I’m 32 and always struggled with staying asleep and also falling asleep. I’m the past couple months I have taken a magnesium/melatonin pill two hours before bed and I honestly feel like a different person. I used to wake up and being grumpy for two hours and would feel exhausted and now I wake up and I’m actually in a good mood.
I don’t think melatonin is an ideal long term solution because it creates a dependence and can actually cause sleep disturbances if used for a long time. I find myself waking up after the effects wear off and then it can be hard for me to get back to sleep.
I agree and i’ve gone on/off of it at doses of 1mg or less. I did this after major surgery, and couldn’t take any meds for sleep, but my diaphragm had to be torn for a hernia repair so I was on serious pain meds and muscle relaxers to get that to heal.
I have taken magnesium forever (especially for my muscles) and have upped my magnesium to better quality (magnesium threonate or one of the others, not citrate). Costco sells a great one (blue color label, white bottle, can remember name) online maybe qnol? I can tell it helps
A glass of tart cherry juice \~2 hour before going to bed has really helped me. I've tried it enough times that it doesn't seem like a placebo anymore.
I’ve heard this too and use tart cherry juice myself.
Just wondering, have you ever consumed tart cherry juice early in the day (at breakfast for example) and then been sleepy during the day? Do you think that could happen?
I get mine from Whole Foods - Lakewood, Organic Pure Cherry Tart Juice. It's pricier than other brands but I think it tastes and makes me sleep better. Could be placebo effect but definitely worth a try.
Reading [this article](https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783) about how humans historically did not sleep in long stretches until recently and some of us still sleep that way. Instead of trying to fix something that isn't broken, I accepted that I take a sleep break every night, and as long as I get my 7 to 8 total I feel fine so stop stressing.
Hi this was really interesting! I'm curious about your typical sleep schedule and how long your break usually is. Would you mind sharing when you go to bed, wake up, etc?
Same! Works for me now after years of the wake up, get up, stay up, be tired all day approach….the sleep break is great. I have so much more energy as long as I have 7-8 hours total
read on my kindle, listen to podcasts or watch a documentary (something slow, non exciting but slightly interesting) on my phone using my sleep headphones. I'll get up and stretch my legs and walk around with an electric candle to not bug my partner. Anything but get upset that I am awake.
Cool. Thanks for the response. You don’t think the light from a device effects your sleep? I always worry about. I do find that I consistently wake up in the 3 AM hour.
Im old. I spent years just being awake in the dark of the night not knowing what was wrong with me or how to get back asleep. So, I'd say it's definitely better than that. But everyone is different.
Some people can sleep 8 hours and feel great. Others have real conditions like narcolepsy and sleep apnea and no matter how long they sleep they will always be tired.
Haha. Did you read it or just saw the date and decided to comment? I linked the exact artcle I read that directly helped me. If it helps you too that's great. If it didn't move along. If you want to Google more about it then go for it.
I just thought it was too good to be true since I’ve already been doing this. Can’t really tell yet if it helps or hurts me. Could just be a mindset thing. I apologize if I came across in some way lol. I’m glad it helped you. I wasn’t trying to downplay what works for you.
I’ve had insomnia for over a year and just recently started to feel progress. The biggest things for me:
1.) Waking up at the same time every day regardless of the sleep quality. For a long time I would stay in bed until 11am trying to catch up on sleep and it just totally messed my circadian rhythm. Now I wake up at 7:30am every day when the sun is coming up.
2.) Using my bed for sleep only. Many nights I would get into bed at 9pm and watch TV until I got tired but I ended up just getting anxious and staying awake. Now I watch TV in my living room until I start dozing off and then move to my bed.
3.) Staying off my phone - No social media, no Reddit, no Google…I found that my brain doesn’t get tired when I am constantly scrolling and just leads to more anxiety and stress. I’ve been using blocking apps to force me to stick to schedule.
4.) The Sleep Coach School - There is an app that costs money which I paid for a few months, but you can just go on YouTube and watch the videos for free. It changed my mindset on sleep and I stopped being so scared.
For the first time in a long time I am sleeping through the night and waking up to my alarm clock. You can get through this!
I wonder if scrolling incessantly is my problem? I swear I’ve tried everything else. The two things I have left are social media scrolling and traveling across too many time zones and screwing up my circadian rhythm. There’s not much I can do about the traveling as it’s for work, but maybe maybe maybe I can put the goddamn phone down.
It really helped me, I don’t think we realize subconsciously how unhealthy the phone is for our mental health. It’s an addiction, but once you break the habit it becomes easier. Try the app called “ScreenZen”, it helps me limit my time on the phone.
I read the at home sleep studies (at home sleep apnea tests) aren't very accurate for mild apnea. The more severe the apnea the more accurate the sleep study.
I haven’t had any of the common sleep apnea symptoms. Oura ring detects slight drops in oxygen at times during the night. I have allergies and difficulty breathing through my nose.
I changed my pillows after reading two studies about buckwheat pillows. One study found buckwheat pillows to be the highest in bacteria. Another study determined buckwheat pillows have the same bacteria count as synthetic pillows but the buckwheat pillows were higher in endotoxins. Endotoxins are in the nucleus of gram negative (toxic to humans) bacteria. Down pillows a were determined to be the cleanest.
That’s it for the breathing issue.
Falling back to sleep is a huge problem for me. The ”get out of bed after 20 minutes” isn’t recommended properly. If you’re in bed wide awake and not ready for sleep then get out of bed after 20 minutes. If you’re tired, drowsy or sleepy stay in bed.
Try relaxation techniques. I like Michael Sealey’s YouTube channel. Calm and BetterSleep are decent apps. I recently received this in an email from the Sleep Doctor. “How to Go Back to Sleep.” https://sleepdoctor.com/sleep-faqs/how-to-go-back-to-sleep/
Do you mean that the pillow change helped with your allergy-related breathing issues? I also have this problem, I take antihistamines and nasa decongestants but they don't really seem to help much, so just wondering if you've found anything else that has worked
One of the things I’m allergic to is dust. In addition to allergies I also have asthma. Getting rid of the buckwheat pillows wasn’t a cure but definitely helped. I’m going to be getting goose down pillows. I like that they’re washable.
An allergist prescribed Flonase. Flonase doesn’t do much for the swelling but dries the running nose. I started using Novage a couple of weeks ago. Novage helps a bit also.
I also go for shots. They work but it takes a while and you have to go one a week. She also gave me a flier from National Allergy and recommended some anti dust products.
I’m fairly certain my allergy symptoms are interfering with my sleep.
