How I Overcame Insomnia
By: Don Restarone
Tags: Lifestyle, Productivity, Lifestyle Change, Insomnia, Self

Having dealt with insomnia since the age of 16, I was no stranger to the inconveniences brought on by the lack of sleep, but pursuing a career in software development alongside being unable to sleep was debilitating.

On most days I would start my work-day around 6 AM, which meant that for me to get a good night’s sleep I would have to fall asleep at the latest, around 12 AM. For the majority of the workweek, this was not the case, I would lay in bed till 3 or 4 in the morning unable to fall asleep.

The following morning, I would wake up to the sound of my alarm with a burning sensation in my eyes and a raging headache. I would start my workday, hoping that tonight might be different, it hardly ever was.

I tried a lot of things, ranging from complaining to my doctor to taking part in a sleep study (which ironically was inconclusive because I was unable to achieve any level of sleep for them to gather data).

Here are some of the strategies that helped me overcome my onset insomnia and while I am not 100% cured, these tips help me get restful sleep for at least 5 days a week.

1. Practice and master sleep hygiene

Like many people, I had a bad habit of winding down after a long day in bed by playing on my phone or reading a book. Avoid engaging in anything other than sleeping and sex in bed to build a strong association between being in bed and falling asleep.

2. Enable blue-light filtering on your devices

I noticed a boost in overall sleep quality and a decrease in the time it takes for me to fall asleep by enabling this feature on my devices. Warm colors during nighttime hours alleviated eye strain as well for me.

3. Come up with a sleep/wake routine that you can stick to 7 days a week

For me, going to bed at 10 PM and waking up at 6 AM is sustainable all week. The key is to come up with a realistic routine that you will be able to stick to regardless of it being a workday or not.

4. Restrict screen-time 1.5 hours before bedtime & have a wind-down ritual

Get into the habit of dropping stopping highly stimulating activities at a certain time before bed. Having a designated ‘wind-down period’ prevents my mind from being overly restless at night and inhibiting sleep. And if you are suffering from stress or anxiety about falling asleep, this might be an effective ritual to follow.

5. Read and or write before bed

This ties in with my previous point of a screen-time cut off before bed. You can still get things done, but only with pen and paper. I find it relaxing to draft ideas for medium articles before bed or read up on software engineering topics (I’m currently reading about iOS development with Swift). The key here is to refrain from reading something overly stimulating that might cause you to ponder critically at night (stay away from mystery fiction). Writing a list of things you accomplished on the current day can help you go to bed feeling satisfied and that might bring restful sleep.

6. Intermittent fasting and a ketogenic diet

This might be specific to me, and please consult your physician before taking this advice — but this lifestyle choice helped my particular case of insomnia quite a bit. Restricting eating after 7 PM enabled me to go to bed without feeling bloated and on a ‘settled’ stomach.

Following a ketogenic diet helped my overall sleep quality once I became fat dependent. Take a look at this article if you’re curious about the science behind this.

7. Maximize sleep duration by restricting fluids at night

I would restrict fluids after 8 PM or so to make sure that when I do fall asleep I am not waking up to use the bathroom at night. Knowing that I would be fluid restricted at night, I started tracking my water intake and ensured that I would consume at least 3 liters of water during the day.

8. Workout in the morning, not at night

The first thing I would do at 6 AM would be to workout, I found that it takes me longer to wind-down after working out in the evening/at night. Be sure to focus on cardio and weight-lifting and don’t neglect one for the other.

9. Take melatonin

Consult your physician and consider taking a melatonin supplement. You won’t reap the benefits of this in the short term, but once it builds up in your system — it could help you fall asleep.

10. Listen to pink noise

This is a recent habit of mine — I play a pink noise loop (consult youtube for this) through a soundbar near my bed. I have noticed that when my mind is restless, I can use the sound of the pink noise to visualize sleep-friendly thoughts. In a way, the sound helps ground me to my sleep. Your mileage may vary, but if you have racing thoughts at night — this may help you reach a quasi-meditative state that can lull you into sleep.

11. Try and be as productive as possible during the day

As Leonardo Da-Vinci once said “As a well-spent day brings happy sleep…”, try being as productive as possible during your waking hours. Working hard during the day helped me by lowering over-all stress levels so I’m not laying in bed thinking about all the stuff I need to power through the next day. Being present, and staying productive is the name of this game.