How To Take Back Your Life From Bad Sleep
Manage your days to reclaim your nights.
My sleep troubles began in my early thirties. Nothing significant had happened beyond life’s normal trials and tribulations, so I ignored the newly developed habit and hoped it would pass. I was living in Spain when the sleep deprivation got out of hand, and I explored a range of local ‘treatments’. Whether with an extra glass of wine at night, a puff of my flatmate’s cannabis ‘nightcap’ or a mild sedative, I got through my 30s with sleep in the red.
In my 40s, I started traveling more for work and moved to London. It was during these next years I realised the severity of my sleep disorder. Not only were the ‘mild sedatives’ not available, but I was getting older, and the fatigue was taking its toll. I could see it in my concentration or lack thereof, my moods, my lack of energy and the unavoidable dark circles around my eyes.
I tried every home remedy I came across. One involved boiling bananas with their skin on and drinking the juice (mainly for its magnesium). Another was a spoonful of apple cider vinegar and honey; other than triggering a severe gagging reflex, this one had no effect. Herbal teas, whisky, meditation, prayer. All offered glimmers of respite, but eventually I hit rock bottom. I needed to find a sustainable solution.
