How To Cure That Sleeplessness During Unemployment

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sleepless pic

This article first appeared here in Aug 09 and updated on 28 Apr 10.

Written by: Gilbert Goh

Have difficulty sleeping lately or waking up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleeping again? Have no fear, apparently, many people who are in transition have this sleeping problem phenomenon. The turmoil of not working and financial worries seem to create emotional havoc in one’s life.

Though sleeplessness is often associated with unemployment, one should not let it turned into a chronic medical problem.

Andrew, a client here, told me that when he knew he would be laid off in a month’s time, he couldn’t sleep well and would wake up often in the middle of the night sometimes in cold sweat and his mind full of worries.

Peter, another recently retrenched PMET in his 40s, also told me that he could not sleep well after been laid off. Having no problem sleeping properly when he was gamefully employed, he could easily nail his sleeping problem to his jobless situation. With a mind full of anxiety and worries, it is not difficult to envisage that unemployment is the root cause of many of our sleeping problem.

Personally, I battled with sleeplessness when I was facing prolonged unemployment from 2001-2002. Saddled with massive debts because of defaulted mortgage repayment, I often brought my problem to bed with me. My mind was filled with worry and it took me almost an hour of twisting and turning before I could sleep.

I would then wake up in the middle of the night and refused to get back to sleep again even though I wished to because of the anxity and issues that plagued my mind. Sleeplessness compounded the jobless problem further as we all need energy to face up to the daily challenges of applying for work and going for interview.

The sleeping problem is often further amplified when one has little financial back up plan after been laid off. When banks start to call us to pay up our credit card bills and mortgage payment, that is the period when the sleepless problem may turn chronic.

As the body needs rest and a good night’s sleep to rejuvenate, our body system breaks down when the insomnia grows and can become a serious health issue. That is probably why jobless executives have low immunity during that period and fall sick easily.

I have listed seven ways to overcome that awful sleeplessness problem during joblessness. Some of them were tested by me and hopefully readers will find some pointers here to try and have a good night’s rest even though everything around us is crumpling.

1. Allocate a fixed time for worrying and problem solving

Lets face it, we all are human and our mind is wired to try our best to resolve those issues that affect our life. However, too much preoccupation with solving problems can turn into worry which is a negative emotion.

I allocate special time to “worry” about my problem and often it is during lunch time. I would eat and try to work out the issues that trouble me. I often feel that my mind works best during the time that I eat.

When I allocate special time to deal with my daily problems, I feel much better as it gives me confidence that I have taken efforts to tackle them. Though the problem may still be unresolved eventually, making time to tackle it mentally make me feel assured and confident. This worsk better for men who tend to be a problem solver in their DNA. Man generally likes to tackle issues and work out solutions. Women however like to talk to their friends about issues that affect them. By talking it out, they feel better and could sleep easier after that.

So, allocate a special time of the day to tackle your problem for men. For women, it will be best that you solve your problem by talking it out with someone. Remember that the problem will still be there but going over it conscientiouslyon a regular basis give one confidence to move on and fight for another day.

2. Exercise to feel good

I exercise alot during my unemployment period and this wore me out and prepared my body for a good night’s sleep. When one exercises, the body moves and sweats often enabling the person to feel more relaxed and comfortable. Exercising also releases feel-good endorphins allowing one to feel confident and positive during a difficult situation.

I tried to jog at least 5km daily whenever possible so that I have enough feel-good elements inside to help me battle on for another day.

Often after an hour of jogging and stretching in the evening, I would sleep soundly for the night. It became so addictive that I began to jog almost daily. I became so fit that I later attempted to run marathons which I did tfor he past few years. The jogging habit carried on even till this present day. When I am abroad, the first thing I did is to recee for jogging route so that I will not get lost in a foreign place!

I can safely attribute the jogging routine as my main remedy to my sleepless problem. So, do try out this well-tested exercise method to cure that sleepless problem.

If you have not try out any proper exercise routine before, do consult a doctor before you pick up any exercise activity. Some people may be found unsuitable for rigorous regular exercise due to inherent medical reason.

3. Have a hot warm bath

I did tried this hot warm bath remedy and it proved to be workable!

