Sleep Tools
Recipe for Sleep
Yes its 2020 and while the world is filled with advancing technology on all fronts… smartphones, tablet computers, drones, electric cars and even rockets that land themselves the area of sleep has NOT seen much in the way of helping us get better sleep…what the heck! I suppose we are not too far from having electrodes implanted into our mellons and triggering the right parts of the brain to introduce a melatonin brain dump, lights out! Not sure most of us are quite there yet : (
That said there are a few tried and true pieces of equipment and family remedies that just might help. I suppose it would be prudent to state that while many of us suffer from poor sleep and chronic fatigue , how we might be able to fight it will look different for each of us. That said I will make suggestions based on what I and my fellow baggy eyed family have endured and what helps.
Consideration 1: Establish a routine of when you get your booty to bed! If this is an option of course ( I myself worked shift work for 27 years, so…not happening for me in those days) But the importance of letting the body know when to get to bed is pretty helpful. Doing your best to stick with a schedule can really help your body to know its time to sleep.
Consideration 2: Try to reduce the amount of food you eat before sleep and the kinds of food and drinks. While those chilly laced nachos may look great in the end, consumed too late in the evening or too close to sleep time will introduce some cases of indigestion and trips to the bathroom. Definitely not going to help you sleep. The other no no/s are caffeine or alcohol. More chemicals that will compete with your brain and its ability to focus on sleep.
Consideration 3: Create that bedroom that is designed for sleep. I don’t just mean have a bed and a couple of pillows in there (check out our page on Sleep Foundation there for suggestions) …those are important no doubt, but there’s more to take into account . Many of us use our bedrooms as a second home office and usually have the largest LED tv we picked up from Costco sitting on top of our dresser. Yes I’m guilty as charged. However, this does not help with Consideration 1, where routines also require conditions! Your bedroom needs to be free of distractions; TV, Computers, Your Smartphone , Electronic lights from things like charging bricks and strips. The only 2 pieces of electronics that ‘might” be in there for those that benefit rather than are hindered by it will be a humidifier and/or a white noise machine (more on those next).
Consideration 4: The use of a couple of sleep enticers as I like to call them. Note! This is a suggestions which might not work for everyone, we’re all different. In which case you would simply not have need of these. But, they do work for many folks.
Tool 1… use of a white noise machine. Yes setup some noise in that room of yours either to block out other noises creeping into your sleep sanctuary from the outside world. Street noise, pets, loud kids and inconsiderate spouses etc etc can all be mitigated or even replaced by the steady sound of a chosen sound. For many the sound of a steady rain or blowing wind might work, while others will be better served by the drone of a small fan occiliating in the corner of the room. For those that prefer silence, its is kind of ironic that the silence of a room can be deaffing . So in that case if that’s not the kind of silence your looking for, than
Tool 2…some foam ear plugs can really work wonders. Nothing like the sound of your empty head to drown out the world, of course depending what you have in there : ). I have benefited from both the use of white noise and the use of ear plugs to create better conditions for sleep.
Tool 3… optic nerve transducer….I mean a sleep mask. Using a hanky (snot rag), or fitted mask to cover your eyes can really help eliminate external distractions that will keep you from falling to sleep. Like sounds, the glow of lights, even those small ones from the back of your TV can affect those conditions for sleep we are trying to create. Now the cool thing is there are even variations on the simple tool such as a sleep mask. Ther’e masks that are sewn with gel packs into them These gel packs are usually placed into the refrigerator or freezer and they will hold the cold that, yes! Is then placed over your eyes. Really can create a point/feel of comfort.
For those not so inclined there’s an opposite type of mask, or in this case small pillow. These pillows referred to simply as heating pads. They come in all shapes and sizes and besides placing them over your eyes can and are used to offer relief on a part of your body like lower back, shoulder or wherever you have some pain and need some heat to be applied. These bags are usually filled with rice or some medium (natural or synthetic) that when placed inside of a microwave will hold the heat and release it over time when you place use it. Point is by removing light as a source of night time stimulation will only improve your conditions for sleep.
Tool 4… the use of a humidifier. Many of us live in condition spaces, apartments and homes that come outfitted with heaters and refrigeration units. While these are necessary pieces of modern convinces they usually dry out the air in the home. As human beings most of us ( I know, I know I’ve seen a few oddities out there ) are constructed with 60% H2O…aqua! With that in mind, having some moisture in the air is usually both healthful and conducive to our search for optimal sleep conditions. Besides the moisture they put out into your room they can also introduce aromas that can also set the conditions that tell the brain it’s time to sleep and stay a sleep for a while.
So there is a short outline on what you need to take into consideration if you’re looking to solve your issues with insomnia, chronic fatigue and just not feeling rested. Getting a good nights sleep requires that you do your part. Create the conditions and establish the routines that all point to slumber.
Relying on over the counter sleep aides ,prescription drugs or staring red-eyed at the ceiling are short term remedies at best and in our opinion can introduce negative side affects. That said, there are a few peeps out there who have other physiological challenges that will require the aide of a medical doctor to give you better insights. On our page for Sleep Practices can offer solutions to even a trip to the doctor, in our humble opinion. Check that page out to learn more. And (also in our humble opinion…I think that’s called a disclaimer…..damn lawyers) some of these practices might even affect other aspects of your life after sleep.
One of the very best digital based white noise generators and totally FREE is from the folks at MyNoise.net. The issue with many electronic and online white noise generators is they utilize continuous loops that your ears will pick up on and suddenly find annoying.
This background noise generator from the peeps at MyNoise.net is beyond awesome and depending on the quality of your speakers or headphones etc..will be spot on. The best part is this cool tool is FREE!
There site can be a little hard to navigate so better yet head on over to their Youtube channel...
The digital white noise makers and phone apps are cool and all.. but for some there is no substitute for the use of a real mechanical white noise maker.
Sure you could find that single sweet small fan and keep it running all night. But theres already a device that been in use since the early 1960’s.
The Marpac DOHM white noise machine. Using an actual built in small fan there is simply no substitute for its distinct sound.