Effective Sleep and Wake Techniques

[huSTLer]

Hi Rebels!

 

I consider myself a bad sleeper. I'm generally fitful, waking up multiple times at night, only to roll over and fall back asleep in a couple minutes. Still, it has had terrible effects on my energy levels during the day, and I find myself considerably unproductive some days. I'm a fairly light sleeper, and I'm especially bad at sleeping with someone else in the bed, and have my worst days after sleeping with a partner (but that's not gonna stop me from doing it).

 

I'll admit, a lot of my sleep problems are my fault. I developed the habit of falling asleep watching TV while back in high school, and have been unable to shake it. Now, I usually put on a re-run of one of my favorite TV shows in order to help me fall asleep. I know this doesn't help, but otherwise I find myself lying in bed thinking about this and that and this for hours.

 

So, having stumbled upon this extremely supportive and informed community of nerds and fitness freaks, I've come to ask you for suggestions on how to get rid of my bad sleeping habit, and perhaps improve the restfulness of my sleep so I can get things done during the day.

[Maleficarum]

I used to be able to sleep anywhere... extra stress in my life (family and work) has left me a very fitful sleeper with difficulty shutting down enough to sleep.  I have elimiated any late night computer games or even blogging.  I take 1 or 2 magnesium citrate about an hour before I am ready for bed.  It helps my muscles relax and somehow helps my brain slow down.  I have tried melatonin, without much success.  The downside to magnesium is that you will probably really have to poop first thing in the morning, just be warned the first time or two until your body adjusts.

 

One of the tricks i learned about insomnia is that sometimes trying to sleep when your brain doesnt want to will only result in more stress and less sleep.  If you find yourself lying in bed, tossing and turning for more than 30 minutes, just get up; read a book, watch a rerun, write a letter to an old friend [i am throwing this one in here because letter writing is a dying art, and who doesnt like to get a letter in the mail?].  After 30 minutes or so, if you are physically tired, you will feel the urge to sleep.  I find the interruption to be beneficial to relaxation and allows my brain to disconnect. 

 

I would advise against anything that gets your heart rate up or adrenaline flowing (exercise or video games).  The only exception to this rule is if you are prone to anxiety (as I was this past year).  Anxiety represents an unspecified fight-or-flight response (Adrenaline).  Use that energy productively or else your body will punish you.  I used to go sprinting, sometimes at 1:30 in the morning.  By the time I got home and showered, I was ready to just collapse into bed.

[huSTLer]

Thanks Maleficarum. I'll have to try magnesium citrate. I don't mind taking a morning deuce, but thanks for the warning. Out of nerdy curiosity, do you know why magnesium works?

[secretlobster]

Do you drink caffeine of any kind during the day?

 

I used to suffer from terrible insomnia. I thought the 1-2 cups of coffee I was drinking were no problem because it was early in the morning, but a week after cutting out caffeine entirely, I finally started to get 7+ hours of sleep a night when previously I was lucky to get three or four.

[GermanFafian]

I am also a light sleeper but things got much better after I stopped drinking coffee after noon.
Now I only allow myself 2 cups in the morning and if I need something warm in the afternoon/night I drink another type of infusion (camomille).
If you can not fall asleep and roll around in bed sit at the sofa an read a book as recommended before. Rolling around in bed ( without a partner   ) will not let you rest enough to fall asleep.

[Maleficarum]

I found this...

 

 

How Magnesium helps in sleep.

* Among its many important qualities, magnesium has a calming effect on the nervous system. In fact, magnesium has recently received considerable attention as an inexpensive dietary supplement that can resolve and alleviate many sleep disturbances.

* Magnesium is considered the "anti-stress" mineral and is a natural tranquilizer. In the elderly, magnesium supplements were found to improve sleep by decreasing the release of cortisol, a known cause of sleep disruption. Stress depletes magnesium and magnesium relieves stress. When your magnesium levels are low, your nervous system gets out of balance, and you feel on edge, naturally resulting in tightening muscles.

* Although we expect sleep to relax us, when magnesium levels are low, it may not. When we sleep, muscle groups move and stretch, in preparation for the next day’s activity. However, magnesium works with the calcium in our bodies to help our muscles first contract and then relax again. Muscles contract with the help of stored calcium. Magnesium is the mineral that helps them relax. Without enough magnesium, muscles are unable to relax fully after contraction and nighttime muscle cramps develop, causing another sleep disruption.

* Studies suggest that magnesium deficiency may also be one of the causes of insomnia, a condition that is experienced by an estimated one out of two Americans. Magnesium eases anxiety, relaxes muscles and nerves resulting in an overall improvement of your night’s sleep.

