 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
November 15th, 2010
11:46 AM ET
Get some sleep: Light – or lack of it – is keyBy the time Nancy arrived at the sleep center, she had been struggling for years to get a good night’s sleep. Her problems began when she was laid off work, but even when she was back on a regular work schedule, she could not keep a normal sleep/wake rhythm. It turns out that because she had trouble getting to sleep, she got in the habit of getting some work done on her laptop in bed and then she usually watches television or reads until it gets so late that she turns off the lights and tries to force herself to get to sleep. Often she gets so frustrated she just gets up and makes herself a snack or does the laundry. So what is typical in this story? I think that many aspects of Nancy’s story will ring true for anyone who has suffered from insomnia. One key feature stands out: You cannot make yourself sleep and you should not try. The harder you “work” at trying to sleep, the more elusive those sweet dreams become. What you can do is try to relax. Now, everyone knows that sleep specialists recommend removing the TV and computer from the bedroom because these things stimulate the mind and keep people from sleeping. But we give this advice not only because it will help relax their minds but because it will also help relax their brains. When you are watching TV at night or using the computer or walking around your house with all the lights on, you are stimulating that part of the brain that controls your sleep/wake cycle. Light is the single strongest cue that tells your brain it is time to get up and feed the chickens — not what you want at 2 in the morning. Because people don’t know what a powerful stimulant light is, then they don’t realize that most of the things they do late at night when they can’t sleep, like watching TV, using the computer, or reading with a bright light, all these things just keep them up later because light turns on the brain. Think about the way insomnia suffers usually describe their problem: “It’s just like someone flips the light switch in my brain and I am up all night.” Metaphorically speaking, this is very close to the truth. But the good news is, you might be able to turn off that internal light switch, if you turn off the external ones. I recommend that people try to create a buffer zone between their hectic, daily lives and their sleep time. I encourage insomnia patients to try to set aside one to two hours before bedtime to do something calming to the mind and spirit, but also to the brain. Listening to a Brahms lullaby might calm your mind but if you have every light on in the room, you are not calming your brain. So turn the lights low and listen to soothing music or perhaps an audio book. Just be sure that it is not so suspenseful that you stay awake to find out whodunit. I tell my patients to listen to a book they know and love, perhaps one from childhood, because then they know what happens, but also it might have a comforting effect if they associate it with happy times from the past. . . maybe a time when sleep came easy. For people who suffer from insomnia, it is essential that they understand the powerful role that light could be playing in perpetuating their problem. But for many people, it is often hard to carve out an hour or two of relaxing time spent in dim light. What I do in that case is recommend that they use special glasses that block blue spectrum light, because research has shown that light in that wavelength (450-490 nanometers) is the most potent stimulator of neurotransmitters that promote wakefulness. Because insomnia is such a tough topic, I’ll be tackling it often as I blog about sleep for CNNHealth. My goal is to explain some of the biggest issues with sleep and offer advice that’ll help you get better rest. Come back and see us on Mondays on The Chart. Lisa Shives, M.D., is the founder of Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Illinois. She’ll blog on Mondays on The Chart. Read more from her at Dr. Lisa Shives’ Sleep Better Blog.
Next entry »Allergic to kissing? Cell phones? Bed Bugs?
« Previous entryWhy do kids always get fevers on Sunday nights?
|
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
 |
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
Thought you might like this article!
Thanks for thinking of me, random stranger.
This is really good as well.
http://www.newsonhealthcare.com/sleep-apnea-is-everyone-susceptible/
The doctors and writers should put their credentials on their articles just so we know who is responsible.It would appear that some of the M.D. 's who write for this ridiculous blog are not real doctors......We know Dr Sanjay is and I wonder if he has time to read this GARBAGE?
Copied from above: Lisa Shives, M.D., is the founder of Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Illinois. She’ll blog on Mondays on The Chart. Read more from her at Dr. Lisa Shives’ Sleep Better Blog.
Not sure what else you are looking for chief! Furthermore, this is at least the second article you have stated this on...sounds like you are the one that doesn't know your butt from a hole in the ground or you aren't actually reading the article before you complain about it.
Who's "we", old timer? You got a mouse in yer pocket?
