Fighting Insomnia in 3 Steps

You've had a long day - scratch that - you've had a long week; you are ready for sleep. You're bed looks amazing, your PJs are super comfy; you are ready to go. You lay down, shut the lights off, close your eyes and... insomnia mercilessly steps in to rob all you of all of your dreams and rest. Lately this has been happening to me with increasing frequency. While I want to avoid a new prescription to bring back this most natural of my body's redemptive actions, I know insomnia is not something to be ignored. I decided this weekend, after experiencing my second 36+ hours without sleep torture in two weeks, that I needed to take some sort of action.

I took three actions, in fact, and I am extremely happy to say that I have been successful (so far) in my endeavor. In case you too suffer from insomnia, I wanted to share these three steps with you.

Step 1: Remove the iPhone from the Bedroom

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Each night I was reading in bed, but not in the traditional sense. Either I was reading blogs on my iPhone, or plugging my headphones into my iPhone to listen to my latest audiobook. For a long time these activities helped me unwind and fall asleep. Lately, however, the opposite has happened. I think I got used to the "entertainment factor" and not the "unwind factor" of these activities. I was getting wrapped up in stories or story ideas (using my iPhone "Notes" to jot down writing ideas) and my mind was starting to spin wildly out of control, instead of preparing for sleep. This left a wide open space for insomnia to creep back into my life.

As difficult as it is, each night I have been setting my iPhone on the charger in the living room (extremely far out of my reach!) before going to bed. I can no longer tweet about my insomnia, jot down middle of the night story ideas (that lead to middle of the night writing FULL stories!), or ironically search the entire Internet for insomnia fixes while shining the bright electronic screen in my sleepy eyes. It has been helpful, although I am expecting the withdrawal to kick in any night now.

Step 2: Getting Help From A Guide

One of the greatest (non-physical) causes of insomnia are all those pesky thoughts that distract you from the act of relaxing. Are you planning for the next day? Maybe you are reflecting upon the day past? Did you just remember that you didn't call your aunt back after dinner? Now you're trying to figure out when will be the best time to call her tomorrow...  Ahh! It's maddening. All you need to do is clear your mind, just like in meditation, but maybe you need some help. I did. Here's what I found:


Now I know what you are thinking, "How is she listening to this without her iPhone in the room?" Well, here's the trick: we have an iPod in the bedroom that we usually use to play RelaxMyDog for Champ when he is stressed out (it helps!). I "borrow" the dog's iPod, but it on the nightstand, far out of my reach and let it play out loud.
This video (which I am just using as audio assistance) is quite effective. I have not heard the end of this video yet. Each night I have used this I have been asleep before it finishes!

Step 3: Melatonin

I want to avoid prescription aides, but I could not avoid the seemingly endless melatonin recommendations I have been getting. While this supplement can not be taken every single night, I use it when I have to make sure I get to sleep quickly and be up early for an appointment. I take a 3mg dose of melatonin. That usually takes anywhere from 15 minutes to a half hour to make me feel sleepy, or knock me out completely (depending on the day). The only side effect I have experienced with it has been vivid dreams, but that's a side effect I am prone to.

While I am joining the throngs who highly recommend melatonin as an option for anyone who is having issues with sleep, it is also incredibly important to be well-informed before taking any kind of of supplement. About.com has a great page on melatonin describing its uses and precautions. Please read it completely before deciding whether or not it is right for you.

Your Plan

Do you suffer from insomnia, or are you a sound sleeper? Whatever the case, I'm wondering what your plan is for a sound sleep. Do you alter your sleeping environment, your diet or your habits for a good night's sleep? What do you do on the nights that sleeping is a struggle? Any and all suggestions are welcomed - just add them in the comments section!

Thanks for reading!