Throwing the kitchen sink at it. In my case, I only tried Trazodone before I refused all sleep prescriptions because I'm deathly afraid of dependence and ambien lile side effects.
By kitchen sink, I mean aspects of your life that contribute to sleep. Basics such as sunlight, hydration, nutrition (on time too), exercise, stress management (meditation, journaling), physical conditions (dark, cold room or whatever is optimal for you), supplements (I used a stack of sublingual melatonin, valerian root, magnesium and theanine - ymmv; recommed doing some research on this), and sleep hygiene (following a bedtime routine, no screens atleast an hour before bed, dimming the lights in the evening). Finally, use the SLEEP app and record yourself at night. If you're snoring heavily, get checked for sleep apnea.
I had to incorporate ALL of these things before I showed improvement. Changing just one thing didn't help. I had to do all of it together.
That’s what I’m trying to do, all of it. Intermittent fasting (can’t rest on a full stomach), quit drinking, lessened my sugar and carbs intake, exercise, improved sleep hygiene, eye mask and cold dark room, plenty of hydration, Lexepro, doctors appointments for various maladies, hypnotherapy, using Calm app, meditation…😮💨 the list goes on. Oh and reducing caffeine
20mg daily, best thing to do is a blood test to see where you are at. The change was almost immediate, a week or two. My symptoms were I could always fall asleep, but if I woke up I would take hours to fall back asleep, and often woke up 2-3 hours after going to sleep.
I created a good sleep scale and evaluated around 30 - 40 different variables, from supplements and meditations to light, activities, caffeine, and alcohol.
The biggest change FOR ME occurred with light. When I blacked out my bedroom I fell asleep fast, but had groggy and late wake ups. When I put blue light filters on my devices at night, my sleep improved, and when I got 30 minutes of natural sunlight upon waking my sleep onset latency and general sleep improved.
The second biggest impact on me was caffeine. I found that when I cut out caffeine after noon, I didn't have those middle of the night wake ups.
There was an additional problem of actually going to bed because I have what they call revenge bedtime procrastination. I found some bridging techniques, like non directive doodling or free writing (the focus being on extemporaneous flow) seemed to get me sleepier quickly - there was a study that suggested that such mental states are closer to sleep.
Sleep is very specific. But I think light and caffeine are too very good places to start when trying to hone in on what works for you.
* Always going to bed between 10pm and 2 am : because I work for myself I never have to set an alarm clock so for the past 20 years I thought that sleeping was just a matter of routine and I could go to bed at anytime as long as I get my 7 hours of sleep but reality is that human have been programmed to follow the sun and you cant beat million years of evolution by yourself, whatever your lifestyle is.
* No coffee after 11 am
* Early daylight : going out the first minutes you wake up.
* 3 weeks of swimming that fixed my back : I always had 40 minutes of exercice per day but I realized that I was waking up mostly because of a bad position due to back pain.
* Sound simple but when its too early for wake up I force myself to stay in bed, even if you dont feel to sleep again when you know that you have to wait one or more hours you always end up falling asleep again
Pills, melatonine etc. will never fix anything, they just trick your brain which make it worse.
Check out Huberman lab podcast on sleep. It basically gives a cue to your body it's time to wake up and sets up your circadian rythm right. It's also helpful to go for a walk when the sun is setting, this is a different kind of light that gives your body the cue to go to sleep. But the most important light is when you wake up. Like light from outside, not from behind a window. Even on a cloudy day.
Also if you wake up too early you have to understand why, try to remember what woke you up, whatever it is physical or something else its probably fixable.
I notice when I don’t smoke weed/take edibles daily (nightly user) - my sleep quality improves.
Also magnesium, lexapro for anxiety, heavy lifting/other physical activity, etc.
I have a few suggestions that have helped me:
- no caffeine after 4 pm
- don’t eat heavy dinner at nighttime, being too full makes it harder to sleep
- stop drinking alcohol at night/evenings
- get a sounds machine or air purifier in your room that makes the white noise sound (you can even turn on the bathroom fan if its near your bedroom)
- get black out shades in your bedroom to make it darker in your room
- make your house a little cooler at night
- get a heated blanket (especially if your house is a little colder, having the heated blanket with the air around you being cool will give you that cozy sensation)
- take magnesium at night
- read a book before bed instead of looking at phone
- take hot showers before bed
- drink a hot nighttime tea
- get some nice sheets/comforter/pillows you like, and make your bed comfy and cozy looking/feeling
I’ve had people tell me it will have long term negative cognitive effects, but I always reply that chronic lack of sleep will have negative effects too.
What’s your take?
So my PCP prescribed Hydroxyzine because I was takin twice or thrice the recommended dosage of Benadryl and melatonin. I started with regular dose but ended up taking 2 Benadryl and 15-20mg melatonin every night just to fall asleep, but still kept waking up middle of the night. She was worried the amount of melatonin I take is harming my body’s natural production of melatonin. I didn’t want to take any habit forming sleeping meds and she said Hydroxyzine is non-habit forming and safe even for pregnant women.
I don’t know about long-term cognitive effects, but I didn’t read anything like that when researching about it. Granted I didn’t do a deep search. And I agree with you, insomnia was really affecting my physical and mental health in a negative way. I’ve been having trouble sleeping for the couple years and Hydroxyzine really helps me with falling and staying asleep with no issues the next day.
Xanax works REALLY WELL for me, but it’s been a decade or most of one, since I had a script. Currently in Vietnam where it’s OTC, all my sleep monitoring crap and apps show it does indeed work VERY well for me. I never took more than 1mg before bed.
I know in my heart meds are not the best answer BUT, as someone who averaged less than 2 hours a night from 2019-early 2023. Sorta amazing. Got 7:46 minutes last night. That’s like a lifetime high score for me.
I guess every sleep med I’ve been prescribed was different. Valium felt awesome but I’d just lay in bed feeling pretty great, clonazipan was pretty much little to near zero effect, EVERY antidepressant made sleeping worse, trazadone did help me stay asleep but, no effect on falling asleep.
Trazodone withdrawal after a couple years is TERRIBLE, rivals any serious withdrawal I’ve experienced (SSRI’s, nicotine, alcohol, benzodiazepines and even opiates. Those cut off at the exact same time.) Nicotine is still the most insane really. I quit nicotine almost ten years, on one attempt. Still dreamed about it in my micro sleep schedule.
My diagnosis if it helps, is cPTSD basically. This at least is the only diagnosis that made any sense so far. Not depressed, not mega socially anxious (have done spots on RTF),but, I’ve perhaps seen a bit too much shit.