What are YOUR credentials, dear? Where'd you get your MD? PhD? Or is BS all you have?
Pretty obvious Dr. Shives is legit. Even if you don't read her credentials at the bottom of the article or in her post you can click on the blue link "Northshore Sleep Medicine" and it takes you to her website.
Ironic that they would all qualify as 'MD' when healthcare professionals who actually work in hospitals cannot follow this advice if they work night shift...easy to dish drivel @ 'ideal' sleep from those who work regular hours and can wake up/ sleep at same time. Actual MDs are in the office all day and on call anytime of night & hospitals are staffed with nurses and doctors 24/7. You'll never see one of these articles written by a night shift ER doctor.
Sarah: Maybe 'Old Timer' is nodding off while reading it...
Read the article, read your reply, her creds were loud and proud at the bottom. Congrats on a really stellar embarrassment of yourself.
Also, the capsule summary of her credentials at the bottom of the article links to the website of her clinic, which has much more about her credentials, such as: "She graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She completed her Internship in Internal Medicine at Yale University. She completed her residency at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare (now NorthShore University HealthSystem). ... Board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Sleep Medicine, Dr. Shives is an active member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and has often served as their official media spokesperson."
Obvious troll is obvious, yet unsurprisingly successful.
@ Daina I hear what your saying .. however,we ( I assume you are an ER doc also) don't do well when it comes to "fixing our own house". That said, yes it is frustrating when these health articles come out in a one size fits all package. Usually that size is sort of like the "Sex in The City " readers. All the time , money and resources for optimum " self health" . Definitely a disconnect. I guess that why this doc put out a blog ..to deal with people individual cases.
@Daina: One of the tricks to working strange hours is that if you need to sleep during the day, you make the place where you sleep dark. If you want to sustain that schedule long term, you figure out that you can't be awake during the day when everyone else is, and then work through the night. Doesn't matter if you are a doctor, a nurse, whatever, unless you are superman, you crash and burn if you don't figure it out. If you are at the point where you can sleep in a brightly lit room with a lot of noise, that doesn't mean you are superman, it means you are exhausted. Been there, done that, thought I was special, found out I was just on the ragged edge of collapse all the time. Getting sleep isn't some elusive ideal, it's just what human beings do. It's a shame that doctors invest so much time, energy, and money in training, and then when it comes time to put that training to use, they are put in an environment that reduces their capablity so dramaticly. The one profession that should be most aware of human limitations, tries to pretend they aren't subject to those limits.
Actually it's not garbage at all, this article is right on.
im sure he doesnt - just has someone approve
My credentials are as follows. Medical school at University of Chicago. Internal medicine residency at Yale and Northwestern University. Fellowship in Sleep Medicine at University of Chicago. Board certified in Sleep Medicine. Spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Committee member of the National Sleep Foundation.
My girlfriend works overnight. What would you recommend for people who have to sleep during the day? Is limiting the light enough to counter a natural cycle of sleeping at night?
Thanks for the tip about the Brahms lullaby, I sometimes love listening to soothing music like this. I knew the piece but I just didn't know the name =)
University of Chicago? Yale? Northwestern?
Good enough for me. I'm sitting here looking at my puny degree from Ohio State.....
BTW, have tried this advice before and Doc is right on. It works. (but she knew that...)
Pooped Out in Prescott
Lisa Shives: The article made good sense to me! Dimming ambient light around my apartment (I had to make a little screen for my digital clock, it was so bright) has made a difference. Good article.
Thanks for the advice Dr. Shives, but what would you do with someone for whom this does not work? I cannot fall asleep in the dark – no matter how hard I try. If I have light on from the tv or my computer, I'm out in 10 minutes. Sadly, my husband does not have the same reaction and so often one of us ends up either sleepless, or with a backache from sleeping on the couch all night.
And do you work nightshift or just watch the recordings of those who do? Addendum; you left our your major in egomaniacal puffery.
Born with a silver spoon, eh?
Where can we get some of these blue spectrum glasses? I would like to try a pair. Unfortunately, thinking back to a tim where sleep came easily won't work for me. I've never been able to sleep so far as I can remember. My mother reported that even as an infant I never slept much. She would check on me all hours of the night, and I'd be laying there wide awake. I never cried, just didn't sleep.
