4 Practical Facts Every Insomniac Needs to Know

If you haven’t been sleeping right, listen up:

The immediate effects of insomnia include but are not limited to the following: physical fatigue, headaches, poor memory, micro-napping (a known cause of car accidents), poor vision, poor hand-eye coordination, slower response time, and the inability to focus on logical tasks.

6 Reasons to Buy Your Mattress Online
read more
Goodbye Sleepless Nights: Sleep-Train Your Toddler
read more
12 Annoying Health Side Effects of Sleeping On A Bad Mattress
read more

Long-term insomnia is even scarier; when left untreated, years of on and off insomnia can significantly increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart disease.

So what’s the silver lining?

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

Over the last century, because of how common insomnia has become, there’s been a staggering amount of research on the subject.

This means that there’s no shortage of reliable scientific information on how to deal with insomnia – a treasure trove of interesting and practical information for anyone who’s suffering from the sleep disorder in one way or another.

4.8 out of 506 reviews
shop now

Let’s start with something that every insomniac on the planet needs to know ASAP:

1. Sex Fights Insomnia

It's called sleeping together for a reason.
It’s called sleeping together for a reason.

According to New York Times best-selling author and world-renowned sex and relationships expert Dr. Laura Berman, having sex can cause the release of endorphins – naturally-occurring chemicals that act like harmless versions of heroin and morphine.

Science Confirms: The Body Clock is Real!
read more
4 Reasons Why You and Your Partner Need Separate Beds
read more
Why Is Sleep Important for Weight Loss?
read more

Just like these dangerous drugs, endorphins are also opiates – chemicals that can elevate mood, reduce your perception of pain, produce feelings of euphoria, and elevate your confidence, all by interacting with the body’s opiate receptors.

agriculture-1238443_960_720
But while heroin and morphine are addictive substances synthesized from the opium plant, endorphins are non-addictive chemicals produced by the body itself.

In fact, the brain automatically releases endorphins as a way to counteract the effects of pain and stress.

And according to Dr. Berman, another way to prompt the release of endorphins is through sex.

4.7 out of 1111 reviews
shop now

Similar to how you can experience a ‘runner’s high’ by exerting your body to a certain point, so can you experience the euphoric, stress-melting, and sleep-inducing effects of endorphins by engaging in sexual activity.

That’s basically why you tend to feel sleepy after getting lucky.

And that’s not all.

Sleep Increases the Body’s Levels of Endorphins, Oxytocin, and for women, Estrogen

In an article published in Women’s Health magazine, Dr. Saralyn Mark of the Yale School of Medicine says that the hormonal changes that occur during intercourse also contribute to post-coital relaxation.

4.7 out of 116 reviews
shop now

Apart from endorphins, sex can boost the release of oxytocin, a complex hormone that’s responsible for strong feelings of bonding with people that we like, love, or trust.

More importantly, oxytocin can also significantly decrease the production of cortisol, the fight-or-flight hormone that’s released by the adrenal glands whenever we’re confronted with factors that cause stress or fear.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

Cortisol actually helps us be faster, more alert, and better able to respond to such factors, but at the same time, it also induces more stress.

Anything from facing actual physical danger to ruminating about work before bedtime can turn up your body’s production of cortisol, amp up your stress levels, and ultimately cause insomnia.

4.7 out of 116 reviews
shop now

A surefire way to lower your levels of cortisol is to confront whatever’s causing your fear or stress.

Whether it’s fight or flight, take action: do the work you’re so anxious about, or make sure that you’re not in any danger – cut off the stress at its source.

4.7 out of 116 reviews
shop now

You can also just have sex.

The oxytocin boost from having intercourse is a good way to deal with spiked up cortisol levels and allow your mind and body to prepare for sleep.

Dr. Mark explains further…

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

Sex May Have Even More Sleep-related Benefits for Women

Apart from endorphins and oxytocin, estrogen levels also increase during sex.

Higher estrogen levels, particularly before bedtime, can enhance a woman’s REM sleep cycles and induce a deeper and more restorative sleep.

Understanding Coffee and Its Effects Can Help You Sleep Better
read more
Science Says You Can Eliminate Shoulder Pain With This Simple Exercise
read more
Sleeping Naked is the Sleep Trend We All Need Right Now
read more

So before you reach for the sleeping pills, reach for the person next to you in bed instead.

