Sleeping with POTS can be challenging. There is a LOT that is behind the scenes and may be contributing towards sleep struggles. So we first want to acknowledge that it is quite possible individuals in our community have tried just about everything there is to try, and are still struggling to sleep well at night. Perhaps this involves sleeping “well” but not feeling rested upon waking up, having no difficulty falling asleep but experiencing frequent awakenings throughout the night, or perhaps individuals in our community feel exhausted throughout the day but are wide awake at night and struggle to fall asleep. We want to speak to all of this because we understand how frustrating and upsetting it may be for you, for a multitude of reasons. We still do hope that perhaps some of these may help you, even a little bit.

15 Things To Consider That May Help You Achieve Better Sleep Quantity and Quality:

1.) Track your sleep habits in a daily tracker! This can include monitoring your length of sleep, notes about sleep difficulties, notes about things that helped, and how restful your sleep was on a scale from 1-5. See our Symptom Tracker for a tracking tool that also contains a sleep tracker within.

2.) Purchasing a weighted blanket. See our Helpful Items section for two examples. The weight that is advised for you may vary, and weighted blankets may not be recommended for some, so please ensure to check with your medical team prior to purchasing.

3.) Sleeping with a fan next to your bed.

4.) Keeping your bedroom temperature slightly cooler. Cooler bedroom temperatures can be helpful for some, but this can vary, so adjusting the temperature to meet your needs can be important.

5.) Try to avoid bright screens for about 1-2 hours before bed. If you do have to look at screens, make sure they are as dim as possible, with the blue light filters on, as blue light can impact the release of melatonin (very important sleep hormone).

6.) Purchasing blue light filter glasses to wear in the evenings.

7.) Set a reasonable bedtime that you try to stick to as consistently as possible.

8.) Assess your meals and eating times to see if there are ways you can eat smaller meals throughout the day. You can consider tracking your meal times and what you eat to see if it impacts your sleep.

9.) Working with a physical therapist to help you find comfortable positions when in bed. Sometimes this can mean using more pillows, different kinds of pillows, or even wedges! Important to make sure you are as comfortable as possible.

10.) Working with an occupational therapist to help you develop a sleep schedule and/or improve your sleep hygiene. They can personalize suggestions to meet your own individual needs.

11.) You can develop a bedtime routine that you stick to as often as possible. Aspects of this routine may include meditation/mindfulness exercises, yoga Nidra, breathing exercises, listening to sleep stories, listening to guided imagery stories, and the use of sleep Apps. See our Supportive Resources section for some ideas specific to helpful Apps.

12.) Gratitude journaling before bed, noting 10 things that you are thankful for that occurred or are in your environment to end the day on a positive note. A positive mindset can lend itself to a more relaxed mindset which can aid in sleeping.

13.) Bathing and showering may help you relax if safely done in the evening.

14.) Take advantage of dim lighting in the evenings as much as possible, avoiding bright lights and lighting if you can.

15.) Talk to your medical team about medication options or other suggestions that they may have. We are all different so what helps one person in our community may not have the same effect and can even be harmful for someone else. This is important to remember. : )