YOU CAN LOSE WEIGHT without changing what you eat or doing one minute of exercise! It’s a bold claim. And don’t get me wrong: Nutrition and exercise are important! But there’s another key to weight loss — and most people don’t even know about it. It’s sleep.
In fact, besides eating whole foods and moving your body, getting enough sleep is the most important thing you can do for your health. On the flip side, sleep deprivation makes you fat — AND leads to depression, pain, heart disease, diabetes, and much more.
That’s why in today’s blog I want to talk about the impact sleep has on your health and give you 19 tips you can use to get a good night’s rest and enjoy all the health benefits sleep has to offer. Let’s start by talking about a rather serious sleep condition called sleep apnea.
The Dangers of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition where your sleep is interrupted all night because your airway closes and your body startles you awake so you don’t suffocate. This is a very common and extremely under-diagnosed problem. It affects 18 million Americans and most are NOT treated for it.
Let me tell you about one of my patients who was in that same predicament. He was so tired that he had to stand up at his computer to work during the day so he wouldn’t fall asleep! His wife reported hearing his horrible snoring and gasping episodes at night. He would fall right asleep as soon as he sat down to watch TV at night.
Most frightening, he had fallen asleep at the wheel when driving. Then he came to see me. When we got his sleep apnea diagnosed (with a sleep study in a sleep lab) and got him treated with a device to keep his airway open at night, he lost 50 pounds, his blood pressure turned to normal — and he got his life back.
But people with sleep apnea are not the only ones in trouble. It is estimated that 70 percent of Americans are sleep deprived. The era of Starbucks has been surpassed by an era of prescription stimulants to keep people awake and functioning, like dexadrine and Ritalin — otherwise known as “speed” or amphetamines.
Surprisingly, I see an increasing number of patients prescribed these “uppers” by their psychiatrist because coffee is not enough to keep them energetic. It seems we believe that if you can’t do ten things at once, something must be wrong with you. But this is preposterous.
Your biological rhythms keep you healthy and produce cyclic pulses of healing and repair hormones, including melatonin and growth hormone. When those rhythms are disturbed by inadequate or insufficient sleep, disease and breakdown get the upper hand.
It is estimated that 70 percent of Americans are sleep deprived.
We evolved along with the rhythms of day and night. They signal a whole cascade of hormonal and neurochemical reactions that keep us healthy by repairing our DNA, building tissues and muscle, and regulating weight and mood chemicals. The advent of the light bulb changed all that.
When you are sleep deprived, your cortisol rises — and so do all its harmful effects, including brain damage and dementia, weight gain, diabetes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, depression, osteoporosis, depressed immunity, and more.
The reality is that most of us need at least eight hours of restful sleep a night. But meeting this goal has become more and more difficult. Partially because good sleep is not something that just happens (unless you are a baby or teenager). There are clearly defined things that interfere with or support healthy sleep. Here is what you need to do:
19 Tips to Improve Sleep
First, you have to prioritize sleep! I used to think that “MD” stood for “medical deity” and meant I didn’t have to follow the same sleep rules as every other human being. I stayed up late working long shifts in the emergency room, ignoring the demands of my body to rest. It wasn’t until I learned that shift work (like I did in when I worked in the emergency room) leads to a shortened life expectancy that I quit.
Unfortunately, our lives are infiltrated with stimuli — and we keep stimulated until the moment we get into bed. This is not the way to get restful sleep. Frankly, it’s no wonder we can’t sleep well when we eat late dinners, answer emails, surf the Internet, or do work, and then get right into bed and watch the evening news about all the disaster, pain, and suffering in the world.
Instead we must take a little “holiday” in the two hours before bed. Creating a sleep ritual — a special set of little things you do before bed to help ready your system physically and psychologically for sleep — can guide your body into a deep, healing sleep.
We all live with a little bit of post-traumatic stress syndrome (or, I should say, traumatic stress syndrome, because for many of us there is nothing “post” about it). Much research has been done on the effects of stress and traumatic experiences and images on sleep. If you follow my guidelines for restoring normal sleep below, your post-traumatic stress may become a thing of the past.