If you can satisfy each other’s sexual needs, you can also give each other a sleep-inducing chemical cocktail that’s free, natural, and certified 100% organic.

0 out of 0 reviews
shop now

But what if your insomnia is not exactly putting you in the mood for sex?

What if you just want to lie there and fall asleep without having to do anything at all?

Well, you’re in luck…

0 out of 0 reviews
shop now

2. There is a Podcast Designed to Bore You to Sleep

It’s called Sleep With Me, and it’s a brilliantly boring way of turning off your mind and preparing it for sleep.

All you need to do is just lie in bed and listen.
All you need to do is just lie in bed, play the podcast, and listen.

In a nutshell, here’s how it works:

You know that mildly funny friend we all have who tells inane, droning, unconnected, and ultimately boring stories that seem to have no connection or end?

Sleep With Me is that friend, but in podcast form.

3 Intense Ways Coffee Can Improve Your Health and Lengthen Your Life
read more
Why Is Sleep Important for Weight Loss?
read more
30 Strange Facts About Sleep, Dreams, and Insomnia
read more

Creator and host of the podcast, Drew Ackerman (aka Dearest Scooter) seems to have perfected the art of the bedtime story.

His ramblings range from extremely mundane all the way to mildly interesting – a unique storytelling style that has become the creative backbone of his podcast/auditory sleep cocktail.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

For instance, on their first-year anniversary episode back in November 2014, Scooter started by explaining what Sleep With Me is and how to use it.

In his signature early morning, graveyard voice, he says:

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

“… put aside any racing thoughts or whatever’s running through your brain… Just pay attention to (my voice), loosely, kind of like you’re holding a baseball made of ice cream.”

Somewhere along the line, he then recalls a discussion with a colleague on whether or not he should say “www” before “Sleep With Me podcast dot com” whenever he mentions their website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdw30RuCNi8

Scooter’s ramblings are sometimes accompanied by the signature gentle downtempo acoustic stylings of the podcast’s resident songwriter, Jonathan Mann – the same guy who started writing literally one song per day since 2009 as a creative challenge to himself.

Don’t Drink Coffee First Thing in the Morning!
read more
The Truth About Houseplants: Myths & Real Benefits of Home Gardening
read more
Busting the Big Breakfast Myth
read more

Jonathan’s music opens each new episode, but also later comes at strange and seemingly random intervals, never really relating to what Scooter himself is saying, which is okay because Scooter’s not really saying anything.

There is never a discernable pattern or story.

4.7 out of 1111 reviews
shop now

And when coherent stories do somehow emerge during the podcast, they quickly dissolve into the countless other unconnected thoughts and musings that Scooter consistently rambles on about.

Almost all episodes of Sleep With Me sound inane and pointless – and that’s the point.

Flooding Your Mind with Semi-Active, Non-Stimulating Thoughts Can Put You to Sleep

In a way, the entire podcast is an exercise in controlled inanity.

The pointlessness of each successive “topic”, thought, or scene that Scooter constantly ‘discusses’ makes it impossible for your mind to truly focus on anything.

Love Improves Sleep: Science Says Healthy Relationships Promote Restorative Sleep
read more
Tea and Caffeine: A Guide to Which Teas are Best Consumed in the Morning, Afternoon, and Before Bedtime
read more
The Definitive Guide To Mattress Cleaning (With 7 Chapters)
read more

If you just take his advice and lie in bed while listening to his voice without doing or thinking about anything else, rumination becomes impossible.

And without mental rumination, there’s no way for anxiety to take over your mind.

4.7 out of 1111 reviews
shop now

While Dearest Scooter’s non-stop train-of-thought bedtime storytelling seems completely random, each episode is actually meticulously edited until it can sufficiently serve its advertised purpose – to preoccupy your head with inanity and put you to sleep.

Ackerman confesses to spending an average of 14 hours on developing and perfecting every single hour of Sleep With Me, with each episode lasting for about one to two hours.

4.7 out of 1111 reviews
shop now

A lot of the editing and reworking that Ackerman does is to control the tone and pace of his own voice, cutting out parts where he gets too excited or talks too fast.

He also cuts out any words or concepts that could possibly elicit stimulating emotions or reactions.

