A Year of (Un)Sleep: Discovering my perfect 'Sleep Routine' in the Pandemic

In the past year of the pandemic, my sleeping patterns have been on a roller coaster. In this post, I'd detail the different phases of my sleeping patterns and describe the routine that led to my ideal sleeping pattern now.

PHASE 1

Last year, at the onset of the pandemic, I found myself lost due to the sudden shift in the routine. It's either I was getting so little sleep, or getting a ton of it. In April-July 2021, I found a new coping in the form of Netflix and mobile games. I'd stay up literally all night and sleep at around 4am. I'd wake up at 10 or 11 am to eat. Do my morning routine. Then I'd do things in front of my laptop the whole day. This may include work since I had a writing job last year as a consultant of a textbook. I could sneak in 30min-1hr of workout.

Of course, the schedule isn't the way my day looks like each day. Some days then I'd do other things like go to the market, play my guitar, record songs, write poems. But since I use the laptop for writing, I will still have my laptop in front of me. 

PHASE II

Come July 14. I went back to Tayabas and my schedule looked different again. I just couldn't stay up late that much here since I've got so many things to do in the morning. The construction of the house was ongoing and so I've got my hands full of work. The diligence of the workers also inspired me to be active and start doing productive things again. The timing was also perfect since preparation for the online class also happened here till August.

So what would my sleep look like in August, the start of the school year till December?

Inconsistent.

For some reason, I couldn't put away the thoughts at night. I'd lay down early but wouldn't sleep until past midnight.

PHASE III

This is the sweet spot. In January, I found myself in the most ideal sleep setup. But it didn't last long. From January-April most nights, I'd sleep at around 10:30-11 and wake up before 6:30. There are nights when I'd sleep earlier and wake up earlier.

In February-March, I went out at least once a week.

However, in May, I'd start slacking off again. I was really exhausted at work and turned to mobile games for coping. The socializing part of it is what really attracts me. I was able to talk with friends, and since it's pandemic, I was I'd usually sleep at 1am.

Then you know what happened.

It's been weeks to a month of a good sleeping habit. At 9, I'd start to turn off my laptop and prepare myself for reading. Brushing my teeth also signals my brain that I am preparing to read and sleep. After an hour to two of reading, I'd effectively doze off. I'll wake up with uninterrupted sleep at around 6am.

I don't say that it's a perfect routine, but most of the nights even if I don't feel tired, I can sleep.

For simplicity's sake, I will just enumerate the things I think helped me have a good nights' rest. I am not prescribing here. I am just describing what works for me.

1. Exercise. While we feel fatigued at times due to stress, overthinking and can cause us to stay up all night, the fatigue of the body from strenuous work can reverse that problem. Just 30mins of skips after work (5pm) or early in the morning makes me feel tired at night. It will really be a struggle to stay up late, especially when you're new to exercise.
2. Reading a book before bed. Saying that turning off socmed will not do. There should be a new habit to replace it. In my case, I turned to books. Any type of book will do. I've tried reading the physical book at night. I've also tried reading on my iPad. Both work well for me. When I'm reading with the iPad. I just make sure that it's on Airplane Mode and Night Shift On. This can reduce the blue light. Ironically, I sleep faster even with the gadgets on, because I can lie down in bed with the lights off.
3. Stick to your schedule. Of course, special cases may come. We may be forced to stay up late because we have an urgent task. But most times, if we are being honest, we are just mindlessly staying up for no reason. We prepare for a good sleep throughout the day. I'd observe that at times when I just gave in to the instant gratification of socmed than be productive, I'd have a more difficult time sleeping. When I feel extra melancholic, for instance. I'd want to stay up late just to scroll socmed. But this can be cured by a good habit. In times that I'd feel a little bit more melancholic, I'd read a book. Just like last night. After a chapter, I'd find myself sleepy again.
4. Pray. Before I completely doze off, I make sure to pray. Talking to God, just saying everything, and being honest with Him. I don't say all my worries are gone once I pray, and I don't say that praying is just about that. It's not really about us. In prayer, we acknowledge our dependence on the Lord and give Him His due glory. (This article can help you understand why Christians pray).
5. Other things that are added to my routine is fasting 2-3 times a week, 10-min walk each morning (the sunlight is good for my mood, and a free source of vitamin D!). Talking more frequently to your fam and just chill is always good, especially after the day.

That is it pansit. I might edit it later on just to update. Sleep well, homies.

This night, that is.