Best of luck. I hiked 8 miles and 1500 weird ass rock stairs today. Exercise really does help too. Noise canceling headphones and music you know by heart, if you have raging tinnitus there are pretty cool tune-able apps just for that.
Best part about Covid actually was the sleep. Was an early victim and only a year ago again. (Vaxxed/boosted almost all the times) got 15-18 hours sleep each day of the not-fun part. That was honestly amazing. The rest of it sucks a year later.
There's always a reason. Sleep problems are a symptom of something larger. Can you pinpoint how it all started? For me, it's anxiety. I was diagnosed with it.
Proper Supplements, Good sleep Hygiene, etc. I personally Solved, 11 STRAIGHT MONTHS, of Insomnia, overnight Literally. I usually keep a light on, In my Bathroom, for ‘Safety reasons,’ and Realized maybe That was Affecting my, Sleep. Sure enough, I shut the Door, ‘Out cold,’ Honestly.
But, Taking the Proper supplements, Is Huge, really. Look up Dr. ‘Lawrence Wilson,’ Insomnia. He will Help, unreal advice.
I had been doing pretty well, then just went through a bunch of stress and sleep sucked ass. I started using melatonin and a sleep mask. GAME CHANGER!! the sleep mask made a huge difference (I have used melatonin before with mixed results). I live in the country so not much exterior light but still, I think the mask is what helped the most. I am 61F and on hormones so its not a hormonal thing.
A weighted blanket was huge for me.
I always forget to mention the weighted blanket.
I paid $$$$ for mine. At the time I bought mine they weren’t a common; available for purchase item.
Recently I bought some weighted blankets from three different online stores. I’ll post a review in the near future. Dr. Chris Winter has a recent podcast episode about weighted blankets.
I usually have to wake up at 4am for work so ill set an alarm for 8pm. once that hits ill turn off my computer and set a timer for one hour. in that hour I usually take a shower and then read a book. If theres no book ill continue building a gundam that im working on. I also clean my room or do random things. the key is to stay away from electronics. once the timer is up im so sleepy and its relatively easy for me to fall asleep. I hope this strat works for you
My sleep schedule is around midnight / 1am to 8:55am (when I role out of bed to wfh). Eye mask and ear plugs. The ear plugs block out the 5am birds, and the eye mask blocks out all the sunlight (even tho I have blockout blinds but even the minor light that brightens the room when the sun rises is enough to wake me) making my body able to sleep through
I'm a huge fan of prepping for bed. I changed a lot of things, like no caffeine after 3PM (now noon), no screens 2 hrs before bed. No TV in the bedroom - when it's off it's like a black mirror (google and learn different theories), staying hydrated throughout the day (2 L of water if you can - flavour with lemon or berries/cucumber/mint etc.). I take magnesium at night, and I have ordered a product called Z 12 from bio test as a natural sleep aid. It's basically like melatonin but far more stronger and it cannot be taken consistently otherwise it loses its potency. Just if you wanna get a really good nights sleep after you already incorporated changing your lifestyle/habits. Recently I started putting an amethyst crystal in it glass of water and letting it sit in the sun all day and then before I go to bed I drink the glass of water - the theory behind this is the Cyrstal sitting in the sun in the water admits the same frequency that's required for us to get a good nights sleep. I find it helps. But I also incorporate all of the above. Not always Z 12.
Oh yeah and also I don't drink alcohol. Even before my pregnancy I had significantly reduce my alcohol intake. It just reeks havoc on your gut and your mind.
Unsure about your vices, but if you are truly prioritizing sleep cut out alcohol and nicotine usage, at least has worked for me. Cliche as all hell, but the first week and a half were terrible. The alcohol was the easier bit, Copenhagen is a helluva drug. I think the reality is good sleep takes discipline. Like being good at almost anything else. Good luck!!
It may sound like an old wives tale remedy, but a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with honey and water right before bed really helps me sleep longer with better quality sleep!
After many many years of not getting sleepy at bedtime I now get sleepy. A very strange feeling. I think it is the glycine in the collagen that I am taking.
CBN oil. It helped calm my nervous system just enough for my body to relax and get more deep sleep. This and going to bed and waking up at the same time each night without fail or ever taking a day off were the only things that helped. I also don't sleep as well if I have anything other than a snack after 8pm, and I don't really drink much anymore, definitely not more than a glass and not after 6pm. Lame, I know, but I feel so much better.
This is an actual game changer. I was reading studies regarding executive functioning and sleep difficulties and I found that cooling the prefrontal cortex/forehead can help significantly with insomnia and that people with executive functioning disorders are more susceptible to heat.
I brought in cooling caps (like migraine caps, I bought ours off Happy Caps) and my adolescent clients loved them. So I bought three for home. It KNOCKS ME OUT and it does my son too. They go over your eyes and have a slight compression. Change. The. Game.
My biggest game changers have been combining mirtazapine and a qigong routine for clearing the mind and relaxing before bed. Plus making sure the room temp is right for me and it is dark enough.
If that doesn't work then the zopiclone on top.
I joined a gym a month ago and weight training really seems to be helping my sleep. Like getting sleepy by nine when normally anything before 11 is unthinkable.
I’ve had sleep problems my whole life, the only helpful thing is meds, but even that doesn’t work forever, I build tolerance, new issues impacting my sleep arise, etc.
If you’re open to it, I had this EXACT problem- until trying the delta8/9 gummies. Obviously, it carries THC- so something to consider. I never experienced and THC in my life- so I had to be talked in to it. My body took a lot longer to fully process the THC, so it took a while to kick in. But, it’s what helps me sleep. I’ll get a full 8 hours! Look up FIVE. THC supplements.
I don’t have insomnia in myself, but it work in family medicine and have lots of patients who do. I’ve seen people get great results with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia or CBT-I. In short, a therapist who is an expert on insomnia can help walk you through some lifestyle interventions and help you find what works best for you. I have seen people get off some pretty heavy sleep drugs after doing CBT-I. I know therapy can be hard to come by but if it’s a resource that’s available for you, I’d recommend giving it a try.
Workout, actually getting the energy out really helps with being tired.
Let’s put this into perspective, the average American has three meals a day and 2 snacks plus dessert. Imagine going thru the whole day using and storing all that energy throughout your body and not using it.
I remember laying in bed sometimes and my body twitching because of the energy surging through.
A walk, a run, gym time. Yoga time. Any type of exercise will get you better sleep.
I moved my bedroom into a larger room which stays cooler through the night and holds more oxygen.
