Fear Friends,
Today, we’re talking sleep. Inadequate rest can be a nightmare. If I’m feeling particularly anxious at night I grind my teeth, re-live embarrassing moments or roll around like a gas station hot dog.
For any new subscribers, my name’s Jed and I created the Get Afraid Journal. If you want to get in touch, hit reply.
😴 Can’t Sleep?
If you’re like me and you have trouble falling asleep because your mind is racing, I’ve got you covered.
Some of these sleep hygiene suggestions worked for me, but that doesn’t mean they’ll work for you.
What helps me sleep?
Distractions - Podcasts, background noise, counting down from 99.
Warmer room / cooler room / different room.
Progressive muscle relaxation.
Limiting caffeine.
Exercise - Especially when I did the Couch to 5k.
Reading fiction - It can’t be too thought-provoking.
I have an active mind, so distractions seem to work best.
What doesn’t help?
Watching videos.
Flipping through social media.
Reading non-fiction.
Writing newsletters at midnight.
They all set my mind racing.
Years ago, there was a great article in ESPN about Michael Jordan turning 50. This bit at the end has always stuck with me.
Jordan is alone.
He hates being alone, because that means it's quiet, and he doesn't like silence. He can't sleep without noise. Sleep has always been a struggle for him. All the late-night card games, the trips to the casino during the playoffs, they've been misunderstood. They weren't the disease, they were the cure. They provided noise, distraction, a line of defense. He didn't even start drinking until he was 27 and complained of insomnia to a doctor. Have a few beers after the game, he was advised. That would knock off the edge.
The house is dark. It's almost 1 a.m., and he opens the iPad app that controls the loft's audio-visual system. Every night he does the same thing, and he does it now: Turn the bedroom television to the Western channel. The cowboy movies will break the darkness, break the silence, allow him to rest.
So, if you have trouble falling asleep, you’re in famous company.
Back in 2015, I started listening to a podcast called Sleep with Me. The creator, Drew Ackerman* tells meandering bedtime stories with a healthy dose of surrealism. His voice and cadence was incredibly effective at lulling me to sleep.
I’d lay in bed and run my headphone cords under my shirt, but I would worry about rolling over and strangling myself.
Everything changed when I got Airpods. I didn’t have to worry about getting tangled up. I didn’t have to worry about my phone falling off of my bed. The earpieces weren’t comfortable to lay on though. I’ll be honest, I also thought too much pressure would make them explode. So, I’d only wear the right earbud and then when I’d feel the urge to flip over I’d switch to the left earbud. It sounds convoluted, but it worked.
But then, for whatever reason, Drew’s show stopped working.
I tried other sleep hacks with varying levels of success. Melatonin worked, but I felt groggy the following day. Running was effective, but hard to maintain. Counting down from 99 also worked sometimes, but it was tricky because if I reached zero I’d feel worse.
I’ve also used the Oak Meditation App (iOS only) to listen to relaxing sounds. I could set a time duration and then pick from background loops like a wood sauna, roof rain, or cave water. It was a nice way to drown out worry and racing thoughts.
At some point, listening to podcasts started working again. I still listen to Sleep with Me, but lately I’ve been spending my nights with the duo at Bald Move. They’ve been recapping film and TV shows since like 2011.
The back and forth between hosts keeps me interested, but the subject matter is trivial enough that I never get too invested. It doesn’t always help me fall asleep, but it’s relaxing to fill my mind with other people’s thoughts for a while.
This fall, I received a headband with speakers stitched inside so I could sleep on either side. It’s fantastic!
The trouble is, the more I rest, the more I dream. Which isn’t always enjoyable. I’ve been swept up in tsunamis, lost a death-match in the desert and had border patrol agents chastise me for not having enough money in my savings.
Better sleep is a moving target. Changes in diet, exercise, and distractions can help, but they won’t work forever. And that’s OK. Eventually, new thoughts will creep in and keep you awake. When it happens, don’t be afraid to try something new.
Anything is better than laying in bed, trying to will yourself to sleep.
— Jed
Do you have a sleep hack? Hit reply and share it with me.
Thanks for reading worry birds. It’s been a great year and I can’t wait to publish more books in 2020. Including my first novel! See you fearly soon. 🙄
*Drew has become a friend. You may recognize his name from the Acknowledgements page of the Get Afraid Journal.
If you were forwarded this and you like it, you can subscribe here
©2019 Get Afraid. The publisher is providing information so that you can have the knowledge and can choose, at your own risk, to act on that knowledge.