How is Your Sleep

"Dream", by Salvador Dali

Almost 6 AM and I can’t sleep, again! I did all my sleeping rituals and nothing worked. I drunk my every-night-must-have warm milk, I listened to new age music, I read a little, I count sheeps, lambs, cows, horses, etc...I meditated, I got up, I lay down again and nothing… I can’t sleep. I even got a terrible headache, I took my wonderful Advil and even with it, I couldn’t sleep.

I’m a night person and I already stayed almost 72 hours without any sleeping and without falling asleep. It’s terrible for many reasons but the most prejudicial ones are the endless tiredness and the humor alterations. Of course my face gets all the tiredness for itself and there is no Clarins or Lancôme or chamomile tea bag that can restore it, unfortunately!

I know that I’m not alone with this sleepiness problem, but people who do sleep think that I don’t sleep because I don’t want to.
Please give a break!! Who doesn’t like a good night of sleeping?
“You need to sleep!” “Why you don’t sleep?” “You need 8 hours of sleeping, didn't you know that!” "You must sleep! Deep sleep is part of the anti-aging process!"
How I hate those sentences!!! I do know that I need 8 hours of sleeping daily and I do want to sleep 8 hours daily. I don’t cheat my sleepy, I even don’t feel sleepy to try to cheat on it!
I never took sleep’s medicine, even though I have two varieties here that my nutrologist prescript to me. One is a formulated natural medicine and another one is pure allopathic. I took once the natural one and I slept for days, so I’m afraid to take the allopathic one now. Yes, I’m complaining because I sleep a lot and because I don’t sleep. Oh boy, what a situation I got here!

When I sleep I use to sleep good, like those 8 hours everybody talks about. If I go to bed at 3 AM I will wake up at 11 AM. This time is almost lunchtime for almost everybody and I’m thinking about breakfast. So, every week when my mom calls me, she asks with that ironic expression: “Did I wake you? It’s almost 12 o’clock do you know that, don't you. What a life you have?”
I think I’m the only one who doesn’t sleep and people think that I sleep a lot! Thank God I don't care for those kind of commentaries!

And what about the TV at 3 or 4 AM?! Oh God, it’s terrible here in Switzerland and it doesn’t help either. I can switch channels all night long to try to find something to watch and I have no luck at all. Usually Suisse people sleep with the chickens!! (this is a Brazilians expression used for people who sleep before 11 pm).

I use to be very active and alert at night. I forgot how many times I did my grocery shopping from 3 to 5 AM when I was living at the USA and I really miss that, specially tonight!
I use to have a very attentive mind at night also and because of that I like to work intellectually this time. I know for sure that the telephone will not ring, people will not come and I will have the silence I need to put in order my thoughts without get any disturbance!
But when I’m tired as I’m now, I’m the most unproductive person on earth! I can't focus, I can pay attention and i don't remembert what I read next morning...
Do I have a sleep disorder, or I'm just a night person?

I read at National Sleep Foundation that we, insomnia people, cannot force ourselves to sleep! Force ourselves to sleep? I really didn’t get that! Really!!
Below are their tips to help a sleeplessness sleep! It can help you achieve sleep and the benefits it provides! Good luck and good night!

"How's Your Sleep?"

1. Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends.
Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a "circadian clock" in our brain and the body's need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake-time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep-in.

2. Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music.
A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep. Avoid arousing activities before bedtime like working, paying bills, engaging in competitive games or family problem-solving. Some studies suggest that soaking in hot water (such as a hot tub or bath) before retiring to bed can ease the transition into deeper sleep, but it should be done early enough that you are no longer sweating or over-heated. If you are unable to avoid tension and stress, it may be helpful to learn relaxation therapy from a trained professional. Finally, avoid exposure to bright before bedtime because it signals the neurons that help control the sleep-wake cycle that it is time to awaken, not to sleep.

3. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep – cool, quiet, dark, comfortable and free of interruptions. Also make your bedroom reflective of the value you place on sleep. Check your room for noise or other distractions, including a bed partner's sleep disruptions such as snoring, light, and a dry or hot environment. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, "white noise," humidifiers, fans and other devices.

4. Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy – about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up during the night.

5. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.
It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment. Use your bed only for sleep and sex to strengthen the association between bed and sleep. If you associate a particular activity or item with anxiety about sleeping, omit it from your bedtime routine. For example, if looking at a bedroom clock makes you anxious about how much time you have before you must get up, move the clock out of sight. Do not engage in activities that cause you anxiety and prevent you from sleeping.

6. Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime.
Eating or drinking too much may make you less comfortable when settling down for bed. It is best to avoid a heavy meal too close to bedtime. Also, spicy foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and discomfort during the night. Try to restrict fluids close to bedtime to prevent nighttime awakenings to go to the bathroom, though some people find milk or herbal, non-caffeinated teas to be soothing and a helpful part of a bedtime routine.

7. Exercise regularly.
It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime. In general, exercising regularly makes it easier to fall asleep and contributes to sounder sleep. However, exercising sporadically or right before going to bed will make falling asleep more difficult. In addition to making us more alert, our body temperature rises during exercise, and takes as much as 6 hours to begin to drop. A cooler body temperature is associated with sleep onset... Finish your exercise at least 3 hours before bedtime. Late afternoon exercise is the perfect way to help you fall asleep at night.

8. Avoid caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate) close to bedtime.
It can keep you awake.Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it can produce an alerting effect. Caffeine products, such as coffee, tea, colas and chocolate, remain in the body on average from 3 to 5 hours, but they can affect some people up to 12 hours later. Even if you do not think caffeine affects you, it may be disrupting and changing the quality of your sleep. Avoiding caffeine within 6-8 hours of going to bed can help improve sleep quality.

9. Avoid nicotine (e.g. cigarettes, tobacco products).
Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep. Nicotine is also a stimulant. Smoking before bed makes it more difficult to fall asleep. When smokers go to sleep, they experience withdrawal symptoms from nicotine, which also cause sleep problems. Nicotine can cause difficulty falling asleep, problems waking in the morning, and may also cause nightmares. Difficulty sleeping is just one more reason to quit smoking. And never smoke in bed or when sleepy!

10. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime.
Although many people think of alcohol as a sedative, it actually disrupts sleep, causing nighttime awakenings. Consuming alcohol leads to a night of less restful sleep. If you have sleep problems...Use a sleep diary and talk to your doctor. Note what type of sleep problem is affecting your sleep or if you are sleepy when you wish to be awake and alert. Try these tips and record your sleep and sleep-related activities in a sleep diary. If problems continue, discuss the sleep diary with your doctor. There may be an underlying cause and you will want to be properly diagnosed. Your doctor will help treat the problem or may refer you to a sleep specialist.