Here’s how restore your natural sleep rhythm. It may take weeks or months, but using these tools in a coordinated way will eventually reset your biological rhythms:
- Practice the regular rhythms of sleep — go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
- Use your bed for sleep and romance only — not reading or television
- Create an aesthetic environment that encourages sleep — use serene and restful colors and eliminate clutter and distraction
- Create total darkness and quiet — consider using eyeshades and earplugs
- Avoid caffeine — it may seem to help you stay awake but actually makes your sleep worse
- Avoid alcohol — it helps you get to sleep but causes interruptions in sleep and poor-quality sleep
- Get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes daily — the light from the sun enters your eyes and triggers your brain to release specific chemicals and hormones like melatonin that are vital to healthy sleep, mood, and aging
- Eat no later than three hours before bed — eating a heavy meal prior to bed will lead to a bad night’s sleep
- Don’t exercise vigorously after dinner — it excites the body and makes it more difficult to get to sleep
- Write your worries down — one hour before bed, write down the things that are causing you anxiety and make plans for what you might have to do the next day to reduce your worry. It will free up your mind and energy to move into deep and restful sleep
- Take a hot salt/soda aromatherapy bath — raising your body temperature before bed helps to induce sleep. A hot bath also relaxes your muscles and reduces tension physically and psychically. By adding one-and-a-half to one cup of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and one-and-a-half to one cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to your bath, you will gain the benefits of magnesium absorbed through your skin and the alkaline-balancing effects of the baking soda, both of which help with sleep
- Get a massage or stretch before bed — this helps relax the body making it easier to fall asleep
- Warm your middle — this raises your core temperature and helps trigger the proper chemistry for sleep. Either a hot water bottle, heating pad, or warm body can do the trick
- Avoid medications that interfere with sleep — these include sedatives (these are used to treat insomnia, but ultimately lead to dependence and disruption of normal sleep rhythms and architecture), antihistamines, stimulants, cold medication, steroids, and headache medication that contains caffeine (such as Fioricet)
- Use herbal therapies — try passionflower, or 320 mg to 480 mg of valerian (valeriana officinalis) root extract standardized to 0.2 percent valerenic acid one hour before bed
- Take 200 to 400 mg of magnesium citrate or glycinate before bed — this relaxes the nervous system and muscles.
- Other supplements and herbs can be helpful in getting some shuteye — try calcium, theanine (an amino acid from green tea), GABA, 5-HTP, melatonin, and magnolia.
- Try one to three mg of melatonin at night — melatonin helps stabilize your sleep rhythms.
- Get a relaxation, meditation or guided imagery CD — any of these may help you get to sleep.
If you are still having trouble sleeping, you should be evaluated by your doctor for other problems that can interfere with sleep, including food sensitivities, thyroid problems, menopause, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, heavy metal toxicity, and, of course, stress and depression. Also, consider getting tested for a sleep disorder.
Sleep Testing: What You Need to Know
There are many medical sleep disorders, the most common (and most under-diagnosed) is sleep apnea. If you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, snoring, and have been seen to stop breathing in the middle of the night by your spouse or partner, then you could be one of the many people with undiagnosed sleep apnea.
People with sleep apnea have a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and sudden death, so diagnosing and treating it is imperative. High blood pressure is a clue, because half of all people with high blood pressure have undiagnosed sleep apnea.
Get an overnight sleep study done in a sleep lab. It may the best thing you ever do for yourself. It might just save your life!
And remember — don’t skimp on sleep! It is one of the most powerful healing treatments available if you want to achieve lifelong vibrant health.
For more on sleep, I recommend The Promise of Sleep by William C. Dement MD, PhD (Random House, 1999).
Now I’d like to hear from you…
How much sleep do you typically get each night? Do you think it’s enough?
If you are not getting enough sleep, what do you think is the cause?
What healthy sleep habits to you plan to start?
Have you noticed a connection between your weight or health and how much sleep you get?
Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below.
I have sleep apnea, cannot remain asleep with or without the machine …cpap… it sucks and is of no benefit my o2 level never gets above 90 and dropped to near 60 …I am afraid I am going to die. nothing helps I am afraid to take any sedative since I dont think I will wake up…I cant recall removing the mask at night but I do…tried everything short of duct taping it to my face… everything I can think of …I dont feel any better wearing it, but I dont wear it for more than 2 hrs …I have been tryng for over a year…I cant understand why the Dr hasn’t called with a suggestion and the o2 is low…. I do have o2 bled into it but dont keep it on…haven’t been able to keep just a cannula alone either.
My husband had the same problem with keeping his mask on. He was diagnosed because I couldn’t sleep due to his snoring and gasping and I would push on him and tell him to breathe. After getting the cpap, I would wake to find the mask off, tell him to put it back on, several times through out the night. The next morning he would remember none of this or why he took it off. We also had talked to 2 diffderent drs with no help. We were exhausted. But giving up was not an option! After some resistance on my part, we video taped him sleeping. Borrow a camera if needed just for a few nights. Visually seeing this for himself helped him see that he was indeed taking the cpap off throught the night. We figured it was partly at least due to some congestion.
