Sweet Dreams

17 Jun

I’ve been meaning to post an article for some time now. The problem is that I wanted this next entry to be about sleep and ironically, I haven’t slept worth a damn lately. I’ll get into that momentarily, but first, I’d like to discuss what I feel may be helpful to some of you.

I should note that I am no sleep expert (apparently). In fact, I even had to resort to taking sleeping pills in high school because a restful slumber alluded me even then.

What I do know is this: most of us don’t have a schedule to prepare for sleep. We look at our cell phones, we watch television, we have lights on, we go full throttle and then hope to magically doze off until morning. But the blue light that emits from all our gadgets and light bulbs tells our brain to power up and prevents us from winding down.

So what can one do to offset this? I recommend setting things into motion about two hours before bed if possible, one hour at minimum. That entails no phone or computer usage during this time. If that isn’t an option, I propose you dim your screens. There’s an app called twilight that you can set to dim your phone automatically at certain times. If you can use yellow lights or dim your lights that will help signal your brain it’s time to wind down. Candles are a soothing alternative to lights as well.

Also, try not to eat or drink 3 hours prior to bedtime. The digestion process will interfere with your body’s ability to relax and we all know a full bladder does us no favors in this regard. However, some people swear by warm milk, sleepy tea or tart cherry juice to snooze successfully- I say do whatever works for you.

You may want to invest in some blackout shades to keep your bedroom nice and dark, especially if you work a night shift. I use earplugs because any noise at all will keep me up. And by all means, make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable! I have a Casper mattress and pillow and they are extremely cozy.

Many sleep gurus warn against having a television in your bedroom and I agree. This room is primarily for sleep and sex – never tv!

I suggest trying to read a book or meditate before sleep. Any relaxing activity will help prepare you for a good night’s rest. And finally, keep your bedroom fairly cool – studies have shown that people seem to sleep better in a cooler environment. Once again, it’s your call- do what works for you.

Now, perhaps you’re like me and all that still isn’t enough. This is where gadgets come into play. Some people need some background noise and there are plenty of noise machines on the market- currently, I use a fan, but you’ll have to determine your best fit.

Then there are PEMF’S, or pulsed electromagnetic field devices. These are not cheap. I purchased one for $750, that was Earthpulse brand which came with a 90 day return policy. It has helped me quite a bit. It’s basically an extremely high powered magnet that can be used for healing purposes or sleep. I use mine for sleep,but I’m curious about the therapeutic aspect of it as well. Anyway, you put it under your mattress where your head rests and it has a remote that you set according to your best sleep options and amount of time you wish to sleep. Once again, this is expensive, but if you are desperate and can afford it- I highly recommend you try it.

Finally, I will get into why I haven’t slept well lately. For one, my shoulder has been in a lot of pain and has kept me from being able to rest sufficiently. Not much I can do there except rehab it and know it’ll heal in time.

The main issue that’s kept me up at night for over a decade however, is dry mouth. I even take a medication called Evoxac to deal with it. Evoxac is used by cancer patients to combat the drying effects of chemotherapy – and that has been my savior for many years. But like all prescriptions, there are side-effects. For me, these include slobbering all over my pillow, having to pee constantly, and being prone to dehydration. Basically, the thing that’s allowing me to sleep is also hindering it. I should add that I reside in a dry climate, so having dry mouth seems not only benign, but commonplace. I’ve tried humidifiers, sprays and nose cones to no avail. My nose also tends to make a whistling sound, which also keeps me up at night. It took me getting sicker than a dog (most likely from lack of sleep) to finally research this and try to get down to the bottom of what’s causing my symptoms. As it turns out, a deviated septum can be to blame for both my musical nostrils and my dry mouth -it is also a main cause of snoring. I may need surgery to correct this problem, but if it fixes what’s been ailing me for so long and allows me to finally sleep like a champ, I’m all for it. I’ll keep you posted. Sweet dreams!