For many years I was getting maybe 2 hours sleep a night. The slightest sound would wake me up and then I’d lay there trying to get back to sleep. Which spiraled into me getting up to pee 3 or 4 times a night. I read about Valerian root being great for helping fall asleep so I tried it with little hope. 2 capsules half an hour before bed. I nodded off easily and woke up a few hours later. 3 straight hours of sleep was unheard-of for me.
Then I added a couple 25mg Benadryl to help me stay asleep or go right back to sleep if something woke me up… like my bladder that was now completely trained to need emptying every one and a half to two hours.
Just prior to Covid I got a cpap. It took me a week before I slept thru the night. Happened again the next week… then a couple nights a week. A few years using my cpap and now most nights I sleep right thru or if I do wake up I can nod right back off. I still use the Valerian root and Benadryl every night but neither of those build up a tolerance.
Word of warning: Actually 2… you will not get “high” on Valerian root and the dreams you have will be in ultra high Def technicolor Sid and Marty Kroft bizarre fun dreams. Actually 3… the Valerian root smells bad. As in 6 week old gym socks marinated in the trunk of your Chevelle during the summer mixed with dog shit. But they help and you only smell it for a second before swallowing.
I also added a sleep eye mask with Bluetooth headphones built in and I listen to positive affirmations blended with mild rain sounds.
Go to bed at the same time every night and create bedtime rituals to tell your body that it’s time to sleep. These can be elaborate as a certain tea and a favorite comfy chair, or simple as washing your face and brushing your teeth, just perform them consistently before getting in bed for about two weeks and your sleep patterns should improve.
For me it’s watching steve1989 MRE reviews on YouTube. Dude has the chillest voice and demeanor, and the content is just engaging enough to keep my mind from spiraling off onto random shit, but not exciting enough to keep me awake. The only problem is waking up to my phone on the floor or buried God knows where in my sheets.
And just in case Steve browses Lemmy, I also like watching his videos while awake too! 😄
I love listening to Relatos de la noche. Uriel has a great voice and I have been a fan of his for years, plus spooky and scary stories are my jam. He is on YouTube, spotify, Amazon, etc.
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