4.7 out of 116 reviews
shop now

The end result is an auditory sleep cocktail that successfully distracts the mind via a controlled dose of inanity – the perfect distraction for the anxious, ruminating mind of the insomniac.

From 2009 to 2016, Drew Ackerman and Jonathan Mann has released about 400 episodes of Sleep With Me.

Understanding Coffee and Its Effects Can Help You Sleep Better
read more
4 Reasons Why You and Your Partner Need Separate Beds
read more
6 Awesome Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for Insomniacs and Sleep Lovers
read more

That’s hundreds of hours of carefully designed randomness aimed at shutting down anxiety.

At 1.3 million downloads per month as of June 2016, Sleep With Me’s success speaks for itself.

But despite those impressive numbers, there’s no denying that some parts of the podcast can get too distracting.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

Scooter’s self-effacing narratives, unnecessary backtracking, and delightful randomness can sometimes prove to be too funny not to laugh at – and nothing pulls you from the brink of sleep faster than a heartfelt chuckle.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

While Ackerman and Mann succeed at being consistently boring and unpredictable, it’s not impossible to be stimulated and tickled by their hilariously random narratives, which is the opposite of the podcast’s intent.

So, if you find yourself unable to stop cracking up at Scooter’s brilliant inanity, Sleep With Me might be too entertaining for you, in which case you shouldn’t be using it to combat insomnia.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

Not to worry – listening to Sleep With Me isn’t the only mental anti-insomnia method that can distract your mind from anxious rumination.

3. The Cognitive Shuffle Lets You Scramble Your Thoughts to Overcome Insomnia

No, the Cognitive Shuffle isn’t a dance craze from the future.

cube-442544_960_720
It’s actually a simple and little-known mental exercise that can be highly effective at shutting up anxious brains before bedtime.

Just like the Sleep With Me podcast, the Shuffle’s main weapon against insomniac mental rumination is constantly distracting the mind with half-compelling topics, objects, scenes, and concepts – interesting enough to overtake worrisome thoughts, but not too stimulating as to cause the listener to become alert.

12 Annoying Health Side Effects of Sleeping On A Bad Mattress
read more
Spine Care and the Importance of Your Mattress
read more
Sleeping Naked is the Sleep Trend We All Need Right Now
read more

But while Sleep With Me mainly relies on the droning drivel of its loveable host and creator, the Cognitive Shuffle relies only on your ability to imagine a random sequence of objects.

Everything you need to try this mental exercise is already inside your head.

Just lie in bed, get comfortable, and begin imagining a random sequence of neutral and mundane objects, ie: a ball, a table, a towel, an apple, a loaf of bread, a door, a dog, and so on.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

Give yourself 3 seconds to focus before moving on to the next object.

The objects can be anything, as long as you make sure that they’re totally unrelated and that the sequence is completely meaningless.

Remember: you’re not playing a word association game with yourself – that would only cause you to become more alert and prone to anxious rumination.

4.8 out of 506 reviews
shop now

Instead, you’re doing the Cognitive Shuffle – the goal is to scramble your thoughts and preoccupy your mind with inane randomness, keeping it from thinking about issues that may prevent the onset of sleep.

If you’re having trouble imagining a random sequence of objects, you can employ simple patterns that won’t distract from the main goal.

4.8 out of 506 reviews
shop now

For instance, you can use a guiding keyword like ‘SLUMBER’ to make it easier to imagine random objects and scenes – start by picturing as many objects that start with the letter ‘S’ as you can.

And when you run out of ‘S’ objects, move on to ‘L’, then ‘U’, then ‘M’… and before you even get to spell out the keyword, you’ll probably already be out like a light.

4.8 out of 506 reviews
shop now

According to Dr. Luc Beaudoin, creator of the Cognitive Shuffle and adjunct professor of the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University, the Shuffle’s effectiveness at fighting insomnia is rooted in the fact that the brain is a ‘sense-making machine’.

brain-coral-1669995_960_720
The human brain is simply too good at finding patterns and creating meaning out of nothing.

And humans have evolved in such a way that if the cortex is engaged in sense-making, the body interprets that as a sign that you’re probably not in a safe place or situation to sleep.

