Guidelines to sleep deeply and restfully and wake naturally?

[TopHatFox]

When you've had a really restful, deep, and naturally waking sleep, what conditions was it created under: Maybe not using electronics before sleep, or living in a comfortable space to you, or meditating briefly?

I'm wondering what some of the guidelines for sleeping deeply and restfully include. Usually I go to sleep later than I'd like to because I'd also like to do more activities; I sleep on my side or on my stomach, whereas I'd like to develop the ability to sleep on my back; I leave the window shade open, which likely wakes me earlier than my body would like; and I use an alarm clock to wake me, hardly a soothing way to wake up.

Some guidelines I've been trying to integrate:

1. close the shades until the morning
2. read a made-out-of-a-tree book before bed
3. Sleep earlier to do the activities I want in the morning instead of staying up
4. avoiding drinking caffeine in the afternoon or evening
5. drink water
6. sleep on my back (has proved challenging)
7. train myself to not need a pillow (questioning this one)
8. quiet my mind
9. use peppermint essential oil on my little baking soda container
10. Trying to awake at the same time every day even if I sleep at different times
11. Trying to wake naturally (works only if I genuinely want to wake at a certain time)

Any more you can think of?

[Scrubby]

- Make sure I sleep with my head high up on the pillow to breathe freely. The neck is about on the middle of the pillow. If I don't do this I will frequently wake up with severe anxiety.
- Use f.lux (https://justgetflux.com/) to red shift the monitor light in the evening. I don't know if this is 100% scientific, but before I started using it would frequently take 2 hours before I fell asleep. Now it's seldom more than 30 minutes.

[Scottosphere]

OP, your list was great. Here are a few more ideas to try:

Wear earplugs.
Wear an eye mask.
Keep the room cool.
Wear socks.
Take a hot shower before bed (for the sudden temperature drop).
Do not eat late at night (as it makes your body think it's still day).
Eat upon waking in the morning.
Do not drink any fluid late at night (so you don't wake up prematurely).
Pee before bed.
Sleep alone (so your body doesn't feel a partner's movements).
Exercise vigorously during the day.
Wear orange-tinted glasses after sunset (to block blue light from artificial lights {blue light most strongly suppresses melatonin]).
Only use bed for sleep.

[henrik]

Take a hot shower before bed (for the sudden temperature drop).

Or a cold shower/swim. It works, I don't know why:)

[Tyler9000]

This one is easy -- I can personally vouch for the sleep benefits of throwing away the alarm clock. The hardest part is having no place to be.

More practically, two things that help me most are 1) avoiding caffeine after dinner, and 2) turning on a low-volume educational TV show in the background as I go to sleep. Something about space or history works best for me. The key is to give my brain something to distract it from the hamster wheels always spinning inside, but not so interesting that it demands focus. Meditation is likely a good option for that issue as well, but that's a skill I know very little about.

[vexed87]

Quick point on electronics, e-ink screens (non-backlit) such as the kindle are ok. It's only the light backed screens that interfere with the production of the hormone melatonin which tells your brain it's time to sleep.

[Scott 2]

No alcohol

[Laura Ingalls]

Not sleep in a tent or camper if it rains/lightenings hard

[Freedom_2018]

One thing that worked for me and some others big time (surprising that doctors never suggest this) - Magnesium. Many folks are magnesium deprived (often calcium heavy and magnesium deficient).

Use Citrate or Glycinate form. Don't waste money on Oxide (it is slightly cheaper but very poor absorption)

Take in the evening.

If it has to work it will work that night. I slept like I hadn't since I was a kid. If it doesn't work for you - congratulations, you are not likely deficient in Magnesium.

[7Wannabe5]

Always sleep naked and have sex every evening if possible.

[Laura Ingalls]

Always sleep naked and have sex every evening if possible.

Even though I think both of these things enhance life I have found their impact on sleep as very mixed

[TopHatFox]

Always sleep naked and have sex every evening if possible.

Now that's advice I can get behind, or on top of, or underneath.

[Jenie]

I wear earplugs and they do not work for me. I still hear everything through them. I use silicone now. Any suggestions? I am struggling with sleep and have been for years.

[Scrubby]

I wear earplugs and they do not work for me. I still hear everything through them. I use silicone now. Any suggestions? I am struggling with sleep and have been for years.

There is a huge difference in the quality of ear plugs. These are for instance much better than most:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Howard-Leight-B ... 33a7c26aa3

You may be able to pick them up in a local store cheaper, I bought a plastic bag of 400 pairs for not much more. When you insert them make sure you shrink them by rolling them gently so that there are no folds, or they will loose most of the effect.

Be aware that using ear plugs for many hours at a time can cause ear infections because of bacterial growth.

[fiby41]

As I have said before, like hunger is the best appetizer, tiredness is the best sleeping pill.

[Jenie]

I wear earplugs and they do not work for me. I still hear everything through them. I use silicone now. Any suggestions? I am struggling with sleep and have been for years.

There is a huge difference in the quality of ear plugs. These are for instance much better than most:http://www.ebay.com/itm/Howard-Leight-B ... 33a7c26aa3

You may be able to pick them up in a local store cheaper, I bought a plastic bag of 400 pairs for not much more. When you insert them make sure you shrink them by rolling them gently so that there are no folds, or they will loose most of the effect.

Be aware that using ear plugs for many hours at a time can cause ear infections because of bacterial growth.

Thanks a lot. I have tried the ones you have to roll and they do not work for me either. They slip away and get out. Not sure what to do.

[unno2002]

For me, earplugs lead to ear infections....

[Scrubby]

Thanks a lot. I have tried the ones you have to roll and they do not work for me either. They slip away and get out. Not sure what to do.

I don't see how the ones I linked to could slip if they are inserted correctly. They expand very gently and stick to the skin. I have to pull fairly hard to get them out once they have expanded.

[Did]

If you want to see how good sleep can really be.

1 - Don't drink alcohol for a week.
2 - Don't drink caffeine for a week.
3 - Exercise every morning for a week.

You can work backwards from there.

[C40]

Your list is good. I'm of the belief that a using a pillow is good when sleeping on your back

- REGULAR EXERCISE is huge.
- Meditation may be helpful for you. The most restful sleep I ever had was while doing something like T.M. (I think?) to fall asleep.
- If/when you ever find yourself dreaming about things that cause the sleep to not be restful or to feel unfulfilling (like dreaming about work or studying) - learn Lucid dreaming
- Don't establish a habit of masturbating before bed each night (and especially not with porn). It's not good for you in the long-run.
- Supposedly - back in the Soviet golden age of athletic science, someone found 63 degrees F to be the ideal temperature for recovery while sleeping. That's way too cold for the summer, but doable in the spring/fall/winter depending on where you live.