It’s 4am and I Can’t Go Back to Sleep
Imagine working hard on your sleep for months. You’ve tried everything. But nothing seems to be working. You are growing impatient and then… you have a breakthrough — a terrific night’s sleep! The best you have even had in fact. Well, it might not be the best night’s sleep but it’s definitely up there. Your problems no longer seem insurmountable. It’s going to be a good day. In the shower, solutions to long-standing problems pop into your head. You have to write them down because they are coming so fast. You notice that you need to slow down when you speak to others because they can’t keep up. By lunch, you’ve crushed your goals for the day and are starting to think about bigger challenges. In this series, we will learn to think like a scientist and make the changes necessary so that you can have your best possible night’s rest.
📝I wrote this article as an allegory. An allegory is a literary device in which abstract ideas and principles are represented through characters. Examples include George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Change is hard. And so, you might need to see that struggle in someone else in order to make the changes yourself. That said, if you want just the major points, they are summarized at the end of the article.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice but practical lifestyle suggestions from the allegorical characters of Julie and her husband, Dan in context with achieving better quality sleep. Actual medical advice should always be sought from healthcare professionals.
In this series, I make the case that there’s nothing more important than getting a good night’s sleep. I do so through the characters of Julie, her husband Dan and Dr. Doze who you will meet in the next episode. I’m hoping that the use of dialogue to make my points makes the concepts easy to understand. You won’t see a lot of medical terms, scientific theories or technical jargon. I won’t quote studies. Instead, you get a concise story with summaries at the conclusion that hopefully help you on your own journey to improved sleep.
Before we get to the story, I want to make the case for a focus on sleep. I know of no other drink, drug or experience that can match a good night’s sleep. So, instead of focusing on all you are missing, I recommend that you reframe the decision in terms of what you are gaining. Here are some of the benefits of sleeping well: Your memory will improve. Your thinking will improve. You’ll get more done. You’ll be in a better mood. You’ll be a better listener. You’ll be more empathetic. You won’t have the strong need for alcohol to wind down. You’ll might finally lose weight. You might see additional gains in the gym. If this sounds good, read on.
Julie and Dan are in the kitchen. Julie is drinking a cup of coffee still in her pajamas. Dan is dressed and ready for work.
“Good morning. Tough night?” Dan asks.
Julie rubs her eyes wearily. “I just can’t figure it out. I’m just not sleeping that great lately. Can’t remember the last time I had a really good night’s sleep.”
“Seems like it all started around the same time as your promotion,” Dan observes.
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Julie replies. “I crash as soon as my head hits the pillow but keep waking up throughout the night. Just can’t seem to get any restful sleep, you know? Got up at 4am this morning and couldn’t get back to sleep either.”
“You’re dealing with lots of stress at work right now,” points out Dan. “Honestly, how are you surviving? Think it might help if I step in and pick up the kids after school?”
With a grateful smile, Julie responds, “Did anyone ever tell you what a wonderful guy you are? Yeah, that would help loads. Let’s give it a go next week and see how things go?”
Dan agrees eagerly, “Sure thing, babe! You’re working so hard; I want to be there for you.”
“Thank you,” says Julie softly. She continues determinedly, “Here’s my vow — I’ll start getting up earlier one more time and will spend the first hour and a half to work on getting better sleep.”
Dan raises an eyebrow skeptically: “Don’t you think it’s time for a doctor’s visit?
“I mentioned my poor sleep to Dr. Lonergan when we last saw him, remember? All blood tests came back crystal clear except for my White Blood Count being slightly down. He reassured me low WBC can be due to low inflammation levels in the body. Not sure if conventional medicine offers an effective solution for sleep optimization though — not unless you’re seeing a Functional Doctor. They specifically address pathology — the causes and cures of diseases. And, there’s no way am I popping sleeping pills.”
“I’m with you on that one,” agrees Dan. “I’ll start picking up the kids next week and we do a check-in on Friday? How does that sound, Jewels?”
“Deal!” she replies enthusiastically.
Sleep is complicated. It can be disrupted by a number of things. Rather than burden you (or your loved one) with a radical lifestyle change, I have sequenced the articles below to start with the basics and then progress to changes that are more involved. No one wants to make big changes. And, there’s no reason to do so if your sleep improves with a few tweaks. Some sleep disruptions are serious and won’t be helped by reading these articles. On the other hand, you will be in a much better position when you do meet with your doctor if you’ve eliminated the obvious.
Here is the list of articles in this series.
Epilogue
This series discusses the importance of getting a good night’s sleep through fictional characters Julie, her husband Dan and Dr. Doze. Here are the major points discussed in this article.
- This series aims to help those facing sleep issues through simple lifestyle changes before addressing bigger shifts if necessary.
- The benefits of good sleep include improved memory, better thinking and mood, increased productivity and empathy, reduced need for alcohol to wind down, potential weight loss, and workout gains.
- Those that take the suggestions from this and following articles will be in a better position if and when they do speak with their primary care physician about how to improve their sleep.
I have personally struggled with sleep for years. In fact, I still do. I wrote this series to pass on what I’ve learned but also to pick up some tips from you. If you’re willing, I would appreciate any tips that have worked for you. You’ll be helping me and anyone else reading this article. Simply scroll to the top or the bottom of this article and click on the “Respond” bubble. 💬
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Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this article or materials linked from this blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Readers should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.