Dr. Shives,
Have a recommendation on a relaxing classical music compilation that would be close to ideal for relaxing? There's got to be more than Brahms..
Evaoc...you don't actually believe that the person who id'ed themselves as Dr Shives is actually Dr Shives. .Not that that takes away from her qualifications .... but please. You don't think she is actually AWAKE and responding and responding to you through sound off. zzzzzzzzz you def need sleep.
guest
@ Daina ???? I am confused . R you responding to me or to the the fake Dr Shives post . Because I'm on your side. I hear what your saying .. however,we ( I assume you are an ER doc also) don't do well when it comes to "fixing our own house". That said, yes it is frustrating when these health articles come out in a one size fits all package. Usually that size is sort of like the "Sex in The City " readers. All the time , money and resources for optimum " self health" . Definitely a disconnect. I guess that why this doc put out a blog ..to deal with people individual cases.
Thank you for a fantastic and timely story- I am a naturopathic doctor and I am including this article link in my next newsletter. I often counsel patients about how to get into a better sleep routine, and avoiding bright lights at night is a big part. Many people also don't realize that things like alcohol, caffeine (even if ingested early in the day) and eating a big meal too late can also interrupt restorative sleep. I have found that activities like a warm bath with Epson salts, knitting, getting a massage from a partner, "scrapbooking", and doing puzzles are other great options to help people unwind before bedtime.
Wonderful blog! And timely too! I like your writing style–approachable and
some kick to it!
Two of the last three nights I have not been able to get to sleep before 4am!
You are convincing me that I need to stop reading in bed, letting all that light in. Sound advice and well done. I look forward to reading more of your blogs.
To Mike, humans are diurnal so we really cannot turn off biology & make ourselves nocturnal any more than a Raccoon can undo being nocturnal; it effects ones' endocrine system, GI system et al. I did it for 7 years and never adjusted but then again the alphabet soup MD has never been a night shift nurse.
Boka? I am not certain if you are being controversial or serious, but masturbation will make you blind and crippled. I would not recommend it as a remedy for insomnia.
There is no reason for all of the writing and discussion in this article. All that woman needs is a prop 215 prescription and she will go right to sleep every night without a problem. It truly is a medicine.
Boka? I am not certain if you are being controversial or serious, but masturbation will make you blind and crippled. I would not recommend it as a remedy for insomnia.
There is no reason for all of the writing and discussion in this article. All that woman needs is a prop 215 prescription and she will go right to sleep every night without a problem.
Ever look around "in the dark" and realize it ain't all that dark? Cable box light showing time, modem light, cordless phone light, carbon monoxide detector blinking light, clock radio light, and on and on.
Have to disagree with one thing, the TV usually puts me to sleep not keeps me awake.
Are you an insomniac? No? Then the fact that the TV being on helps you fall asleep is really unimportant/completely irrelevant...this blog is addressing those that have trouble falling asleep, not idiots who think that everyone elses situation is analogous to theirs.
I'm with you Logic. My doctor has diagnosed me with insomnia. The only thing that seems to help is having some type of light/noise on in the background. Either the TV, my computer, etc. I tried, many many times to do as most doctors recommend – just turn off the light, remove tv's and computers from my bedroom and relax myself into sleep. No go. Without some kind of light/noise I am up all night. It's terribly frustrating. Even with light and noise I'm likely to wake up 10-15 times a night, but at least I get SOME sleep in between.
Ryan, I would like to subscribe to your newsletter!
As a live long insomniac, I find the only way I can get some sleep is by leaving the TV on with a low volume in an otherwise dark room. My problem is that I need a mild distraction to keep my brain from thinking about whatever issues are going on and staying on the whole night. Physicians should be mindful that whatever suggestions that they make may not be the best solution for every patient.
Bunny, try a fan.
My insomnia was caused by food allergies. As soon as I stopped eating whey protein (liquid part of milk), I started sleeping better. I tried everything the 'experts' said with light and relaxation and in the end, it wasn't the problem at all. My allergy doctor (medical by the way, not homeopathic) saved me.