So; check for allergies, gargle before bed and upon rising to loosen any phlem, shower before bed and clean out your sinusis.
Putting a hook on the wall helps to keep from rolling over on the hose during sleep. 3M command makes a temporary hook. also used a wrist key landard to run the hose through.
Cpap with a water reservior, helps keep things moistand from drying out, big difference. The place you got your machine should be able to help with this if even to just borrow one with this feature for a few days, also with automatic airflow adjustment, maybe able to upgrade or get a refurbished one of needed, type of mask can make a difference also.
There is some Aussie musical instrument, big long tube, that is suppose to help strengthen the throat muscles but we have yet to look in to it.
For those who are unsure if they have sleep apnea borrow a machine for a night or two to see the difference. A sleep study is needed for the insurance to cover the machine, but one can fine a used one on the internet from those who have upgarede to a new one, will need to buy a new hose and mask. I truly hope this helps, talk to the place you got the cpap they may have more suggestions.
In many cases of Obstructive Sleep Apnea where the patient has difficulty complying with the device. (over 65%)
A custom fitted oral appliance to move the jaw down and forward and open the airway will do the trick.
Many times this can be combined with the CPAP and will achieve better results than the CPAP or the appliance by itself.
Anything under 6 hours of sound sleep is dangerous, under 4 hours and you are like legally drunk.
My daughter is exhausted because her sleep is never restful. She was prescribed melatonin which did result in restful sleep but made her extremely angry coupled with difficulty with impulse control so she had to stop taking it. What can she do?
I’m trying to recover from years of xanax and antidepressant use. My doctors never understood that my years of xanax use was failing to control my anxiety as well as it use to, leading to panic attacks. I would end up in the ER and guess what? They kept giving me more of the same, never telling me I was experiencing withdrawl!!! I was referred to a psych who wanted to give me even more potent pyschotic medication. I knew in my gut something wasn’t right with the treatment and decided to wean myself off of xanax slowly. It was the hardest thing to do in my life, but I am now 9months clean. I have used magnesium, 5htp, fish oil, GABA, melatonin, lots of B vitimins, hypnotherapeutic brain entrainmnet relaxation CD’s, CBT and exercise to stay functional and things are better. I still have a hard time staying alseep though. I wake up 3 or 4 times each night feeling out of breath when I wake up. I now it the anxiety/seretonin imbalance which is still causing my issue, what else do you recommend?
Thank you, Jose, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I used to sleep well until I became overweight, post menopausal, and a heavier snorer. When I try to sleep my mind just keeps working – nothing important, just this and that – for hours. If I do sleep, I may not stay asleep, or, on the rare occasion, I may get a full night’s sleep but still feel logy in the morning.
Thank you, DRJ, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I rarely get enough sleep – meaning that I wake up feeling rested, without using an alarm clock. I’m an introvert who doesn’t get enough “alone time” and my only alone time is in late evening, after the rest of the family has gone to bed.
I’ve tried making myself go to bed first, then get up earlier, but the family noises keep me awake (even with earplugs). On the rare occasions that I DO get enough sleep, I awake feeling strong and cheerful. I’d LOVE to wake up that way every day, but I think I’d have to head off to a cave somewhere in order to do so.
My daughter has been diagnosed with bi-polar. She has never been able to sleep well. Even as a baby, she was sleep resistant. She is now 38 yrs. old and the lack of sleep creates severe anxiety. Her doc told her that she had a “night” brain and can’t shut down. I am trying to find something more natural to help her, because meds just seem to create more difficulty. It is affecting her job and personal life.
Any suggestions?
Thank you, Carol, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Any alternative to melatonin? It’s not available in the UK
I found out quite by accident that sleeping on the couch, in a closed dark room with earplugs, I actually sleep all night! My husband’s sleep hygiene is very different than mine, and I used to be woken up several times every single night for years, either from him coming to bed after me, or his legs shaking at night and waking me up , or him snoring (it’s not real loud, but louder than silence). I thought I had a sleep disorder. Until one week in April 2009 when the kids had a week off from school, I did not want to be woken up early when my husband got ready for work. i decided to sleep on the couch. I realized a few days into it that i didn’t wake up at night to go to the bathroom,like i did when I was sleeping in my bed. Probably the best thing was realizing that nothing was wrong with me-that I am a person that requires dark,cool, and quiet to sleep. And I’m not getting angry at him for waking me up at night. He cannot control what happens when he is asleep.
My housemate and I have been following the Ultramind solution since 10/10. We’ve found that the “6 weeks to an ultramind” to be a bit of a misnomer, more like just the beginning. He, a vet under VA care, was diagnosed with PTSD, schizoeffective disorder with bipolar features. He was able to wean off the “ambien” they had him on and now gets better sleep than he has had in years. He can actually sleep through the night.
