Don’t look at the clock..
Don’t look at the..
2:34
Awake for 30 minutes now.
4 more hours till the feet hit the floor.
Is it supposed to rain tomorrow?
Is the patio door locked?
Was that the cat?
Unfortunately, this is an all too common internal dialogue for those who suffer from insomnia.
The night time hours are not the only thing that don’t go smoothly for those sleep challenged. For those who don’t experience the toss and turn polka it’s hard to understand.
You wake up unrested, hobble to the bathroom, and wonder why that old knee injury decided to flare up today. You fire up the coffee pot hoping the caffeine brings you into the land of the living. The appetite seems more suppressed than usual but a muffin rides shotgun for part of the drive to work.
Low in energy the body now cries for sugar and doesn’t discriminate against the source. The stash of quarters in the top desk drawer gets inhaled by the vending machine.
“C’mon 5 o’clock!” once again becomes the mantra.
The young intern at work whose enthusiasm has been admired up till now is on the receiving end of a long glare and an internal judgment about her high heels.
The day drags along and the idea of taking a nap during lunch in the car seems appealing except for the fact your hunger is tearing a hole in your stomach.
After lunch the clock seems to stand still and the focus and creativity required for the job has apparently stayed on lunch break.
The auto pilot button is pressed for the drive home except for the detour at a drive through.
The diet will have to wait for another day.
Salty, greasy fingers throw the jacket over a chair because the fries became the appetizer 8 blocks from the house. The main entree is finished on the couch in front of the TV.
A couple hours go by of mindless TV viewing horizontally on the sofa.
The semi coma state is only jarred by a recollection of some chocolates in the cupboard.
The search party of one has no luck finding the target but stumble across a forgotten cereal box with enough sugary remains to fill the void.
Bedtime draws near and the lights are dimmed and the bath is drawn. This is what that article at the grocery store instructed.
Maybe tonight will be the night.
Maybe the game of counting the ceiling tiles will be postponed due to darkness.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Unfortunately this scenario may sound all too familiar for those who have insomnia. The fact that 60 million Americans suffer from poor sleep at some point would indicate this is more common than it is publicized.
Optimal sleep has a far reaching impact. Those of you who pillow wrestle can recognize how mental focus, cravings, mood and overall well-being can be affected. Sleep is one of the staples that holds our health together.
Everybody has a home remedy they can drum up with varying degrees of effectiveness.
Some find their pre-bed ritual of utmost importance. Some use magnesium or epsom salt baths prior to bed.
Others dim the lights after supper and need a cool dark room for slumber.
Some choose the TV as a form of mind numbing meditation while others have radio or music as their go to strategy.
The caffeine prohibition after 1pm can work and so can proper breathing prior to sleep or in the early hours.
Some vouch for alcohol and its ability to encourage sleep but alcohol unfortunately usually carries a 2 am wake up call in the form of sweat and rapid heart rate.
Regulating blood sugar and optimizing thyroid has enabled many to sink into deep sleep.
Finding what works for you is the key. One of those mentioned action steps could be the answer but usually it is a combination of a few. There isn’t a need to convince yourself that, “I only need 5 hours.”
There is no badge of honor for less sleep
One thing for sure is lowering the stress hormones of adrenaline and cortisol is key to optimizing sleep quality. These two stress hormones are the partners in crime for most sleep problems.
Discovering how to keep them at bay will go a long way in normalizing the quality and quantity of sleep.
Sleep tight.
I’ve included my checklist from my book.
Here are 21 tried and tested ways to improve sleep
Most should be self explanatory.
- Have a ‘Nog’ of fruit juice or milk and honey before bed (refined salt optional)
- Reduce or eliminate caffeine after 1 p.m.
- Reduce or eliminate alcohol
- Minimize physical and mental stimulating activities after supper
- Reduce or eliminate water consumption after supper or earlier if needed
- Create a smooth transition to bed such as: dimming lights, taking bath, watching funny T.V. reading light material
- Avoid stressful work or stimulating, disturbing T.V.
- Keep extremities warm with socks, hot water bottles, and long pajamas.
- Epsom salt baths before bed are great (don’t be shy with amounts)
- Daily sunshine or red light wavelength therapy during the winter months
- Raw carrots daily especially if cycle related or menopausal related. Normal bowel functioning is extremely important
- Compare awakened heart rate to resting heart rate to determine if adrenaline driven. If adrenaline, then more Nogs are needed
- Diaphragmatic breathing, especially when trying to get to sleep. Breathe through nose
- Grazing throughout the day to keep blood sugar levels stable
- Get enough daily protein (80 grams or more)
- Try to maintain the same bedtime
- Use F. lux software to protect from blue light.
- Keep bedroom environment suitable for sleep such as darkness, noise, temperature, etc.
- Exercise every day. It doesn’t have to be intense—just move. Walking in nature would be optimal for mental stimulation compared to staring at a wall on a treadmill.
- Do something you enjoy every day.
- Use The Blue X mouth Sleep Tape for antisnoring, preventing dry mouth and increased energy the following day
