One of the things studied on Mythbusters is Tipsy vs. Tired, in the end they prove that it is infact worse to be tired than tipsy. Now everyone remembers my post about being drunk, and if you don't thankfully the internet has provided me with things called links. So without going into too much depth all of the dangers of being drunk (except alcohol poisoning) are WORSE when you are tired instead. And if there is one thing you will be it is tired.
Being tired isn't just a result of not enough sleep, it can result from too much sleep or over exertion as well. The perfect amount of sleep is between six to eight hours a day and waking up naturally. This last part seems unimportant and there is as of yet no scientific evidence to back it. But you can test it for yourself, one day when you don't have to wake up just sleep as long as you want and take note of when you wake up and when you went to bed (total hours slept.) The next time you don't have to go anywhere in them morning, go to bed at the same time the night before and set an alarm for just ten or so minutes earlier than the time you would wake unhindered. Note how much more tired you are the second day.
Sleep can cause many problems for example, interrupted or impaired sleep can cause weaken immune system, accelerated growth of tumors (less ability to fight cancer), cause unnecessary hunger, impaired mental capacity, and impaired memory. All in addition to drowsiness and lower performance of both physical and mental tasks.
With less sleep your body produces less melatonin since melatonin helps suppress free radicals that can lead to cancer, this can be a serious problem. From only as much as receiving four to six hours of sleep instead of six to eight.
Lack of sleep can also lead to a huge increase in stress-related disorders such as heart disease, stomach ulcers and constipation. Plus the high levels of stress and lack of mental fortitude can lead to mental health disorders like depression or mania.
And to add onto all that and the thoughts of trying to get more rest is that recent studies have suggested lost sleep is lost forever, and that loss has a cumulative effect on disrupting your health.
Below is a list of 33 ways to help get more sleep by Dr. Mercola with a few notes from myself added in.
Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary
1. Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio. Cover your windows using blackout shades or drapes.
All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, called circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms. Little bits of light pass directly through your optic nerve to your hypothalamus, which controls your biological clock.
Light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.
2. Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F (21 degrees Celsius). Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.
When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.
3. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well.
To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.
(EMF are produced by electronics so this tips kind of goes with the next one.)
4. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet (Arm's length to ideally about six feet.) Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ... 4:30 a.m.
5. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary.
I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock. The Sun Alarm™ SA-2002 provides an ideal way to wake up each morning if you can't wake up with the REAL sun. Combining the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, this amazing clock simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature where the light fades to darkness over time, which is ideal for anyone who has trouble falling asleep.
6. Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.
(Or at least in whatever your sleeping area is. More about that after.)
7. Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner, or pets, can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.
Preparing for Bed
8. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body, particularly your adrenal system, does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health.Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
9. Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
10. Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.
(Obviously it is optimal if this retinue serves a benefit to survival, such as cleaning your weapons, reloading ammo clips, checking barricades etc.)
11. Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom, or at least minimize the frequency.
12. Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
13. Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.
(Many health professionals also highly suggest this as during the night your body will continue to use the protein to fuel you body and will thus break down fat cells to provide the energy to recharge instead of muscle. A fit survivor is a true survivor.)
14. Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.
15. Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.
(Protein may be consumed right up until getting into bed but avoid everything else.)
16. Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.
17. Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night wakings. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.
(Do not wear the socks you wore during the day to bed. For one the sweat in them will freeze causing your feet to be even colder then they would have been otherwise. And for two it will stick and survivors have to live with few enough comforts already.)
18. Wear an eye mask to block out light. As discussed earlier, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do. In these cases, an eye mask can be helpful.
19. Put your work away at least one hour before bed, preferably two hours or more. This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.
(This means finish hunting, barricading and any next day prep an hour before you need to sleep.)
20. No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even completely out of the house. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly. TV disrupts your pineal gland function.
(If you have TV at all you should not use it often.)
21. Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep. An excellent relaxation/meditation option to listen to before bed is the Insight audio CD. Another favorite is the Sleep Harmony CD, which uses a combination of advanced vibrational technology and guided meditation to help you effortlessly fall into deep delta sleep within minutes. The CD works on the principle of “sleep wave entrainment” to assist your brain in gearing down for sleep.
(Don't set the CD to loop or use a CD that will last all night, you need to be able to hear if something happens during the night.)
22. Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might be tempted to go on reading for hours, instead of going to sleep.
23. Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have been doing this for 15 years, but prefer to do it in the morning when my brain is functioning at its peak and my cortisol levels are high.
(It is also a proven method to lower stress and keep track of your thoughts. There are many techniques to help when journaling. One of the best I've found is to set aside ten minutes and just write every word that comes to your mind as fast as you can. Not thinking about or judging anything that comes out of it. This is a perfect mental cleanse and will help reduce over thinking and stress.)
Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep
24. Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, may adversely effect sleep. In most cases, the condition causing the drugs to be taken in the first place can be addressed by following guidelines elsewhere on my web site.25. Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. So, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep at night. Be aware that some medications contain caffeine for example, diet pills.
