5 Goals for Healthier Rest in 2022

I can't remember the last time I felt rested for more than a couple of days.

And yes, I do technically sleep at night.

Typically, I get 6-8 hours of sleep per night, and that doesn't sound bad. But there have been plenty of mornings where I wake up finding myself exhausted, and ready to crawl back into bed.

I don't know if it's because our mattress is too old, or that we didn't buy an expensive enough one, or maybe my mind has been too busy at night to truly shut off.

It could also be because we are now post-Christmas season and trying to detox from the copious amount of sugar we've eaten over the last month.

But whatever it may be, I know that something needs to change this year.

The real, hard truth is that me getting enough hours of sleep doesn't necessarily mean I am resting at night, and the quality of my sleep matters more than the hours I get.

I've always had a hard time taking resolutions seriously, and maybe that's because I've rarely made them. Or that I've always heard of people quitting them as soon as they get difficult.

But in this upcoming year, I am instead making a few self-care goals for myself, and resolving to take a little more time to focus on rest, both mentally and physically.

Goal Getting rather than Resolution Setting

I like the term "Goal Getting" better than "Resolution Setting".

It just seems super productive, and more attainable than resolutions.

Resolutions feel like a temporary momentum towards an unattainable dream, while goals sound more like something you work hard at for better self-improvement either all year or until you reach them.

My 2022 goals for rest include:

• Getting more high-quality sleep
• Walking for an extra 20 minutes daily
• Exercising 4 times a week
• Learning techniques to help me rest and relax properly

The exercise mentioned above may seem contradictory to "resting", but actually, working out gives your body a chance to rest more effectively.

Regular exercise gives you a feeling of both hard work physically, and accomplishment mentally.

When your body feels the need to rest to repair itself from the hard work you put in exercising, you sleep much better.

How I am planning to Rest More, and better.

What is a goal without a plan but a dream?

As with any goal, there is no accomplishing it without a solid plan. In 2022 I am resolving to rest more and to rest better.

Here are my 5 rest goals for 2022.

1. Putting my phone away at night

Sometimes, I feel too tired to read my book before bed, but not too tired that I don't want to scroll on my phone.

I'm committing to breaking this bad habit this year.

This habit is very hurtful to getting a good night's sleep. The reason being that looking at bright screens at night before bed can disrupt our body's natural production of melatonin.

Our bodies produce melatonin via the pineal gland in the brain when it's nighttime, signaling the body to sleep.

This get's signaled by light, so when it starts getting dark out, our bodies naturally start gearing down.

Doing things like scrolling on a phone, having bright lights on in the house at night, and doing work (even exercise or work for your job) late into the night are all things to avoid when possible.

Since the quality of my sleep is really what determines how rested I will be in the morning, I am committing this year to put my phone (and electronics) away before bed.

2. I will leave work at the table.

I am a blogger professionally, and that means I have the option to work as long and hard as I want.

It also means that sometimes, I work too much.

Working on a computer as I do for long hours has a few significant drawbacks, including poor posture, neck pain, and having trouble sleeping (if I work at night).

This year, I am going to leave work at the table.

That means not working every waking moment of the day, and definitely not right before bed.

I will also not work in bed.

This is something I did a few times last year, and it made me feel like I had no separation between life and work. I already work from home, so working in our bed made it even harder to separate out, and harder for me to be productive.

The bedroom should be for sleep, intimacy, and relaxation. I'm going to stop bringing work into it.

3. My Nightly Self-Care routine is not optional

I know that I don't always set myself up for success at night, and I always feel it when I skip my nightly routine.

Each night, my routine is to wash my face, brush my teeth and use a gentle moisturizer on my hands and face. Sometimes, I'll take an Epsom salt bath, burn a candle or incense, and read.

These types of things are very relaxing, and help me to sleep so much better.

Another thing I have found is really helpful at night is taking a magnesium supplement. I love supplements, and adding them into my routine has become something I really enjoy.

My goal for myself in 2022 is to NEVER go a night without doing my nightly self-care routine and to add in a supplement that will help my body get the best rest it can.

4. I will buy a NEW MATTRESS

Because something about the one we have right now is just not cutting it for either of us.

My husband has always had trouble sleeping, but when he takes his stress relief supplement, it's usually a lot better.

Recently though, we've both been sleeping poorly.

This year I am committing to a NEW bed, and hoping to get better quality sleep because of it.

If I'm gonna be honest, I have only ever bought one mattress for myself. And that was the one my husband and I bought together back in 2017 for under $300.

It's served us well, and for the first few years I feel like we slept okay, but it just feels like its time is over.

So this year, it's time to start looking.

I've heard a lot about the Lull mattress company via vocal.media in the last year, and I've been impressed by how high quality these beds look.

Also, by how happy people seem in them.

Something I really need in a mattress is high quality, long-lasting material (because who has time and money to replace a mattress every couple of years?), support for my back because my husband and I work out so much, and something that can relieve pressure because of my low back pain.

From what I've seen, Lull seems to meet all these qualifications. I also think that the cooling effect from the breathable gel layer. During my first pregnancy, I was always overly warm and uncomfortable at night. With us trying again this year I feel like that would be so helpful.

I know I need to do some research, create a budget, and then take the leap and just buy something. A bed from Lull may very well be in the running for my new mattress in 2022.

5. Lowering Cortisol for Better Sleep

Something you may not think about too much when it comes to sleep is stress.

Stress actually plays a big part in how well we sleep at night.

The stress hormone Cortisol is what spikes when we are in a fight or flight situation. It is produced by your hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and adrenals (or HPA).

We have Cortisol receptors all throughout our bodies and can be triggered by anything that seems like a threat. So we can fight or fly.

This could be stress at work, catching your child from falling off a chair, someone cutting you off in traffic... anything that makes you feel that sudden jolt can be a spike in Cortisol.

Excess Cortisol in the body can interfere with sleep.

It's no wonder that we have poor sleep when we feel stressed! To help me feel less stressed at night, I am going to try to be better about adding Yoga into my routine on nights I'm feeling extra run down.

Practicing Yoga at Night

Yoga is very relaxing before bed and can help reduce Cortisol.

Yoga practice gets the blood flowing, helps us to practice breath control, and helps us to clear our minds.

One of the most important benefits of Yoga is that it reduces stress.

I have also always found that when I routinely practice yoga, I feel stronger and more in tune with my body.

Doing poses like Cat and Cow pictured above, Tree pose, and Child's pose, when paired with intentional breathing, can be very beneficial when it comes to relieving stress.

I hope that my goals for 2022 help inspire you to take good care of your sleep this year as well, and give you the motivation you need to start.

Here's to a year of good dreams, sound sleep, and less stress.

Goodnight.

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-Leah H.