8 “tools” to maximize your Sleep

Jenett says on January 25th, 2007 at 10:39 am

A couple they don’t mention (especially if you’re a light sleeper, like I am)

1) Eye masks : It doesn’t need to stay on all night, but it’s very useful for blocking light while you’re falling asleep, and there’s a number in the $12-30 range.

I got mine from Dream Essentials (http://www.dreamessentials.com). No association other than being a very happy customer, but one thing I really like about their site is that they include lots of useful information on each mask. For example, whether it works for side sleepers, how thick the profile is, how well it blocks light, whether it’s designed to place light pressure on your eyelids or have you open your eyes, etc.

If you’ve only seen the airplane or drug store ones, the mid-range masks are a *big* step up.

2) Ear plugs. I wake up easily when asleep, but didn’t want to miss my alarm. When I was married and my husband (now ex) snored, I started sleeping with an earplug in one ear, not both. I sleep on my side, and would stick it in the ‘up’ ear, and the pillow would muffle sound for the other.

If he started snoring, it was much less of a sleep disturbance for me to roll over, instead of elbowing him to get him to roll over, or burying my head under a pillow. These days, it works well when the cat decides to be noisily playing in the bedroom at 3am, or to block normal household noise from my housemates.

3) A good body pillow’s made a huge difference in how much stress I retain over night in my neck/shoulders/lower back.

I use the Comfort-U (which is big), also got from Dream Essentials, and it’s been one of the better investments in my body I’ve made in a long time. It’s very adaptable to different shapes, positions, etc.

4) They mention several possible tea and other options for natural sleep aids.

I’m really fond of the Republic of Tea’s Chamomile Lemon tea, which has several other good sleep herbs. (Check for allegies, etc. first. If you’re allergic to ragweed, be careful with chamomile, for example: they’re in the same plant family, and allergies can cross over.)

I also use a couple of aromatherapy based blends (mine come from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab - I use the Somnus and TKO blends, depending on how desperately I need sleep. They should be used sparingly, and not every night, to keep the efficacy.)

5) I’m sort of surprised they don’t mention avoiding caffine - if you’re having issues sleeping, try avoiding caffine after 3pm, or even noon.

I found it didn’t make a huge difference in when I fell asleep, but it makes a significant difference in how *well* I sleep. Some people have similar responses to alcohol, or certain kinds of food.

Nathania Johnson says on January 25th, 2007 at 10:43 am

I agree with the previous comment about using a sleep mask. Though you can get them at Target or Walmart for $3-$5

Writing down things that are bothering you before you go to bed is another good idea. Otherwise, you might keep thinking about them and that might keep you awake. Plus, your subconscious might literally dream up the solution during the night and you’ll have answers when you awake the next morning.

Jenett says on January 25th, 2007 at 12:39 pm

A note on the masks:

I found that the cheaper ones really didn’t stay on my head at all well (I’ve got long hair I braid at night, so there’s not a lot of ‘grip’), and they didn’t block light as well either (some creeping in under the nose.)

The one I have now has a line of soft padding (maybe a centimeter thick?) along the bottom edge, which does a lot to both make it stay on my face better, and block light. Mostly this is a “If the cheap ones don’t work for you, there are other variants that may.” personal preference thing.

Todd says on April 9th, 2007 at 12:43 am

Thanks for your tips. For restful sleep in a noisy neighborhood and copters and planes flying overhead, I have used ear plugs and “white noise” to block out noise. I recently bought a pack of “Mack’s” 32-decibel-level protection ear plugs at a store for just a few bucks. They are a comfortable foam, they are washable, re-useable, and they work great for me. Recently the next-door
neighbors were doing construction on their driveway, using electric saws, and the ear plugs are blocked it out. The 32-noise-protection by Mack’s are the best ear plugs I have ever used.

I have tried rubber plugs molded to the shape of my ear canal, but those have not worked as well. The plugs seem to produce moisture (creating an uncomfortability). I recently read
at the website of an ear plug manufacturer, that the moisture caused
by ear plugs molded to the shape of the ear is due to the canal being warm and humid. And the website says that to alleviate the moisture, a “desiccant drying system” is needed. I have not looked into that.

In the past, I’ve also used an upright fan to create “white noise”, and set the power level to “medium” or “high”.

I also have a really great chiropractor and have received regular adjustments, which have helped me to get better sleep and better health.

I hope this can be useful information to others here.

Oh, I forgot - I recommend calcium supplement before bedtime, especially for coffee drinkers. (Coffee consumption dissipates calcium levels in the body, so it is good to take supplements.) Calcium can help produce calming effects.