My Ideal Sleep Space

I think like most insomnia sufferers, when you ask me how I get my best night's sleep, I automatically have a handful of adjustments and settings. At any given moment, I could rhyme out several sleep space preferences for me to get the best possible night's sleep. After years of early mornings, nights of anxiety about sleep, and long nights of raising toddlers, I have figured out what works best for me to get a good night's sleep while continuing to explore and educate myself on being the healthiest me. Determining my ideal sleep space for insomnia took some changes to my routine.

Ideal sleep space for insomnia

Routines

My evening “routine” begins pretty early in the evening as I try to keep low lights from after dinner and on. Ambiance and lights are a nonnegotiable for allowing myself ample time to wind down.

Lighting

I keep twinkle lights all over the house for this reason, but specifically dimmable ones for my bedroom. Creating a comfortable and cozy scene is a must for me to get sleep; however when it’s time to get into bed all lights go out and I need darkness.

Sounds

Next up we have sound. This is a huge 1 for me and is also a non-negotiable. However, the types of music or sounds I listen to change every week or so based on how I’m feeling.

Music

Sometimes it will be music to drift me off to sleep; for example, YouTube has some really great guided meditations. I highly recommend Micheal Sealey and Jason Stevenson. Both have a huge selection of both guided and audio meditation music! Listening to audio of rain or winter storms is also a go-to for me. Currently, I’m listening to 1 of my favourite acoustic bands.

Temperature

I tend to sleep in a cooler room so I can allow for a heavier duvet or even a weighted blanket. This is something I’ve been doing instinctively since I was younger. The weight helps me feel grounded! Summer evenings can make this a little more difficult, so I do tend to sleep better in the colder months.

Medications

Lastly, cannabis has become a tried and true medication for my insomnia along with many other benefits for my ankylosing spondylitis (AxSpa). When it comes to sleeping, the amount my anxiety has been significantly reduced since I began incorporating cannabis into my night routine. This has been incredible.

Likely if you are reading this, cannabis was frowned upon as you were growing up. The stigma of cannabis kept me from relief for a long time, and I’m so very thankful to have legal access to cannabis.

Managing anxiety

I often suffer from an overactive bladder due to nighttime anxiety too. As I try to drift to sleep every night, cannabis has frequently eliminated that anxiety and urge completely, which was 1 of my most consistent forms of insomnia. Having that 1 symptom managed has truly changed my life and my sleep health!