the things that you are worrying about that you need to take care of. And by making a list you're committing yourself to address them during daytime, awake hours rather than having to dwell on them and trying to remember them in the middle of the night.
- Tish Knobf, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., A.O.C.N.: Learn some relaxation strategies such as learning meditation or relaxation for when you do have trouble going back to sleep.