Unfortunately, I still do not get good consistent sleep. I know it’s stress: I’ve been near adrenal failure 4 times in the last 8 years. I do everything I can. Don’t eat after 7pm. I never drink alcohol or caffiene. Set up aromatherapy to scent the room. Take some homeopathics for sleep as well as the GABA, and other amino acids suggested while on the Ultramind. I can also see how having a sleep problem has caused me NOT to lose weight. I am even trying a brainwave technology CD to help induce sleep.
Right now for me, sleep is this elusive luzury. I am just hopeful that as I continue on the Ultramind solution as things continue to shift I’ll finally be able to get better sleep.
Wow ! Great info in there. So comprehensive. I only get about 7 hours. I find that evening is when i can get thngs done ( because kids are in bed) i do plan to do the epsom salt,baking soda combo that sounds very intriguing and i am all about getting my body more alkaline. Thanks for your work.
I have suffered speep apnea. but after few hospital visit I found out it was high blood pressure,overweight caused this problem.
I started yoga and breathing excersize and weight lifting. I get good sleep. I eat chicken three nights a week and I get good sleep because it contain triptophane chemical make you sleep better. I also take supplement GABA, Thianine.5htp.
I get my supplement sleepmax from protein.co.uk
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about two years ago. I purposely went to bed at least two hours before trying to sleep just to wear the mask to get used to it. When I finally decided to settle down to sleep I could never wear it for more than twenty minutes before I ripped it off in frustration. I was unable to breathe out against the air coming in from the machine. After a months trial and being absolutely desparate to get some sleep, I gave up completely. I was totally exhausted from trying to use the cpap. The doctors gave up on me. If I wasn’t prepared to do as they said and use the machine they couldn’t help. One of the comments one doctor made was ‘without loss of oxygen’. So I thought if I stop breathing through the night and don’t lose oxygen, does it make a difference?
Thank you, Maureen, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I’m a 43 year old woman who has lived with epilepsy for the past 10 years. My experience with the conventional medical world trying to find some kind of intelligent response to my illness was a nightmare. I’m writing my first book about it. Although it was clear to me from the beginning of this illness that sleep played a central role, no doctor that I talked to would even acknowledge sleep as important. Although the doctors all recognized the seizure as a “symptom” of a larger dysfunction, none of them would discuss the other symptoms involved, specifically sleep problems. It’s only been after years of my own study that I’ve really come to see sleep as the central symptom in my dysfunction. When I sleep well, I don’t seize. I follow all the right patterns, but then something will shift and my sleep will deteriorate again. Why is our sleep so precarious? The paradox of finding yourself having to work so hard to rest excites me as an artist and exhausts me as a human being. How can you be so exhausted and not able to sleep? The Buddha always emphasized the power of silence, and I’ve come to recognize the incredible wisdom in that space. When I can find true silence in my mind, then I can sleep.
Good job once again! I am looking forward for your next post. garage door seal
I have been t a sleep lab and was diagnosed with RLS – Restless Leg Syndrome. I was told that I could take a medication. A mild dose of something that is given to people with seizures. I have opted at this point not to take the medication. I still do not sleep well, however. I also have Scoliosis which causes me to toss and turn due to discomfort. I also work shift work on straight midnights and do not get to sleep at a consistent time each day because my husband also works shifts and I try to stay up on the weeks he is on afternoons until he goes to work at 2:30 pm. When he is on days, I try to go to sleep earlier to be up a bit in the evenings before I go to work. I am grateful for your suggestions to help with a good nights sleep. I am going to try the epsom salts and the baking soda baths. I often use a hot bag to keep me warm and sooth my body.
This is the first time i am reading your post and admire that you posted article which gives users lot of information regarding particular topic thnaks for this share. nose huggie
Do you have nay insight for someone who must work the night shift? My husband seems to be having all the classic problems of working nights.
Here it is, 4 am and I am reading more great tips on sleep! I am following you, Dr. Hyman with Saddleback Church’s Daniel Plan for improved health. Your books are outstanding…. Ultra Metabolism and Ultra Simple Diet. I have started all your recommendations.
