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I recommend you visit the Lesson  9 webpage.  Contact Dennis: Voice message or text: 408-990-3882 or dennis@sleeptohealthy.com 

Lesson Summary:

  • Sleep Tips can help prevent chronic insomnia from developing, but won’t cure insomnia.  It is similar to dental hygiene: It can help prevent cavities, but can’t cure a cavity.
  • Sleep advice can cause stress and anxiety if you start to believe that they must be executed with precision.  Don’t let the solution become the problem.
  • Your ancestors have slept through the eons under a wide variety of disruptive and dangerous conditions.  So your sleep conditions don’t have to be perfect.
  • You can’t optimize and control sleep.  Sleep tips are but one of many factors affecting your sleep, so don’t take them too seriously.
  • You have unique sensitivities to stressors, your environment and your body.  Don’t take any of the sleep tips too personally, as they may or may not apply to you.
  • Sleep Tips covered:

    Wake up at the about same time each day,

    Expose yourself to sunlight early in the day,

    Exercise your body and mind,

    Avoid caffeine after noon,

    Reduce nicotine 4 hours before bed and avoid 45 minutes before bed,

    Avoid using alcohol to put you to sleep,

    Wind down about an hour before bedtime,

    Reduce light levels and avoid backlit screens about an hour before bed,

    Consider a bedtime snack,

    Don’t clock watch and

    Create a good sleep environment.

  • Alternatives to CBTi include: ACTi (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for insomnia), Stoicism, The Work, and The Myth of Stress.
  • Give CBTi at least 6 weeks to show results before switching to an alternative.  CBTi has, by far, the most scientifically evidence to cure insomnia.
  • The CBTi term for “Sleep Tips” is “Sleep Hygiene”

 Assignment:

  • Review the sleep tips, consider your situation, and decide if there is something that might be helpful to change.  Then make the change.
  • Click on each of the links for alternative methods to see if any appeal to you and decide whether to investigate further.
  • Send Dennis a message with any sleep tip you have so he can include it in a future lesson: Voice or text message (408-990-3882), email or filling in the form on the contact page.

 Links:

Morning light therapy light.

ACT Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Workbook for Sleep: The Sleep Book.

The Little Book of Stoicism

Book & Audio Book: The Work, Byron Katie: Loving What Is

Website: Byron Katie: The Work

The Myth of Stress – Book & Audio

Orange colored glasses to block blue light

Dr. Daniel Erichsen YouTube channel: Insomnia Insight

Michael Schwartz Podcast & Blog: Sleep on Q 

Note: I receive no renumeration for any linked items.

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