This is very helpful. Sometimes I take Valerian. My main problem is pychological. Instead of a flight or fright reaction to life, I have a rescue reaction. If anyone in the household is stirring, I can't sleep. I am not at all anxious during the day that "something will happen" but at night, I do.
Thanks for this comment. I am very interested in how food can affect sleep.
Dear Dr Shives:
I really want to know the percentage of the insomniacs that have been cured by your treatment. Or are you just at an experimental stage?
Hi Dr. Shives,
There is a strong link between foods and sleep...and, in many cases, when we run into sleep problems, our bodies give us "hunger signals", causing us to crave snacks, as you mention in the first paragraph of your blog post here.
The worst part is, we don't tend to crave healthy foods in these circumstances, our body chemistry leads us to crave junk and garbage...foods that are high in fat and sugars. Of course, eating those foods our body craves will interefere with our sleep, making the cycle worse.
This was part of the pattern I used to have on a regular basis, which led me to create NightFood, a functional food bar to support heathier nighttime eating, and sleep. I'd love to explore this further with you in a future blog post or article.
best,
Sean Folkson, NightFood
http://www.nightfood.com
My wife must have the T.V. on a dull sounding show in order to fall asleep. No comedies or action movies. Something about the droning sound puts her right out. While I on the other hand need the darkness. Compromise....the T.V. is timed to go off after 20 minutes.
Sleep and the natural circadian pattern of sleep is one of the most underrated factors regarding optimal health. Not to alarm anyone, but there are numerous studies which show a distinct pattern between incidences of cancer being higher in "nightshift" workers than "normal" hour workers. The natural melatonin cycle cannot be manipulated and melatonin is one of the most powerful anti-oxidants around. I find that occasional low level (5mg or under) supplementation of melatonin gets me right back on track. Not recommended for long term use, as long term studies have not be completed, but it really does make a difference sometimes, if deep sleep is needed. I recommend the book by Ray Kurzweil called Fantastic Voyage, it has a chapter regarding optimal sleep and its positive effects. Kudos to Dr. Shives for her calling into this field, most people think sleep is sleep, however it really is one of the more exciting fields out there when you start to delve into it.
I work nights and have no problem at all sleeping during the day. I have no curtains on my south-facing windows and the sun shines on me all day while I snooze. I occasionally have a problem sleeping at night on my days off but that's a pretty rare occurrence.
I occasionally have the type of insomnia where I can't stay asleep – 3 to 5 hrs after falling asleep, I wake up and can't get back to sleep. I find this type of insomnia to be far more insidious that can't get to sleep insomnia. Also the last time I took melatonin it gave me a screaming migraine and an erection that just wouldn't quit. So melatonin isn't the panacea it is thought to be for all people.
Having Insomnia since I was a kid here is what I would recommend whether you sleep at night or during the day:
Get rid of all the light you can, blackout shades are a must or put tinfoil over the windows, no bright digital clocks either.
Get rid of all the reasons to use the bedroom for other than sleeping. No TV, Computer, Reading in bed, etc...
keep to a routine and go to sleep at the same time each night and wake at the same time.
Avoid anything with caffeine after 2 pm if you sleep at night and no more than one drink/wine at supper.
No video games 2 hours before bed.
You may want to try melatonin 3 mg tablet to help you sleep, read up on it first.
If all else fails ask your MD. I use Trazzadone 200 mg to help me sleep. It's an old, mild antidepressant that has a sleepy side affect. Used often in older adults.
Sound advice, Jessica, a lot of which relates to "sleep hygiene."
Aside from the odd Sabretooth tiger, our ancestors didn't have all these distractions, and I think Dr Shives probably could advise us that we really stil differ little in terms of the mechanics of our sleep from those folks.
I remember years ago going to a workshop at my work on stress management. And the simple message really was, to have stress roll off your back like the water off a duck, get a good night's sleep.
G'night all!
My Physical Therapist found that my very severe insomnia was mostly because I was very dehydrated as a way of life. I had to make life style changes to find a way to stay hydrated but it is true that it helps me to sleep much better. He also recommended physical exercise earlier in the day and that helps a bit too.
