Getting more sleep

Sleep is a funny thing - I want more of it, but because I never feel like there's enough time in the day to get everything done, sleep feels more like an enemy.

But I also know after I get a good nights rest (7-8 hours or more), I feel so much better than I do on the days I don't get enough (which are are most days).

Is 6 hours enough? I'm guessing not. But it's consistently how much I sleep. In 2020, after a series of really bad insomniac episodes that led to exhaustion, a friend suggested I try Trazodone.

For awhile, Trazodone seemed to do the trick. But after many months (five?), it no longer seems work. Perhaps it's time to up the dosage (I was at 50MG). But I do recall I felt pretty groggy the next morning.

Does using a Sleep Tracker help?

Static electricity in my bed... use a grounding pad? Tried 30 days with a grounding pad. No help.

I began taking some Chinese herbs at the suggestion of my acupuncturist:

She's suggested I take 4 @ bedtime. Each capsule contains:

They definitely knocked me out, but did help me get back asleep when I wake up in the middle of the night. Falling asleep is never the problem. It's staying asleep.

If you want to try it, I found something similar on Amazon: Zizyphus Sleep Formula.

My friend Mark who's a doctor gave me this advice:

Let's get to the root of the problem. The inability to stay asleep is ubiquitous in western cultures like the United States. There is too much on our plates that we have to deal with every day. The solution lies in identifying the stressors and eliminating them as much as possible. That is sometimes difficult to do. If I were you, I would take a blend of valerian root, passiflora, and magnesium. Also, about 3 mg of melatonin an hour before bed.

I hope this helps.

I do meditate daily for at least 20 minutes, and usually my heart rate date (from my Whoop) mirrors my sleep. So add in 20-30 minutes and I'm actually getting more like 6.5 hours on most days.

Q. Is my lack of sleep due to my need to know everything? If so... try letting go of the need to know. Remember this mantra: What's important now is all that matters, what's important later will reveal itself in time.

What I'm current reading/watching about sleep

Can what you eat effect your sleep?

Recommendations (2-3 hours before bedtime):

Magnesium

Magnesium is essential for supporting brain health and memory. It may be especially important for you as it helps normalize BRAIN CELL SIGNALING by slowing down how rapidly calcium flows through the voltage gated calcium channel.

How much magnesium should you consume?

The recommended daily intake of magnesium ranges from 80mg to 410mg for children and 310mg to 420mg for adults. Unfortunately, the diets of many people in the United States provide less than the recommended amounts of magnesium.

What foods have higher levels of magnesium?

You can get the recommended amount of magnesium by eating a variety of foods including legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and green leafy vegetables (such as spinach). Fortified breakfast cereals and other fortified foods as well as milk, yogurt and some other milk products are also good sources of dietary magnesium.

Magnesium supplements

Magnesium is available in multivitamin-mineral supplements and other dietary supplements, but comes in many different forms for different uses. The forms of magnesium in dietary supplements that are more easily absorbed by the body are Magnesium citrate, magnesium aspartate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium gluconate, magnesium lactate, magnesium malate, and magnesium chloride. Magnesium gluconate should be taken with a meal; other forms can be taken on an empty stomach. Read More.

For additional information on how to increase your intake of magnesium, visit National Institute of Health.

Sleep Latency Test - Are you Sleep Deprived?

What's interesting to me is the survey that 40% of the people regularly get less than 6 hours sleep per night. That's me!

Additional Reading

Can the right music help you sleep?

A self-prescribed sleeping pill of sound?

Sleep Music for Amazon Prime Members

There's also a 6+ hour playlist available to prime members.

Sleep Music on Bandcamp

Sleep Music on Soundcloud

Sleep Music System · Natural Sleep - Warm and Relaxing Music for Sleep Insomnia. Soothing Music for Sleep with Relaxing Nature Sounds. Relaxing Music Sleep and Background Music. True Nature Sound to Help You Sleep

Sleep Music System · Baby Sleep (Soft Piano Music to Sleep Like a Baby)

Sleep Music System · Deep - Music for Profound Relaxation to Help you Sleep. Serene and Peaceful Music for Insomnia Help and Stress Relief. Natural Sounds Sleep Aid with nature Sound Effects

Sleep Supplements

An ever growing list of recommendations from friends & colleagues. Hopefully one of these works for you!

Sleep Diary

Resources & Further Reading

Articles from Greater Good Magazine

Four Surprising Ways to Get a Better Night's Sleep

Research suggests that practicing gratitude, forgiveness, mindfulness, and self-compassion may improve our sleep during stressful times.

How to Keep Coronavirus Worries from Disrupting Your Sleep

A sleep expert weighs in on how to get a better night's rest during this time of heightened stress.

Why Your Brain Needs to Dream

Research shows that dreaming is not just a byproduct of sleep, but serves its own important functions in our well-being.

How Resting More Can Boost Your Productivity

Here are five ways to incorporate more rest and rejuvenation into your work day.

Five Ways Sleep Is Good for Your Relationships

New research highlights how sleep benefits our social lives.

Sleep Before You Bicker

Spoiling for a fight with your partner? Before you start, think about how well you or your partner slept the previous night.

How Cosleeping Can Help You and Your Baby

The decision whether to cosleep with your baby is extremely controversial---and there are two sides to the story.

Eight Ways to Help Teens Get More Sleep

Is your teen sleep-deprived? Stop arguing and start listening.

Your Sleep Tonight Changes How You React to Stress Tomorrow

According to new research, a good night's sleep makes us more positive and resilient to stress.

The Sleepless See Threats Everywhere

A new study finds that the sleep-deprived brain can mistake friends for foes.

Is a Grudge Keeping You Up at Night?

According to a new study, people who are more forgiving sleep better (and have better health).

Five Tips for Women Who Have Trouble Sleeping

Women tend to have more sleep problems than men, but there are ways to get a better night's rest.

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