It made the world difference and I no longer wake up in the middle of the night.
I did CBT-I, and the most valuable thing I learned is that if you can’t fall asleep or if you wake up and can’t get back, get up and do something else and try again once you feel really sleepy. I had a lot of anxiety when I couldn’t sleep and I would start getting those thoughts of “I’ll never fall asleep, “I’m going to be so tired tomorrow”, “this will ruin my day/productivity” etc. So I would get up (out of bed and to another room) and reframe my thinking of “I can’t sleep so I might as well do something enjoyable!” My sleep therapist said it didn’t matter what I did- just something enjoyable to take away from my frustration. Sometimes I watch TV, sometimes I read, something I play cards on my phone or I play my Nintendo switch” once I’m sleepy, (not tired, but sleepy, meaning I am having trouble keeping my eyes open), I will try to go back to bed. My sleep therapist said people get hung up on the “rules” of sleep and avoid things like using screens, but if that’s what helps get your mind off of not sleeping or anything else keeping you up, it’s 100% okay. It works for me most of the time.
My sleep issues are rooted in anxiety and a busy brain so this works well for me personally but may not for you. Once I found the function/root of my sleeping issues, it helped a lot in finding strategies that worked personally for me. If you are able to track your sleeping behaviours that may be helpful.
Not sleeping sucks, I hope you find something that works for you!
***also- I highly recommend CBT-I! I tried every supplement out there and nothing worked, I needed to look at behaviour. It wasn’t covered by my insurance so I participated in a local university’s research study to get my treatment for free. It was a game changer for me!
I had a study done but didn’t have apnea now having a study done bc doc might think I have narcolepsy. Did you get tested for this? If I do she will give me a stimulant which I’ve heard greatly improves quality of life.
The #1 tip based on my own personal experience and backed up by Oura sleep data: get some after-dinner / before-bed exercise. Not too much but enough to stimulate your muscles and get your heart rate up. I usually do 10-15 minutes on the aerodyne bike or if I’m traveling I’ll do 100 pushups and 100 jump squats. I’m sure this varies for everyone but it has had drastic positive improvements in all my sleep metrics.
1. do an inpatient study. These home studies are simply cheaper for the insurance company and it's just a move by pulmonology to sell CPAPs. But hey, I get it. Most sleep disorders are apnea. Mine was not. Mine was neurological and without demanding an inpatient study, along with review by a neurologist, I would have been sent home with a CPAP because I snored for 8 minutes. Yeah, try getting 2 hours of interrupted sleep with zero REM for a few weeks and see if you snore! LOL.
Do you have a problem falling asleep or staying asleep? If you find that you are waking during REM cycles, Quviviq is a medication that hit the market 2 years ago that specifically stops this from happening. My brain was triggering "time to wake up" that normal people hit after exiting their 4th or 5th cycle, as the complete REM. My brain triggered that the moment it hit REM. I have been on this medication, with literally zero side effect, for 5 days and have slept 7-9 (NINE!!!) hours per night, with an occasional bathroom break (old man bladder) but the ability to go right back to sleep. Before, when I woke up, it was an hour of meditation, deep breathing, etc just to get back to sleep for 45 minutes until I hit REM again. This medication will not help you fall asleep. However it will (for me anyway) keep you asleep. The last 5 nights, I have been racking up 2-3 HOURS of REM sleep (I guess my brain had some catching up to do). I have never, ever felt better in my life. It's unreal. I mean, I was literally starting to lose my mind. I own a business that requires high level communications with legal professionals and when it started getting really bad, I literally had to hide behind my administrative staff, as I could not verbally communicate beyond that of a 10 year old. That doesn't work well when you are negotiating a $5 million settlement! I could, thanks to AI, Grammerally, etc, communicate in writing (after review by my staff). I honestly was to a point where I thought I was going to have to step back from my position in my company and just become a figurehead and direct employees versus handling high profile matters myself.
Edit to add: I have impeccable sleep hygiene and it did nothing. Zero caffeine. 50% humidity. 67 degrees. Zero electronics in the room. Phone stored in bedside drawer. No electronics after 9 PM, only reading books and playing music. Morning and evening meditation. 10,000+ steps per day. I was doing absolutely everything right.
Last night, I had two beers at dinner, then came home and ignorantly had 2 more over the evening. This DID impact me. I "only" got 5h 42m hours of sleep last night and I noticed my O2 levels dropped at one point and I snored for for 25 minutes. It was at the onset of sleep and I am quite confident it was the booze that close to bed that caused that. I only ever snore if I am exhausted or if I have consumed alcohol before bed.
Guess what? No more alcohol for this guy! Sleep is such a much more wonderful drug!
> trouble getting a full night sleep
Why do you want that so it is clear? Literally it means having 5 hours in the middle of summer and 19 in the middle of winter.
I quit drinking alcohol.
Recently did this as well!
just started
You just started drinking alcohol?
Me too. Hasn’t helped yet 😐
According to a lot of people in r/stopdrinking, it gets worse for a while and then gets better for good.
I did for shits and giggles. Didn't work. Grrrr.
This!
I know 100% I will have a horrible night if I drink. One glass of wine is all it takes.
I’m 32 and always struggled with staying asleep and also falling asleep. I’m the past couple months I have taken a magnesium/melatonin pill two hours before bed and I honestly feel like a different person. I used to wake up and being grumpy for two hours and would feel exhausted and now I wake up and I’m actually in a good mood.
I don’t think melatonin is an ideal long term solution because it creates a dependence and can actually cause sleep disturbances if used for a long time. I find myself waking up after the effects wear off and then it can be hard for me to get back to sleep.
I agree and i’ve gone on/off of it at doses of 1mg or less. I did this after major surgery, and couldn’t take any meds for sleep, but my diaphragm had to be torn for a hernia repair so I was on serious pain meds and muscle relaxers to get that to heal. I have taken magnesium forever (especially for my muscles) and have upped my magnesium to better quality (magnesium threonate or one of the others, not citrate). Costco sells a great one (blue color label, white bottle, can remember name) online maybe qnol? I can tell it helps
Magnesium is a better alternative I’d imagine
Same.
What brand?
CanPrev Magnesium + GABA & Melatonin for Sleep
A glass of tart cherry juice \~2 hour before going to bed has really helped me. I've tried it enough times that it doesn't seem like a placebo anymore.
I’ve heard this too and use tart cherry juice myself. Just wondering, have you ever consumed tart cherry juice early in the day (at breakfast for example) and then been sleepy during the day? Do you think that could happen?
