In response to a thread on sleep problems I wrote the following advice. Occasionally I return and add more items to get them all in one place.
Let’s fix sleep with science.
- Put these blue-blocking sunglasses on before bed. [amazon link] . That will allow your brain to get sleepy. These are superior at blocking blue light compared to most on the market and they only cost ~$8. If I can’t sleep, it is because I forgot to put these on. It is that important.
- Stop drinking coffee. Some people take 36 hours to metabolize caffeine. Seriously.
- Try a home remedy of a hot liquid such as decaf tea with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp honey about 20 minutes before bed. [reference]
- Throw some money at the problem. Here’s a sleep aid designed for Navy Seals called Doc Parsley’s Sleep Remedy. Use discount code ROBBWOLF. [link] (I greatly prefer the Apple & Cinnamon flavor. I have to warn you though to not mix it with warm water like the instructions say. Use slightly cold water and use half the water it recommends so that it’s really sweet instead of metallic tasting. It tastes terrible if you actually use a full 8oz of warm water as the instructions indicate. If you keep it concentrated it tastes more like a tart Vitamin C tablet.)
- Set your bedroom temp to 65-67 degrees.
- Take a shower before bed, alternating hot and cold water every minute for about 10 minutes. End with cold. This is a potent circadian rhythm stimulus. [reference] Alternatively, you can simply take a warm bath before bed and as your body slowly cools down you will get very sleepy.
- Read fiction before bed. Obviously, using dimmed lights and wearing the blue-blocking sunglasses.
- If waking up in the middle of night due to stress, take Phosphatidyl Serine 300mg before bed. [amazon link] [reference]
- If waking up in the middle of the night due to unconscious movement, sleep in a military crawl, on your stomach with one knee angled out to make it hard for you to rock back and forth in your sleep.
- Take 3g of Glysine before bed (about 3/4 tsp in powder form.) It cools your sleeping body temperature down and makes sleep easier and deeper. [amazon link] [reference]
- Having trouble entraining your circadian rhythm? You need adequate Vitamin A status. If you aren’t eating liver or cod liver oil, you could be at risk for Vitamin A insufficiency. You need to restore your Vitamin A status and then go outside during daylight hours to get your Vitamin D and entrain your circadian rhythm so you get sleepy when the sun goes down. [amazon link] [reference].
- It is also true that any signs of vitamin A deficiency, such as disrupted circadian rhythm, could mean you have a zinc deficiency because of the role it plays in vitamin A metabolism. Therefor, try supplementing with Zinc as well (and use a brand that is appropriately balanced with copper. To significantly increase zinc levels you must take it 3 times a day at least 5 hours apart, because you can only absorb about ~7mg at one time. [amazon link]
- I love love love Afrin before bed which greatly opens my nasal passages. It is really powerful and has a rebound effect when it wears off so go super light with it. [amazon link]
- Make a list. If you have tomorrow on your mind, make a list of things so you can relax. Your list will be there tomorrow to remind you.
- For racing mind, I prefer video games. The video game of choice should be relaxing but just complicated enough to crowd out your thoughts of the day and wipe your mind clean of worries or preoccupations. Play for about an hour before laying down.