Before I used the exercise cure for my sleeplessness, I would try the hot warm bath routine before I slept. The warm water running down my ached body often brought alot of relief to the body system. It is no wonder that some people soak in a hot tub for an hour or two due to the pure soothing effect it can bring to the body senses. It is that theraupatic!

As I bathed, I also tried to visualise my problems running down from the top of my head down to the water hole. It is as if all my problems were washed away when I took that long bath.

So if you have difficulty sleeping lately, tried this simple yet workable solution.

Remember that you need to bathe in warm water as it opens up the pores and somehow this will soothe the body system. The same effect might not be there if you bathe yourself in cold running water.

4. Drink a glass of warm milk

I also tried this method of drinking a glass of warm milk before I slept. It worked moderately for me as milk is not my best fluid.

I would warm up a glass of milk and downed it before I go to bed. It would work at times and I later discarded this method altogether when my jogging routine became a almost cure-all for my insomnia problem.

For some readers, this may prove to be the cure all for your sleepless problem. What works for some may not work for others I guess.

5. Reading

Many people have tried to read before sleeping hoping that it will wear them out making them susceptible to sleep.

Again, this may work for some and not for others. I tried this method and it does not really make me feel sleepy. On the contrary, after reading, I would be more alert as my mind was stimulated by what I have read.

However, my wife told me that this is the best cure for her if she has problem sleeping. She would simply pick up a book and then fall asleep with the book on the bed.

I guess if you are reading a really boring book it could be the best remedy for a sleepless night!

6. Cut down on caffein

I didn’t know Singaporeans are so addicted to coffee until I saw the many Starbucks and Coffee Clubs sprouting up all over our small island. You could sometimes point out the sheer number of coffee stalls along the same stretch of road.

At Siglap alone, there are at least ten coffee providers with a vast variety of caffein for selection. You can have latte, Mocha, flat white, cappucino, mochacino, ice mocha, tea, ice tea, etc.

I used to drink at least three cups of coffee daily and this have proved to affect my sleep at night severely.

I would toss and turn for an hour, slept for another three hours and woke up at 3am and could not sleep again till 4am. Over a prolonged period of time, such interrupted sleep has made me agitated and tired.

I also need to take an afternoon nap to recuperate for my lack of sleep and this perpetuated the problem as the cat nap also affected my sleep at night.

Too much caffein affects the stimulus system making it more sensitive and alert. However, as it is artifically stimulated, it may also affect the body system as well. We all get agitated when our system is over stimulated by artificial flavours.

I have now reduce my cuppas to not more than twice a day so that it will not affect my sleeping pattern at night. So far, my sleep improves alot after that caffein reduction.

7. Medication

If your sleepless pattern persists for a prolonged period despite trying out various methods to cure your sleepless problem, do seek out medical advice as it may mean that your sleeplessness has turned into a chronic medical issue now. Having a disturbed sleep pattern for a prolonged period not only make the person feel frustrated but left him with little energy to focus on the challenge ahead.

We all know that to do a proper job search on a daily basis, we need energy and a full focus. Without a good night’s sleep for a prolonged period, one could not really do a proper job search without easily feeling tired.

Most doctors may prescribe a mild sleeping pill for the person to have a good night of uninterrupted sleep.

Though some of us may dislike taking medication for a sleeping problem, it may be the best solution and a quick cure. There is of course the usual fear that one may get addicted to sleeping pill and I will leave this to your doctor to advise you further.

Do consult your doctor on the best prescription for your sleepless problem or alternately seek support from a counsellor or close friend. Talking to someone does help as we all need to ventilate out what that is troubling us.

I hope that I have given you some tips to ease off that sleepless problem associated with joblessness. Remember that you also need the rest to help you stay on top of your situation.

Job hunting is also a stressful and strenuous activity that demands alot of energy. If one could not rest enough, the body shuts down and this will seriously hamper our zeal to look for another job.

We may be our best judge on how long we can go on with interrupted sleep before we decide to seek out medical help. Do not let your sleeplessness goes untreated for too long until it becomes a serious medical problem.

Motivational quote: When you adopt a healthy lifestyle it begins to add up in a powerfully positive way – Dr Phil McGraw

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