In Search for a Cure for INSOMNIA

Oh, the difficulties of getting to sleep, or staying asleep… it’s a struggle for so many of us.

I never used to struggle with sleep. I remember the days when I could drink a cup of caffeinated coffee for comfort’s sake late at night and have no trouble nodding off when I hit the hay at bedtime.

Those days are gone.

In recent years it has not been so much falling asleep that has been a problem, but getting back to sleep once I’ve been awakened by something at some point during the night. If my sleep is disturbed after the initial drop off, I know it will take me a full ninety minutes to fall asleep again. Nothing seems to shorten this period of wakefulness; it is merely something that has to be endured. I’ve learned that I might as well open up the book on my phone and get a few chapters read while I have the time.

I don’t get the recommended 7-8 hours of rest on the best of nights; 6 and a half seems to be my average. Waking in the middle of the night doesn’t mean I sleep in later in the mornings; my internal alarm still goes off at 6:30 a.m. So it’s important to me that I don’t lose almost a quarter of my usual sleep time unnecessarily.

Since I can’t seem to make myself fall back asleep, the best solution to avoid exhaustion is to keep myself from waking up in the middle of the night in the first place. Frustrated, I asked God for some ideas , and together we came up with several strategies to keep me asleep once I fall asleep. I list them here in the hope they might help someone else.

1)      I started putting my cat in the bathroom at bedtime so it wouldn’t attack me in the middle of the night in an attempt to get me to get up and play. It may sound cruel, but the bathroom is a good size, and is fully stocked with kitty needs: food, water, litter box, a comfy place to sleep, and toys. I did miss the bedtime cuddles with him but discovered they didn’t offset the frustration of nightly attacks when he decided it was time for play. Now we just cuddle earlier in the day.

2)      I gave up caffeine in any form much after noon. The list includes coffee, sodas, and even caffeinated tea. I’m glad that chocolate doesn’t bother me… at least, not yet!

3)      I turn my phone to silent and even remove my fitbit from my wrist so I am not disturbed by the pings or vibrations of incoming messages from night owls or people in distant time zones.

4)      I drink a shot glass of tart cherry juice just before bed, a natural source of melatonin and tryptophan, ingredients known to induce sleepiness.

5)      I apply a magnesium lotion to my legs before bed to help soothe and relax tired muscles. I found it helps avoid leg cramps and restless leg syndrome, both of which can make a good night’s sleep an unattainable goal.

These simple steps have helped me tremendously get a good night’s sleep most of the time. On the rare occasions now that I still wake up, I look back over the day for actions that might have affected my sleep that night, so I don’t make the mistake again. Sometimes instead of counting sheep I recite as many Bible verses as I can bring to mind. Or I pick up my book and read till the number of yawns per page exceeds the paragraphs on the same and signals that it might be time to try and doze off again!

“…he grants sleep to those he loves.” (Psalm 127:2 NIV)

 

(photo credit: Unsplash/MphoMojapelo)