I Hate Sleep: A Personal Memoir of Overcoming My Nemesis
I spent years of my life hating on sleep.
And honestly, it still annoys me that we as a species haven’t evolved out of the need to sleep for 7–9 hours a day.
It always seems like such a waste of time that I could spend doing things I enjoy. Imagine how short my to-be-read pile would be with an extra eight hours of wakefulness in my day.
But alas, human beings need sleep, and to make it worse, I am unfortunately NOT one of those human beings who can get by on 6–7 hours. My body prefers the 9-hour option.
And on top of that, I am naturally a night owl.
I would much rather stay up til midnight and wake up at 9 AM, but I work full time in an office job with a 7:30 AM start time, so my reality isn’t quite a dream (stupid pun intended).
Because of my ridiculously early start time, my ideal wake-up time to make sure I still exercise, journal, and get ready properly to drive thirty minutes to work every morning, is 5:00 AM.
As someone extremely sleep-resistant and prone to late nights AND who struggles with wanting to reclaim my free time by going to bed late, I had a lot of work to do surrounding my sleep, but the good news is that I have had success, and my success has come from some of the simplest things anyone can implement into their routines.
Not to be cliché, but if my nocturnal soul can do these things, anyone can.
Super Awesome Sleep Habit #1:
I stop eating at 6:30 PM.
Do not confuse this with intermittent fasting.
I tried that and it just did not seem to make any difference for me personally, but I do stop eating after dinner. Sometimes that dinner is at 5:00 or 5:30 PM, but it is usually not later than 6:30 PM. I try to avoid eating anytime after that.
At first, I started this as a weight loss habit, to cut down on late-night snacking, but realized that not eating for at least one to two hours before bed makes me sweat less during the night, and also means my body isn’t trying to actively digest food when I am trying to be very inactive in bed.
Side Note: If I do have sugary items during the day, I also try to have those before dinner, because carbs/sugars are what make me warm up at night. So basically, I can have my dessert before dinner and be happier for it.
Super Awesome Sleep Habit #2:
Supplements.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and am not providing medical advice. I am sharing what works for me, and you should consider your health and well-being before trying anything I recommend here.
However, I can tell you that ashwagandha and magnesium glycinate have made a dramatic difference in how fast I can fall asleep and how easily I stay asleep when I take it as soon as I get into bed.
They both have calming and stress-relieving properties that can help you ease your mind into a more relaxed state to fall asleep and stay asleep easier.
Super Awesome Sleep Habit #3:
Headspace Sleep Casts.
Not sponsored.
You can use whatever platform you want, including free soundscapes on YouTube or Audible to achieve the same results, but doing the wind-down exercises and listening to sleep casts as I fall asleep makes a difference.
Instead of listening to myself prattle on and on in my own mind, I can listen to someone else with a calming voice describe beautiful places and sensory experiences I hope to someday have in person.
If you do nothing else, though, I highly recommend doing body scans to help you fall asleep.
While technically just a basic mindfulness tool, doing a scan from head to toe while you lay in bed at night and mentally “switching off” each muscle as you go down, including your face, jaw, and feet, really helps move you into a state of mind that is ready for deep rest.
Super Awesome Sleep Habit #4:
Reading (non-fiction) Before Bed.
Reading fantasy novels is one of my favorite hobbies, but if I were to do such a thing when trying to wind down for bed, I would forsake all responsibility the moment the plot picks up and skip sleep altogether.
I 100% have been the person who reads from sundown to sunrise and did not realize even an hour had passed, which means I can only read non-fiction before bed, and I do NOT do so on a screen.
If you must, get an actual Kindle or other e-reader that mimics the look of a book enough that you won’t be keeping yourself awake by beaming blue and white lights right into your eyes.
This is typically the time I will read any self-improvement or growth book, or something that teaches me something, like how to grow a business or develop some kind of skill.
The goal is for it to be interesting, but not so interesting that I can’t put it down at the end of an article or chapter and turn off the lights.
Super Awesome Sleep Habit #5:
The Full Pamper Routine
People of the male persuasion, do not skip this one.
Self-care is not just for girls, and everyone can use a little extra personal care in their lives.
For me to effectively wake up around 5:00 AM and own my day, I still need 8 hours of sleep, which means I need to have lights out at 8:00 PM.
Is this early? Yes.
Is the sun sometimes still out when I lay down? Yes.
Do I hate it? Well, I don’t love it, but can’t complain about being off by 3:30 in the afternoon every day.
But I know myself, and the morning hours are the only time I will dedicate to accomplishing my long-term health and career goals, including exercising, writing, and journaling.
Except for the hour before bed.
Around 7 PM, sometimes earlier depending on the day, I will begin what I consider to be my ultimate nighttime routine, which looks like this:
Prepare clothes and bag for the next day-10 minutes
Take a shower/skincare- 15 minutes
Foot cream/cuticle cream/moisturize- 10 minutes
Read- 30 minutes
Steaming eye mask-as I fall asleep
There’s nothing super special about this routine, but the act of getting clean, moisturizing my skin, taking care of my overworked areas (hands and feet), and getting some personal time for reading, and doing this consistently day after day, has made my body recognize that these actions mean its time to relax and prepare for sleep.
Since I look forward to doing these things, this routine has also stopped me from staying up all night procrastinating to try to reclaim some me-time. I get my me-time baked right into my routines.
Self-care, hygiene, and a little pampering are all great ways to end the day and build a routine that improves your ability to sleep, but this routine can look like anything if you are consistent and stick with it.
And, as much as I hate to be the one to beat this dead horse, stop staring at your phone in bed. Put it down as soon as you start getting ready for sleep and do not look at it again til the morning.
Your circadian rhythm will thank you.
Because of everything I listed, I have been able to get consistent sleep every night and wake up at 5AM.
While waking up that early is hopefully not something you need to do for your schedule, incorporating these tools and habits really can help everyone develop and keep a healthy sleep schedule that helps every area of their lives.
If I can get a good night’s sleep and become an early riser, anyone can.
*Disclaimer: I link all products I actually use in my articles if possible, and some products I mention may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase—at no extra cost to you.