My medical doctor gave up on me and wanted me to take pills and I do not do that.
My trick of late is to mimic the relaxation part of my yoga class. I put a bolster–a type of support, a firm pillow will work too–under my knees, turn my arms so my palms are face-up, and imagine I'm doing the deep relaxation part of my yoga class. I concentrate only on fully relaxing my body, starting with my feet and working my way up my body but I've never made it up to my head because I fall asleep!
Where do we find the glasses to block the blue spectrum? Reading glasses would be extra nice, as I usually fall asleep with those on. I have trouble staying asleep.
Funny my wife and her whole family turns ON the TV so she/they can fall asleep – Shes OUT in like about 5Mins. of turning the TV "ON" without fail. Even thou she REALLY wanted to watch her show!!! lol
Some members of my family are like that. They can't sleep without the TV on. Someone told me once that if you went to sleep with the TV or radio on when you were a baby, that's the reason. Not sure if that's true or not. I do know that if you try to make everything quiet so a baby can sleep, they'll require silence when they're older in order to sleep. If they are accustomed to noise when they're sleeping, it won't bother them when they're older. Having 3 kids taught me that it's true.
This blog is making me sleepy.
1)Debt is the new slavery
2)Soledad's battle against a photographer who asked if she was black
3)Elliot Spitzer .....becoming the moral compass of CNN...The new 8 p.m.
4)Elizabeth Cohen Empowered Patient ...3 of 5 stories were her own family
5)Eatocracy ..... The super Salmon..A chef's perspective
6)Rick's List Jews Run CNN..
Vote Now at CNN non-Heroes!!!!
Lol...you definitely get the "Pointless Post" award for this thread. Get a life man and stop watching so much Fox News...it's apparently rotting your brain.
Hi Dr. Shives:
Incredibly illuminating post (no pun intended). But you've confirmed a culprit–light–that's become an almost unavoidable aspect of the modern bedroom. Between backlit digital alarm clocks, HDTVs, cable and/or satellite receivers, and smoke, fire and carbon dioxide detectors, the modern bedroom is suffering from serious artifical ambient light pollution. Ours used to resemble an airport runway at night. I came to recognize this when I found myself awakening to the shrill blue light emitting from our DirecTV receiver, which at times made me feel like I was being awakened by a laser pointer. Since silencing that light (and others), I've discovered another insomnia-fighting trick: turrning off the light on my bedside clock radio entirely (although only some models allow for this). Nothing helps you turn over and get back to the business of sleeping better than depriving yourself of light to know what time it is. And when it's the middle of the night anyway, who cares what time it is? Knowing and seeing that it's 2:45 am doesn't help you get back to sleep any faster. But seeing 2:45 click down to 3:00 AM is a sure-fire way to send your mind on the run. Shut off the light–ALL the lights–and get back to sleep!
Excellent advice!
NOOO! I am TERRIFIED to sleep in the dark; have been my entire life. I must have some lights around or I am so nervous/edgy
/can't quite explain it, that I can't sleep, it's like I am on guard. I find I get my deepest, best sleep in the early morning (after sunrise). My ex husband used to try to make me sleep in the dark but I never could very well. I also needed a Walkman with an earphone at night, but I managed to break that habit after many years. But the silence still scares me often.
Joshua – You are one of the few who get it. Dr. Shives is correct about the light! We too have had to get rid of all the ambient light in our bedroom. We do not watch TV in bed or bring or laptops to bed. It was nice to read a balanced comment and not one more insulting or hostile comment!
I have a lot of success using a clock radio, with the volume set fairly low so that I have to work to hear the radio. My brain seems to focus on this, and this allows me to shut down the internal dialog that normally occurs during the day while I'm conscious; it seems to draw my attention and replace my own internal dialog. I try to listen to fairly ridiculous stuff that is apolitical and won't upset me. I also try to avoid "serious" discussions close to bedtime, so that I won't get worked up right before sleeping...
Forget brahms lullaby, listen to the Three stooges intro theme 20 times in a row and you'll be stone-cold out.
