More than occasionally, I’ve had trouble with insomnia. Almost always, I fall asleep easily enough. But I often wake up four, three, or even two hours later, my brain half-alert, trying to figure out some time management and/or technological problem.
Someone gave me links to a meditation regimen, and I’ve signed up for others, but I hadn’t found time to actually DO any of them.
Thus, I was intrigued by this CBS News piece about getting a better night’s sleep, a problem that a reported 40 million Americans experience. Key to this process is the 4-7-8 breathing techniques of Dr. Joseph Weil.
After exhaling, one breathes in on a count of four, holds the breath for a count of seven, then exhales over a count of eight. One does this 5-10 times. It increases oxygen in the system. The technique had some positive effects on me.
More tricky to implement is a better nightly routine. The last hour before bed should consist of:
20 minutes to organize – maybe pack tomorrow’s lunch, get papers together
20 minutes hygiene – brush teeth and the like
20 minutes relaxation – reading (NOT online, NOT on a Kindle or the like), praying, meditating, doing yoga or breathing exercises.
If I could only be that organized…
***
I once tried to cheat sleep, and for a year I succeeded.
Ohh how sad i am for you, knowing what it is, how it feels, and what the impact of it can be.
I can not offer you the wondercure sadly enough, but when i find it, you’ll be the first to know.
Zzzzzzzzzzz – that was my first tought by the letter Z. I konow insomia very well, sigh. I’ve reading about this breath technique in the web, but I haven’t learn it correctly to do until today…. well, let’s change the promt!
Greetings from Germany
This looks like a good routine to follow.
I also suffer from insomnia. I was advised to have a glass of warm milk with honey. This works( sometimes), many people suffer from the same trouble. I shall try the breathing routine.
Have a great week.
Wil, ABCW Team
I feel for you. I do have bouts of insomnia where I am simply not tired at all.
My ABC WEDNESDAY
I’ve had it off and on over the years. Sometimes stress related, sometimes “lady stuff.”
I think the breathing exercise works in part because you’re concentrating on something very simple and sort of “boring.” I also once had someone advise me:
A. Say the alphabet slowly backwards, or better, imagine writing each letter on a chalk board and then erase it
B. Do some kind of boring math operation in your head, like adding up by 7s.
C. (This may only have been because I was a swimmer in high school): Imagine yourself in a pool, swimming laps using your favorite stroke (for me: backstroke)
I find that getting away from any kind of backlit screen (tv, computer, whatever) within an hour of bedtime is a must. Reading a book – an ink and paper book – actually helps me get to sleep. As long as it’s not something related to work….
Another thing: these days I have to use a “noise machine” (makes static like sounds) to block out the barking dogs and loud “duallie” pickups driving by in my neighborhood. Fans can also help with that.
Noise is really my enemy in re: sleep. I am a very light sleeper and sounds wake me up.
One of my sons rigged up a tripod that extends over my bed and holds my Ipad, – I watch foreign movies with sub titles and invariably fall asleep while it is still playing.
Wonderful contraption……
most of the time , I ZZZZZ easily, but sometimes, my head has too much to think, and I find it hard to ZZZZZ.
Zanzibar, such a nice name.
I’m remembering this hint for the next time I can’t sleep.
I fall asleep within five minutes of listening to a book on mp3.
Fortunately I sleep very well, so I am not delighted when one of my cats says good morning to me at 5 am ! Your cat must be happy that you are so often awaked 🙂 !
I do have trouble sleeping at times, but being that organized would be difficult for sure. Packing tomorrow’s lunch would definitely be out of the agenda though 😀
Leo @ I Rhyme Without Reason
its a frustrating thing to have, I’ve had the waking up after an hour thing too and thinking it can’t possibly be only that time. I’m on pain killers for sciatica at the moment so one of the only plus sides of this is I’m out like a light at bedtime.
My room-mate has the same problem not enough sleep, and too much wide awakes, his driving rather scares us at times for he tends to start dozing off, he sleeps when he is able anywhere from an hour to two to three hours the most and is awake most of the time or barely awake. He dosent believe at taking medications to help him sleep.
Good post for the Letter Z.
I take morphine based drugs for my RA so sleep is not a problem, it’s the waking up that causes consternation, as dear heart sometimes worries that I am in a coma. lol !
I do hope you can sort your insomnia Roger xx
Best wishes,
Di.
ABCW team.
PS I managed to complete the extra visits, and a few more to boot !
Entrepreneur had the same sleep issues. He discovered Diphenhydramine pills and now sleeps through the night! You can order straight Diphenhydramine pills online for fairly inexpensive.
I used to write into the morning hours. because I would get distracted during the day. So I said. Now that I do it only now and then, I wonder if it’s just because I don’t feel like sleeping. Hope when you do sleep, you get a restful one.