David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
How to Sleep Better
by Dr. Will Meek
June 7, 2012
Difficulty sleeping and being tired during the day are two of the most common concerns that my clients have. The following will cover some general sleep tips, and give concrete ideas to help make you an expert sleeper.
Sleep Theory
The consensus understanding among cognitive scientists and psychologists is that sleep is a vital process for our bodies to restore themselves. Think of it as a time where small repairs are done on all of your physical and cognitive systems; where your cells do a housecleaning that allows you to be strong, healthy, and functioning at your best.
When we don't sleep the amount we need, our physical and mental systems start to have minor malfunctions, and the effect is that we generally feel sluggish and edgy, are more prone to making mistakes during our daily lives, and are more likely to get sick. Not getting enough sleep over many weeks, months, or even years can lead to serious health problems.
It is also now widely understood that everyone needs a slightly different amount of sleep to be at their best. A good rule of thumb is 8 +/- 1 hour, although a small minority of people may need even more or less than that.
Insomnia
Everyone experiences occasional nights of being restless, or not being able to fall or stay asleep. Generally, we use the term "insomnia" to describe these patterns. The causes of insomnia are wide ranging, and include caffeine, stress and anxiety, sleep disorders, lights being too bright, a recent loss, a snoring bed partner, depression, worry about a health problem or work, and an uncomfortable mattress, among many others. That makes finding a solution to insomnia, and the other issues that come from it, more complicated than it may first appear.
The Basics of Sleeping Well
The first level of improving your sleep hygiene is to make sure you are giving yourself the best chance for a good night of sleep. These things include:
1. No drugs: Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, and other substances before sleep. Some of these will simply prevent you from falling asleep, and others may help you fall asleep initially but will interfere with your regular sleep cycles and either cause you to wake up or get less restorative sleep.
2. No heavy meals: Having a light snack an hour before bed is not a problem for most people, but eating a large meal or heavier foods will be work against you.
3. No recent exercise: Working out at night within a couple hours of your sleep time will make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.
4. Comfortable sleeping environment: Make sure your room is a favorable temperature for sleep, that your bed is comfortable, and that the room is appropriately dark and free from random noises.
5. Establish a routine. The best sleepers among us have a standard bedtime ritual that actually serves to prepare their bodies for sleep. Developing a routine of turning off lights, drinking a glass of water, brushing your teeth, and laying down tells your body that it is time to prepare for sleep.
6. Improve your physical health. Getting other parts of your health in balance will also have a positive impact on sleeping. So work on developing a good exercise routine and eating a healthy diet.
Advanced Sleeping
If you have mastered all of the things above but you're still having problems, there are more things you can do to get things balanced out. However, some of these processes can be more difficult to maintain, so they take an extra commitment.
1. Wake up the same time everyday no matter what. This is usually the most painful part of the process of people, but decide the earliest you need to be up during the week, and start waking up at that time everyday no matter what. After two weeks of doing this, your body should be ready to get going at that time. The key here is not sleeping in, ever, and the result is recalibrating your internal clock.
2. Don't lay down until you are tired. If it's really late and you need to get up at that early time as usual, but you aren't tired yet, then just keep doing things. But once you do get tired, go to bed.
3. If you don't fall asleep in 15 minutes, get up and do something else. Most people that struggle with insomnia or sleep issues toss and turn and get frustrated that they aren't sleeping. Instead of that, get up and do something relaxing like reading a book or meditating, but stay away from computer screens and bright lights.
4. Don't take naps. To keep things regulated, avoid naps during the day. If you simply cannot avoid taking a nap, don't make it longer than about 20 minutes. Anything else will start to mess up the process you are working on.
Dealing with Insomnia
So if you have a) done all of the above and are still having trouble with sleep, or b) you're generally a pretty good sleeper but are having a period of insomnia, there is another approach. Basically, all of the above approaches are about trying to change what your body and mind are doing so that you can sleep better. But if those methods of change aren't working, rather than fighting sleeplessness, I suggest making peace with it. Essentially, if you aren't falling asleep, simply accept that your body wants something else. Instead of getting frustrated, find out what that is, and make it happen.
For example, if you are ruminating on life stresses that are preventing sleep, use that time to get up and work on making plans, solving the problems you are stressing about, or doing more work and preparation. If instead you find that your body just has more energy left, then find something to do that can use it, like going for a slow walk around your neighborhood, playing with a pet, doing something creative, having a sexual release, writing, or reading a book.
Other Stuff
Chronic insomnia, fatigue, or sleep other issues can also be a symptom of a more involved problem like depression and anxiety disorders, abuse history, sleep disorders, physical health issues, unsafe environments, reoccurring nightmares, obesity, and trauma. If any these things are involved, the above sleep ideas may not be effective, and consulting with a psychologist or doctor would be indicated.
Additionally, there are many home remedies and alternative treatments for sleep problems that are worth mentioning. First, there is some research support for light therapy. To read more about it, this free ebook is a great resource: Brighten Your Life. Second, supplements like melatonin seem to benefit some people. Finally, although there is a growing backlash in the medical and psychological communities about sleeping pills like Ambien, they may also be helpful for people with more severe concerns.
