I’m 43 and I’ve always had trouble sleeping ever since I was a kid. I am noise sensitive and have a busy mind. I’ve been using white noise for about 15 years and I started taking melatonin in 2020 to help with the stress of the pandemic and it helped so much. I haven’t stopped taking it.
Then I was diagnosed with ADHD last year and realized I’m just wired this way. When I found the right ADHD medication, sleep came easier, mainly because my mind was quieter. The first medication was not a good fit and exacerbated sleep issues. They are both stimulants interestingly. Overall my anxiety is less now too.
I am typically the last person to advocate for any kind of medication or supplement as a main treatment but for me nothing else helped this much! I have good sleep hygiene and don’t drink alcohol. One of my bedtime rituals is bringing a small warm compress to bed in the cold winter months.
I could make improvements in how regularly I exercise, and setting lower standards for myself at work would help me too.
So glad you found the right mix of lifestyle/behavioral changes and medication - sometimes it's a combination that does the trick. Yes, it seems counterintuitive that ADD medication could help with sleep., but to the extent it helps quiet the noisy brain it can indeed help! Thanks for sharing this.
Appreciate this! Question for you on melatonin: is there currently evidence on negative effects from long term use? I’ve weaned myself down from 3mg to 1mg a night but when I try not taking it, I realize I sleep so much better with even just the 1mg. Thanks!
The only downside of Melatonin - as far as I know - is the potential to mask underlying sleep problems that could be better addressed with some of the things in this post.. but in general, Melatonin is very safe.
Your cat looks exactly like mine! And yes, when he wants to sleep with me, oh man. He is on my chest, snuggled up to my side, in between my legs. A very bad night's sleep.
I think the effect of caffeine on sleep is grossly underestimated. Some people are more sensitive than others and there are huge differences in metabolism.
The average half-life is 6 hours, which means that you still have about 25% of the caffeine after 12 hours.
However, studies suggest that there are fast metabolizers with a half-life of 2 hours and slow metabolizers with a half-life of over 10 hours.
Personally, I have found that I have trouble sleeping even if I drink coffee before noon. Total intake is also important.
I'm actually a guy who can drink coffee at night and fall asleep easily, but that's deceptive because my sleep was still affected. Tolerance built up over time minimised the effects of caffeine to a mere 'return to normal', while still affecting sleep quality.
Now I only have a small coffee just after waking up, 50% decaffeinated. I feel my sleep is much improved, but I still wonder if I should go down to 0 caffeine.
Future topic preferences: Please keep letting us know about the latest recommendations on vaccines as well as the latest on new drugs for common conditions. Thank you!
For people whose partners snore, there is an easier (and cheaper) method than investing in separate beds. I use sleep buds when I need them -- they deliver white noise directly to my ears and I also find that being surrounded by white noise shuts out the world and any worries I might have. I recommended them to someone but apparently, Bose has stopped making them. Not profitable enough??? She found Quieton's noise-canceling earbuds to be an excellent substitute. Worth a try.
Great plug for meaningful sleep. It was a big topic when I was in college health (as you could imagine) It remains a go to subject for my clients in my practice as we NEED to foundationally look at all aspects of how we can "feel better". When I ask about sleep it typically becomes an area we work on in an effort to achieve individual health goals. Thank you for putting a spot light on this!
Could you please recommend a a brand fur B12. Nature Made markets a soft gel that contains so many additives… soybean oil, gelatin, glycerin,yellow beeswax, Lecithin and colors added. I don’t think it is a good thing to eat all these additives, I often have an allergy like stomach problems or rash. Thank you
My mom died of Alzheimer’s in 2017. She was 86. She had chronic insomnia for as long as I can remember—even in her 30s and 40s. She was a loving, cheerful person and didn’t complain. She’d just say “Oh, it’s ok, I’l get an afternoon nap.” We know there is a strong correlation between chronic lack of sleep and the various kinds of dementia. When she died, we had a family graveside service because it was a few days before Christmas. I shared that I was happy that Mom was no longer suffering. It really is the long goodbye with Alzheimer’s. I am a night owl, but I get 8 hrs of sleep most nights. I am so grateful that I can sleep.♥️
I am so sorry for your loss. Indeed Alzheimer's is a long goodbye.❤️
You are right - sleep is so important for cognitive health. Of course, some people develop Alzheimer's *despite* good sleep, but prioritizing brain rest can help protect against the risk for dementia.
I'm a health/wellness journalist and we just finished a 30-Day Rest + Refresh Reset over at The Sunday Stretch that included very similar tips. It's really helpful to think about sleep within these four categories--thank you!
I’m 43 and I’ve always had trouble sleeping ever since I was a kid. I am noise sensitive and have a busy mind. I’ve been using white noise for about 15 years and I started taking melatonin in 2020 to help with the stress of the pandemic and it helped so much. I haven’t stopped taking it.
Then I was diagnosed with ADHD last year and realized I’m just wired this way. When I found the right ADHD medication, sleep came easier, mainly because my mind was quieter. The first medication was not a good fit and exacerbated sleep issues. They are both stimulants interestingly. Overall my anxiety is less now too.
