bearable. The sleepless nights were
unbearable. I would lay there next
to my newly wedded partner tossing
and turning and counting down
how many more hours of silence I
needed to endure. Once we moved
into our house, I began sneaking
out of our bedroom in the middle
of the night to suffer in solitude in
our guestroom. Even if I would
miraculously fall asleep, I could
not stay asleep. I began fearing
evenings. I feared the pain, the isolation,
the despair, and the sheer
frustration. Eventually, entire
nights would pass without sleep,
leaving me unable to mentally or
physically cope with anything.
The height of my insomnia soared
when I decided, with medical supervision,
to detox off all the medications
I was taking to give my
body some much-needed rest. It
was our hope that my body could
perhaps recalibratefrom hypothesized
hyperalgesia (abnormally
heightened sensitivity to pain) that
opioids sometimes can induce.
Seven years later, I can still remember
the gritty details of withdrawing
from opioids and benzodiazepines–
it was intense and laborious,
testing body, mind, and spirit.
However, it was nothing compared
to the months of fragmented sleep
that followed the withdrawal. I felt
like I was breaking; I was cranky,
over-emotional, irrational, and lethargic.
I hurt in every sense of the
word.
With that said, chronic sleep loss is
not only frustrating; its dangerous.
Sleep loss or sleep debt occurs
when we get less than seven hours
of sleep. Most adults need anywhere
between seven to nine hours
of sleep. The cumulative long-term
effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders
have been associated with a
wide range of damaging health
consequences, including an increased
risk of hypertension, diabetes,
obesity, depression, heart attack,
and stroke. After decades of
research, the case can be confidently
made that sleep loss and sleep
disorders have profound and widespread
effects on human health
(IOM, 2006).
After seven surgeries and 12-years
of chronic pain, I finally found an
algorithm that worked for me –one
that I am happy and willing to
share – one that I still use to this
day. Fair warning, though - none of
these tips and tricks are magic.
What makes these tips different is
that Im going to reveal one secret
that makes them effective. Ready?
Consistency. Yep, thats it. Consistency.
Even when it seems impossible.
Even when it seems hopeless.
Even when you dont feel like
doing it. Consistency. Beating insomnia
is work. It takes dedication
and desire. However, I promise
that eventually, your mind and
body will follow suit if you just
remainconsistent.
So, here are my top 10 sleep hacks
when battling insomnia and chronic
pain/chronic illness:
Follow the doctors orders.
A lot of us have turned to our
physicians to save us from ourselves
regarding sleep. If your
insomnia is chronic, the visit
may have resulted in a sleeping
medication prescription. However,
like most medications, our
bodies are able to build a tolerance
after a consistent amount
of time. In other words, we
need more of the substance to
maintain the same effect.
Though it is natural to want to
take a little bit more when this
happens, dont! Make sure that
you speak with your physician
before doing so.
Be committed and pick a date.
Insomnia is a tough cycle to
break, so you have to be ready