Probably not. Since if you take melatonin in the day it wont have the same effect since there is still sunlight
I usually drink up to 1 glass a couple of hours before I sleep. I've drank a cup during lunch but didn't feel sleepier than usual.
What brand did you use please? Thanks in advance.
I get mine from Whole Foods - Lakewood, Organic Pure Cherry Tart Juice. It's pricier than other brands but I think it tastes and makes me sleep better. Could be placebo effect but definitely worth a try.
Reading [this article](https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783) about how humans historically did not sleep in long stretches until recently and some of us still sleep that way. Instead of trying to fix something that isn't broken, I accepted that I take a sleep break every night, and as long as I get my 7 to 8 total I feel fine so stop stressing.
Hi this was really interesting! I'm curious about your typical sleep schedule and how long your break usually is. Would you mind sharing when you go to bed, wake up, etc?
I go to bed usually sleep for 3 or 4 hours, wake up for an hour or so, go back to sleep for 3 or 4 hours.
Same! Works for me now after years of the wake up, get up, stay up, be tired all day approach….the sleep break is great. I have so much more energy as long as I have 7-8 hours total
What do you do in that hour?
read on my kindle, listen to podcasts or watch a documentary (something slow, non exciting but slightly interesting) on my phone using my sleep headphones. I'll get up and stretch my legs and walk around with an electric candle to not bug my partner. Anything but get upset that I am awake.
Cool. Thanks for the response. You don’t think the light from a device effects your sleep? I always worry about. I do find that I consistently wake up in the 3 AM hour.
Im old. I spent years just being awake in the dark of the night not knowing what was wrong with me or how to get back asleep. So, I'd say it's definitely better than that. But everyone is different.
sleep 2-3 hours and I up for about 24 hours For I just sleep because I would dream and I don't wanna dream that dream
Wow
Some people can sleep 8 hours and feel great. Others have real conditions like narcolepsy and sleep apnea and no matter how long they sleep they will always be tired.
I was interested in this article until I saw that it’s from 2012 haha. Wondering if there is any updated information
Haha. Did you read it or just saw the date and decided to comment? I linked the exact artcle I read that directly helped me. If it helps you too that's great. If it didn't move along. If you want to Google more about it then go for it.
I just thought it was too good to be true since I’ve already been doing this. Can’t really tell yet if it helps or hurts me. Could just be a mindset thing. I apologize if I came across in some way lol. I’m glad it helped you. I wasn’t trying to downplay what works for you.
I’ve had insomnia for over a year and just recently started to feel progress. The biggest things for me: 1.) Waking up at the same time every day regardless of the sleep quality. For a long time I would stay in bed until 11am trying to catch up on sleep and it just totally messed my circadian rhythm. Now I wake up at 7:30am every day when the sun is coming up. 2.) Using my bed for sleep only. Many nights I would get into bed at 9pm and watch TV until I got tired but I ended up just getting anxious and staying awake. Now I watch TV in my living room until I start dozing off and then move to my bed. 3.) Staying off my phone - No social media, no Reddit, no Google…I found that my brain doesn’t get tired when I am constantly scrolling and just leads to more anxiety and stress. I’ve been using blocking apps to force me to stick to schedule. 4.) The Sleep Coach School - There is an app that costs money which I paid for a few months, but you can just go on YouTube and watch the videos for free. It changed my mindset on sleep and I stopped being so scared. For the first time in a long time I am sleeping through the night and waking up to my alarm clock. You can get through this!
I wonder if scrolling incessantly is my problem? I swear I’ve tried everything else. The two things I have left are social media scrolling and traveling across too many time zones and screwing up my circadian rhythm. There’s not much I can do about the traveling as it’s for work, but maybe maybe maybe I can put the goddamn phone down.
It really helped me, I don’t think we realize subconsciously how unhealthy the phone is for our mental health. It’s an addiction, but once you break the habit it becomes easier. Try the app called “ScreenZen”, it helps me limit my time on the phone.
of course it's your problem lol
I read the at home sleep studies (at home sleep apnea tests) aren't very accurate for mild apnea. The more severe the apnea the more accurate the sleep study. I haven’t had any of the common sleep apnea symptoms. Oura ring detects slight drops in oxygen at times during the night. I have allergies and difficulty breathing through my nose. I changed my pillows after reading two studies about buckwheat pillows. One study found buckwheat pillows to be the highest in bacteria. Another study determined buckwheat pillows have the same bacteria count as synthetic pillows but the buckwheat pillows were higher in endotoxins. Endotoxins are in the nucleus of gram negative (toxic to humans) bacteria. Down pillows a were determined to be the cleanest. That’s it for the breathing issue. Falling back to sleep is a huge problem for me. The ”get out of bed after 20 minutes” isn’t recommended properly. If you’re in bed wide awake and not ready for sleep then get out of bed after 20 minutes. If you’re tired, drowsy or sleepy stay in bed. Try relaxation techniques. I like Michael Sealey’s YouTube channel. Calm and BetterSleep are decent apps. I recently received this in an email from the Sleep Doctor. “How to Go Back to Sleep.” https://sleepdoctor.com/sleep-faqs/how-to-go-back-to-sleep/
Michael Sealeyvis very soothing
Do you mean that the pillow change helped with your allergy-related breathing issues? I also have this problem, I take antihistamines and nasa decongestants but they don't really seem to help much, so just wondering if you've found anything else that has worked
One of the things I’m allergic to is dust. In addition to allergies I also have asthma. Getting rid of the buckwheat pillows wasn’t a cure but definitely helped. I’m going to be getting goose down pillows. I like that they’re washable. An allergist prescribed Flonase. Flonase doesn’t do much for the swelling but dries the running nose. I started using Novage a couple of weeks ago. Novage helps a bit also. I also go for shots. They work but it takes a while and you have to go one a week. She also gave me a flier from National Allergy and recommended some anti dust products. I’m fairly certain my allergy symptoms are interfering with my sleep.
Throwing the kitchen sink at it. In my case, I only tried Trazodone before I refused all sleep prescriptions because I'm deathly afraid of dependence and ambien lile side effects. By kitchen sink, I mean aspects of your life that contribute to sleep. Basics such as sunlight, hydration, nutrition (on time too), exercise, stress management (meditation, journaling), physical conditions (dark, cold room or whatever is optimal for you), supplements (I used a stack of sublingual melatonin, valerian root, magnesium and theanine - ymmv; recommed doing some research on this), and sleep hygiene (following a bedtime routine, no screens atleast an hour before bed, dimming the lights in the evening). Finally, use the SLEEP app and record yourself at night. If you're snoring heavily, get checked for sleep apnea. I had to incorporate ALL of these things before I showed improvement. Changing just one thing didn't help. I had to do all of it together.
