Unpopular Thoughts on Sleep Hygiene

Here are a series of statements about me, in no particular order. You decide which one is untrue.

My name is Amanda. I'm an Enneagram 2. I have a small Pomeranian dog named Ollie (after Oliver Queen in the Green Arrow). I live with 2 autoimmune diseases. I am an infertility doula. I hate sleeping with pants on. I find practices surrounding falling and staying asleep (also known as sleep hygiene) are of the utmost importance in managing insomnia.

Okay, you got me. It's the last one.

Sleep hygiene has gotten a lot of airtime in the insomnia and sleep disorders community, and ultimately, I'm unimpressed by its actual effect on my sleep. Let's start at the beginning.

What is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene refers to any habits or environmental choices that can improve your chances of falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or sleeping well.

Things included in sleep hygiene can include anything from clean sheets, the temperature of your bedroom, what you sleep in, what time you lie down to sleep, what you consume during the day (and how soon before bedtime you stop eating), how much caffeine or alcohol you drink, if and/or when you nap or exercise, what series of things you do in the evening and how often you do them, and any type of routine you establish around going to bed or waking up.

Many people say that good sleep habits can help prevent you from developing or can improve a sleep disorder like insomnia.

Frankly, my experience disagrees.

How have I curated my sleep hygiene?

Listen friends, I tried. I looked at every aspect of the list above (and more) to create a good bedtime routine, supported by good daytime habits, along with an ideal sleep environment and attempted sleep schedule.

Some parts of my sleep hygiene may improve my "sleep experience" by making it more pleasant. For example, this sleep mask which really does help me to block out the light and nod off to sleep, and my use of the Calm app for meditation which actually has supported my mental health). My ideal sleep environment means that I have, in theory, everything I should need both on hand and in place for a good night's sleep.

Unfortunately, I still have insomnia

I think there are merits to the way some things affect my insomnia and ability to fall asleep or stay asleep in the evenings. For instance, capping my total caffeine intake for the day, as well as ensuring I don't have any caffeine after 2 PM helps to ensure that's not a factor impacting my overnight experience.

I also find that when I experience movement (not necessarily exercise, per se, but at least some physical movement) and fresh air or time outside, I do feel as if my body is less restless and more ready to fall asleep.

To be honest, I haven't really found any of the things listed under traditional sleep hygiene to quiet my mind or shut off the racing thoughts and anxiety that typically competes for my attention at night.

This is where medication has come in

Medication to help me sleep is critical in some seasons, depending on when and if and for how long my insomnia has been raging. It's not always something I want to use, and it's not something that's for everyone, but for me, personally, it far outweighs anything that sleep hygiene can influence.

Sleep hygiene can be a great place to start for anyone experiencing sleep disturbances, challenges, or a sleep disorder – but I warn you not to get your hopes up too high. In my opinion, there's only so much our sleep environment and routines and behavior can do to help.

I'd love to know how you feel. Do you agree or disagree? What has your experience been?