Agenda Magazine

For my dear insomniacs, some suggestions- suggestions, because I don’t give advices- I believe in free will and therefore in the fact that people need to know as many options as possible, then either ignore them or follow up on them. In a free translation from the movie Amelie Poulain, “ Amelie has the irrevocable right to fuck up her own life” , but she definitely needs to know what else can be done.

I struggled with sleep problems for a long time myself and because I refused to take medication, I looked around for alternative solutions. I can now speak about a set of management tools rather than a “cure”- on certain days some tricks work better than others, and some that work for some might not work for others.

Lack of sleep is associated with depression in the long run, and depression generates lack of sleep, so you have all the interest to break the circle and take care of your sleep. There are many reasons why we can’t sleep- working in shifts, stress, a big project, a big decision to take, depression or simply a delayed pattern of sleep.

For the few of us who have a delayed pattern of sleep and not sleep troubles, taking on a work that allows to choose working hours is the perfect solution. But for most of us, sleep is a beast to be tamed. Now, as a former insomniac - note the word former- I can share with you the following:

1. It is important you try to go to sleep around 11 pm. Do so consistently over a period of few weeks. Some hormones are produced only when you sleep and only between 11 pm and 2 pm. As hormones regulate all our functions, from mood to sex drive and weight, you’d better help your body to produce them.

2. Get in a sleep mood about 1-2 hours before sleep time. Do something relaxing and stop all activities that can keep you somehow tense - preparing a work report, starting a big project, watching an action movie or a political debate that gets on your nerves. For example, after I make a broadcast, I need about 1.5 hours to unwind myself from the excitement of the work I did.

3. Organize the following working day’s task already in the evening will often help to relax too.

4. Relax your muscles – take a hot bath, a massage, do some stretches or a light sport such as yoga or a short walk in a calm area or in the nature. Self massage of the head, shoulders and neck is an ancient oriental method to de-stress: as you would comb your hair with your fingers, massage the skin of your scalp, firm enough, but without hurting yourself. Massage the ears. Massage the neck from the shoulders upwards to the head. (for more self massage techniques, Tao master Mantak Chia has posted videos on www.youtube.com)

5. Make sounds, colors and scents your allies. Keep away from noisy, violent and depressing news in general, and especially when you prepare to go to sleep. Listen to calm music, such as nature sounds or classical music. If you don’t know already what makes you feel relaxed, you’ll find out by trying different kinds of music and paying attention to how you feel. Music stimulates the brain and improves mood, as you know from the buzz related to Mozart effect (Mozart sonata having best reputation, as mentioned in New Scientist http://tinyurl.com/aoxhpo) Lightening candles, burning scented sticks or being surrounded by certain colors also play a role in relaxing. I sometimes bake or make hot wine in the evening, the smell of warm cinnamon gives me a cozy feeling. Mint, lavender, orange are known to have relaxing properties. Up to you to listen to your body and your soul and find out what works best for you.

6. In the bedroom, keep all electrical plugs and appliances at least 1 m away from the bed. Ideally there should be no electrical wires in the bedroom. Same goes for chemicals and strong smells. Without remodeling your home, you can improve your sleep by taking all the possible steps.

7. Once in bed, leave aside all thoughts related to worries of not falling asleep or other issues and focus on the idea of being relaxed and enjoying the coming night. Some people count sheep, pray, read few pages, repeat themselves some phrase such as “ I am relaxed and sleep well” or focus on their breath or a nice image till they fall asleep.

8. My favorite exercise is to lay on the back, body straight, and place my hands on the solar plexus – men should place the left hand on top, and women the right hand on top – and clear my mind of all thoughts. I imagine a point at the level of my eyes, about 30 cm far, I raise it about 10 cm, and stare at it. Sometimes my eyes look so high, that they seem to look at the back of my neck. (Studies showed that when your eyes look up, the brain starts to produce more alpha waves, the waves responsible with relaxations. You see any connections with prayer here ?) Soon afterwards I sleep soundly. If you don’t fall asleep from the first try, at least you’ll feel relaxed. For those of you familiar with meditation, yes, this is a technique I adapted from meditation.

9. To fall asleep, some people let the TV on - TV emits radiations, as cell phones and computers do-, or have a drink, smoke or do drugs. I do not recommend any of those ways, because of the negative impact on the body in the long run, although some people declare it helps them. Like everything else, I believe the secret lies in the word moderation.

10. Eat something light before going to sleep, but eat something, otherwise you might wake up in the middle of the night with hunger and spoil your sleep – a fruit, a spoon of honey, some nuts or a hot tea with lemon. Carbohydrates are best eaten in the evening, because they make you sleepy. For personal reasons, I mostly use carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, not grains nor milk. In recent years a closer link was demonstrated between food intolerance to milk, grains and sugar and mood and brain disorders – from insomnia to autism, to ADHD and to schizophrenia. As allergies can be to any food or chemicals, it is a personal journey into discovering what makes you feel good and what worst. Some researches also observed that grains, milk and sugar are broke down in the gut in opiates. To put it simple, this would mean that eating a slice of bread, even dark, races your mind the same way like smoking herb or drinking. Again, moderation is the key word here.

11. Some people use natural herbs, homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, hypnosis or natural supplements as an aid to sleep. I swear by Niacin, a form of B3 vitamin, which has the property to widen blood vessels and therefore bring more oxygen to the brain, thus inducing relaxation. Niacin has a wide range of applications, listed here http://tinyurl.com/yj9z4jzB vitamins play an important role in brain’s health and they are recommended to most people, together with antioxidants and Omega3 fatty acids. Of course a knowledgeable health practitioner you trust is the best to advise you.

12. If you refuse the magic pills of pharmaceutical companies, like me, it is important to be realistic. You didn’t become insomniac in one day, it will also take some time to reach a better sleep. Being consistent and applying one or several methods every night, at least in the first few weeks, is paramount. After a while you won’t need them every night, but occasionally. In the process you might discover your own tricks. As with everything else, is useful to approach the issue with an open mind and a desire to solve it. If you decide that no trick is going to work for you, be sure, it won’t. Sounds simplistic, but there is a solution for every issue, even if you might need to think out of the box to find it.

13. Expect relapses from time to time, such as before stressful events, being a holiday trip, an early flight, a big decision to take or a developing project. As with everything else, be patient with yourself and admit you are just that, a human being, not a perfectly functioning machine.

Also, you might want to read:

on Circadian rhythm
http://tinyurl.com/9tjc7

on Delayed sleep phase syndrome
http://tinyurl.com/rkgsc

on Autism and food allergy
http://tinyurl.com/yk8cckf

on Food and chemical allergies
http://tinyurl.com/yf2c4mx