Sleep

goals

  1. primary goal is 7-8 hours of *uninterrupted* sleep each night in order to produce enough delta stage sleep.
  2. My target sleep hours are to be in bed by 9 PM and up by 5 AM.

sleep hygiene rules

  1. No reading or watching movies in bed. The bed should be for sleep and sex only. And sex should not displace sleep time.
  2. Cut the caffeine dramatically. One cup of coffee in the morning is OK, but the rest of the day needs to be restricted to decaf. No caffeine-containing sodas either, stick to stevia-sweetened lemonade and limeade, stevia-sweetened dilute cranberry juice, mint teas, or water.
  3. If tired during the day, a nap is OK provided it lasts no longer than 1 1/2 hours and is over before 2 PM.
  4. Make sure to get outside in the sunlight for at least a half hour daily. The body can't straighten out it's rhythms if all it ever sees is electric lights!
  5. No chocolate after 2 PM. Have coconut bark, dark chocolate or cocoa at lunch, if desired, but not later in the day.
  6. No exercise after 3 PM.
  7. If nicotine products are used, do not use after 3 PM.
  8. Eat dinner earlier - around 4 PM. A glass of wine with dinner is fine, but no alcohol after dinner.
  9. Limit fluids after 6 PM to reduce the chances of waking with a full bladder.
  10. About an hour before bed, either read or watch something relaxing to unwind.
  11. Have a light bedtime snack to prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia. Good bedtime snacks are high in tryptophan and low in carbohydrate: a scoop of tuna, turkey or chicken salad is ideal.
  12. Take a hot shower or bath before bed. This lowers body temperature and lets your body know sleep is happening.
  13. Sleep in the DARK. Light can inhibit melatonin production. It's best to even cover LED lights and such.
  14. Set alarms and other clocks so the time is not visible from the bed.
  15. Listen to nature sounds or hypnosis tapes overnight. Better yet, get something specifically designed to induce delta sleep.
  16. If you wake up and need to pee, try to go back to sleep instead. If you still feel the need in 10-15 minutes, pee and go right back to bed.
  17. Get up promptly when the alarm goes off.

further treatment

  1. If sleep hygiene rules are not effective at allowing at least 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, then try 5-HTP supplements. Take 200 mg at bedtime. They will take 4-6 weeks to be effective.
  2. If 5-HTP doesn't help, try a dose of 200-750mg 30% extract of kava kava at bedtime.
  3. If the above doesn't work, discuss Ambien, Desyrl, Klonopin and/or Xanax with doctor. It's preferable to take low-doses of several rather than a high dose of any if needed. Don't take a large enough dose of anything if it causes next-day sedation.