6 Simple Ways to Head Off Insomnia Tonight

Hello my name is Carrie, and I am an occasional insomniac.
But it used to be an issue for me almost every night of my life just a few short years ago...

Insomnia can strike anyone anytime for a number of reasons. Maybe it has been a particularly stressful day or week. Maybe you are anxious about an upcoming event in your life.
Or you could be like me and be a sufferer of anxiety.

Whatever the reason, when you have a rough time falling asleep and an even tougher time staying asleep, it can affect every part of your life.
And I do speak from experience.
From your job to your relationships to just simply your mood, insomnia can make you feel blech about all of them.

Finding simple and effective ways to prevent insomnia before it strikes has been a game changer for me.
I am not saying that since employing these tactics that I have never had a sleepless night since. But instead of insomnia being an almost nightly thing for me, it has now become an issue just a few nights each month.
Below are my six simple ways for heading off insomnia. Some of these may work for you, and some may not. What is important is that you try different tactics until you find out what does work best for you...

3 Reasons Why You Need a DreamCloud Mattress ASAP

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This post was created in partnership with DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattresses. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

Some of you all who have been reading & following along with me for a while have probably already heard about my struggles with insomnia in the past. I used to be that person who took 30+ minutes to fall asleep every night & then found it next to impossible to get back to sleep if I happened to wake up in the middle of the night. Notice how I just spoke about my life as an insomniac in the past tense there? ;) 

That's right, folks. Insomnia no longer plagues me on a nightly basis. In fact, I can go entire weeks without suffering from it now and that is thanks in large part to my new secret weapon against the sleeplessness- my DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress! 

If you have been struggling with insomnia or often find yourself waking up not feeling rested, then today's post is for you. I am sharing my top 3 reasons why you need a DreamCloud Mattress ASAP below...

Sweet Dreams Chamomile Latte

Add this creamy, quick, and comforting Sweet Dreams Chamomile Latte to your nightly bedtime routine...

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

I am truly blessed to be able to stay at home with my youngest and to be able to work at home.  Every day I get do what I love which happens to be this little blog here- creating recipes, photographing delicious dishes & products that I love, writing, and sharing my world with you all.  

And while working at home and being able to stay at home with my three year old definitely has it's perks- aka, I don't have to worry about cleaning off a car or commuting to work in the snow, and I am able to be here for all those little moments with little miss- it also have it's downfalls.

For instance, I never really get to leave my "workplace".  I sleep, eat, breathe, and live where I work. Sometimes I miss being able to have that punch the clock mentality. When I worked outside the home, I rarely brought the job home with me. I would come home and was just able to be with no obligations that evening or over the weekend other than my family and home. 

I have always struggled somewhat with insomnia. I have that brain that all of a sudden powers up as soon as my head hits the pillow. New recipe ideas come to mind. I will remember two other things I need to add to my to-do list for the next day. And unlike when I worked outside the home, I know I can get up out of bed and go do the things that are keeping me awake. My "office" happens to be just feet away in the kitchen.

One way that I have been tackling my nighttime insomnia is by trying to implement a consistent and relaxing routine about an hour before I plan to go to sleep each night that includes a RESCUE Liquid Sleep Melt and a mug of this creamy & comforting Sweet Dreams Chamomile Latte... :)

Hey Anxiety, Can We Please Call a Truce for Just the Next 6 Months??

Anxiety has been a part of my life for the past 4 years.  At it's worst, it left me feeling utterly paralyzed.  At it's worst, I was at a job that I loathed.  The boss was constantly looking for anything & everything to criticize.  I suffered from 5-6 full-blown anxiety attacks every day while working.  Every. single. day.  At it's worst, I lost hours and hours of sleep.  Insomnia became the norm for me.  My relationships suffered greatly.  I lost more than one friend during that time.  At the urging of my sister & a close friend (and the realization that I felt completely out of control with my life), I finally got help.  Professional help.  And it was the best thing I ever did for myself.

3 years later I decided to wean myself from the anti-anxiety meds my therapist had prescribed for me.  I had became an avid yogi, and felt more grounded.  Cooking became a form of therapy for me as well.  Anxiety attacks were pretty much nonexistent for me at the time.  And I knew I would want to try to conceive again soon.  I didn't want to be on anti-anxiety meds when they time came.  I was on them when my first miscarriage happened.  Why I cannot say that the meds caused my loss, I also cannot rule out that they didn't. 

Anxiety has taken on a new life during this pregnancy.  Anxiety most exhibits itself when you feel you have no control over the outcomes in your life.  And during what time more than any in a woman's life does she feel more out of control of the outcome that when she is carrying another life? While most of the time I can keep it in check, there are times when it gets the best of me & the worry overtakes me.  During these times, many of you have witnessed my frantic ramblings.  My tweets of worry and what-if's.  I thank all of you who have been there, reassuring me, and just supporting me.  While just about every expectant mother worries at some point, an expectant mother who suffers from anxiety and has suffered from 2 miscarriages faces a different challenge.  I want to stay calm and positive for my baby.  I feel guilty when I am not able to do that. 

This past week we have received absolutely joyful and relieving news about our baby Bean.  We saw Bean active and flipping on the ultrasound screen.  Everything looks great.  Our first trimester screening results came back normal.  We have no need to worry about CVS or amniocentesis.  For four days in a row, I felt some kind of flutter or bubbles from the Bean.  Maybe for only a few seconds, but at least once a day.  We told everyone that we are pregnant.  We were finally at a milestone in this pregnancy where we felt comfortable doing that. 
And maybe for all of these reasons, this is why I am now anxious.  I am not used to receiving good news about a pregnancy.  A part of me thinks that maybe some of this is just too good to be true.  All of our friends and family now know that we are pregnant.  And while I was comfortable with this, I now feel so exposed.  Everyone knows now.  And now I am scared that something bad will happen. 

I hadn't felt any Bean bubbles all day yesterday.  I had felt sharp twinges in my left side (where Bean has been hanging out lately) first thing yesterday morning.  But not much after that... Last night my anxiety got the best of me.  It took my thoughts and my emotions and ran with them.  I have less resistance when anxiety attacks me in the middle of the night or the wee early hours of the morning.  If I can't get myself back to sleep immediately, the worry takes over my mind and sleep eludes me. 
I whispered to myself that all was fine, to just breathe, and order a Doppler to rent first thing in the morning...  And I told Bean how much she was is loved.  Please keep growing for mama. 

Lavender Tom Collins

A classic gin cocktail gets a floral, springtime twist in this bubbly Lavender Tom Collins...

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Okay, I won't lie to you all. I am pretty sure my alcohol consumption has maybe slightly increased since this who stay at home order business started. I mean, there really isn't any rules anymore for when it is acceptable or not to enjoy a little boozy concoction- am I right? 

Just like everything else in my life, I have finally accepted the fact that I am living a new "normal" for now. Like realizing that my youngest is still wearing her pajamas as dinner time is fast approaching & shrugging my shoulders because she will just be taking a shower in a few hours & changing into a new pair of PJ's. 

Or the fact that I have now become a hard core FaceTimer when I hardly ever used the app on my iPhone before. I mean, what better way is there to chat with my sister than with a unicorn or a kitty filter on? Also, how am I just now discovering how insanely fun that is?? ;)

I have also learned to appreciate the value of a well stocked fridge and liquor cabinet through all of this. Because sometimes a whiskey & ginger or a little gin and lime is just what I need at the end of the day. We have been fortunate here in West Virginia that our liquor stores have remained open throughout all of this. I can't say the same for our neighbors up north though (sorry, Pennsylvania!).