31 Days: stop middle of the night clock watching
Posted by kathryn in Seasonal Health and Work life integration
While tiredness is the number one complaint of patients that see me in clinic, sleeping problems are often a big part of this. Today’s task for 31 Days to Better Energy is therefore another sleeping strategy – stop night-time clock watching.
What’s the problem?
Do you wake during the night, look at the clock and start worrying about the day ahead? Do you get frustrated and stressed that you’re awake? Does the thought “oh no I HAVE to get back to sleep because I’m getting up in 2 hours” run through your head?
If this is something that happens to you regularly, then today’s tip is especially for you. Clock watching during the night is counter-productive to good sleeping habits. I know it’s tempting to check the time, but clock watching can make you stressed. It starts a train of thought, keeps your brain awake and alert, and prevents you from slipping back into a deep, restorative sleep. Clock watching is counter-productive to good sleeping habits.
Today’s Task
Tonight, when you go to bed, set your alarm clock and then turn the face away from you, so you can’t see the time. While lying there, realise you’ve set your alarm, it’s going to wake you at the right time and you don’t need to check the time again.
If you wake during the night, resist the urge to look at the clock. Instead lie there, enjoying the relaxed state you’re in. Remind yourself that even though you’re not asleep, you are resting and it’s doing you good.
If you have no problems sleeping, then why not try one of the other tasks in the 31 Days to Better Energy series.
08 August, 2007
Comments
For me, the problem is just the opposite :)
If I wake, I look at the time. Most times I see it’s not yet past the time to get up, and I feel glad that I am still allowed to sleep. Most times I go to sleep again very fast.
But it happens sometimes that I notice that it’s past time to get up, and I’ve (without conscious thought) ignored the alarm going off. Those times, I’m really glad I routinely look at the time when I wake.
[ This is not a question, and I’m not really looking for suggestions on how to change this. I’m just commenting:) ]
Hi there Antti-Juhani, as you say it’s not clock watching that’s the problem. It sounds like you need either a louder alarm clock, or to put it slightly away from your bed – so it’s not so easy for you to turn it off and then roll back to sleep? At least you’re not lying awake worrying about it, as some people do!
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