I am looking for ways to balance my hormones.I recently was prescribed bio-identical hormones (Estradiol and Progesterone) and was told it would help with my sleep. I am in menopause and wake up every night after 4 hours of sleep. I have tried melatonin and other herbs, but still cannot stay asleep more than 4 hours. I don’t think it’s sleep apnea. I am just WIDE AWAKE in the middle of the night and sleepy during the day. Any suggestions to STAY asleep? Looking forward to improving my health with your program. THANK YOU
I never get enough sleep, and have had this problem for years. I eat incredibly well, exercise regularly (I’m 44, 6’2″, 195, and still have a very active metabolism), have gone through a mindfulness-based stress reduction class, and still practice it often. Have also tried acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy and a sleep study (which I hardly slept, and I don’t have sleep apnea), I don’t drink caffeine, and I wear earplugs, have tried various white noise machines which don’t work most of the time. I have read your book, and have tried a variety of vitamins – I’m incredibly sensitive to them, so much to the point that taking a multivitamin is like taking speed. I am taking a few prescription meds for sleeping, but the most I get out of them is about 6 hours. I do have issues with anxiety/panic attacks which could be a basis for this. I have also taken a neurological test through the acupuncturist where I had an incredibly high level of cortisol and histamines (besides a variety of other things) in the middle of the night. I have become moody, tired and withdrawn because of this sleeping habit, and am incredibly envious of my friends who sleep 8 hours straight a day, and are vibrant, outgoing, happy people. I have also been a major fan of your insights, and have been interested at some point in making an appt. at the ultra wellness center. Thank you!
Any suggestions for those of us who can fall asleep easy enough, but then wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep. I’m not depressed or stressed–when I wake up I’m not thinking about anything–my eyes just pop open. Meds from the doctor aren’t helping– in fact they give me headaches.
Thank you, Kerry, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
After my annual physical, my doctor said my magnesium level was far too high, and I should stop taking any supplements. I had been taking 200mg of Mg. glycinate at bedtime, along with another 200mg of MG oxide which is part of my calcium supplement.
Is too much magnesium a problem? Does my doctor just not know what healthy levels are?
Hi,
I am a mom of 5, wife, caretaker for elderly parents and a middle school English teacher. I sleep only 3 hours a night on the average. I am 45. I find that I have put on about 12 lbs in the past 3 years – after staying at about the same weight since high school. (except for my pregnancies of course).
In any case, I’ve tried to sleep earlier but, honestly, I end up tossing and turning and annoying my husband who sleeps about 12 hours on average (and has gained about 20 lbs in the past 10 years regardless of the fact that he is very active and hasn’t changed his eating much. He is 40.
In any case, I was thinking that maybe, if I could sleep a little, it might help me loose these 10 unwanted lbs. Yes?
I also have thought of taking some type of sleep aid but, well, that seems fake? Is it better to use an aid or better to just not sleep?
Thanks,
Kat
Has anyone tried Brain State Technology, a brain balancing technique, based in Scottsdale, AZ, for restful sleep? Worth a try.
Meg
For the past 30 years I have been averaging 4-5 hrs a sleep a night. I think just by reading this and applying the basics that Dr. Marh talked about will help me get my hormones back in order. I do not think its to late. Thx.
I have tried everything in your suggestions…I do have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. No sleep apnea now, but no sleep either. I do have migraines and fibromyalgia….It is my understanding that 80% of people with fibromyalgia also have a sleep disorder (not apnea related). I fall asleep fine, wake up in 2 hours, and cannot go back to sleep…It is not related to stress, or not being able to turn off my mind…I do not have that problem. I am so tired in the morning, more so than when I went to sleep the night before….If I could only sleep, the fibro would be much more manageable…I try not to take sleeping pills, they do not seem to help anyway.
Any suggestions?
I have been seeking a solution to poor sleep for over 20 years. I am a 54 year old male, holistic person. I take no prescribed medications, I do not smoke. I eat very healthy, I exercise but still cannot sleep which leaves me in a constant state of fatigue. I have tried homeopathic remedies of all kinds including sleep music and hypno tapes. I tried Ambien and although it would help me fall asleep I could not stay asleep and it made me feel terrible. I am open to getting this fixed!
I’m so tired, I could cry. I take melatonin, magnesium and Lunesta every night. I can usually fall asleep, but only for about 3 hours. Then I wake up and toss and turn all night. I rarely can fall back to sleep, so I lay there for hours refusing to look at the clock. I avoid caffeine, don’t drink coffee at all. I use an eye mask and occasionally use noise canceling headphones if my husband is snoring. About 3 times a week after a particularly sleepless night, I develop a migraine. My neck and shoulder muscles are so tight. I then take Imitrex for the migraine. I take so many pills, for a 49 year old woman in good shape, it’s absurd and still no sleep! My father had insomnia and now my children in their early twenties are complaining. I must find a resolution to this cycle for my children’s sake!