3 Intense Ways Coffee Can Improve Your Health and Lengthen Your Life
read more
5 Websites You Need to Visit When You Just Can’t Get Any Sleep
read more
3 Times Staying in Bed / Sleep Saved Lives
read more

Unfortunately, for many people, this constant pattern-finding and sense-making can translate into racing minds and uncontrollable thoughts before bedtime – not only are these common complaints among insomniacs and poor sleepers, they’re also the exact issues that the Shuffle aims to eliminate.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

Doing the Cognitive Shuffle Temporarily Stops the Brain from its Constant Sense-Making

As Dr. Beaudoin explains, feeding your cortex with random and rambling nonsense can stop the mind from racing and ultimately signal the body that it’s safe to sleep.

Another even simpler explanation is that it’s impossible to seriously worry about your responsibilities when you’re preoccupied with picturing random, unrelated things.

4.7 out of 116 reviews
shop now

Either way, the Cognitive Shuffle is a proven and effective mental exercise for dealing with pre-bedtime anxiety.

In fact, in a previous study conducted by Dr. Beaudoin and his colleagues from MacEwan University, the Shuffle was found to be highly effective at reducing the pre-sleep arousal as well as improving the overall sleep quality of the 154 student-participants who complained about insomnia.

The Cognitive Shuffle, then known as SDI or Serial Diverse Imagining, made it easier for students to overcome racing minds before bedtime.

It was from this study that Dr. Beaudoin developed the mySleepButton app for CogSci Apps Corp.

What is the app for?

If you’re having trouble imagining random objects or scenes on your own…

Sleep News Volume I: Sleeping Beauty Syndrome and Other Stories From the Weird World of Sleep
read more
Science Confirms: The Body Clock is Real!
read more
6 Ways to Nurse Your Oz Day Hangover (and the Different Ways Different Drinks Can Make Your Hangover Better or Worse)
read more

The mySleepButton app Does the Cognitive Shuffle for You

Just download the app, press the ‘Put Me to Sleep’ button, and picture whatever object or scene that the app mentions.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

You can customize how long each session will run – from 1 minute to 24 Hours.

You can also choose how many seconds will pass before the app mentions each new random object.

As of press time, mySleepButton is available on both Android and iOS for about $1 – a small but highly practical investment for insomniacs everywhere.

copy-headerlogotitle
The app also sports an adorable logo.

You Should Try Every Viable Insomnia Treatment You Can Get Your Hands On

Insomnia can be a very tricky disorder.

No single solution exists for every insomniac on the planet.

While the 3 different methods described above have proven to be effective for some, there’s no guarantee that they’ll work for you.

4 Reasons Why You and Your Partner Need Separate Beds
read more
Don’t Drink Coffee First Thing in the Morning!
read more
Unique Sleep Gadgets for The Modern Insomniac
read more

And the only way to see whether they’re effective or not is to try every reasonable anti-insomnia treatment you can until you find the ones that are truly effective for you.

Not to worry, fellow insomniacs.

4.8 out of 506 reviews
shop now

As mentioned at the start of this article, the dark cloud that is chronic insomnia is not without its silver lining.

Apart from the various existing methods of naturally treating the dreaded sleep disorder, there’s another thing that both short and long-term insomniacs can actually look forward to…

4. The Sleep Health Foundation Pays Insomniacs to Participate in Research

The Sleep Health Foundation is a charity organization whose main goals are: to improve public health and safety as well as to raise public awareness on vital issues related to sleep health.

Unique Sleep Gadgets for Under300
read more
4 Practical Facts Every Insomniac Needs to Know
read more
The Definitive Guide To Mattress Cleaning (With 7 Chapters)
read more

They’re partly governed by the Australasian Sleep Association (Australia and New Zealand’s peak professional body of sleep scientists and clinicians), and are partners with organizations like Sleep Disorders Australia and the Cooperative Research Centre for Alertness, Safety and Productivity.

159_shf-logo
In short, when it comes to sleep-related research, you can trust these guys.

They’re also on the constant lookout for volunteers with sleep disorders.

In partnership with various public and private medical and research institutions, insomniacs, people with obstructive sleep apnea or OSA, and sufferers of other sleep disorders can volunteer their time to sleep and sleep disorder-related research.

Volunteers are typically fully compensated based on how long the study lasts, where it’s being conducted, and what the study entails.

4.8 out of 506 reviews
shop now

Apart from the possibility of making money, participating in these studies, trials, and experiments can result in much more valuable rewards.

