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

image source

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!

An Insomniac's Poetic Ramblings

If you can't sleep, then you know what I mean.
Noctural existence isn't as odd as it once seemed. 
Sleep is still wonderful, but may still allude you -
Or perhaps this was a plan that you decided to collude to.
My hopes is that it is accidental and only for a day
Night-time sky shouldn't replace the sun's rays!
I hope to at least nap in a little while
All- nighters really aren't my style!      
  

Caffeine: you stink!!
Tucked away in your tasty drink.
I had you last night with my supper
forgetting, somehow, that you're such an upper,
and now I am filled with tons of regret
as I listen to the snores of my husband and pets.

Click image for complete infographic.

The sun is now rising,
though the clouds block the rays,
the web is mesmerizing
as the night becomes day.
Reddit gave some reads
with my cute alien friend,
I checked my Twitter stream
as I looked for a funny trend.
FaceBook statuses were updated
and Google + was further explored
StumbleUpon couldn't keep me sated
and Gmail couldn't be ignored.
Pottermore dreams are foiled
as so many others have gained entry
and my experience may very well be spoiled
if the first in do not tread gently.
I'm back on Blogger at this hour
so there must be nothing left to do
and though I'm losing all battery power
you know there's no way that can be true!

13 Ways I Deal With Insomnia

I waddle my way to my bedroom, lazily put on a pair of pajamas and shuffle into bed. I am exhausted. The day is done. I am ready for sleep.

On some nights, however, such as this one, sleep eludes me. Here are just some of the things I do when I can't sleep:

Things I Don't Recommend to Fellow Insomniacs

• I grab my iPhone.
• I check out the WebMD APP to try to figure out what is wrong with me. This never helps me sleep, it simply causes me to jump into the rabbit hole called "Google" on a quest to define the twenty or so ailments I have come up with based on the symptom checker.
• I jump into the rabbit hole called "Google" to search something that is on my mind. This leads to another thing, then another, and so on. Then the sun rises and I wonder what happened. I decide, of course, to google "What happened?" and then I am slammed with the most recent news stories which engulf me.
• I get out of bed and start blogging.
• I go on Twitter.
• I go on Facebook (discovery: all my Facebook friends go quiet from 4:30am to 5:00am, like clockwork, but my Twitter never sleeps).
• I think about all the spiders that just woke up and may be planning to build a web over my head in the darkness.
• I get a drink of water. This only leads to a need to go to the bathroom just when I am about to fall asleep again.

Things That Kind-of Work

• I read a book. I just remembered that I have one to read right now. (Wow, I might rest yet!)
• I go on StumbleUpon. While this probably does keep me up a bit later than it should, I tend to exhaust myself with SU.
• I watch an episode of something I never saw before on NetFlix. (I stick to half hour shows and watch no more than two per night.) I have now seen all of the Arrested Developments this way and I am working my way through Better Off Ted. Both shows are hilarious.
• I listen to a book. This is awesome because my eyes get to rest, however, I do tend to fall asleep and have no idea where to pick up the book the next time I am listening.
• I have a cup of Sleepytime tea or Calming tea. These both tend to knock me out.

 Well, so it goes, perhaps getting out of bed to start blogging is not such a bad idea after all - it seems I have lulled myself into quiet a sleepy state. I only hope I've done th same for you if you need to sleep as desperately as I do!

How do you deal with insomnia?