If I were to find an old bottle with a genie trapped in it just like Major Nelson did all those years ago on, “I Dream of Jeannie”, I know exactly what I’d wish for.   It wouldn’t be for a hot car, a big house or an endless supply of wishes.  I’d even skip the altruistic wish like “world peace” or “universal love”.  No, I’d be selfish and wish for something far more modest, practical, and important.   I’d wish for a good night’s sleep.   If you have sleep issues, you’ll know exactly where I’m coming from.  Sleep is perhaps the most underrated aspect of human life, yet it is arguably the most important.   

I used to sleep like a rock.  You could have landed a fighter jet in my room, and I wouldn’t wake up.   Sure, I’d have the occasional bout where I couldn’t fall asleep, but once out, I was gone for the night.   As I’ve aged, I’ve developed the opposite problem.  I fall asleep okay but don’t always stay asleep.   I often wake up in the middle of night and then can’t get back to sleep.   Anywhere from 3 to 4 a.m. you can generally find me awake either wishing I could drift off or reading a book.  This makes for a long and tiring next day.   I can get through a day when I’ve only had three or four hours sleep but I’m nowhere near operating at my best – generally 60%, just like my high school average!   

I’ve tried all sorts of different things to improve my sleep without much success.   From sleeping masks and ear plugs to lavender cream and melatonin, if it’s out there, I’ve given it a shot.  I tried a weighted blanket, and that made me feel like I was having a heart attack.  I used a white noise generator which lasted all of one night.  I’ve slept with the windows open which worked but will probably cause divorce proceedings.    I’ve even taken over-the-counter sleep aids.  They help me sleep but it feels like artificial sleep – kind of like a fake Christmas tree – there’s something not quite right.   When I take them, I never feel refreshed, and I’m always left feeling a little hung over as well.  As you can see, I’ve tried loads of tricks.  

For years, sleep has been given the short end of the stick.   People, including me, would brag about how little sleep they could get by on.  Medical residents are initiated through long hours and little sleep (a practice that must stop).  Truckers and pilots would travel far too long without adequate rest.   Sleep was considered a nuisance, something to be tolerated.   Yet study after study has shown that sleep is vital to our well-being.   We simply cannot survive without it and operate poorly when we don’t get enough of it.  Next to oxygen, sleep is the most important element humans need.   We can survive far longer without food or water than we can without sleep.  We will literally die without adequate sleep.  

Long term sleep disruption can be insidious.  You may not sleep poorly every night, but the toll from even minor sleep issues can add up.   They can and will impact your long-term health.  Lack of sleeps puts you at higher risk for – dementia, depression, mood disorders, learning and memory problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, weight gain and obesity, diabetes, fall related injuries, and cancer.  Clearly sleep is not to be taken lightly.   

Until recently we’ve known very little about sleep.   However, doctors and scientists have been working hard to understand the process of sleep and why we need it.   It seems our brains do a lot more than concoct wild dreams involving pudding filled elevator rides with chihuahuas in tiaras – what does that mean?  In fact, research has discovered that the brain uses sleep to do its “back-office” work, both administrative and cleaning.   As we sleep the brain takes our memories of the day which are stored in the hippocampus, our short-term memory, and files them for long term reference in the neocortex.  It’s kind of like a computer where you have working memory (RAM) and then important stuff gets filed to the hard drive.  This frees up the hippocampus to take in more information the next day. Without proper sleep this doesn’t take place and prevents us from processing information in general.  This is one of the reasons we perform poorly when we sleep poorly.   

Turns out our brains function like an office building where the cleaners work at night, and we show up in the morning to find sparkling clean desks.   The brain has a self-cleaning function that operates while we sleep.   Bi-products and waste from various processes are flushed out of the brain through the glymphatic system.  This cleansing system goes into overdrive when we sleep, flushing the nasty bits away so we have a clean slate when we awaken.  Researchers believe this is a critical process for brain health and possibly an important factor in the development of brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.   So, it’s safe to say that if you don’t have a good night’s sleep you’re left with a dirty mind – literally.  

Research continues to uncover the complexity of our sleep system.  We’ve just begun to understand how vital sleep is to our health and well-being.  For these reasons, I guard my sleep intently.   I do whatever it takes to avoid the dreaded 3 a.m. wake-up call.   As such, I have developed a routine that has been recommended by sleep experts.  Here’s what I do: 

Keep a regular schedule.  I try to keep a steady schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.   Yes, I head to bed obscenely early – usually getting ready just after 9 p.m. and lights out by 10 p.m. – but I’m up early too – 6:30 a.m.  Being on a regular schedule has improved my general ability to sleep.  Now if I could just stay that way…

No caffeine in the afternoon.  I never thought caffeine affected my sleep until I stopped using it in the afternoon and evening (Trust me, coffee is never, ever going away in the morning).  This, too, made a big difference in the quality of my sleep.  Caffeine has a half-life of six hours in our system.  That means a good portion of any caffeine you’ve had in the afternoon is hanging around to keep you awake when you want to sleep.   So, ditch the caffeine after lunch. 

Exercise daily.  No exercise, no sleep.  That’s how it goes with for me.   Even on a rest day, when my body is feeling beaten down, I must get in a good walk, or I won’t be sleeping. 

No booze.  This is the number one sleep killer for me.   Alcohol disrupts our sleep cycles.  We may fall asleep okay after drinking but many of the beneficial processes we need to restore ourselves are disrupted.   I’m even careful about how much liquid I drink before bed, so I don’t have to get up for a potty stop in the night.   

Keep the room cool and dark.   When we sleep our core temperature drops – this is part of our sleep process.   Having a cool room helps this take place.   Light impacts our brain function.   The production of melatonin, our sleep hormone, can be disrupted by the blue light that is emitted by phones, tablets, clock radio or lightbulbs.  It is best to try and make your room as dark as possible.  I often use an eye mask to block out all light.  Yes, I look like a diva but I’m willing to go to any length to get a good night’s sleep and if that includes looking like a Kardashian, so be it.  

Of course, now that I’ve reminded myself (and you) of sleep’s importance, I’ll be worried every time I don’t sleep – I can always find something to be neurotic about!  In the meantime, I’ll keep seeking new ways to assist my sleep process until I crack the code and get consistent ZZ’s.   Of course that’ll free me up to find that magic bottle and then get Jeannie to unleash world peace or just really smart hair-dos  for everyone.