* Several studies show a lack of magnesium can alter electrical activity in the brain, causing agitated sleep and frequent awakenings. It appears that magnesium is important for a good night's sleep.

A water-soluble magnesium powder like Natural Calm can alleviate, if not eliminate, all of these problems and help you sleep restfully throughout the night.

Magnesium, in doses of approximately 250 milligrams, can help induce sleep. Magnesium deficiency is responsible for nervousness that prevents sleep. Magnesium-rich foods include kelp, wheat bran, almonds, cashews, blackstrap molasses, and brewer's yeast.

[huSTLer]

I'm a big coffee drinker, but I limit it to AM hours (my bed time is 11pm - midnight). I really just like the taste of coffee, and never noticed a caffeine buzz people talk about. Nevertheless, I never tried switching to decaf because I'm insane. Literally. I keep doing the same thing expecting different results. I drink coffee because I think it will wake me up and give me energy. It never does. Well, tomorrow begins my first day of drinking decaf. We'll see the effect on my sleep and my sanity.

 

I'm also going to buy some almonds (for magnesium) and a magnesium supplement.

 

Thanks guys, and keep the tips coming. 

[RisenPhoenix]

When I was unemployed and having trouble sleeping, I found a cup of chamomile tea with some honey really helped before bed. Granted, it was also paired with reading a book, so it could be either component. But it worked and was some of the best sleep I got. In fact, I've been having issues now and have taken it up again and it does wonders when I remember to do it.

[Siferiax]

Here are some additional tips:

- wake up and go to sleep at the same time EVERY day. You'll notice you get sleepy when you're suppose to go to bed

- Have a bed time ritual which programs your brain to get ready to sleep.

- Don't use any electronics within an hour of going to sleep. (electronics emit a type of light that prevents you from getting tired. Basically it's very powerful in destroying melatonin)

- Try to dim the lights when it gets time to sleep. Not having bright light around will help you get sleepy easier. (see also the electronics part)

And if you find yourself lying in bed thinking of this and that. Turn on some light (but again not bright light) grab a paper and pen (be sure to have those near you) and write down your thoughts.

This will get them out of your head and also make it easier to sleep.

[huSTLer]

So yesterday I went decaf, and didn't notice much of a difference in the effect coffee has on me (so that's good). I didn't have time to pick up magnesium supplements, but I did get some almonds from Trader Joe's.

 

I went out briefly last night, and had minimal alcohol - a couple glasses of mediocre sangria. I got home before midnight, and was in bed at the usual time.

 

I had some almonds right when I got home (as well as throughout the day earlier). I'd say I probably ate about 80-100 almonds total, resulting in 200 - 250 mg of magnesium.

 

I didn't tell much of a difference in sleeping patterns. I woke up at about 3 am, and had more trouble than usual falling asleep actually. Then the occasional brief awakening. Tonight won't be a good night to test as I have definite plans to go out, and may not be sleeping in my own bed.

 

I'm sure consistency is key to a good night's sleep, but my social life usually ends up taking priority. Good problems?

[Evicious]

So yesterday I went decaf, and didn't notice much of a difference in the effect coffee has on me (so that's good). I didn't have time to pick up magnesium supplements, but I did get some almonds from Trader Joe's.

 

I went out briefly last night, and had minimal alcohol - a couple glasses of mediocre sangria. I got home before midnight, and was in bed at the usual time.

 

I had some almonds right when I got home (as well as throughout the day earlier). I'd say I probably ate about 80-100 almonds total, resulting in 200 - 250 mg of magnesium.

 

I didn't tell much of a difference in sleeping patterns. I woke up at about 3 am, and had more trouble than usual falling asleep actually. Then the occasional brief awakening. Tonight won't be a good night to test as I have definite plans to go out, and may not be sleeping in my own bed.

 

I'm sure consistency is key to a good night's sleep, but my social life usually ends up taking priority. Good problems?

 

Decaf sounds like a step in the right direction, but the alcohol.... even a minimal amount can affect your body's REM negatively, lengthening the amount of time it takes for you to reach that stage of sleep, or causing your body to bypass it altogether. Also, eating an hour or two prior to sleep can make it difficult for your body to fall into deep sleep; you didn't specify what time you got home, so I'm guestimating it was around 10 or 11 pm. You are correct, consistency is a major factor in how quickly one falls asleep and how restful that sleep is. For myself, socializing that interfers with my bed time has rarely turned out to be worth the lack of sleep I end up dealing with the next day: anything crazy enough to warrant the phrase "You should've seen it!" usually means someone was being incredibly retarded and it's a small miracle the cops or EMTs didn't have to show up. :-P Obviously, that's just my experience - but I throw it out there because eventually, we all have to take a step back from our lives and evaluate the real worth of some of our choices. Is it worth shuffling around your bedtime to hang out with your buddies? Are you actually doing something worthwhile in that time together? Or are you all just filling in what would otherwise be blank time, because you either don't want the free time to do something(s) you probably could do in that time, or you haven't thought of other ways to fill it yet so socializing is just the closest solution at hand? Ask yourself those questions before you start trying to reprioritize your bedtime, because if you don't have the answers yet you won't stick to any plan long enough for it to really make a difference.

