Friday, March 16, 2007

Sleep On This


a friend of mine recently wrote a rambling pre-dawn email from the depths of insomnia and when he asked for some advice, i found myself writing a book. ok, so it's only 4 bullet points, but i could easily write more because i've definitely had my troubles with sleep deprivation over the years and it truly sucks B-A-double-L-S. so for any of you out there who deal with it, here is my humble advice:

1.) first off, make sure you're giving yourself plenty of time to wind down before you actually go to bed. ideally don't watch a lot of tv or have crazy stimulating conversations about the universe for at least an hour before---you get the idea. dim the lights about 20 minutes before you want to go to sleep and once you're ready to sleep, make sure all lights are totally out, including t.v., laptop, etc.

2.) here's my own personal breathing technique that works for me: listen to the rhythm and pace of people's breath when they're sleeping---really listen and absorb it. then imitate it the next time you hit the pillow---obviously don't imitate snorers or spastic breathers. the idea is to get a smooth and steady flow going.

3.) try meditation---it helps w/anxiety and the racing thoughts that lead to insomnia. most major cities offer free classes you can find online---google "vipassana" or "insight meditation". it'll bring a little more space into your mind and promote relaxation. though it's not always an immediate solution, it'll help over time.

4.) and last but not least: melatonin is a great over the counter non-pharmaceutical sleep aid when you're in a jam---it's basically the hormone secreted by the body in response to darkness---most health food stores have it (so does Whole Foods). i wouldn't recommend making a regular habit out of it (after a while it makes me a little groggy in the AM), but it's great if all of the above haven't worked on a particularly bad night.

at the end of the day, it's really about what works for you, so try different things. if you google "beating insomnia" or something along those lines you'll find a bunch of ideas out there, like this: http://www.nlp-now.co.uk/insomnia.htm

that's all i got---sweet dreams.

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