I am typically the last person to advocate for any kind of medication or supplement as a main treatment but for me nothing else helped this much! I have good sleep hygiene and don’t drink alcohol. One of my bedtime rituals is bringing a small warm compress to bed in the cold winter months.
I could make improvements in how regularly I exercise, and setting lower standards for myself at work would help me too.
Thanks for this thoughtful post!
So glad you found the right mix of lifestyle/behavioral changes and medication - sometimes it's a combination that does the trick. Yes, it seems counterintuitive that ADD medication could help with sleep., but to the extent it helps quiet the noisy brain it can indeed help! Thanks for sharing this.
Appreciate this! Question for you on melatonin: is there currently evidence on negative effects from long term use? I’ve weaned myself down from 3mg to 1mg a night but when I try not taking it, I realize I sleep so much better with even just the 1mg. Thanks!
The only downside of Melatonin - as far as I know - is the potential to mask underlying sleep problems that could be better addressed with some of the things in this post.. but in general, Melatonin is very safe.
Thank you!!
Found your comments about intermittent fasting both sensible & helpful. Would like your views on what strategies do work for many people you see.
Great... will do!
Is that your cat in the photo?
If so, then he or she is one blissed out feline. :).
Yes, he is my little baby :) He was a rescue kitten we got my daughter for Xmas 2022.. and he is simply a delight!!
Your cat looks exactly like mine! And yes, when he wants to sleep with me, oh man. He is on my chest, snuggled up to my side, in between my legs. A very bad night's sleep.
I think the effect of caffeine on sleep is grossly underestimated. Some people are more sensitive than others and there are huge differences in metabolism.
The average half-life is 6 hours, which means that you still have about 25% of the caffeine after 12 hours.
However, studies suggest that there are fast metabolizers with a half-life of 2 hours and slow metabolizers with a half-life of over 10 hours.
Personally, I have found that I have trouble sleeping even if I drink coffee before noon. Total intake is also important.
I am the same way - very sensitive to caffeine. For most ppl, too. I am always amazed at ppl who can drink coffee at night and still fall asleep!
I'm actually a guy who can drink coffee at night and fall asleep easily, but that's deceptive because my sleep was still affected. Tolerance built up over time minimised the effects of caffeine to a mere 'return to normal', while still affecting sleep quality.
Now I only have a small coffee just after waking up, 50% decaffeinated. I feel my sleep is much improved, but I still wonder if I should go down to 0 caffeine.
Future topic preferences: Please keep letting us know about the latest recommendations on vaccines as well as the latest on new drugs for common conditions. Thank you!
Great!
Humidity is also very important. Use a quiet humidifier.
True!
For people whose partners snore, there is an easier (and cheaper) method than investing in separate beds. I use sleep buds when I need them -- they deliver white noise directly to my ears and I also find that being surrounded by white noise shuts out the world and any worries I might have. I recommended them to someone but apparently, Bose has stopped making them. Not profitable enough??? She found Quieton's noise-canceling earbuds to be an excellent substitute. Worth a try.
Great suggestion!
I believe I sleep fairly well at night. But, I am sleepy during the day if I am not busy. I do love to take a nap on Saturdays and Sundays!
Nice! I LOVE naps on the weekends, esp in wintertime.
Great plug for meaningful sleep. It was a big topic when I was in college health (as you could imagine) It remains a go to subject for my clients in my practice as we NEED to foundationally look at all aspects of how we can "feel better". When I ask about sleep it typically becomes an area we work on in an effort to achieve individual health goals. Thank you for putting a spot light on this!
Agree! Thanks, Maureen!
Could you please recommend a a brand fur B12. Nature Made markets a soft gel that contains so many additives… soybean oil, gelatin, glycerin,yellow beeswax, Lecithin and colors added. I don’t think it is a good thing to eat all these additives, I often have an allergy like stomach problems or rash. Thank you
My mom died of Alzheimer’s in 2017. She was 86. She had chronic insomnia for as long as I can remember—even in her 30s and 40s. She was a loving, cheerful person and didn’t complain. She’d just say “Oh, it’s ok, I’l get an afternoon nap.” We know there is a strong correlation between chronic lack of sleep and the various kinds of dementia. When she died, we had a family graveside service because it was a few days before Christmas. I shared that I was happy that Mom was no longer suffering. It really is the long goodbye with Alzheimer’s. I am a night owl, but I get 8 hrs of sleep most nights. I am so grateful that I can sleep.♥️
I am so sorry for your loss. Indeed Alzheimer's is a long goodbye.❤️
You are right - sleep is so important for cognitive health. Of course, some people develop Alzheimer's *despite* good sleep, but prioritizing brain rest can help protect against the risk for dementia.
Thank you for sharing your story.
I'm a health/wellness journalist and we just finished a 30-Day Rest + Refresh Reset over at The Sunday Stretch that included very similar tips. It's really helpful to think about sleep within these four categories--thank you!