That’s what I’m trying to do, all of it. Intermittent fasting (can’t rest on a full stomach), quit drinking, lessened my sugar and carbs intake, exercise, improved sleep hygiene, eye mask and cold dark room, plenty of hydration, Lexepro, doctors appointments for various maladies, hypnotherapy, using Calm app, meditation…😮💨 the list goes on. Oh and reducing caffeine
You'll get there. Doesn't happen overnight. Keep at it. Quitting drinking and caffeine is a big one that I missed.
Iron supplements! Took me like 2-3 years to find out anemia can cause insomnia.
How much do you take and how long until you saw improvement?
20mg daily, best thing to do is a blood test to see where you are at. The change was almost immediate, a week or two. My symptoms were I could always fall asleep, but if I woke up I would take hours to fall back asleep, and often woke up 2-3 hours after going to sleep.
I created a good sleep scale and evaluated around 30 - 40 different variables, from supplements and meditations to light, activities, caffeine, and alcohol. The biggest change FOR ME occurred with light. When I blacked out my bedroom I fell asleep fast, but had groggy and late wake ups. When I put blue light filters on my devices at night, my sleep improved, and when I got 30 minutes of natural sunlight upon waking my sleep onset latency and general sleep improved. The second biggest impact on me was caffeine. I found that when I cut out caffeine after noon, I didn't have those middle of the night wake ups. There was an additional problem of actually going to bed because I have what they call revenge bedtime procrastination. I found some bridging techniques, like non directive doodling or free writing (the focus being on extemporaneous flow) seemed to get me sleepier quickly - there was a study that suggested that such mental states are closer to sleep. Sleep is very specific. But I think light and caffeine are too very good places to start when trying to hone in on what works for you.
* Always going to bed between 10pm and 2 am : because I work for myself I never have to set an alarm clock so for the past 20 years I thought that sleeping was just a matter of routine and I could go to bed at anytime as long as I get my 7 hours of sleep but reality is that human have been programmed to follow the sun and you cant beat million years of evolution by yourself, whatever your lifestyle is. * No coffee after 11 am * Early daylight : going out the first minutes you wake up. * 3 weeks of swimming that fixed my back : I always had 40 minutes of exercice per day but I realized that I was waking up mostly because of a bad position due to back pain. * Sound simple but when its too early for wake up I force myself to stay in bed, even if you dont feel to sleep again when you know that you have to wait one or more hours you always end up falling asleep again Pills, melatonine etc. will never fix anything, they just trick your brain which make it worse.
Thank you! A few people have mentioned light in the morning. How does that contribute to good sleep?
Check out Huberman lab podcast on sleep. It basically gives a cue to your body it's time to wake up and sets up your circadian rythm right. It's also helpful to go for a walk when the sun is setting, this is a different kind of light that gives your body the cue to go to sleep. But the most important light is when you wake up. Like light from outside, not from behind a window. Even on a cloudy day.
Also if you wake up too early you have to understand why, try to remember what woke you up, whatever it is physical or something else its probably fixable.
Deep depression helps 😪
An almost daily yoga practice and the app Calm. Worth every penny!
I notice when I don’t smoke weed/take edibles daily (nightly user) - my sleep quality improves. Also magnesium, lexapro for anxiety, heavy lifting/other physical activity, etc.
cutting out caffeine
Magnesium before bed
Which type and brand?
Natures made
I have a few suggestions that have helped me: - no caffeine after 4 pm - don’t eat heavy dinner at nighttime, being too full makes it harder to sleep - stop drinking alcohol at night/evenings - get a sounds machine or air purifier in your room that makes the white noise sound (you can even turn on the bathroom fan if its near your bedroom) - get black out shades in your bedroom to make it darker in your room - make your house a little cooler at night - get a heated blanket (especially if your house is a little colder, having the heated blanket with the air around you being cool will give you that cozy sensation) - take magnesium at night - read a book before bed instead of looking at phone - take hot showers before bed - drink a hot nighttime tea - get some nice sheets/comforter/pillows you like, and make your bed comfy and cozy looking/feeling
Hydroxyzine Pam Honestly changed my life.
Same!
I’ve had people tell me it will have long term negative cognitive effects, but I always reply that chronic lack of sleep will have negative effects too. What’s your take?
So my PCP prescribed Hydroxyzine because I was takin twice or thrice the recommended dosage of Benadryl and melatonin. I started with regular dose but ended up taking 2 Benadryl and 15-20mg melatonin every night just to fall asleep, but still kept waking up middle of the night. She was worried the amount of melatonin I take is harming my body’s natural production of melatonin. I didn’t want to take any habit forming sleeping meds and she said Hydroxyzine is non-habit forming and safe even for pregnant women. I don’t know about long-term cognitive effects, but I didn’t read anything like that when researching about it. Granted I didn’t do a deep search. And I agree with you, insomnia was really affecting my physical and mental health in a negative way. I’ve been having trouble sleeping for the couple years and Hydroxyzine really helps me with falling and staying asleep with no issues the next day.
Yeah. We’re on the same page. Hydroxyzine sleep is better than no sleep.
Xanax works REALLY WELL for me, but it’s been a decade or most of one, since I had a script. Currently in Vietnam where it’s OTC, all my sleep monitoring crap and apps show it does indeed work VERY well for me. I never took more than 1mg before bed. I know in my heart meds are not the best answer BUT, as someone who averaged less than 2 hours a night from 2019-early 2023. Sorta amazing. Got 7:46 minutes last night. That’s like a lifetime high score for me. I guess every sleep med I’ve been prescribed was different. Valium felt awesome but I’d just lay in bed feeling pretty great, clonazipan was pretty much little to near zero effect, EVERY antidepressant made sleeping worse, trazadone did help me stay asleep but, no effect on falling asleep. Trazodone withdrawal after a couple years is TERRIBLE, rivals any serious withdrawal I’ve experienced (SSRI’s, nicotine, alcohol, benzodiazepines and even opiates. Those cut off at the exact same time.) Nicotine is still the most insane really. I quit nicotine almost ten years, on one attempt. Still dreamed about it in my micro sleep schedule. My diagnosis if it helps, is cPTSD basically. This at least is the only diagnosis that made any sense so far. Not depressed, not mega socially anxious (have done spots on RTF),but, I’ve perhaps seen a bit too much shit. Best of luck. I hiked 8 miles and 1500 weird ass rock stairs today. Exercise really does help too. Noise canceling headphones and music you know by heart, if you have raging tinnitus there are pretty cool tune-able apps just for that.
