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Looking for exercises and methods to fall asleep.
- Thread starter Metalhead
- Start date
Switching to natural means cannot be fast, but unless you have an underlying physical problem it's definitely possible.
The first issue that cannot be ignored is that coffee, alcohol, other intoxicants, prescription sleeping pills etc mess with your body's natural rhythms. Ditto things like playing on-screen games that pump in adrenaline, and keep you focused and awake "all night".
(edit: added coffee. Thanks Rodafina)
Second: you have to sleep and wake at approximately the same time almost every day.
You can break this rule say once a week when you're young, and one every ten days when you're middle-aged, but if you break it too often it will mess up your sleep cycle.
Ditto travelling between time zones in the "wrong" direction interferes. You have to work on recovery when you get back.
Third: Your body needs adequate food, sleep, and exercise. (they're not first on the list OFC - that starts with oxygen, temperature control, water for hydration - but they're the ones that matter here).
If you want to manage your body rhythms, you need enough of those three.
* A walk every day is enough exercise for this objective. More is good, and exhaustion is a better way to force sleep than pills, but 30-60 minutes walking is adequate.
* You can't operate long-term on carbs, sugar, and fat (junk food), but you don't need the latest "superfood diet for everlasting life" either
"Normal food", slow-release carbs only, manage fat (less damaging than sugar by far, but too much can be an issue), eat more low-starch veg.
NB: you don't have to sleep 8 continuous hours to be healthy. You have get enough "good sleep" Split-sleeping is fine if it works for you.
What hurts is long periods of too little sleep, or low quality sleep - that will take years off your life (really: that's not hyperbole).
Last point: After removing all the negative factors, you can shift the time(s) you fall asleep up to maybe 60 minutes a day. Big steps don't normally work. But there's no rush. From any given stable starting point, just wake up a little earlier (maybe 30 min) every few days and then get up and do something to bring your body up to "normal operating conditions" (morning walk is good).
The first issue that cannot be ignored is that coffee, alcohol, other intoxicants, prescription sleeping pills etc mess with your body's natural rhythms. Ditto things like playing on-screen games that pump in adrenaline, and keep you focused and awake "all night".
(edit: added coffee. Thanks Rodafina)
Second: you have to sleep and wake at approximately the same time almost every day.
You can break this rule say once a week when you're young, and one every ten days when you're middle-aged, but if you break it too often it will mess up your sleep cycle.
Ditto travelling between time zones in the "wrong" direction interferes. You have to work on recovery when you get back.
Third: Your body needs adequate food, sleep, and exercise. (they're not first on the list OFC - that starts with oxygen, temperature control, water for hydration - but they're the ones that matter here).
If you want to manage your body rhythms, you need enough of those three.
* A walk every day is enough exercise for this objective. More is good, and exhaustion is a better way to force sleep than pills, but 30-60 minutes walking is adequate.
* You can't operate long-term on carbs, sugar, and fat (junk food), but you don't need the latest "superfood diet for everlasting life" either
"Normal food", slow-release carbs only, manage fat (less damaging than sugar by far, but too much can be an issue), eat more low-starch veg.NB: you don't have to sleep 8 continuous hours to be healthy. You have get enough "good sleep" Split-sleeping is fine if it works for you.
What hurts is long periods of too little sleep, or low quality sleep - that will take years off your life (really: that's not hyperbole).
Last point: After removing all the negative factors, you can shift the time(s) you fall asleep up to maybe 60 minutes a day. Big steps don't normally work. But there's no rush. From any given stable starting point, just wake up a little earlier (maybe 30 min) every few days and then get up and do something to bring your body up to "normal operating conditions" (morning walk is good).
Last edited:
AuroraBorealis
AuuuuuDHD
I don't have regular insomnia. But sometimes I feel anxious or wired up or my brain is simply too loud and crowded for me to fall asleep. When that happens, I start mentally telling myself an audiobook that I know very well and have practically memorized over many passages. This gives my thoughts some clarity and direction and usually helps me to fall asleep before the first chapter is finished.
Restoring a regular sleep cycle after many years of messing around with it with substances is one of the most difficult things. I definitely believe it is possible, although it does take some work. I've made some progress on this, but it still remains very difficult to get proper regular sleep. I'm with you in understanding how horrible insomnia is.
