Insomnia and sleep restriction

[kally]

I have been doing the sleep restriction since about June. If anyone is interested in discussing this I would be happy to share my experiences.

[nswef]

I'd be interested in an explanation of what it is.

[kib]

I'm interested too. Did it help you, and was it difficult to do?

[freshstart]

interested, as well

[kally]

okay so I started in earnest doing it in June of this year. Terrible sleeper, erratic hours for years blah blah blah, you know the drill.

So first they diagnosed apnea so I got the hose and that was good after a while. But it didn't do anything to address the insomnia.

So then I got to work with a sleep specialist. I went over every 3 weeks from my island to consult with this guy.

Key things I leaned

1. It is easier to do this with someone to be accountable to. Even an on-line program might be good.
2. I had become pretty terrified of going to sleep and just thought my natural ability wasn't working.
3. I needed to set a bedtime and a wake up time and do my best to stick to them.

So how did it go?

Week 1 was hard but not impossible. Went to bed at 1 am and got up at 7. But I didn't sleep at 1, so got up wandered around and probably slept at 2:30 or something. Not pleasant, but not horrible.

As the weeks went by I recorded what I did and things improved a bit, two steps forward, one step back.
I kept fooling around with my times.

But I learned that I need about 6.5 hours sleep. Mostly I go to sleep around 12:30, sleep around 1 and up around 7 = 7 30. Sometimes it doesn't work at all, but I am not as afraid of going to sleep.

I am really glad I did it. If I travel or have something really big come up in the morning I allow myself 1/2 of a small dose of meds. I also learned a lot about sleeping meds and how to use them on occasion to avoid going into a spiral no sleep event.

I would say it is really worth doing. I tried it by myself once before, too hard, not enough help. The cognitive behaviour therapy and the assurance that this has worked with thousands of people helped me too. I would also advise doing it in the warmer months or if you live in a warm place. Sitting up by myself at 3 in the morning in July was a lot better than doing it in November.

Please feel free to ask any questions.

[kib]

Were you encouraged to get up and sit if you couldn't fall asleep, or did you feel you just couldn't lie there? I rarely get up, but I don't know if that's helpful or if I should go for a "reset" rather than just lying there hoping.

[kally]

I was totally encouraged to get up and do something. It seems impossible, but looking back on it - it was hard, sometimes boring, but doable.

I think my sleep is still sort of fragile, but it is getting more natural over time. One of the other things I had to learn was that some nights I would have a bad sleep or not much sleep, just like everyone else in the world. There is a lot to learn about sleep schedules and sleep debt.

[rodeosweetheart]

I read up on it, Kally, when you used the term. It looks very interesting and sensible. So great it is working for you.

I never had sleep problems until menopause, and that's been 10 years now of bad sleep. So I'm really open to new ideas. I am one of those people that roams around on Ambien, so I can't take that.

[lessisbest]

These are some questions you may want to ask yourself -- not necessarily answer them here on the message board, because any and all are contributors to sleep issues.

1. What is your diet like?

2. Do you eat on a regular schedule? Do you eat late at night, and what kinds of foods?

3. Have you ever kept a food journal?

4. What is your activity level? Do you exercise on a regular basis?

5. What is your stress level? What are the causes of your stress?

6. Have you had blood work to check for nutritional deficiencies and abnormal hormone levels?

7. Do you spend any time outdoors?

8. What kind of lighting do you spend most of your time around?

9. Is your bedroom completely dark? Light is what synchronizes our body's natural rhythm. Humans are meant to go to sleep within a few hours
after the sun goes down and wake up with the sun rise. Artificial light disrupts this cycle, so cover your windows, remove any night lights, alarm clocks, phones, or any other light sources in your room, and make your room as dark as you can at night. Even a small amount of light can interfere with sleep hormones.

10. Is your sleep interrupted by electronic devises? Do you avoid your cell phone, computer and television screens for at least 1-2 hours before you go to bed?

11. Do you have any "gut" issues - digestive issues, food sensitivities, food malabsorption...

12. Do you crave carbs and sugars or experience blood-sugar issues? A lack of sleep is associated with blood-sugar dysregulation.

13. Have you tried the 4-7-8 technique to fall asleep in 60-seconds? You can find examples and information on-line?

[kally]

very good question. I can tell the difference between days I exercise and those I don't.
For me I eat a super healthy diet, low sat fat whole food plant based.

[lessisbest]

Going out on a limb.....

-Have you ever used BACH Flower Essences - a homeopathic remedy. You have to do research to find the Bach remedy that fits your personal needs.

-Ayurvedic remedies:

Eating 10-20 cherries daily may help relieve insomnia. Cherries are good for mental fatigue and stress, and both can contribute to insomnia. [I'm thinking a box of chocolate-covered cherries a day isn't the delivery system they had in mind, but not a bad way to go ;).)

Nutmeg can help induce sleep. A fine paste made of nutmeg powder mixed with an equal amount of ghee can be applied around your eyes and on your forehead before bed to help you fall asleep. [lessisbest note: you can also buy nutmeg essential oil and may want to do some research on the health benefits. I think I would mix some nutmeg oil with some coconut oil (or some other carrier oil - like almond oil) and apply it instead of powder/ghee mixture.]

[Rachel]

I didn't know about the 4-7-8 technique, thank you for that. I will add that to my repertoire. I exercise vigorously every day, eat organic/mostly plant-based, daily green smoothies, regular hours, and I still have chronic insomnia. I did try to restrict my hours once to see if that would help and I got really sleep deprived very quickly. I'm at my wit's end...have tried Melatonin and am currently experimenting with Trytophan capsules. Any and all suggestions welcome, I am trying really hard to stay away from the benzos.

[kally]

Rachel - it is typical to become really sleep deprived when you start sleep restriction. I found that it didn't go on forever. It is a good day/bad day type of thing. Not everything is perfect and I still have problems, but overall things are improving.

[Rachel]

Good to know, kally. Thanks for the tip.