Life in Sydney is usually pretty darn great. Surry Hills in inner Sydney is wonderful - so close to everything, cafes, shops, nightlife - and work ! However it comes with a bit of a dark side (apart from the rowdy sportsgoers who regularly tramp down my street blind drunk after some random match that's concluded in the Telstra Stadium just nearby)...Sydney over the last month or so - or could it be an eternity? - has been struck by the most horrendous humidity and night-time heat!
For new places where airconditioning (and the associated carbon "bigfoot"print) is a given, the evening slumber can be a well-moderated affair. Let me get this straight first of all: I actually do practice the mantra of quality sleep, by -
- Having a regular routine before bed that takes about 15 min (small serve yoghurt or protein powder in water, brush teeth, take supplements, light meditation/breathing exercises, set alarm clock and bedside light timer, close curtains, lie down).
- Keeping away from bright lights and TV for about the last hour before bed, and blocking out as much noise and light as possible in the bedroom overnight.
- Time my bedtime to allow for 7-8 hours sleep before having to wake up.
- Have a regular(ish) bedtime each night anyway.
- Not eat anything heavy or drink any alcohol or caffeine within the last few hours before bed.
- Generally not use the bedroom for anything but sleep and other bedtime-related activities... ie no work, checking emails, long reading sessions, weights workouts etc
This works for me and has done for years - normally after my little bedtime routine I put my head down on the pillow and am out within 30 seconds.
Case closed.
THEN comes the Sydney summer...
No fan trained directly on one's person ; no bare-minimum pyjama set ; no extent of lying spread-eagled on top of all bedsheets, limbs placed strategically so as to minimise contact with anything that could be vaguely heat-producing ... can possibly take away the heat and icky humidity of a Sydney summer eve of late.
And so gentle reader I have learned to experience what I hoped to never have to tolerate again (without it being self-inflicted ... January friends' birthday drinks, I'm looking at you) - long periods of being sinfully tired during the day.
So as I pray for cooler evenings and the chance to not stick to the duvet - I bid you (..send portable airconditioners!!) - if your sleep is regularly poor, try a few of the tips above to help start improving it again. And pack light / shower often for your next trip to inner city Sydney.
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