Thank you, Robin, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I have had fibromyalgia for 20+ years, I am 56 and have gone through menopause. And I was on Ambien CR for approximately 10 years along with other drugs for hypo- thyroidism, hypertension, and pain. I cannot sleep more than 3 -4 hours together during the night and its killing me. Im exhausted and in pain most of the time. What can I do?
Thank you, Susan, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. To locate a practitioner of functional medicine in your area see the “Find a Functional Medicine Practitioner” link at the Institute of Functional Medicine’s website. Here you will find a place to enter your zip code and look for practitioner’s in your area that have completed the institute’s five-day training course in functional medicine. Understand that not all of the doctors listed here will fit your particular needs. Many different medical professionals complete this training, and you will have to do additional research on your own regarding a particular practitioner’s approach and whether or not it fits your specific medical requirements. This may include calling the practioner’s office, visiting his or her website, and/or scheduling a consultation.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Dear Dr. Hyman, what can be done for an 80 year old who has Myelofribrosis,4th stage? Need an answer ASAP as you must well know, time is short for him if something nutritionally isn’t done soon. None of his doctors seem to be aware of the value of nutrition.
Thank You& God Bless.
Joseph Lo Grande
Well i did notice that i have been waking up at night even though i was prescribed anxiety medication and a mood stabilizer medication. The mood stabilizer I take in the morning and an anxiety pill also to keep me from being anxious which is everyday, and have to take 1 to 2 pills of the anxiety medication at night before bedtime. And I did exercise at night before bedtime, but i still had problems staying asleep because of not being able to sleep. So i do want to sleep better and get my old self back. So my question is what do i do when i keep waking up all parts of the night? How do I sleep when the television is on?
Thank you, Dr Hyman, for the sleep information. Getting enough sleep is a real concern for me. I drink Nighty Night organic tea and often take magnesium citrate before bed. Sometimes I take Melatonin but have wondered if relying on it could be a problem. Your article includes a lot of great suggestions that I have not tried…like the Epsom salt/Baking soda soak…and I must confess that checking emails and reading internet articles is usually my last stop before bed…then reading books in bed. I will definitely follow your suggestions. Thanks again for your wonderful work. You are the one that introduced me to healthier living…several years ago when I began reading your books. I am healthier than I was…but there is still much more to be done for optimum health…and the information that you continually bring is very helpful in the process.
Hi there! I saw a question about brain state technology and wanted to share my journey about that. I had severe crazy insomnia for 3 years. I barely ever slept through the night, often got 2 or 3 hours of sleep, and other nights none. I sometimes went weeks without sleeping at all during the day or night. I think I have the guiness book of world records beat.
I had a history of lyme disease which they think infected my brain (all gone now thanks to a wonderful naturopath) and was also diagnosed with bipolar ii which really affects sleep.(Still not sure if that diagnosis is correct or not, but at least know that there is something very off in my brain. ) I did brain state technology for the insomnia and it was really amazing. They were able to see that my right brain was working almost twice as much as my left brain. On the third session, I fell asleep! That is a miracle for me. It is kind of amazing.
There were times I felt a very natural, very wonderful high on it. It’s a bit hard to explain how it works, so you may want to do your own research on it. I am now on high doses of fish oil and still on a few sleep meds but I am sleeping through the night almost all the time now. My doctor says many things in my brain have improved. I may go back to do some treatments for depression which I still struggle with. (My sessions were for insomnia, so they would be different sessions.) I do highly recommend it, and it is so worth the money. Do you know how much it would cost to go to a hospital and have your brain changed? While brain state only costs about the cost of a good psychotherapist for a session. It is priceless to have your brain changed without any invasiveness, possibly resulting in getting off the drug merry go round. You should try it!
One of the things I’ve found to make a tremendous difference in my sleep is using Listerine just before bed. By gargling several times I clear my throat and ensure the airways are open and I sleep more soundly and don’t wake up repeatedly in the night.
I have a friend who is disintegrating from alpha/delta sleep disorder (I think that is the right term). Do you have suggestions? I’d never heard of it, but it is terrible.
Hello Donna, thank you for your comment. We cannot comment on your friend’s condition over the Internet. We suggest they see a local physician to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Wishing you good health,
Dr. Hyman Staff
Great information…I will have to try the Epsom salt and baking soda bath. I have used passionflower and skullcap successfully for a good nights sleep. I can’t get pass the smell and taste of the valerian, however, my girlfriend says it works well for her. Thank you.
I bought the ultra mind book when it was released in 2009 and although I only read some of it the section about rest and proper sleep it resonated deeply with me.