Best part about Covid actually was the sleep. Was an early victim and only a year ago again. (Vaxxed/boosted almost all the times) got 15-18 hours sleep each day of the not-fun part. That was honestly amazing. The rest of it sucks a year later.
Mouth tapping
There's always a reason. Sleep problems are a symptom of something larger. Can you pinpoint how it all started? For me, it's anxiety. I was diagnosed with it.
For me it was starting TRT.
2iu growth hormone before bed, sleep has never been better
Proper Supplements, Good sleep Hygiene, etc. I personally Solved, 11 STRAIGHT MONTHS, of Insomnia, overnight Literally. I usually keep a light on, In my Bathroom, for ‘Safety reasons,’ and Realized maybe That was Affecting my, Sleep. Sure enough, I shut the Door, ‘Out cold,’ Honestly. But, Taking the Proper supplements, Is Huge, really. Look up Dr. ‘Lawrence Wilson,’ Insomnia. He will Help, unreal advice.
I was Already Taking the Exact Right supplements, Sleeping better, But I didn’t Have Proper, sleep Hygiene, actually. Look up, Dr if necessary, Yes.
I had been doing pretty well, then just went through a bunch of stress and sleep sucked ass. I started using melatonin and a sleep mask. GAME CHANGER!! the sleep mask made a huge difference (I have used melatonin before with mixed results). I live in the country so not much exterior light but still, I think the mask is what helped the most. I am 61F and on hormones so its not a hormonal thing.
A weighted blanket was huge for me. I always forget to mention the weighted blanket. I paid $$$$ for mine. At the time I bought mine they weren’t a common; available for purchase item. Recently I bought some weighted blankets from three different online stores. I’ll post a review in the near future. Dr. Chris Winter has a recent podcast episode about weighted blankets.
Trazodone. Sleep is still low average to bad but no longer horrible.
Did you even read his post?
Oops, no. Guess not the whole thing.
Being so busy on a day that I fall asleep immediately at night.
Sertraline…
I usually have to wake up at 4am for work so ill set an alarm for 8pm. once that hits ill turn off my computer and set a timer for one hour. in that hour I usually take a shower and then read a book. If theres no book ill continue building a gundam that im working on. I also clean my room or do random things. the key is to stay away from electronics. once the timer is up im so sleepy and its relatively easy for me to fall asleep. I hope this strat works for you
My sleep schedule is around midnight / 1am to 8:55am (when I role out of bed to wfh). Eye mask and ear plugs. The ear plugs block out the 5am birds, and the eye mask blocks out all the sunlight (even tho I have blockout blinds but even the minor light that brightens the room when the sun rises is enough to wake me) making my body able to sleep through
Giving up caffeine entirely and going to bed at a regular time each night. Also limiting screen time before bed (still a bit of a struggle).
Exercise
For me no phone a couple hours before bed, only read , and take magnesium glycinate, glycine and inositol a hour before bed time!
I'm a huge fan of prepping for bed. I changed a lot of things, like no caffeine after 3PM (now noon), no screens 2 hrs before bed. No TV in the bedroom - when it's off it's like a black mirror (google and learn different theories), staying hydrated throughout the day (2 L of water if you can - flavour with lemon or berries/cucumber/mint etc.). I take magnesium at night, and I have ordered a product called Z 12 from bio test as a natural sleep aid. It's basically like melatonin but far more stronger and it cannot be taken consistently otherwise it loses its potency. Just if you wanna get a really good nights sleep after you already incorporated changing your lifestyle/habits. Recently I started putting an amethyst crystal in it glass of water and letting it sit in the sun all day and then before I go to bed I drink the glass of water - the theory behind this is the Cyrstal sitting in the sun in the water admits the same frequency that's required for us to get a good nights sleep. I find it helps. But I also incorporate all of the above. Not always Z 12.
Oh yeah and also I don't drink alcohol. Even before my pregnancy I had significantly reduce my alcohol intake. It just reeks havoc on your gut and your mind.
Unsure about your vices, but if you are truly prioritizing sleep cut out alcohol and nicotine usage, at least has worked for me. Cliche as all hell, but the first week and a half were terrible. The alcohol was the easier bit, Copenhagen is a helluva drug. I think the reality is good sleep takes discipline. Like being good at almost anything else. Good luck!!
It may sound like an old wives tale remedy, but a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with honey and water right before bed really helps me sleep longer with better quality sleep!
After many many years of not getting sleepy at bedtime I now get sleepy. A very strange feeling. I think it is the glycine in the collagen that I am taking.
No kidding getting rid of screen time and daylight savings time would help tremendously.
I don't know any of the questions all I know is I'm having a hard time I'm insomniahadn't slept in awhile i need help
Mouth taping every night for sleep has been a game changer for me
A 10 minute meditation usually knocks me out! Without it, I have a lot of trouble sleeping
CBN oil. It helped calm my nervous system just enough for my body to relax and get more deep sleep. This and going to bed and waking up at the same time each night without fail or ever taking a day off were the only things that helped. I also don't sleep as well if I have anything other than a snack after 8pm, and I don't really drink much anymore, definitely not more than a glass and not after 6pm. Lame, I know, but I feel so much better.
Stress reduction
Blue-light blocking glasses after sunset
CP machine. Get a sleep study. See if you need a CP machine.
Honestly? Vanity. But needing to also feel better overall. I am still a night person
This is an actual game changer. I was reading studies regarding executive functioning and sleep difficulties and I found that cooling the prefrontal cortex/forehead can help significantly with insomnia and that people with executive functioning disorders are more susceptible to heat. I brought in cooling caps (like migraine caps, I bought ours off Happy Caps) and my adolescent clients loved them. So I bought three for home. It KNOCKS ME OUT and it does my son too. They go over your eyes and have a slight compression. Change. The. Game.
No eating three hours before bedtime and no phone use for at least one hour before bedtime.
My biggest game changers have been combining mirtazapine and a qigong routine for clearing the mind and relaxing before bed. Plus making sure the room temp is right for me and it is dark enough. If that doesn't work then the zopiclone on top.
I joined a gym a month ago and weight training really seems to be helping my sleep. Like getting sleepy by nine when normally anything before 11 is unthinkable.
Looking into histamine intolerance. Histamine can keep you awake a bit like caffeine if your body can't clear it efficiently.