(As the Mormons put say, caffeine is a drug. The side effects of caffeine are wide and varied but most negative. Caffeine IS NOT energy, calories are energy. Caffeine is a drug that makes the body feel more aware.)
26. Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.
(This is just regarding sleep, alcohol has many other bad effects on survivors.)
27. Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can manage it.
28. Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep.
(This is a no brainer for survivors. I continue to stress the need to stay in top physical condition for combat against both undead and raiders.)
29. Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, and other problems.
(About 52% of humans are actually sensitive to grains and wheat. Try cutting ALL wheat out of your diet for two weeks and see if your over all health improves.)
30. Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress.
31. If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.
(This tip doesn't really give any practical advice... especially if you don't have a doctor in your party. If possible try to keep emotions and the over worked mind calm. Drink herbal teas and eat a lot of calcium. And the biggest advice I can find is the catch 22 of getting more sleep to calm your menopause from disturbing your sleep.)
If All Else Fails
32. My current favorite fix for insomnia is Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Most people can learn the basics of this gentle tapping technique in a few minutes. EFT can help balance your body's bioenergy system and resolve some of the emotional stresses that are contributing to your insomnia at a very deep level. The results are typically long lasting and improvement is remarkably rapid.33. Increase your melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter and absolute complete darkness at night.
If that isn’t possible, you may want to consider a melatonin supplement. In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue.
Melatonin is a completely natural substance, made by your body, and has many health benefits in addition to sleep.
I prefer to use a sublingual melatonin product because it is absorbed much faster and therefore works more quickly.
(The End.)
That's it, 33 tips to improve sleep. Now for a few tips about sleep after the fall.
It is important to have an area to be your sleeping area. This will help with many aspects of feeling safe and calm enough to actually sleep restfully. However it is important to note this area must actually be safe and calm. This will be hard to find sometimes but over time survivors will adjust and the needed level of safety will change to how much is available. But until then proper measures must be taken and then the mind must be settled with what it has.
Sleep in shifts wherever possible, do not sleep in the standard 4/4 shifts but rather 6/6. This does reduce the day by four hours but it will ensure both people are able to keep the pattern up with no health risks for an indefinite period of time. If in a location where you will be staying for longer then one night the time awake can be used to do things in the immediate area of the sleeping person, exercise, weapon maintenance, barricading, studying etc. In a very small group while one person should be awake and aware that person does not need to be solely focused on protecting a large area. If there is a bigger group than this is fairly easy to do as there will only be 2-4 hours where one person needs to sleep and the rest of the group can go about daily activities.
The tricky part becomes if shifts are not possible, i.e. surviving alone. At this point sleep should be done in as safe an area as possible and if no safe area can be found then it becomes a judgement call of possibly dying in your sleep or staying awake long enough to find a secure place. Things to look for is height, trees, second floor (or higher), even on top of large boulders and rocks. Remember though if it was easy to get to the undead can probably get there too. Height seems silly but will be your greatest defense, the reason so many animals live in trees is to stay away from predators.
Next make noise-traps around all access points to your sleeping area. Around the base of a tree, on all the stair cases of a building, across the entrances of caves etc. Note: never sleep in a cave. With limited exits and light this is a literal death trap and the survivor who sleeps here has no one to blame but himself. Noise traps are easy to make or find, there are many cheap motion detectors on the market (even look for toys which make noise when passed such as baby dolls, dogs or spy detectors.) Piles of empty cans or glass bottles will make plenty of noise when knocked over, and only need to be piled a couple high to protect from shamblers (raiders may even knock them over if not paying attention.) Trip lines tied to doors, boxes full of small metal or glass objects, or noise makers can also be a very adaptable protection.
Barricades should be made around entrances if at all possible. The longer the stay the more barricaded and fortified the sleeping area should be. Each day work should be done on the barricades. The first few days should be quite extensive as barricades will be your last defense before you can't wake up if you haven't by that point. Barricades can be anything from boarding up windows or installing chains or locks to doors and windows to moving heavy objects into pathways or knocking out ladders or paths to the area entirely.
It's also important to know when you are tired, there are many signs to getting too tired, often times you will be tired without even realizing it. And if the body gets too tired it will go into it's "second wind" and basically force itself to go into overdrive. While this will prove incredibly useful during and after the fall it will cause major damage over time and so should be avoided unless necessary. Never push your body to the body where you collapse or are no longer able to protect yourself, if you a beginning to get tired it is fair greater to find a good place to sleep then to push yourself and possibly run into danger or be unable to find a suitable sleeping area. Remember that time is not against you. Survivors will in fact be the wealthiest people to ever live because not only will they have access to anything they set their mind to obtaining but they also have absolutely no time limits except those given by the sun and the seasons.
And just for good measure the wisdom of mothers.
Stay well rested, may the infection never reach you, and those close to you have the resolve to do what is needed should you be so unfortunate, Mike D.
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