I have also been interested in Lucid dreaming and this requires a regular pattern of sleep. But with work commitments I found it very hard to get more than six hours sleep. But this however does fall into the perfect cycle of sleep which we are said to follow.
Here’s something from the Center for Applied Cognitive Studies (http://centacs.com)
“Studies show that the length of sleep is not what causes us to be refreshed upon waking. The key factor is the number of complete sleep cycles we enjoy. Each sleep cycle contains five distinct phases, which exhibit different brain- wave patterns. For our purposes, it suffices to say that one sleep cycle lasts an average of 90 minutes: 65 minutes of normal, or non-REM (rapid eye movement), sleep; 20 minutes of REM sleep (in which we dream); and a final 5 minutes of non-REM sleep. The REM sleep phases are shorter during earlier cycles (less than 20 minutes) and longer during later ones (more than 20 minutes). If we were to sleep completely naturally, with no alarm clocks or other sleep disturbances, we would wake up, on the average, after a multiple of 90 minutes–for example, after 4 1/2 hours, 6 hours, 7 1/2 hours, or 9 hours, but not after 7 or 8 hours, which are not multiples of 90 minutes. In the period between cycles we are not actually sleeping: it is a sort of twilight zone from which, if we are not disturbed (by light, cold, a full bladder, noise), we move into another 90-minute cycle. A person who sleeps only four cycles (6 hours) will feel more rested than someone who has slept for 8 to 10 hours but who has not been allowed to complete any one cycle because of being awakened before it was completed…. “
And in general I feel this is true for me. I find if I get a few 7.5 or 9 hour nights in the week then I do notice a difference. But in times when I had to get up earlier but could sleep 7 hrs I would choose to wake up after 6 as it meant I’d not be in the middle of deep sleep. Also I’d have time do my morning Yoga and Meditation routine!
Many thanks and happy sleeping
B
Many people are commenting that they have healthy diets. I thought I had a healthy diet but when I discovered that my lifelong fatigue was due to food sensitivites… what an epiphany!!!!! By eliminating those foods (wheat, dairy, eggs) from my diet my sleep is good (even in menopause) and my energy is through the roof.
It’s worth an elimination diet or blood test to see if that is the case with you!
I’ve been experimenting with the “Solfeggio Frequencies” to help induce relaxation, shed anxiety and fear and promote restful sleep. These are frequencies that have been known for over 1 thousand years and have been used historically to promote healing and spiritual unfoldment. There are many web sites on the benefits of the Solfeggio tones/frequencies that are available via a simple web search.
I’ve found that the frequencies 396 hz and 528 hz are particularly powerful as regards restful and healing sleep. I’ve constructed a simple Solfeggio generator that will run on Windows or Mac that can generate these tones and can run in the background while you sleep or work. I will make this available to anyone what wants it at no charge. Just contact me at our support department: support@forescent.com and I’ll be happy to send this software to you.
Excellent summary! I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 5 years ago and started CPAP therapy. It’s often not easy at first but there are several message boards on the web which helped me a great deal in learning about different kinds of masks, ways to adjust them, etc. to get used to it. Now that I’ve lost a good bit of weight, my sleep apnea is not gone but is minimal but I have decided to continue to use my cpap machine to ensure that my oxygen levels stay up. I believe this treatment has enabled me to work on eliminating my use of ambien. I have always taken the weekends as a “holiday” from ambien and am now tapering off the dosage and reducing the number of days I take it. I’m finding it easier to fall asleep with my trusty cpap. I hope to be completely off ambien in the next few months.
I’ve used a number of the other suggestions listed and think they are right on!
m
Using a CPAP machine for my sleep apnea has saved my life. The difference in my life has been total. I highly recommend that anyone who snores loudly or that wakes up gasping for air get tested.
Whenever I read one of these articles it REALLY annoys me since some of the fundamental recommendations cannot be done in the average working person’s life. I am referring to primarily exercising and dinner time. Personally, I am lucky to get 6 hours of sleep each night and it is not by choice. Due to my commute I get up at 5am and do not arrive home until about 7pm. Since I call people on the phone for a living I can vouch for this not being out of the ordinary, in fact it seems pretty much the ‘norm’. Now, according to this list I should go to bed at 9pm. So I ask…How am I supposed to eat three hours before bed? Where am I supposed to fit in exercise (most places they say not to exercise within 2 to 3 hours of bedtime)? I already do a lot of the items you list and have an evening “ritual” that involves journaling and relaxation exercises. However there is just NO WAY for me to be able to get to bed before 10:30…unless I forgo my evening walk (done before dinner usually) and/or dinner itself.
Basically I am very frustrated since I feel there is nothing I can do to change my circumstances except change jobs which is NOT an option in this economy. Any suggestions for people in the same boat as I am?
