Day 62: The most effective cure for insomnia

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 62: The most effective cure for insomnia

For the first time in a long time I feel rested on a Monday morning. Usually, on a Monday morning I feel like death warmed up because of lack of sleep the previous night.

I sleep, sort of, okay during the week. I’m up at 6:00 a.m., work all day (sort of) and go to bed at 11:00 p.m. Tired, I’m almost asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Sleeping on a Sunday night is a different story though. Instead of at 6:00 I get up around 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. and when I go to bed I’m not tired at all. I go to bed because, well, I have to get up early the next morning.

Over the years I’ve read numerous articles and followed all sorts of advice.

Warm milk

That doesn’t work for me because I hate milk and I’m lactose intolerant.

 

Chamomile tea

I tried that, first with one bag and then with two teabags in a cup and it did precisely nothing.

Melatonin over the counter sleeping aid

No results.

Counting sheep

I counted from 1 to 100 and from 100 to zero and I was still wide awake.

 

Lavender oil 

 

I thought a few drops on my pillow would do the trick and it did smell very nice. Unfortunately, it brought on a sneeze attack which kept me awake.

Meditation 

That didn’t work at all. The more I tried to think of nothing, the more my mind kept jumping all over the place.

Sound machine

Now there was a great idea. My son got me a sound machine for Christmas and I had high hopes. It seemed to work very well for other people, so I was confident that it would work well for me. It didn’t. As I tried out various sounds, and a number of things happened.

 Birdsong 

I have three cats sleeping with me, and I’ll bet you know what I’m going to say next. Right, the cats woke up and were on high alert. Birds ... they heard birds ... where were those birds? They got up, walked all over the bed, looked under the bed, jumped on cabinets, on the windowsill ... they were all over the place, looking at the ceiling and the walls, twisting their head from left to right, up and down.

 Babbling brook 

Ah, so relaxing, except after a while I had to go to the bathroom. Half an hour later, another bathroom visit.

 Whale call 

The first time I heard the call of a whale I nearly bolted from the room. My gosh what a spooky sound. During the day a whale call might be fine, but at night it’s like a few ghosts are having a party.

 Rain

Okay, so that was fine. Hearing rain spatter on a hard surface was rather nice to listen to. Sometimes listening to the rain worked, sometimes it didn’t.

And then I remembered something. Many years ago I followed a TV series called ‘The Joy of Painting’ with Bob Ross. Ross passed away on July 4, 1995 but his voice lives on. A bedroom voice as many used to call it. His paint instructions were educational, but listening to his voice alone was relaxing and enough to put anyone to sleep.

With this in mind I had Dieter download a couple of ‘Joy of Painting’ episodes and played them last night. I was out like a light before the first 20 minute episode even finished.

Having finally had a good night rest, for the first time on a Monday morning, I feel fresh and rested. If you have trouble sleeping, forget warm milk, chamomile tea, counting sheep, meditation, or pills. Listen to Bob Ross’ voice and you’ll be catching those zzzzz’s in no time.  

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Day 36: Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 36: Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep

Last night was one of those nights again ... tossing and turning and waiting for the sandman to come. I felt perfectly tired when I went to bed and I expected to fall asleep the moment my head hit the pillow, but once under the duvet, I was wide awake.

Are you one of those lucky people who fall asleep the moment they lie down? Many people have problems falling asleep, or suffer from another form of insomnia where they wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep again. An old remedy for sleeplessness other than counting sheep is drinking a cup of warm milk. But does warm milk really help you sleep, or is it a myth?

Urban legend has it that warm milk is sleep-inducing because it contains the enzyme tryptophan. This is the same enzyme that is found in turkey meat and that is credited with lulling people to sleep after a big Thanksgiving dinner.  However, studies have shown that it’s not the turkey meat that makes you sleepy, as you would have to consume 40 pounds of the meat for the tryptophan to have any effect.

If you’ve been tossing and turning, and you eventually get out of bed to warm up some milk, you’ve taken the first step in the right direction, getting up. Going to the kitchen to warm up something relaxes your brain because you’re no longer concerned about falling asleep. While you wait for the milk to warm, your mind relaxes even more, thus preparing you for sleep. Making a cup of herbal tea would have the same effect because it’s the warmth that gives you comfort. People often discover that once back in bed, they can fall asleep even before they’ve taken one sip of the milk.

Further studies have shown that although tryptophan can help with the first phase of sleep, it can interfere with the remaining sleep phases. Tryptophan, when taken in conjunction with high protein foods such as milk, can decrease the chances that the enzyme even reaches the brain.

If you find it hard to fall asleep, it’s a good idea to reach for foods rich in carbohydrates. While it’s not recommended to have a big meal before going to bed, never go to bed hungry either. Mix protein foods with carbohydrates to encourage the brain to produce a calming hormone called serotonin. Good choices would be a slice of whole-wheat toast topped with a slice of low-fat cheese or one banana combined with a teaspoon of peanut butter.

Any number of details could be to blame for preventing you from falling asleep. Stress, the room’s temperature, too much light, an uncomfortable mattress or even an overly fluffy pillow can cause insomnia. There are companies that specialize in making sleep aid products. They manufacture eye masks, pillows, herbal teas, and natural sleep-promoting supplements to fight your insomnia.

Does warm milk help you sleep? Not really, but the routine of preparing something warm is enough to relax you.