[LessJos]

I would recommend getting something like lark or the jawbone up. It tracks your sleep and you can see the deep vs light sleep ratio to learn more about what's going on at night. I absolutely love the smart wake up feature. You set the alarm for e.g. 6 am and the device will wake you between 5:30 and 6am when you are in the lightest sleep. What a difference! Even when I don't get enough sleep I feel great in the morning.

 

Apart from this, I would consider noise levels, how dark it is (any light even regular alarm clocks can disrupt sleep), caffeine/alcohol of course but also a nice ritual at night helps. Start at least an hour before you go to bed and do some reading or something soothing. TV or computer off. Going to bed and waking up at the same time as Kibcy mentioned is very important too.

 

If you want to try home remedies if you can't fall asleep try some herbal teas (especially fennel tea) and milk with honey.

[Maleficarum]

I have read Lights Out, which is a great book, but i am not sure how valid I find the premise that we are dinural creatures who need aboslute darkness to sleep.  The nature of humans (hairless apes who lack a natural form of self defense) dictates that we have evolved in environments where we utilized external means of self defense, including fire, to ward off predators.  Nature itself is rarely completely dark; the stars and especially the moon provide a huge amount of natural light at night.  Long night hours in winter are typically punctuated by sleep-wake-sleep cycles and most tropical countries anticipate afternoon siestas durring the hottest parts of the day. 

 

With that in mind, i do find blue light to be highly disruptive.  Cell phones, tv, computer monitors, etc all produce a wavelength that does appear to disrupt melatonin.  I am forced to ask myself why this technology is becoming more prevalent... not less so as time goes on.

[joeyb]

I'm a big coffee drinker, but I limit it to AM hours (my bed time is 11pm - midnight). I really just like the taste of coffee, and never noticed a caffeine buzz people talk about. Nevertheless, I never tried switching to decaf because I'm insane. Literally. I keep doing the same thing expecting different results. I drink coffee because I think it will wake me up and give me energy. It never does. Well, tomorrow begins my first day of drinking decaf. We'll see the effect on my sleep and my sanity.

 

Coffee doesn't give you energy, it simply blocks the receptors that tell your brain that you are tired. Caffeine has a half life in your bloodstream of ~5 hours. So, if you are drinking a few cups of coffee immediately after waking up, you still likely have about 100mg of caffeine in your system when you are ready for bed. That doesn't even take into consideration the fact that you are likely drinking it all the way up until noon, which means you are going to have more of it in your system.

 

I went out briefly last night, and had minimal alcohol - a couple glasses of mediocre sangria.

 

Chemicals that make you tired (alcohol, anti-histamines, etc.) generally will block REM, making you tired when you wake up.

 

 

I used to drink a 12oz mug of coffee every morning and drink most nights. I've since cut out coffee almost completely unless I really need a cup. I'm also limiting the amount that I drink to 2 beers when I go out with friends and I don't drink at home. Both of those helped a lot.

 

Another thing that I've done, which might not work for everyone, is that I've gotten rid of my alarm clock unless I need to get up particularly early for something. That forces me to go to bed earlier and wake up when I'm fully rested, which tends to be around the same time every day. If I can't fall asleep, I get up and do something until I'm tired and then go back to bed. Even when I do that, I still wake up at the same time every day. Today, I woke up about half an hour earlier than normal despite going to bed later.

[Namednoname]

I've recently bought a supplement called ZMA, which is just zinc, magnesium and vitamin b6. Last night was the first time I tried it and I probably had one of the best nights sleep in a while. I still woke up occasionally, but i was able to go straight back to sleep without any effort.

Also my dreams were waaay more vivid and each time I woke up, I'd remember whatever my dream was.

[161803398874989]

I consider myself a bad sleeper. I'm generally fitful, waking up multiple times at night, only to roll over and fall back asleep in a couple minutes. Still, it has had terrible effects on my energy levels during the day, and I find myself considerably unproductive some days. I'm a fairly light sleeper, and I'm especially bad at sleeping with someone else in the bed, and have my worst days after sleeping with a partner (but that's not gonna stop me from doing it).

