8 Things I Do to Sleep

I think I got about 7 hours and 20 minutes of sleep last night. Really, I was in bed for 7 hours and 20 minutes, so my total sleep time would be less than that. Then count the three times I got up during the night b/c my son woke me up and the one time I had to use the bathroom. So, I probably got maybe 4-6 hours of sleep in reality. Not exactly the prime example to be writing about sleep :)

Of all the things I need to do for myself, my health, my wellness and my sanity - Sleep is by far the most important of all of them. Sleep is also the most challenging. I've made some important life changes and sleep today is 100% better than it was in the past. Now a bad night is the example above, where I at least got through one REM cycle. In the past I likely go no REM for years if not decades, and it drove me insane. 

Why did I have major difficulty sleeping? Poor sleep hygiene, not thinking it was important, racing thoughts / stress / anxiety, poor lifestyle choices and to top it off sleep apnea. 

Not sleeping for years or decades really was taking a toll on my body and mind. Every morning I would awake exhausted, needing multiple rounds of alarms to actually get up. I never had that morning where I jumped out of bed excited for the day, never. Most of the time I was hungover too.

When I would get up it was immediately to drink coffee or take some other type of stimulant to "wake up". No coffee or stimulant and I would normally go into an internal panic mode wondering how I would function for the day. Even if I just had to get up to make the coffee, that would likely add 2 rounds of snooze debating whether I was willing to get up to make it. If I was out of coffee I'd literally drive miles out of my way to get it. The whole morning centered on getting my fix to function.  

I would not eat breakfast and simply pound coffee until lunch. When lunch would come my blood sugar would be wrecked and I'd be starving, so I'd eat some shitty sugary processed food. Then I'd crash from that mid afternoon and go for the second pot of coffee or smoke a pack of cigarettes or take some stimulants to "wake up". 

Fast forward to the evening and I'm wired with my mind racing from the day. I know I won't sleep so what helps? I'll just drink alcohol to pass out because I know that works. It works to make me pass out; it does not work for sleep. I'm trapped in a cycle of stimulants and depressants, all because I've never sleep well. 

So what do I do now to improve my sleep?

1. I make my room Pitch Black with no lights at all... I've removed all electronics, no TV, no radio, nothing which emits any artificial light. I have dark shades on the windows too. If you need or have those things in your bedroom, cover up the light with some electrical tape. I don't wear a sleep mask and hear those work well also. 

2. No Screens before bed. All screens emit "blue light" wave frequencies, which are major disruptors of melatonin. So, no computer, cell phones or tablets hours before bed. If you need to use them there is screen dimming software (https://justgetflux.com/) or there are plastic screen covers which block the blue light frequencies. (www.lowbluelights.com) I may start switching out light bulbs next to see how that works. 

3. No alcohol... Goes without explanation there. Some people can do a small amount and have no negative effect. I just know it does not work for me. 

4. Keep the house at 62-64 degrees... It's easier for me to sleep in the cold. Not so cold it wakes me up. In the winter I'll throw on compression socks to avoid being "too cold". 

5. Improved Diet... I've made what some consider extreme diet changes and it has been crucial to my sleep hygiene. I could write a book on my diet changes, but some simple things to try are - Eat less sugar and processed foods. That alone will improve sleep. I've been able to reverse sleep apnea with diet alone, so it works. 

If I'm hungry before bed I will eat a high fat / high protein snack - normally Almond Butter as it has a small amount of sugar to help stabilize blood sugar through the night. 

6. Supplements - I use Passionflower Extract if I wake up during the night to help me go back to sleep. Some people use melatonin and report good results. I do not use melatonin because I've read mixed research on whether prolonged use down regulates (turns off) the body's natural ability to produce it. 

7. Take a cold shower - Yeah, it works for sleep too!

8. Meditation - I meditate every day, sometimes within the hour or two before bed. It's part of a daily routine for my mental health. Along with journaling and writing a gratitude list, meditation is a key for my emotional balance. When I do those things during the day I don't have the racing thoughts and anxiety when my head hits the pillow. 

Those are some really simple things I do to improve my sleep quality and they work for me. I still don't have any mornings where I jump out of bed whistling and skipping around, but I feel 1000x better. 

I'd love to hear your ideas and what challenges and success stories with sleep you have. I read and answer all emails - douglashilbert@yahoo.com 

P.S. added 01/22/2015 -

9. Turn off electricity in my bedroom - So I've been hearing about Electromagnetic Fields and the potential of health concerns from exposure to them and how they can negatively impact sleep through disruption of melatonin. I'm not 100% sure on the science as I'm just investigating it. 

Whether a real or trumped up concern, it seemed reasonable to turn off the breaker to the power in my bedroom as a general precaution. Especially as there is an outlet right by my head when I sleep. 

Other steps I am taking are turning off the Wi-Fi router at night and not sleeping with my phone within arms reach.