How many hours did you sleep last night?
A lack of sleep is one of the strongest predictors of chronic disease and mental health challenges. What is the single most effective change you’ve made to improve your sleep quality? Share your experiences and tips below.
My sleep abstentions of late are taking a toll on my daytime productivity, and I am considering getting medical or psychological assistance. It is debilitating! Sleeping pills have lost effectiveness. Routines don’t work, since work invades at times.
And those that say a that a little insomnia is good, as you can be productive when others are not, are having me consider ways of not leaving clues behind in murder methods.
The following trick sometimes works for me: Go to bed. Get into a comfortable position and think of a word e.g. “cash”. Then think of as many objects as you can that start with the letter “c”. Then do the same with “a”, “s” and “h”. Hopefully you will be asleep by then. The theory behind this is 1) your brain switches off from the worries that have been keeping you awake, 2) apparently it mimics what one’s brain does when one starts to go into sleeping/dreaming mode.
Thanks for reaching out. And no sheep are harmed in this procedure either! 
I will be giving this a shot. In a few hours.
I bought a gadget called Calm Carry, which sends a slight pulse to my left hand’s acupuncture point and turns off after 20 minutes. Works for me even if I wake too early and want a bit more sleep. It’s my safer alternative to pills, which have longer-term issues.
Essential reading, in my opinion:
Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams
by Matthew Walker
There are many reasons for insomnia, and some of them affecting you can be discovered through a bit of trial and error. I went from chronic insomnia to being able to put my head down and fall asleep within 5 minutes by changing the time I take supplements from night time to morning. For me, the required change was to take my calcium-magnesium in the morning. So simple. I now recommend that people try changing one medication or supplement at a time.
Didn’t sleep properly for the longest time and can attest that getting enough sleep is the single biggest quality of life improvement you can make. Disclosure, i have help.
Does it work though?