Cheat on the Need to Sleep!

[alfreda89]

willshetterly brings us an article from WIRED on getting quality sleep. This article and study does not insist on mega-hours of sleep -- it insists on trying to get quality sleep.

Believe it or not, here are a few suggestions:


* Do not take sleeping pills. This includes over-the-counter pills and melatonin.
* Don't go to bed until you're sleepy. If you have trouble sleeping, try going to bed later or getting up earlier.
* Get up at the same time every morning, even after a bad night's sleep. The next night, you'll be sleepy at bedtime.
* If you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep, get out of bed and return only when you are sleepy.
* Avoid worrying, watching TV, reading scary books, and doing other things in bed besides sleeping and sex. If you worry, read thrillers or watch TV, do that in a chair that's not in the bedroom.
* Do not drink or eat anything caffeinated within six hours of bedtime.
* Avoid alcohol. It's relaxing at first but can lead to insomnia when it clears your system.
* Spend time outdoors. People exposed to daylight or bright light therapy sleep better.


Cheat on the Need to Sleep

Comments

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

It does, indeed, have its difficulties.

But hallucinations interfere with many geek activities! ;^)

[ebeeman.livejournal.com]

I think this is good advice, up to a point. But it's presuming a lot, and there are a lot of people (myself included) for whom these sleep practices are insufficient.

---Ellen

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

But it's presuming a lot, and there are a lot of people (myself included) for whom these sleep practices are insufficient.

Yes -- it won't work for my condition, either. But I have found that a lot of the problem is taken care of by stayng up -- or getting up -- one night, and being a bit more tired the next.

[oliana0.livejournal.com]

Exercise!!!

And no caffeine. Caffeine make take longer to break down in the system than 6 hours, depending on the person.

All I do is sleep in my bedroom (and decide on clothes to wear). No TV, no reading, no computer.

Also have a routine that puts you in the proper mindset to sleep. I have set things I'm "allowed" to think about when trying to sleep; these things exclude things that make me active: trying to solve problems, forming arguements, etc. These are what keep my mind active, which makes me awake.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I have set things I'm "allowed" to think about when trying to sleep; these things exclude things that make me active: trying to solve problems, forming arguements, etc. These are what keep my mind active, which makes me awake.

Big problem for me, sometimes, too. I used a recorded hypno CD to get to sleep for about 18 months, at one point.