Conclusion
In summary, everyone that has ever lived has had some sleepless nights. I hope the above ideas can help generate new approaches to deal with sleep problems, and know that counseling can be helpful.
by Dr. Will Meek
June 7, 2012
Difficulty sleeping and being tired during the day are two of the most common concerns that my clients have. The following will cover some general sleep tips, and give concrete ideas to help make you an expert sleeper.
Sleep Theory
The consensus understanding among cognitive scientists and psychologists is that sleep is a vital process for our bodies to restore themselves. Think of it as a time where small repairs are done on all of your physical and cognitive systems; where your cells do a housecleaning that allows you to be strong, healthy, and functioning at your best.
When we don't sleep the amount we need, our physical and mental systems start to have minor malfunctions, and the effect is that we generally feel sluggish and edgy, are more prone to making mistakes during our daily lives, and are more likely to get sick. Not getting enough sleep over many weeks, months, or even years can lead to serious health problems.
It is also now widely understood that everyone needs a slightly different amount of sleep to be at their best. A good rule of thumb is 8 +/- 1 hour, although a small minority of people may need even more or less than that.
Insomnia
Everyone experiences occasional nights of being restless, or not being able to fall or stay asleep. Generally, we use the term "insomnia" to describe these patterns. The causes of insomnia are wide ranging, and include caffeine, stress and anxiety, sleep disorders, lights being too bright, a recent loss, a snoring bed partner, depression, worry about a health problem or work, and an uncomfortable mattress, among many others. That makes finding a solution to insomnia, and the other issues that come from it, more complicated than it may first appear.
The Basics of Sleeping Well
The first level of improving your sleep hygiene is to make sure you are giving yourself the best chance for a good night of sleep. These things include:
1. No drugs: Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, marijuana, and other substances before sleep. Some of these will simply prevent you from falling asleep, and others may help you fall asleep initially but will interfere with your regular sleep cycles and either cause you to wake up or get less restorative sleep.
2. No heavy meals: Having a light snack an hour before bed is not a problem for most people, but eating a large meal or heavier foods will be work against you.
3. No recent exercise: Working out at night within a couple hours of your sleep time will make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.
4. Comfortable sleeping environment: Make sure your room is a favorable temperature for sleep, that your bed is comfortable, and that the room is appropriately dark and free from random noises.
5. Establish a routine. The best sleepers among us have a standard bedtime ritual that actually serves to prepare their bodies for sleep. Developing a routine of turning off lights, drinking a glass of water, brushing your teeth, and laying down tells your body that it is time to prepare for sleep.
6. Improve your physical health. Getting other parts of your health in balance will also have a positive impact on sleeping. So work on developing a good exercise routine and eating a healthy diet.
Advanced Sleeping
If you have mastered all of the things above but you're still having problems, there are more things you can do to get things balanced out. However, some of these processes can be more difficult to maintain, so they take an extra commitment.
1. Wake up the same time everyday no matter what. This is usually the most painful part of the process of people, but decide the earliest you need to be up during the week, and start waking up at that time everyday no matter what. After two weeks of doing this, your body should be ready to get going at that time. The key here is not sleeping in, ever, and the result is recalibrating your internal clock.
2. Don't lay down until you are tired. If it's really late and you need to get up at that early time as usual, but you aren't tired yet, then just keep doing things. But once you do get tired, go to bed.
3. If you don't fall asleep in 15 minutes, get up and do something else. Most people that struggle with insomnia or sleep issues toss and turn and get frustrated that they aren't sleeping. Instead of that, get up and do something relaxing like reading a book or meditating, but stay away from computer screens and bright lights.
4. Don't take naps. To keep things regulated, avoid naps during the day. If you simply cannot avoid taking a nap, don't make it longer than about 20 minutes. Anything else will start to mess up the process you are working on.
Dealing with Insomnia
So if you have a) done all of the above and are still having trouble with sleep, or b) you're generally a pretty good sleeper but are having a period of insomnia, there is another approach. Basically, all of the above approaches are about trying to change what your body and mind are doing so that you can sleep better. But if those methods of change aren't working, rather than fighting sleeplessness, I suggest making peace with it. Essentially, if you aren't falling asleep, simply accept that your body wants something else. Instead of getting frustrated, find out what that is, and make it happen.
For example, if you are ruminating on life stresses that are preventing sleep, use that time to get up and work on making plans, solving the problems you are stressing about, or doing more work and preparation. If instead you find that your body just has more energy left, then find something to do that can use it, like going for a slow walk around your neighborhood, playing with a pet, doing something creative, having a sexual release, writing, or reading a book.
Other Stuff
Chronic insomnia, fatigue, or sleep other issues can also be a symptom of a more involved problem like depression and anxiety disorders, abuse history, sleep disorders, physical health issues, unsafe environments, reoccurring nightmares, obesity, and trauma. If any these things are involved, the above sleep ideas may not be effective, and consulting with a psychologist or doctor would be indicated.
Additionally, there are many home remedies and alternative treatments for sleep problems that are worth mentioning. First, there is some research support for light therapy. To read more about it, this free ebook is a great resource: Brighten Your Life. Second, supplements like melatonin seem to benefit some people. Finally, although there is a growing backlash in the medical and psychological communities about sleeping pills like Ambien, they may also be helpful for people with more severe concerns.
Conclusion
In summary, everyone that has ever lived has had some sleepless nights. I hope the above ideas can help generate new approaches to deal with sleep problems, and know that counseling can be helpful.