This happens to literally everyone. Everyone wakes up multiple times a night, rolls over and falls back asleep. Could be you're just stressing out over nothing.

 

If you get rid of the pre-sleep tv watching and maintain a consistent schedule, you ought to be fine for the most part. Try activity in the morning to wake up, like a walk around the block, yoga, or whathaveyounot.

[epiccurves]

This happens to literally everyone. Everyone wakes up multiple times a night, rolls over and falls back asleep. Could be you're just stressing out over nothing.

 

If you get rid of the pre-sleep tv watching and maintain a consistent schedule, you ought to be fine for the most part. Try activity in the morning to wake up, like a walk around the block, yoga, or whathaveyounot.

 

I just have to say, it's not always as simple as that. Maybe for the majority of people, sure, all it takes is a clean bedtime routine and consistency. But even when I have that, and even when I'm in bed for 7-8 hours at the same times every night for weeks, I still never feel rested. I love sleep, but unfortunately the feeling is not mutual. Sleep thinks we'd be better off as friends, apparently.

 

I set an appointment with a sleep doctor for this Friday, so hopefully he can give me some insight and schedule a sleep study for me. I would love, even just once in my entire life, to get one good, fully restful night's sleep. I just don't know if it's possible for me.

[huSTLer]

Thanks for all the feedback, rebels. So I've cut out caffeine altogether and started taking magnesium that has yet to make much of a noticeable difference. I haven't been using electronics except for an occasional text message on my phone up to an hour before bed, and I've been cutting TV watching before bed substituting reading. No major breakthroughs so far, but it's only been a couple days. I'll keep at it for a few more weeks, and I hope to gradually notice a difference in the restfulness of my sleep.

 

@Evicious I do prioritize my social life because my friends are probably the most important thing I have in life next to my family. I enjoy spending my time with them and  since it was the weekend, sleep wasn't a priority. I only go out occasionally on weeknights, and rarely ever drink on weeknights.

[Daisy88]

Lavender. It helps me fall asleep every time I find it difficult to do so on my own. Either get a lavender soap, mix in some essential oil in a lotion and rub it on your chest and shoulders, or make/buy an herb pillow. Or all of the above!

Aromatherapy is safe, natural, easy, and it works!

[Loren Wade]

I found that a lot of my sleep issues were related to poor diet. Now that I am eating right (personally, that means paleo), I sleep like a baby and wake like a morning person... which I am most definitely not.

 

EDIT:

Magnesium helped me too, but I take it in the form of Natural Calm (magnesium/calcium supplement), which makes me fall asleep pretty quick.

[Pookie]

I have fairy lights (not sure what they are called outside the UK, small bulb christmas tree lights) on a timer so they come on 20 minutes before I need to get out of bed, I wake slowly to the low light level, stretching in bed and then when its time to really switch on lights, my eyes are already adjusted and I'm awake.

 

Makes a big difference to me in the darker months where I find waking so hard.

 

I already take a magnesium supplement to help ward off migraines, I'm going to start taking it in the evenings from now on to see if it helps with anything, I'm really not a good sleeper at all.

 

I did do a Sleep Re-Set on myself that seemed to work very well, I set my alarm for 7 every day, no lie in, no naps, and each night I stayed up as late as I possibly could, 2-3am just doing something until I was so ready to just fall down asleep.

 Repeated over a couple weeks you end up needing to go to bed earlier to make up the sleep. 

 

It helped me a lot.

[NicoleCanoes]

I took a class in college called rest and relaxation. No joke, it was awsome. Basically, it was guided meditation. If you can focus your brain on relaxing your body, it will be easier to fall asleep. Start at your toes and work your way up. "tense your muscles, then relax them and release the tension that they are holding from the days stress and feel them getting heavy" It sounds crazy but it worked for me. It gave my over active brain something to focus on and I rarely made it to my sholders before I was deeply relaxed. I know there are apps that do the same thing our professor did. I don't need them anymore as I have gotten much better at meditation.

[Eats-Own-Tail]

im hoping the diet is going to help me sleep more regular hours.

 

my sleep patterns are terrible. sometimes i cant sleep at all and dont sleep for a night, and other times i will sleep all day.

[notanartmajor]

I like melatonin personally. Your dreams might get weird, but you should fall asleep easier.

[Bunk]

I work a rotating shift schedule (switch from days to nights frequently), so my sleep can be messed up.  I've had a lot of luck the past few months by using Natural Calm (magnesium supp) and laying in bed I focus on deep belly breathing and progressive relaxation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_muscle_relaxation