Those of my readers that know me well also know that I have struggled with sleep disorder my entire life. Among my earliest memories of life are tantrums thrown in the wee small hours of the night because I couldn’t fall asleep, and my six-year-old brain couldn’t understand why. I spent most of my high school and college years averaging anywhere from 3 to 12 hours per night. My sleep habits were erratic, and sloppy and I suffered a great many stressful nights of tossing and turning because of it.
in 2007 I discovered a great book called POWER SLEEP. In it I found several great strategies that help, and explanations as to why they will help, in case you’re curious about that too. It’s based on two generations of sleep research, and it covers a wide-variety of issues, from sleep-deprived new parents, to office workers getting drowsy at their desks. Nearly everyone can find something of value in this book.
The simplest and most helpful tip I can share with you right now is this: make it dark. The space you sleep in needs to be as close to pitch black as possible. No LCD display alarm clock, no streetlights streaming in. Complete. Total. Darkness. This goes back to our evolutionary roots. Sleep habits in mammals, including our own, likely developed in the first land mammals who burrowed into the earth, or slept in dark caves. Keep in mind that predating electric lighting, finding complete darkenss to sleep in was never a problem. Now you’ve got to rid your bedroom of all light, and the easiest way is some dark, heavy curtains.
Today I found a great article on MARK’S DAILY APPLE all about the impact of SLEEP POSTURE. He posits, and I agree, that your sleep posture has a greater impact on your quality of sleep than even does your bedding and mattress. Afterall, why else are you tossing and turning? You’re trying to find that “sweet spot,” that lying posture that lets you fully relax and drift off. He gives you a specific way of lying down that can help you find it. Check it out.