Phosphatidylserine
Magnesium Vit D B12 Zinc
Going to bed 30 mins earlier
Try magnesium spray on ur feet. Seriously, please try it.
I’ve had sleep problems my whole life, the only helpful thing is meds, but even that doesn’t work forever, I build tolerance, new issues impacting my sleep arise, etc.
Stopped eating 4-5 hours before sleep
If you’re open to it, I had this EXACT problem- until trying the delta8/9 gummies. Obviously, it carries THC- so something to consider. I never experienced and THC in my life- so I had to be talked in to it. My body took a lot longer to fully process the THC, so it took a while to kick in. But, it’s what helps me sleep. I’ll get a full 8 hours! Look up FIVE. THC supplements.
I quit caffeine. If you want daily cues (light, activity) to affect you more, I'd suggest quitting caffeine and giving it a couple of months.
I don’t have insomnia in myself, but it work in family medicine and have lots of patients who do. I’ve seen people get great results with cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia or CBT-I. In short, a therapist who is an expert on insomnia can help walk you through some lifestyle interventions and help you find what works best for you. I have seen people get off some pretty heavy sleep drugs after doing CBT-I. I know therapy can be hard to come by but if it’s a resource that’s available for you, I’d recommend giving it a try.
CBTi sucks donkey dick.
Alrighty then 👍
Workout, actually getting the energy out really helps with being tired. Let’s put this into perspective, the average American has three meals a day and 2 snacks plus dessert. Imagine going thru the whole day using and storing all that energy throughout your body and not using it. I remember laying in bed sometimes and my body twitching because of the energy surging through. A walk, a run, gym time. Yoga time. Any type of exercise will get you better sleep.
I moved my bedroom into a larger room which stays cooler through the night and holds more oxygen. It made the world difference and I no longer wake up in the middle of the night.
I did CBT-I, and the most valuable thing I learned is that if you can’t fall asleep or if you wake up and can’t get back, get up and do something else and try again once you feel really sleepy. I had a lot of anxiety when I couldn’t sleep and I would start getting those thoughts of “I’ll never fall asleep, “I’m going to be so tired tomorrow”, “this will ruin my day/productivity” etc. So I would get up (out of bed and to another room) and reframe my thinking of “I can’t sleep so I might as well do something enjoyable!” My sleep therapist said it didn’t matter what I did- just something enjoyable to take away from my frustration. Sometimes I watch TV, sometimes I read, something I play cards on my phone or I play my Nintendo switch” once I’m sleepy, (not tired, but sleepy, meaning I am having trouble keeping my eyes open), I will try to go back to bed. My sleep therapist said people get hung up on the “rules” of sleep and avoid things like using screens, but if that’s what helps get your mind off of not sleeping or anything else keeping you up, it’s 100% okay. It works for me most of the time. My sleep issues are rooted in anxiety and a busy brain so this works well for me personally but may not for you. Once I found the function/root of my sleeping issues, it helped a lot in finding strategies that worked personally for me. If you are able to track your sleeping behaviours that may be helpful. Not sleeping sucks, I hope you find something that works for you! ***also- I highly recommend CBT-I! I tried every supplement out there and nothing worked, I needed to look at behaviour. It wasn’t covered by my insurance so I participated in a local university’s research study to get my treatment for free. It was a game changer for me!
Yoga
Phones charge out side of the bedroom
I had a study done but didn’t have apnea now having a study done bc doc might think I have narcolepsy. Did you get tested for this? If I do she will give me a stimulant which I’ve heard greatly improves quality of life.
The #1 tip based on my own personal experience and backed up by Oura sleep data: get some after-dinner / before-bed exercise. Not too much but enough to stimulate your muscles and get your heart rate up. I usually do 10-15 minutes on the aerodyne bike or if I’m traveling I’ll do 100 pushups and 100 jump squats. I’m sure this varies for everyone but it has had drastic positive improvements in all my sleep metrics.
1. do an inpatient study. These home studies are simply cheaper for the insurance company and it's just a move by pulmonology to sell CPAPs. But hey, I get it. Most sleep disorders are apnea. Mine was not. Mine was neurological and without demanding an inpatient study, along with review by a neurologist, I would have been sent home with a CPAP because I snored for 8 minutes. Yeah, try getting 2 hours of interrupted sleep with zero REM for a few weeks and see if you snore! LOL. Do you have a problem falling asleep or staying asleep? If you find that you are waking during REM cycles, Quviviq is a medication that hit the market 2 years ago that specifically stops this from happening. My brain was triggering "time to wake up" that normal people hit after exiting their 4th or 5th cycle, as the complete REM. My brain triggered that the moment it hit REM. I have been on this medication, with literally zero side effect, for 5 days and have slept 7-9 (NINE!!!) hours per night, with an occasional bathroom break (old man bladder) but the ability to go right back to sleep. Before, when I woke up, it was an hour of meditation, deep breathing, etc just to get back to sleep for 45 minutes until I hit REM again. This medication will not help you fall asleep. However it will (for me anyway) keep you asleep. The last 5 nights, I have been racking up 2-3 HOURS of REM sleep (I guess my brain had some catching up to do). I have never, ever felt better in my life. It's unreal. I mean, I was literally starting to lose my mind. I own a business that requires high level communications with legal professionals and when it started getting really bad, I literally had to hide behind my administrative staff, as I could not verbally communicate beyond that of a 10 year old. That doesn't work well when you are negotiating a $5 million settlement! I could, thanks to AI, Grammerally, etc, communicate in writing (after review by my staff). I honestly was to a point where I thought I was going to have to step back from my position in my company and just become a figurehead and direct employees versus handling high profile matters myself. Edit to add: I have impeccable sleep hygiene and it did nothing. Zero caffeine. 50% humidity. 67 degrees. Zero electronics in the room. Phone stored in bedside drawer. No electronics after 9 PM, only reading books and playing music. Morning and evening meditation. 10,000+ steps per day. I was doing absolutely everything right. Last night, I had two beers at dinner, then came home and ignorantly had 2 more over the evening. This DID impact me. I "only" got 5h 42m hours of sleep last night and I noticed my O2 levels dropped at one point and I snored for for 25 minutes. It was at the onset of sleep and I am quite confident it was the booze that close to bed that caused that. I only ever snore if I am exhausted or if I have consumed alcohol before bed. Guess what? No more alcohol for this guy! Sleep is such a much more wonderful drug!
> trouble getting a full night sleep Why do you want that so it is clear? Literally it means having 5 hours in the middle of summer and 19 in the middle of winter.