I don’t sleep that well. I used to sleep through the night–at least, that’s what I remember–but for the last few years, I’ve tended to wake up in the early hours of the morning and then find myself unable to fall asleep again. I’ve tried CBD, melatonin, going to bed early, going to bed late. Nothing has worked. So, when I heard Diane Macedo interviewed on Dan Harris’s podcast, 10% Happier last week as I was walking south to the Chapter’s-Indigo store in Regina, where I was planning to drink coffee before spending the rest of the day writing at the library branch in the mall next door, I thought I’d take a look at her book. I found it on the bargain shelves–a score for me, if not the publisher.
Macedo’s book covers a lot of ground, and it’s informed by her own struggles with shift work and a variety of sleep disturbances. It’s thorough, but also strangely repetitive, but as Macedo points out in the introduction, readers can just look at the chapters that relate to their own difficulties with sleeping, and leave the rest of the book alone. The first two sections provide an overview of different sleep-related issues, and what follows are chapters that discuss possible solutions to those issues.
I found The Sleep Fix useful. I know now that my sleep disturbances are related to something called “conditioned arousal”: my brain has learned that bed, especially at three a.m., is a place to worry and to run through things I want to write, rather than a place to sleep. Macedo suggests solutions: mindfulness apps, getting up and doing something fun until sleepiness returns, a practice called “constructive worrying,” journaling. I’ve tried mindfulness apps, and sometimes they can help me shift my attention away from spinning thoughts to my breathing, and I’m going to try her other suggestions, even though I hate the idea of getting out of bed in the cold darkness. I might also have some problems with thermal regulation, since I often wake up soaked in sweat, as if a fever just broke. Macedo has ideas about what to do with that problem, too, including wearing socks to bed, since cold extremities make our bodies generate more heat.
Maybe you have trouble sleeping. If so, you could do worse than spend $8 on The Sleep Fix.
I think it’s an age thing: it’s the story of — literally — everyone that I talk to about this who’ve passed a certain age. We all joke about starting a 3:00 am FaceTime session. See “Why Does Aging Affect Sleep?” here: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/aging-and-sleep
My best remedy is tuning in a good podcast (fiction works better than non-fiction). Classic short stories, detective and ghost tales top of the list for me. There are a few good sources on YouTube, for instance: https://www.youtube.com/c/BitesizedAudioClassics … why these work best for me? Dunno. Maybe because I read a lot of this stuff back in the day… when I was a teenager who *did* sleep through the night? For sure, they occupy the consciousness that might otherwise be occupied with (mostly irrational) anxieties. Anways, I rarely get through a whole story… so have to backtrack next time I listen… Without the podcast remedy, I can lie awake for hours, sometimes never getting back to sleep…
Macedo talks about how our circadian rhythms change over our lives, which is reassuring. Yes, podcasts or some quiet sound could help—I’ve ordered a headband thing so I can listen to something without disturbing Christine.
I hope 2025 brings you all kinds of wonderful things!
PS: Best wishes for good sleep in the new Year!
Thanks!
Ken, I’ve suffered with this since I was very young though it has improved somewhat in retirement with work stress gone. I do sympathize. I’ve tried many things, and over the years I’ve found that lots of exercise, consistent bed time, minimal/no alcohol in the evening and no caffeine after 12 noon has definitely helped. Bit boring but it works, OR, you could just read my walking blog. Guaranteed sleep! 😂😂
Geoff
All good tips! Using a meditation app, I can often relax myself into something close to sleep, but it’s not quite the same as actually sleeping. One would think the walking would tire me out, but maybe it’s not strenuous enough—I’m doing nine-minute kilometres, sometimes, though, which ought to be doing something.
There are no perfect answers for sleep issues. The solution is always shifting. What works one night doesn’t necessarily work the next. The walking or exercise helps to pick you up the next day after a poor night so that you can again function at a decent level. Short naps help, but often just make things worse that night. Consistency seems to work the best over time.
That’s what Macedo suggests—and also that sleep needs to be approached subtly, seduced rather than compelled. It’s hard to do when you’re afraid of not being able to function and are lying awake worrying about the coming day.