For instance, if you have OSA and are having severe difficulty using standard sleep apnea treatments, you might be eligible for a surgery trial that could prove to be an effective and cost-efficient long-term treatment for OSA.

4.6 out of 2744 reviews
shop now

Furthermore, whatever the study concludes, your participation means that you will have personally contributed to the wealth of modern scientific research on sleep disorders, directly helping your fellow insomniacs in their personal battles against sleeplessness along the way.

Volunteering for sleep disorder-related research is a very good way of making the most out of a tired, sleepless situation.

Brilliant new mattress
better than expected, sleeping better, loving my new mattress
shop now

REFERENCES:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/

http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/ap/vander/student/olc/n-reading22.html

http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/sex-before-bed-cure-insomnia/975867/

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/sex-and-love/sex-and-sleep

http://www.sleepwithmepodcast.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdw30RuCNi8

http://jonathanmann.net/

http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-podcast-that-tells-ingeniously-boring-bedtime-stories-to-help-you-fall-asleep

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/15/shuffle-thoughts-sleep-oliver-burkeman

http://mysleepbutton.com/home/

http://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/public-information/research-recruitment-service.html

The History of the Bed, the Mattress, and Other Fascinating Stories
October 17, 2019
Arguably, the bed has got to be the best invention, man has ever made. There are many great inventions, but can you imagine not having your own comfortable bed to lie on today? Imagine not having a bed to rest on at the end of a long, tiring day?!
6 Reasons to Buy Your Mattress Online
September 26, 2019
Sometimes it’s quite a hassle to buy a mattress because of its size. Cumbersome even, you may say. How do you transport a bulky purchase across the city and how do you even bring it up to the rooms? The idea of doing all of these could be intimidating to some.
Goodbye Sleepless Nights: Sleep-Train Your Toddler
September 26, 2019
Our babies have many important needs and parents would naturally want to fulfill those. As parents, alongside making sure our little ones are well fed, ensuring they get enough sleep is at the top of our checklist. It goes without saying that sleep is important for everyone, most especially for these little ones.
12 Annoying Health Side Effects of Sleeping On A Bad Mattress
September 17, 2019
You've been spending most of your nights on your mattress - 4 - 10 hours for adults, and surprisingly, not too many people have considered changing their mattress unless the springs have come to pop out, or until they've started to feel lumpy.
Spine Care and the Importance of Your Mattress
September 02, 2019
Back pain is one of the most debilitating pains you can have. There are many different reasons that you can be experiencing back pain. One of the things that you can do is to get a good mattress. On the other hand, having a bad mattress can also be a source of back pain. There are many different things that you need to take into consideration. The first thing is determining the source of pain. You want to make sure that it's not due to an injury.
Important Facts You Need to Know About Sleep And Mental Health
July 26, 2019
It is a long known scientific fact, that's sleep or the lack of it, has a significant impact on mental health. It is more than just getting enough sleep, but also includes the quality and the depth of the sleep that is achieved. There's a big difference between someone who is able to sleep for 7 hours straight and someone who is in bed for eight or nine hours but wakes up three or four times during the night. Here we'll take a look at some important facts you need to know about sleep and mental health.
Why Is Sleep Important for Weight Loss?
July 26, 2019
Weight loss is a challenging task and doesn't happen overnight. There's no magical pill nor is someone going to snap their fingers and make all that unwanted weight disappear. Instead, it's time to look at the importance of good habits such as sleeping well throughout the night. If you are not getting enough sleep, you are doing the human body a real disservice.
MYTH BUSTED: Nighttime Exercise Does NOT Prevent Sleep
November 08, 2017
Doctors used to advise against engaging in any moderate to heavy physical exercise during the night. The scientific consensus was that exercising too close to bedtime could interrupt the natural onset of sleep. And it’s a theory that made sense. Exercise does put the mind and body into a focused state. And it’s understandable that this type of heightened awareness brought about by physical exercise can serve as a cue for wakefulness.
Don't Drink Coffee First Thing in the Morning!
November 01, 2017
Having coffee first thing in the morning is a ritual that a lot of coffee drinkers subscribe to. But is first thing in the morning really the best time for caffeine? The short answer is: not really. And that's because most humans are wired to have high levels of cortisol usually between 8 to 9AM. This is according to Steven Miller, a neuroscientist from Dartmouth.

Your Cart ( 0 )