Interesting data point, I've got a wireless router in my office just outside by bedroom that has some REALLY bright blue LED lights on it. I've discovered that if I don't turn it off or disable the lights it will keep me up, even through the crack at the bottom of the door. I've also found that those old fashioned red LED clocks don't help either, traded it in for a LCD clock that only lights up if I touch it.
Stop reading the new on your laptop and go to sleep! That'll help...
Here's a hint I like: if you have to get up in the night, to use the bathroom for example, do NOT turn on any overhead lights. You don't want your eyes to adjust to the light. If there isn't enough ambient light to see what you need to, carry a flashlight or wear a headlamp. Either of those works because the light is aimed away from you, not toward you. That way your eyes adjust as little as possible to the light, making it easier to get back to sleep afterwards. Just remember not to look in the bathroom mirror if you have a headlamp on - yikes that's bright!
Wear a headlamp? Are you a miner?? LOL
Kaycee - har dee har, never heard that one before... Seriously, no, not a minet, but headlamps are one of the best tools around an off-grid homestead - which is where I was living when I discovered them. They're also very handy for camping. And as I discovered and mentioned above, even when you are in a room that has an overhead light, sometimes that light is too much and a headlamp aimed away from your eyes is just the ticket.
My computer indeed throws out a very bright light. The built-in light adjustments are not enough to relax the eyes.
I did however, download a simple program absolutely free which with one click adjusts the screen to minimize glare. The program is called F.lux.
all common sense, folks! start by simply quieting down some time after dinner, limit alcohol intake and keep your sleep schedule regular. throw in regular exercise and voila, sleep will not allude you. people should practice good sleep hygiene especially as they age. well rested people generally have better coping strategies and better mental health.
To relax I tell myself to think about, thinking about nothing. Sounds odd but it keeps the mind from wondering while trying to relax into sleep. I find that if I occupy my restless mind with this mundane task it literally bores me into sleep. Hope this helps!
I just masturbate if I can't sleep.
Umm... tmi?
Works like a charm. If the wife isn't interested in some couple time, a little solo time always does the trick. Rolling over and falling asleep afterwards is a cliche for a reason.
Medical MArijuana helps 100%
Side affect may include easiness of mind, black outs, mental problems, difficulty distguishing with illusions, mirages, and the police asking if your high. Legal in about 22 states.
Do you really have to tell people to turn the lights out to get some sleep? Really?!
Really.
It's amazing the things people need to be told. Get enough sleep. Get enough water. Use the bathroom. Wash your hands. Don't eat off of the dirty dishes in the sink. Two pizzas is not a snack. Turn down the lighting when you want to go to sleep.
I've found (having been in programs for PTSD) that a lot of people with PTSD need some light or noise while sleeping. It makes our sleep awful, but it can help us convince our brains that someone is awake and keeping watch. For years, the best sleep I got was in the day–if someone was home.
Only thing that's helped me really sleep was therapy. That included mindfulness practice, which I highly recommend, but if you have some kind of trauma (esp. at night), you should seek counselling or group therapy for it. It can make a lot of difference in your life.
Is a fan or a radio enough noise? That would provide the sound without the light.
Good article. I used to write my to-do lists before bed and then read a similar article, about not stimulating the brain before bed, and it made a world of difference. I no longer do any kind of planning for the next day before bed because it keeps me awake...I read calming, more benign stuff and listen to soft music. Works like a charm. PS – This also works for children too – music, less light (some children's night lights are so bright you can read in the room), and no discussions re stressful topics.
I think will all should have great sex that works
make great love that works
Sure, but it works best when another person is around.
Funny that I just stumbled upon this post, as I was just looking into various options for using light therapy in the mornings to help wake me up! The two ideas clearly go hand-in-hand. I think I have a mild case of SAD. But maybe if I cut down on my lighting in the evening, I won't feel so sleepy in the morning, either.
In the 1960's when the Beatles were into transcendental meditation, I briefly got into it myself. I kind of dropped out of it but I always use it if I have trouble sleeping, which is not all that common but I occaisionally do. If I can really concentrate, it always works.