I am 10 weeks into no dairy, gluten or sugar. My sleep has improved from taking over-the-counter sleep inducers and fitfully getting through the night, to 8-9 hours of restful sleep! I take melatonin 1/2 hr before bed, as well as magnezium. I have stopped eating at least three hours before bed. I have completely normalized my blood sugar, an have lost 8 pounds. I now work out every other day, have more energy, and feel awake and alive. I had uterine cancer just 11 weeks ago, and I am convinced my high blood sugar over the last three years contributed to that. Recovering from the surgery was tough at first, but then I started the no dairy, gluten or sugar, and the healing kicked into high gear. Your book was published at just the right time to help me save my life…thank you isn’t enough.
Dear Doc Hyman,
I did not read all of the other comments on this tread but I suspect that no one prior mentioned the important acne of a good quality bed to do this sleep ritual in. And I realize that a person perefence and money come into play a great deal. But if people come to realize that 8 of those 24 hours day are to be spent in such an environment as warm & inviting as ones bedroom, then I think more resources should be spend in people’s lives that need to optimize this space for this specific purpose & no other. A good quality bed such as a Hastens all natural materials bed should be considered tops on just about anyone’s list. Thanks for forum on a subject that effects is all whether we get great quality sleep night after night like we all should or we struggle with the idea.
Sweet Dreams everyone.
Nice reminder of why I need to stick with the sleep plan I started in February and have gradually slid away from … Turn off technology a couple hours before bed time … Wow! Disengage. Give myself over to rest. Thanks!
Great article! I snored for years, and ignored my husband’s complaints. After reading Ultra Metabolism, I wondered if my sleep problems were contributing to my inability to lose weight. I went for a sleep study and found I had SEVERE sleep apnea. Knowing that NOT using a cpap machine endangered my life, I was able to adapt to it easily. I changed NOTHING, I was still eating the same low glycemic diet, and exercising the same, but in the months after I began using the cpap machine, I effortlessly lost 40 pounds. Thanks, Dr. Hyman, for suggesting that as a metabolism buster.
I’ve often left a comment on Dr. Hyman’s website because his approaches to health and wellness are compatible with my own. I have walked with epilepsy for over ten years. That journey taught me a great deal about illness and health. Ten years ago I was having 20 or more seizures a week. Today, I have 1 or 2 shallow seizures a month. The seizures, being the symptoms of my problem not my problem, are reduced significantly because I addressed the imbalances creating my mind/body’s “need to seize”. I take no medications. One of my most significant imbalances was my inability to sleep. My traumatic, abusive childhood, the gross anxieties of a stress filled artist’s life, and the overstimulants of post-modernity like coffee and alcohol all played their part. My sleep cycles deteriorated into little fits and starts of about 1 to 2 hours each night. I told doctors about this problem and they simply dismissed it as unrelated to my epilepsy. I was going insane. I was having 20 seizures in a week and sleeping 2-4 hours a night. Then, I took matters into my own hands. I got serious about my circadian rhythms and set up disciplined hours of wake and sleep. I stopped drinking alcohol at night. I ate 3 hours before I went to bed, no later. I took up meditation, and participated in no stimulating activity before bedtime. I got an eye cover. Things changed dramatically, and my health improved substantially. Sleep was so, so important to my health. My seizures reduced by huge numbers. I began to see sleep as important in life as wakefulness, and embraced it as such. Sleep is not an interruption in your life; it IS YOUR LIFE!!! That shift in perspective also made changes in my sleep patterns. I love sleeping. Drinking clean water, eating good food, moving around, and sleeping — health and wellness isn’t a mystery. I hope to have my book about all of this out by the fall. That’s what the publisher says.
My husband was just diagnosed with sleep apnea and got a oral appliance that keeps his airway open at night. The improvement was tremendous! He got used to it right away and now sleeps through the night. He is much calmer and his blood pressure is going down. His dentist was trained in fitting the appliance. I read that the army is using this device at Walter Reed Hospital. Hope this helps.
Getting to sleep is not a problem. Staying asleep is a near impossibility. I can usually fall asleep in a few minutes but 4 – 5 hours later I am wide awake! I have given up on trying to get back to sleep, soI either take 1/2 a tablet of a prescription sleep aid or lie in bed wide awake until morning. This has been going on for about the past 17 years and I have given up on sleep remedies whether herbal, night rituals etc. It did however start around menopause and the only reprieve was during my stay on a deserted island in the Indian Ocean being waited on hand and foot. Yes, I am sure this is relevant, however, I can not call this reality! – sadly.
Resigned.