I'm re-posting this list I made for someone else's thread. These are the things that are (slowly) helping me to get better sleep. It takes a lot of work.
- No caffeine or a just a bit in the morning (even if, like me, it doesn't feel like it affects you that much)
- Keep lights dim after sunset and use as little artificial light as possible
- No eating 3 hours before sleeping time (but also don't go to bed hungry)
- Try to stick to a regular routine, even on weekends
- Exercise and fresh air during the day (as much as possible)
- Sleeping in a cool environment
- Magnesium and Vitamin B supplements
- Stay hydrated throughout the day
- Reduce or eliminate "added sugar" in your diet
- Balance social interactions to feel satisfied but not overwhelmed
- Engage in breathwork during the day (deep breathing)
- Increase your sense of purpose and feelings of gratitude in the day
- Address anxiety with therapy and positive coping skills (journaling, intentional breathing, using fidgets, minimizing sensory overload, etc.)
I agree with @Hypnalis that 8 consecutive hours of sleep does not have to be the goal. Right now, I get about 7 hours of sleep on a good night, but it takes me 10-11 hours to do that.
For the first few weeks I was really committed to learning better sleep patterns, every day time decision I made was in regards to whether or not it would support nighttime sleeping. I think it is the most important health habit we can focus on.
I'm re-posting this list I made for someone else's thread. These are the things that are (slowly) helping me to get better sleep. It takes a lot of work.
- No caffeine or a just a bit in the morning (even if, like me, it doesn't feel like it affects you that much)
- Keep lights dim after sunset and use as little artificial light as possible
- No eating 3 hours before sleeping time (but also don't go to bed hungry)
- Try to stick to a regular routine, even on weekends
- Exercise and fresh air during the day (as much as possible)
- Sleeping in a cool environment
- Magnesium and Vitamin B supplements
- Stay hydrated throughout the day
- Reduce or eliminate "added sugar" in your diet
- Balance social interactions to feel satisfied but not overwhelmed
- Engage in breathwork during the day (deep breathing)
- Increase your sense of purpose and feelings of gratitude in the day
- Address anxiety with therapy and positive coping skills (journaling, intentional breathing, using fidgets, minimizing sensory overload, etc.)
I agree with @Hypnalis that 8 consecutive hours of sleep does not have to be the goal. Right now, I get about 7 hours of sleep on a good night, but it takes me 10-11 hours to do that.
For the first few weeks I was really committed to learning better sleep patterns, every day time decision I made was in regards to whether or not it would support nighttime sleeping. I think it is the most important health habit we can focus on.
My bladder keeps me awake all night even if I don't drink any fluids during the evening.
Oh boy. Welcome to the world of my brain can keep me awake. I suffer from insomnia. Warm baths, warm milk helps. Maybe a little carbs at night? Electric blanket on your body to relax. Get in bed every nite at the same time so you are creating a habit perhaps? Don't do anything like heavy gaming at the end of the night a good hour before you go to sleep maybe? Get off of all computers and phones an hour before bed.
I struggle to follow a daily routine so it's hard for me to get into bed the same time every night.
Recently, I have been building on having noticed that even when I think I have not slept, the clock has jumped ahead. It turns out that when stressed, we can sleep just one hemisphere at a time, maintaining some awareness. So, If I have to sleep but can't, I try to content myself with trying to meditate on my breathing. Even If the clock does not jump, I get somewhat refreshed. If my thoughts make no sense, I am not alarmed, but glad to know that I'm dreaming.
That is one thing I don't think would work for me, I might end up very awake in the kitchen
@Metalhead
Caffeine takes something like 4-6 hours to exit your system (it will be on the web somewhere).
Morning is probably ok.
OTOH avoiding caffeine for a few weeks every now and then is supposed to be a good thing.
Maybe try cutting way back for a while without trying for zero, and see how it goes.
Caffeine takes something like 4-6 hours to exit your system (it will be on the web somewhere).
Morning is probably ok.
OTOH avoiding caffeine for a few weeks every now and then is supposed to be a good thing.
Maybe try cutting way back for a while without trying for zero, and see how it goes.
Ed
Not sure if helpful, but I heard in a podcast recently (can't remember which one) about imagining that you are going for a walk. So picture yourself going walking on path you know well and go step by step. According to them it beats counting sheep...
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