I Researched How To Stay Asleep

Other than being awake, sleep is probably one of the hardest things I deal with in my nightly life.

I have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or anything sleep-related. My grandfather couldn’t sleep, my dad can’t sleep, and I can’t.

It’s so frustrating and I can’t fix it.

My uncle on the other hand seems to have a sleep button he can press, and just like that he is out for an eight-hour adventure in La La Land.

So since I woke up at three am and couldn’t fall back asleep I decided to do some research on whether or not there is any hope for us vampires.

“The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald

Unless you are one of the lucky people in the world who doesn’t overthink, you’ve probably experienced the uncomfortable racing of the mind that seems to ramp up to ten as soon as your head hits the pillow.

As soon as you put on your jammies, turn off the lights, and hit the hay, your brain is like “What a perfect time to bring up this embarrassing thing you did five years ago”.

My mind races all the time but when I attempt to go to sleep it goes to a whole new level.

I think about the past, the future, all the things that could happen, all the things I’ve done or should have done.

IT SUCKS!

So this is what the internet says about how to fall asleep and stay asleep.

You need good sleep hygiene

According to the Sleep Foundation good sleep hygiene is all about putting yourself in the best position to sleep well every night.

You need to optimize your life so you can get a better sleep. Have a sleep schedule, pre-sleep routine, and a daily routine to make sleep more of an automatic habit than something you try and force.

I haven’t done this. My life lacks routine so badly since I am no longer in the nine-to-five world. I can kind of do whatever I want whenever I want so it’s hard to stick to a routine, which sucks because I am at my best when I have a routine.

So what does good sleep hygiene consist of?

Good sleepy hygiene consists of a sleep schedule, a nightly routine, healthy daily habits, and a good sleep setting.

Sleep schedule

Having a set schedule helps your brain get used to getting the full amount of rest needed to do the things you have to do every day.

I guess when your daily routine is inconsistent and when you take naps, your brain has no idea how much sleep to get.

So even on weekends when you are free from going to bed early in the evening and waking up early in the morning you still have to do it.

Pre-sleep routine

Doing the same things every night before you attempt to face the sleep demons can help you fall asleep more easily.

Maintaining a consistent routine tells your brain it’s time to sleep and releases all the melatonin, the sleep hormone.

Dimming your lights and turning off screens the hour before you sleep prevents hindering the production of melatonin and also give your brain a chance to relax from all the notifications on your phone.

You can also try guided sleep meditations once you get in bed.

I’m going to try this one tonight.

Healthy Daily Habits

What you do in the day has a huge impact on the quality of your sleep. This is because of something known as the circadian rhythm which prevents you from waking up at night and disrupting your sleep.

Getting a lot of sunlight during the day and a reasonable amount of exercise will help improve your sleep as well as your overall well-being.

So if healthy habits help sleep it’s reasonable to assume unhealthy habits hinder your sleep. Alcohol consumption, nicotine, and caffeine all hurt your sleep, so cut the bad stuff out.

We all need coffee though so just stop drinking it in the evenings. Stimulants and sleep are like peanut butter and salmon. They don’t go together.

Also, your bed should only be for sleep. Don’t work in your bed, don’t scroll your phone endlessly, don’t play Jenga, just use it for sleep. You can still have sex though.

Create a good sleep setting

Just as important as all the things mentioned above is the environment in which you sleep. Your bedroom should be a chill place both in a temperature sense and a vibe sense.

Make sure you have a nice bed with decent sheets. Comfort plays a crucial role in sleep, so it may be time to splurge on a new bed if you find your back aching in the night.

If you have light coming into your room from outside or someway at all get a sleep mask or blackout blinds that make your room completely dark. The same goes for silence, wear earplugs if you have noise that keeps you up.

This is what the internet says to do for sleep. I’m going to give it a try for a while. Since we are all unique we probably will have slightly different sleep hygiene but it will still follow the same basic rules.

There also may be medical reasons you can’t sleep such as a sleep disorder or sleep apnea, so you may want to consult with a doctor if you think that's the case for you.

Thanks for reading,

I’m going to take a nap.

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