The basics are that you repeat a 2 or 3 sylable word over and over in your brain. Concentrating on the "mantra" is for the purpose of distracting your mind from conscious thought. If something comes into your mind that isn't conscious thought, like words or music or images, you let them come in, you just try not to consciously "think" anything. Once things start flowing into your mind, seemiling from outside your mind, you can ease off on the matra and even stop it and just listen and watch the (seemingly) outside show. It's actually sort of like the half sleep/half awake state before you go to sleep.
If you've ever heard the Beatles "song" – Revolution Number Nine, I think John Lennon was trying to demonstrate what meditation is like. But the bottom line is, it helps relax your mind so that you don't think about things and you can sleep. It works for me.
Contrary to what some people thought at the time, it has absolutely nothing to do with the Hindu or any other religion, it's an excercise for the mind. Nothing more.
I like cheeseburgers.
Well here's what works like a charm for me– [1] Turn out all lights & read with a clip-on light on my Kindle [2] cup of chamomil tea at hand, plus hot water bottle & socks for feet–CANNOT SLEEP with cold feet [seriously folks--try this!] [3] SLEEP MASK to block all light. [4]sometimes lavendar aromatherapy.... And they are right-on about reading something familiar & relaxing rather than a "whodunit"–Lord knows I've stayed up all night with some suspense novels just to find out what happened!!
Wow, and all this time I've been sleeping with my Disco strobe lights on! No wonder I can't get a decent night's rest! Shut the light off! How simple! Why didn't I think of that!
Lisa, I don't know if this helps with the question of food and sleep, but I'll throw it out there anyway. I've had insomnia inconsistently for the last eight years – no idea what brought it on initially, and while tracking it, there seems to be no pattern – it's not tied to stress, hormones, etc.
Six months ago, as part of a change in the way I eat, I shifted most of my protein in the early hours of the day and the carbs in the later hours. It came from my observation that eating meals high in carbs made me sleepy during the day (especially pasta at lunch). And I also noticed that when I started the day with eggs or other protein, I was more alert and had more energy. Once I did this, I noticed an immediate change in my sleeping – less trouble going to sleep, fewer waking moments at night, and I actually felt GOOD in the mornings. In addition, I started eating some of my favorite bread just before bedtime along with a little water, which helped even more with getting to sleep quicker.
May not work for everyone, but it's worked for me. The human body is an amazing machine.
In college and last year during grad school, I would sleep with the lights on all the time. I would always be too exhausted from classes and studying that it wouldn't matter if the lights were on or off. But I kept them on so I wouldn't sleep in. It helped with alerting me to wake up after the alarm.
Nice study.
It's easier for me to sleep if I have been doing hard physical work.
It's hard for me to sleep if I have just eaten too much pepperoni pizza, or drunk any caffeinated beverage.
I can't sleep if I've just read or heard something very disturbing. So I don't look at the news late at night. And no horror novels.
If you can't sleep, just start reading any college-level math textbook. It'll put you out like a light.
Nancy, a couple of years ago I read an article about a study that showed sleeping with socks on helped with the quality of sleep. I think the jist of it was that cold extremities interfered with sleep. For that reason, I sleep with socks on every night, even during summer.
The influence of light on sleep has been studied for decades. Strong white light is an aid to shift workers who need to work at night and sleep during the day (something I take advantage of myself). And light levels have been used to control the length of the daily cycle (wake + sleep = daily cycle), making it either shorter or longer, when people are isolated in controlled environments. Thus, this blog post is highly non-controversial.
I want some tax dollars back. A person sleeps better with less light. Well, oh my god! Someone give me a prize for figuring that gem out. Hey, here's another bit of wisdom: You sleep better without vast amounts of noise. You sleep better when you're not too hot. Or too cold. Or have had too much caffeine. Or you don't have a headache. Or. Or. Or.
These are so many different causes of insomnia, so it is naive to claim that light is the key for good sleep, especially by a sleep specialist with so many credentials. What she suggests may be useful for just a few people whose insomnia is not so deeply conditioned, but for most of the insomnia sufferers, her new methods are only slightly better than counting sheep.
Nice article. Light being a stimulant that keeps you awake is not exactly the most shocking thing I have ever heard. But the tips to combat being awake at ungodly hours are extremely helpful. Thanks to the author.
Dr. Shives– Could you comment on how this information would best apply to people diagnosed with Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome?