Ready for something personal? Gulp! Here we go.
A few years ago, I began to hit a serious dip in my energy levels. Each day, I would wake up feeling like I had been beaten up in my sleep, rolling out of bed with pain in my muscles and zero energy.
Walking up the stairs felt like a herculean effort—and I’m in good physical shape. This wasn’t like me.
We try to do everything we can in our house to stay healthy. Eat right, exercise, meditate, work with traditional healing practices, ceremonies—you name it. After all, this is what I do for a living!
This “new” me felt off, and I was a little worried. As days passed, I began to wonder if something was really wrong.
So I called my friend, Dr. J.E. Williams, and asked him to do a full blood panel on me and see if any of my levels were out of whack. When everything came back normal, we had a followup call where he asked me a seemingly obvious question: “Nick, how much sleep are you getting?”
The answer escaped me. “I don’t know—I’ve been really busy lately, so my sleep is a little off. Maybe six hours?”
“Well, that’s probably what is causing it. When are you going to bed in the evening?”
“Midnight.”
“Nick, six hours of sleep is too low for you, even if your head hits the pillow at the optimal hour of night—which is generally by 10 p.m. at the latest. But six hours, starting at midnight on a continual basis—especially while raising a young family that wakes at the crack of dawn—is a recipe for disaster.”
Duh. How could I have missed this? Once an expert sleeper, I had derailed myself somewhere along the line, and even worse, the lack of sleep had helped me forget that sleep was even that important. Whoa!
Bad habits can build upon themselves, derailing our discipline in the sneakiest of ways. Take my sleep sabotage for example.
Let’s say you’ve been good about getting to bed before 10 p.m. for three months straight, and your energy levels, personal relationships, and pursuit of your dreams is in full force. Yeehaw, watch out world!
Then something comes along that requires you to put in a few late nights and burn the midnight oil. It could be a professional responsibility, a family celebration, or a much-needed long talk with your partner after the world quiets down. So you decide to put your body’s innate sleep needs on hold for a few days while you attend to your life.
Two days pass, and you’ve taken care of business. Now it’s time to go back to sleep land, except your mind might have grown accustomed to having these newfound couple of hours at the end of the day and finds itself recategorizing this time as fun “loose-end time,” rather than its usual state of Zzzzzs.
It’s not uncommon for the morning after an all-nighter to feel a little rough. Maybe a little more caffeine will do the trick—just this once . . . or twice . . . or thrice.
But everything has side effects, and coffee, black tea, or energy drinks are no different. Aside from the jitters, caffeine can deliver serious energy plummets during the day, begging you to consume more, which if done during the afternoon or evening can keep your brain on overdrive well after normal bedtime hours.
A few weeks later, you may have forgotten about (or justified away) the old “early-to-bed” strategy that you used to hold so dear. Subtle things in your life might start to slip, whether it’s your physical health, ability to “show up” fully in the world with childlike vigor and open-mindedness, or a combination of the two.
Heightened feelings of stress might begin to build during your waking hours as well, which leads to more restless nights.
That’s where I found myself as I spoke with Dr. Williams, fully expecting to hear that I had some nutrient deficiency. And in a way I was right: I was missing a vitamin called sleep.
Some quick science on sleep:
The vicious cycle of “stress causing poor sleep, which leads to more stress, which leads to more poor sleep” is a well-documented conundrum that affects many.
When a stressful event happens in your life, whether real or perceived, your body’s built-in fight-or-flight system, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis), is activated.
If you’re being chased by a lion on an African savannah, this is a very handy feature to be equipped with. But most of the time our HPA axis is triggered by a non–life-threatening event or memory multiple times throughout the day, which can lead to all sorts of physical and behavioral challenges.
Recent studies of the past decade show that the arousal of the HPA axis throughout the day, a.k.a. “a stress event,” directly affects the quality of our sleep. The plot thickens with the abundance of data showing that poor sleep makes us much more reactive to external stressors, which arouse our HPA axis leading to more unhealthy sleep patterns.
Bottom line: more sleep = GOOD. There’s no two ways about it. If you feel a little off in life — like I did — and can’t seem to shake it, try adding a few more hours of sleep each night.
There’s an old wives’ tale that says the hours of sleep you get in before midnight are worth twice as much as those you get after. Modern science has gone to great lengths to debunk this with a fair amount of success, but for some reason, this ancient rule of thumb works wonders with my body. Getting to bed before 9 (and sometimes by 8) is my secret recipe for luxurious, restorative slumber.
It quite literally healed my fatigue and gave me deep clarity in just a few nights. This is another area where we can experiment to find the magic sleep formula that works for us. But whatever you do, don’t forget that shut-eye is as important as food and water to your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
A sleep challenge for you: This one is so easy you could do it in your sleep. Actually, you kinda have to. For the next three days, put away your favorite nighttime distraction—sitcom, page-turner, or wine glass—and wrap the night up early. The goal is to be horizontal with eyes closed by 9 pm at the latest.
That’s it! Try that for three days and please report back to us on how it affects your life. We’d love to hear about your experience.
Stay curious,
Nick Polizzi
Host of Healing Kitchen: Let Food Be Thy Medicine
& Founder of The Sacred Science
169 Responses
I have always loved my sleep !……last night and most nights Im in bed by 8.30pm. waking up at 8.30am. 10 to 12 hours is my normal sleep pattern, always waking totally refreshed and happy and rearing to go !
don,t forget that the H>P>A axis is uder the control of the Brain .if an event don,t become conscious .,the hpa axis do not become active and the level of epinephrine,norepinephrine and cortisol don,t grow .so we speak here of a feed-back positive , or ,psychoneuroendocrinology .so all start from the highest level of the nervous system ,that part that make possible the conscious life .think about it .
I’ve been going to bed by 9pm every night for 3 or 4 yrs now. I always wake up between 4 – 5am so I usually get 7 – 8 hrs nightly and that’s adequate for me. I usually wake up feeling rested and ready to go for the day. I stopped needing coffee about 1 yr ago. Now I drink a Matcha Latte (Encha brand is organic and I have it on automatic delivery monthly) every morning because it’s tasty and enjoyable. I highly recommend regular sleep hours.
Thanks Nick…I’ve been getting bed at 9:30 nightly but never fall asleep till 1 a.m. so it’s very frustrating g. I don’t drink caffeine. It’s menopause. How can I fall asleep earlier. I’ve been honestly trying.
Try some Melatonine or food that increase the level of it.
Nick good for you.
And now you know why “secret police” use sleep deprivation on their micro-chipped and
many other victims of torture!
Good for you Nick.
And now you know WHY sleep deprivation is one of the favorite tools the “secret police” uses
to torture their micro-chipped victims.
Dear friends there is so much going on right now…our bodies changing in ways we did not think was possible yet..listen to what it is telling you but also know there are cycles that are occurring and so much occurs at night. Your body elemental is trying to communicate with you more than ever so that these wonderful changes can occur with as much ease and grace as possible. Communicate back with it. It is a part of your “vehicle” and has been with you every time you have had physical life on Earth. This balance of Spirit and physical is critical and needed and as many awaken to the Spiritual being of who they are, the Body Elemental looks to you for wisdom. It knows that the release of much that it has had to hold for you comes from this wisdom. It was created knowing this partnership would eventually occur. It knows that the Spiritual Being can send it the precise frequencies and vibrations that it needs to stay vital. You are its steward. It would be helpful before you go to sleep to ask that your body receives what is appropriate and needed at that time. And go to your heart space, feel the love and then tell your body you love it. 🙂
Thank you, Nick. For this sacred science of the body & spirit cinnection and comm. I an grsteful for all your wise and compassionate offerings.
Great advice. I have not been sleeping well. Going to bed with chaotic thoughts. Waking up tired and anxious. I will try this. Thank you.
Hi Nick
You do a great job, I truly enjoy reading your emails.
Thanks,
Nancy
As a long distance runner and type 1 diabetic, I learned the hard way how important sleep is to my physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. I get up at 5 am every morning, EVERY morning, with or without an alarm so getting in bed early enough to get a full 8 hours of sleep is very important to me. Do I always succeed in this? No, I don’t. And when I don’t, the effect is noticeable. Thanks for this article Nick. I will be sharing it with my circles as I’m certain everyone could benefit from it and from getting more rest. Peace in your heart. Namaste.
It must be wonderful just to decide you’ll sleep. I feel rather resentful at constantly being told I must get more sleep or my health will suffer; I’m well aware of how important it is, but I just have trouble getting a good night’s sleep on a regular basis. I’ve followed all the advice and suggestions, believe me (another cause of resentment when people say “you must do this or that” when I’ve done it and it hasn’t worked!) Nick, you’re absolutely right to say these things to people who could be getting more sleep but just don’t bother. I can’t understand those people, and I hope they listen to you! But spare a thought for those of us who just can’t get a decent night’s sleep. Yawn…
Kate, I completely agree with you. So frustrating to try so many things to sleep better, and none of it works. I finally decided to let sleep be a “non-issue.” When I wake at 2 or 3 AM (after my usual 10:30 PM bedtime), I do breath exercises (Ujjayii) which are calming, and don’t worry about the fact that I’m not sleeping. Sometimes I get up and meditate for an hour or so, then if I’m tired I go back to bed. I get up between 7 and 8 AM, whether I’ve “slept” or not. Go on with my day, and don’t worry about it. I practice acceptance of whatever state I am in. Worrying about sleep is the worst thing you can do, as it begets more worry, and becomes a vicious circle!
Nick,
Nice post, but disagree that one needs a specific amount of sleep everyday. As Jolene says above. The more you focus on getting sleep the less likely one is to fall a sleep quickly, stay at sleep and sleep well.
Jolene:
“whether I’ve “slept” or not. Go on with my day, and don’t worry about it. I practice acceptance of whatever state I am in. Worrying about sleep is the worst thing you can do, as it begets more worry, and becomes a vicious circle!”
Practice being the key word above.
Thank You
A good loving session with lots of orgasms will also help tremendously. Not to be crude, and can’t get any more “natural healing” than that. Works wonders for me when I can’t sleep:)).
Don’t give up, Kate. Keep trying til you find what works for you. I did for years. Then I discovered a tea blend that helps. Good luck!
Hi Kate, you might want to get your cortisol levels checked. Mine were out of whack for 6 years during which I couldn’t sleep without drugs. After finally consulting a naturopathic doctor and finding the problem, an herbal remedy called Cortisol Calm taken nightly at 9:00 pm worked for me, and I was able to taper off the meds after a month or so. (Full disclosure, I was also removing some common allergens/inflammatory foods from my diet around this time). This may not be your issue, but I also encourage you to keep looking for a solution, and I truly hope you find something/someone to help. I know how exhausting and frustrating it is. My husband has been down this road as well and found a sleep study helpful (discovered he has breathing issues). Sorry to be one of those people making suggestions, but I’d really love to be of help…
I totally agree Nick! This is a great validation and I needed to be reminded about the caffeine addiction draining our adrenals. That’s a hard one. Much research says a little coffee is good for the
brain and staves off dementia……?
All those hours of sleep sound great…unless you’re a farmer…morning chores start at 6am, and evening chores are hopefully done by 10pm, clean up and to bed hopefully bu 11pm. My favorite saying is “My axle is broken and my ass is draggin'” because I am chronically tired…but have to say after 40 years of functioning this way….I can do many things in my half awake state most people can not do with a full night sleep behind them 🙂
I’m with you. I’m usually in bed by 9 except at summer’s peak or if I’m attending a social even. I might read for 30 minutes after getting into bed. I have no symptoms, take no medication and have lots of focused energy. I’m 70. I can miss a couple of nights sleep, usually when travelling, but beyond that I start to become unfocussed, unproductive, unbalanced and unhappy.
I often imagine all the repair work that is occurring while I am sleeping – roads being paved at night.
Yay for your revelation, Nick! Sleep is the best medicine. Ayurveda has taught this for thousands of years. The hours between 10 pm – 2 am are the most healing, restorative, and reparative hours for the body (IF we’re asleep), and if we don’t go to bed before 10, we’ll get our second wind and have trouble falling asleep. For those who wake up in the wee hours of the morning and can’t get back to sleep, I’ve found that sitting up and meditating always leads to me falling back into a deep delicious sleep! I loved this article – thanks!
You are so right! Bad habits sneak up on you and derail the hard won positive sleep habits. I really work on my night time wind down routine including a pre-bedtime walk and yoga session and have an absolute rule to keep books out of my bed. With my husband gone on a trip, first I skipped the walk, then the next night the yoga session and night before last the book came to bed with me and I was up and down all night, pulling out the book and reading. I know better and it only took 3 nights to screw up my sleep and waking up groggy and tired. Last night, back to my routine with herbal tea, quiet walk, restorative yoga, some light reading (NOT in bed) and I slept beautifully and woke up refreshed.
How do I heal my heart? My Dr. Said I am wasting away .
Why is it that 8 hours of sleep is more important from 10pm to 6am than it would be from midnight to 8am? I’m retired and don’t have to get up early. My body normally wakes up at 8am. I’m not tired til at least 11pm.
Circadian rythm is involved. Have no idea how old this is. No dates.
I would love to do this. But the type of job I hold, I usually don’t get off work between 8 p.m. to midnight, depending on what shift I work in. For some reason, my best sleep always comes before 10 a.m. anyway.
First of all, thank you for your blogs, and your personal sharings. I appreciate you and who you choose to be. In response to your blog about sleep, I have always been one who needed at least 8 hours or I would suffer the consequences. I go to bed at midnight usually because that is a match for finishing up my day, so I would usually wake up in the AM at 8 (naturally, without alarm clock) and feel rested. Then, about a month ago, having to do with a number of things, I started waking up and getting up at 6 AM, even though I was still sleepy and groggy because I discovered the glory of walking my dogs by the marsh when dawn is breaking. “Where have I been all my life” I asked myself as this way of launching the day was so soul nourishing, and my dogs were over the moon about it. I see where the vultures roost, and the egrets and herons start fishing, the woodpecker does his Woody Woodpecker imitation, the pelicans do their flybys, the crickets hum and it’s quiet and the light is sliding up the sky bringing colors in it’s wake. Just glorious. Then I come home, feed the dogs, and then go swim in the river for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Then come home and eat breakfast and meditate. All of this launches my day in the very best of ways. I would not change any of this for anything. However, I do get almost overcome with sleepiness in the early afternoon. I don’t do any caffeine other than mild green tea. I meditate once a day and, out of sheer fatigue, missing those two hours of sleep, I go very very deep (which is not a bad thing). I am experimenting to see if I can adapt to six hours vs. 8 hours of sleep without suffering really big energy drops. I take short naps when I feel I might pass out if I don’t. At this point, going to bed earlier does not feel feasible but . . . if I don’t adapt, I will reconsider. It is all a grand experiment, but how I love being out in nature when the world wakes up.
Again, thank you for your sharings. You are appreciated, probably more than you know.
I really enjoyed the way you described your mornings…it was relaxing just reading your descriptions. If you aren’t a writer, you may consider a short story and work up to a novel! All of us are at different stages of our lives and what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another. 7-8 hours scientifically is the recommended and go to bed before midnight has always been recommended for my generation. Do what works best for your body is what I say works for everyone!
Those of us who work till 3 AM cannot go to bed at 9 PM the previous night. I have no trouble getting to sleep by 5 AM and waking up at 1 PM.
the book Earthing by Clinton Ober, Stephen T Sinatra, Martin Zucker will give you all you need to know about what happens when you connect with our Mother skin to “skin”.
Thanks for sharing! I always read your e-mails. They are helpful and inspiring.
Oh my gosh…I have gone through this numerous times. Staying up late so I can “relax” with wine…and wind down so I can sleep. Dead tired, but all wound up. The trick to going to sleep early is that I need to rise early the day or days before. Have found that a good 8 hours still seem to be required, though I always heard that when one gets “older”, they require less sleep. Not the case for me.
Thanks for the reminder…I often forget about adequate sleep as well. 🙂
Hi Nick Thank you for your email
Good advice. The only problem is some people work regular night shifts and also the three 8 hour shifts Days Nights and Afternoon. 6 till 2. 2 till ten. and 10 till 6. I did this for 20 years and I was tired of being tired all the time. Even with long weekend breaks i would go back to work tired.
It is true that shift workers do not live as long as regular day workers, as it upsets the natural rhythm of their body clock. Our early ancestors went to bed when the sun went down and got up when the sun came up. [No electricity in those days] I am retired now after 50 years of enjoyable and not so enjoyable work, and I don’t miss those cold early starts in the morning in the winter. Or propping my eye lids open and yawning my head off in the wee small hours of the morning at work.
Doing all hours God sends at work makes you more wealthy, but it takes away time spent with your family which cannot be replaced in later years and does not do your health any good either.
PS I am referring to man made power stations which supply the worlds grids not natural electricity
Thanks Nick for an insightful and informative account of what sleep deficiency really does. It chimes nicely with – and helps a lot – my current intention to get over the problem of neglecting sleep as a way of life.
The so-called Old Wives’ Tale about sleep being better before midnight definitely works in terms of increased hours of darkness and raised melatonin levels – and becoming diurnally attuned to natural light levels outside at the start of your day. I think I’d put direct personal experience before ‘science’ on that one.
I can affirm the every thing you have shared in your article, the result in my case was to experience a stroke which affected my left side. I have learnt a though lesson, now I am working on my recovery. I will heed the 9 pm exercise you mentioned. Knowing that I should have heeded the guidance I was receiving from the Divine realm and not following through is something I have to take stock off. However much we believe we are informed, we sometimes take our physical form for granted and ignore our messages. There are so many lessons one need to embrace.
My fiance works nights for a 12 hour shift (7 pm-7 am). How can we regulate his daytime sleep? Currently there are no daytime shifts available at his job.
Thank you for reminding me of the importance of the quantity of sleep hours. I’ll give it a try at 9pm and eat dinner by 5pm for 3 days
Dear Nick,I have been reading your emails for about a year now.I am a 58 year old gent.Most folks don’t understand just how important sleep is for there health.In 2012 I had a massive heart attack that left me with 25% of a functioning heart.I also had two arrhythmia attacks and had to have a defibrillator put in my chest. When I was released from the hospital,I could not sleep for more than two hours at a time.One night after watching a informational for months I bought two of the My Pillow Pillows.The very first night I used them I slept for four hours.I realize that the four medications I take cause some of this. Yet there is so much to learn and incorporate into my life from you and all the wonderful folks from The Sacred Science Team,yet too often I am so exhausted from doing what I have to do that I don’ Get my reading of your emails done.I do want to thank you from my whole heart for being here for me and so many folks.May the Magic of the whole Universe and all of the Beating Hearts of all of us on this Magical planet reach out to you and your family and friends,and all the Magical folks at The Sacred Science. Thank You
I found the opposite. I would go to bed round 9.30-10 pm and wake up several times in the night, waking feeling exhausted. A doctor suggested I try going to bed later – around 10.30 pm. Bingo – I only woke once and actually felt better in the morning. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced waking feeling energetic, but not exhausted is good.
Thank you Nick!
I know I have to do this!! Me…like you were…am going to bed waaay to late & then up early. I can’t seem to get lights out before 11:30 p.m….a very bad habit that I have been doing for years!! No matter how tired I am…I fight it & most times stay up til at least midnight.
This will be a SUPER challenge for me….I don’t remember EVER going to bed by 9 pm….maybe when I was 10 yrs. old.
I don’t even know how to begin to do this to actually be able to fall asleep by 9 after so many years of lack of sleep.
I do chamomile tea some times or stress relief tea; melatonin; magnesium; deep breathing; etc…& I usually do fall asleep after a short time….BUT 9 pm….hmmmm….I will take the challenge and looking forward to it! 🙂
Thank you for the push!!
I’m usually in bed soon after 10pm and would love to try the 9pm challenge. However I’m in my 70’’s and get up at least twice to go to the loo as it is, made worse by recent hysterectomy. Don’t drink caffeine after 11am!. Any suggestions?
Wow, so as I work full-time, I’m up at 6 back by six, 4hrs to be at home, including washing cooking, meditation, shower, emails phone calls, things I love to do,friends, family, ok not in in one night, all in 4 hrs!!! For 8 hrs sleep…where’s life? Just asking….x
Exercise in the evening may lead to insomnia.
Coffee after 3:00 pm is not good. Spicey food is also not good, unless it’s part of your culture.
Slow breathing, lavender may help.
I agree. I should stop staying up reading health articles and watching documentaries on healthy lifestyle and actually start putting it into practice. Thanks for the reminder, Nick.
My problem is waking up 2 am 3 am then not being able to get back to sleep til 5 or 6 after
tossing and turning. Any suggestions???
This comes to me at a time where my acupuncturist was just fussing at me for the exact same thing! In fact, my conversation went almost exactly like yours with Dr. Nick. She asked me when I was going to bed at night- midnight was my reply. But- I am up by 8 or 8:30 so do not worry, I get 8 hours I argued my point. She told me that 1 hour before midnight was equal to 2 hours after and urged me to go to bed no later than 9:30. I did and wow is all I can say because I feel SO much better in the day! My thinking is much more clear and I can really get a lot more done. Sleep is amazing! Who knew 🙂
I have worked with youth for 50 years. I myself am 87 and still going strong. They are amazed when I tell them my age. It is beyond their comprehension that I can be so active, vigorous in looks and movement. I tell them there is a secret to growing old and staying young. Here’s the secret:
1. Take care of your body, what you put into it and what you know you should not put into it.
2. Take care of your mind. Don’t let anyone push your mind around. You know what you should or should not do.
3. Surround yourself with a network of loving friends and family who will be there for you and you for them
4. Have a reason to want to live, a reason that will give you a feeling of purpose to want to live, even forever.
My problem is not getting to sleep but staying asleep. I go to bed around 8 just so I can get six hours in total by 6 am. I wake up at 10, 12, 1 or 2, then 3 or 4. Many times taking an hour to go back to sleep. I have no dairy, no caffeine, no chocolate and no sugar. periodically I take a sleeping pill to try and help and I still wake up, helps me to get back to sleep quickly but still awake throughout…I am a walking zombie
The Light and amazing Guidance in this beautiful and enlightening series is a Godsend,
and Heaven knows we humans need it. I truly truly thank Nick and everyone involved with this
beautiful and much-needed Gift of knowledge, and that “everyone’ includes our home, Mother
Earth. What incredible, bless-ed Gifts she brings us; let us take better care of Her and the natural world
from where these Nature-sourced Gifts come! one of the most significant and life-changing things I’ve experienced in my life was in the late 1990’s when I was intuitively Guided (and not subtly, might I add) to disengage from conventionally-grown produce (humans do the most “interesting” things to our food and to the natural world, primarily for greed, etc.); I was getting Guidance to go organic (or at least non-GMO) across the board, but a 70% drop in my income after post-9-11 employment loss closed the door on that. But the completely incredible and transformative thing that happened was that since 2001, I have not been sick (even just beginning symptoms like chills,
cough, sore throat, etc.) even once!!!!!!!! so when we enjoy the Gifts from Nature as they were intended for us, without “interference” (poisoning, toxifying, etc.) from humans, our bodies work as they were designed to!!!!!!! I thank The Universe for this “Lights-On” experience!
I wish all life forms on this Earth the wellness that we were all intended to enjoy.
and I thank The Universe for humans like Nick Polizzi and everyone involved with this powerful and beautiful project!!!!!!
(update to my “share” just now:)
I forgot to mention that the change that I made was to go with ONLY *organic* produce,
the beautiful and delicious Gifts sourced from our beautiful planet Earth.
(final update to my “share” just now:)
oh, and what this has to do with sleep is:
when our bodies are not so busy detoxifying during our sleep time,
they are healing, restoring, resting, and all the other GOOD things they are meant to do as we sleep!
Thank you Nick I shall try to be in bed by 10 Pm. But if I go as early as 9 Pm I shall wake up at about midnight or 1Am and then no more sleep and a tired day ahead.
I am retired. Does that make a difference?
Now last night I went to bed at my usual 11 to 11:30 and was gone by midnight. Awoke this morning at 6:30- 7Am and really felt refreshed. I rested in bed till 8 Am.
Thank you
Patricia
I felt like that for 30 yrs., dragging through the day, taking 2-3 naps a day, yawning over 30 times a day, nothing helped, like coffee, tea, other perkups. I was oversleeping, about 18 hr. a day. After hounding dr. for 30 yr. they did a sleep study. I had 25 osa’s per hr. so they try me on a cpak. I now have 1-2 osa per hr., wake up refreshed, no yawning, no naps. Easy solution. I have epilepsy, so dr. was blaming everything on that, trying to make me take more meds for epilepsy, which made me drowsy, dizzy, and more. Using a cpak, I noticed a difference in a week. I did the exercise, very low stress, and everything else I researched.
Hi–I totally agree it is vital to get enough sleep for our well-being. But sometimes the cycle takes care of itself. I have a very flexible schedule, so I could go to sleep at 9 if I wanted. But I would be up at 4:15! In the dark! I like waking up to light! My body rhythm requires 7.25 hours a night. How do I know? No matter when I go to sleep, 7.25 hours later I wake up. My usual bedtime is midnight, and I wake at 7:15. If I wait until 12:30 before going to sleep, I wake at 7:30. It’s crazy… 🙂 I no longer have to meet a child’s schedule and I can work from home, so this body rhythm seems to rule–as it did a few weeks ago when some difficult events kept me up till three in the morning. I woke up at 10:15 a.m.–exactly 7.25 hours later. Go figure… 🙂
After the good night’s sleep, we not only feel fresh and efficient, but also our immune system gets stronger.
Yep! 5 hours the most, but I am going to bed early, and usually wake up 4 or 5 hour later. What to do ?
I regularly go to bed by 8:00 and am lights out by 9:00…I sleep 7 or 8 hours…people know not to call after 7:00…I love the early morning hours to watch the stars! Feel fantastic…
To all the people who can sleep….. you lucky dogs :-)))))))))))))))) I have had a sleep disorder for over a decade. I’ve done sleep studies. I’ve read every book. I ‘DO THE RIGHT THING’. Everything that you are supposed to do… I do. Alas… it is not to be. Name the ‘cure’…. I’ve tried it. I have not ‘slept thru the night’ in a decade. If I can get a couple of sets of sleep during the night, I’m grateful. I know what not sleeping does to you, that’s the worst of it. I’m 70 and my health is NOT improving because of it. I wake up feeling like I’ve slept 20 minutes. I am at my wits end….
Very interesting article and advice on something I need to put into practice myself. I am retired and it is easy to get away from 8 hrs of slumber one needs, so easy to take an afternoon nap or stay up late, getting up late. I like to sleep because I love to dream, my dreams talk to me. At one time you shared a dream site with me and I no longer have it but would love to see it again. A dream I had recently, a week ago, was so clear and pronounced that it changed a long lingering problem I had within myself with my family. This has been such a relief and bringing peace that I want to dream it again. Of course I cannot. Thank you for this blog and useful information once again. Shirley
I WAS SLEEPING 4H AT MOST PER NIGHT UNTIL I FOLLOWED YOUR WONDERFUL DOCUMENTARY I STARTED INDEED TO GO TO BED AT 8 OR 9PM AFTER HAVING PREPARED AND DRUNK ASHWAGANDA AT 5PM AND NUTMEG AT 6PM. IT MAKES ME SLEEP WITHIN THE HOUR. I DO STILL WAKE UP OFTEN DURING THE NIGHT DUE TO NIGHTMARES (I HAVE THEM SINCE BABY, EVERY NIGHT) BUT I RETURN TO SLEEP (WHICH IS NEW!, BLESS YOU PEOPLE FOR THAT!) AND I FINALLY GET MY 6 TO 9 HOURS OF SLEEP PER NIGHT. THE CHANGE IS REAL, STABLE, NO “ONE NIGHT YES, ONE NIGHT NO”. I FEEL THAT MY BODY REBUILDS ITSELF SLOWLY BUT REGULARLY (LOTS TO DO BECAUSE I’M 64, WITH AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES). SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR DOCUMENTARY AND ALL YOUR WORK ABOUT THE SACRED SCIENCE OF BEING HEALTHY AND GRACING LIFE AND NATURE! BLESS YOU! LOVE YOU!!!!
Nick…I am electrosmog sensitive. Although I do everything right, like you, I need to take extra steps to mitigate the affects of EMF’s. This is the hidden health crisis that no one is addressing. With the upcoming implementation of 5G it is imperative that this is addressed and the more people that are aware the better chance we can stop 5G. 5G will give no living creature on the planet a choice of constant irradiation 24/7 with no escape due to the 20,000 low orbit satellites constantly emitting millimeter RF waves (the same ones used in airports to x ray individuals). Please research and address in the near future. Most people have no clue to what is coming. It is not good. The people in the know the better chance there is to stop this. Thank you so much in advance Nick. Namaste, Tammy
if I sleep at 22.00 I wake up 03.40, 03.15 or 03.50
clear but 2 hours later I feel heavy
age 66
No comment, I’m trying to find some natural ways to heal my self!
HI there people Just Cohabite daily with 2diagnosis ADHD & DIABETES TYPE 2 YOUR SUPPORT IS VERY IMPORTANT Many Thanks Folks Have a Positive & Magical day to you all worldwide 🙂
Thank you for your story, as knowing one might just need sleep is good!
I am, like some others here, frustrated by this info. I work the night shift. I rarely find the info you presented here helpful or novel. I have read that it is productive to sleep in multiples of one’s REM cycle. There is variation from person to person in the length of the REM cycle. The average is 90 minutes, so 5X1.5 gives 7.5 hrs to complete 5 cycles. I have read it is better to wake at the end of a cycle rather than in the middle of one. Would like to see more technical information like this, esp for night shifters. The culture wants what we provide but does not accommodate us. I have trouble staying awake at certain times even though I keep the same basic schedule and have for more than 8 years.
Thanks for the discussion.
Many thanks for sharing your experience regarding the vital importance of good quality and quantity of sleep. It is exactly what I needed at this time!
This was interesting, my daughter has M. E/CFS and her sleep has been very erratic. Has trouble gettk g to sleep and wakes up. It’s well known that if you get good quality sleep, particularly ten sleep the body can heal. Lately she has started to sleep better. Magnesium glycinate has helped, hormone balancing and a light therapy box.
Nick…I think you need to know why we need more sleep. Or, perhaps you already know. We as a race are being exposed to solar energies, and light energies which are cleaning out our physical, emotional, bodies. It is a good thing, but we need to get lots of sleep to compensate for the process that we are experiencing. These energies have been affecting everything. Birds, plants, trees, weeds. You may have noticed the increase in flowers, and the amazing height of trees. A lot is changing.
There are reports on the computer. Spaceweather.com speaks of the science of solar winds. Schumann Resonance is another topic to investigate. Many, many, many people are reporting all kinds of ailments.
If going to bed at 9 works for you, great, go for it. It would be totally unnatural for me, and that was so even when I was a small child.
I have classes that get me home at 9 or later, and I see patients after their work hours, often till 7. My evening is just getting started at 9 pm. But I have my schedule arranged so that I can get up at 9 am, which is normal and no stress for me.
I have no patience for people who try to dictate the hours that others should sleep or wake, based on what works for them. This is an area where people are quite different from each other. Stop pouring guilt on those who happen to NATURALLY be night owls!
I have tried for 7 years to get more then 5 to 6 hours sleep to no avail. I have given up. If I go to bed at 9PM I’m awake a 2/2:30 AM.
I’ve been traumatized need 9 hrs sleep a night at least. Lately torchered with senseless meaningless dreams or bathroom middle of the night and than not going back to sleep. I do protection visualizations and chant positive affirmations it helps me.
Please believe their is something about radio waves going into the brain keep electronics away from the bed and pray yet still I have issue with sleep and went from a 9 hr a night to 5 hrs at times it’s yuck
I was burning the candle at both ends and in the middle in 2015 and did I pay a price for serious lack of rest/sleep.
From being a super energetic person always trying out new stuff – I became unmotivated and uninspired. I would literally pass out talking to someone with my eyes fully open – lights on and no one at home. Collapsed several times on my laptop – and didn’t even know that it had happened.
It takes a long time to recover – being in nature really helps but sleep underscores all recovery.
Somewhere I read that in the US every minute there is a motor accident due to a driver being short on sleep. Lack of sleep is nothing to be proud of – its consequences creep up slowly and then pounce heavily. Thanks for bringing this to your community’s attention.
That’s all good and well but what if you work late shifts and can’t get to bed before 12:30 or 1:00? Or worse yet work the midnight shift?🤔 And changing jobs is not feasible when just a few years out from retirement!🤗
I would love to go to sleep by 9 and 10 at the latest. But, my Autistic daughter will not go to bed by 9 or 10. I am her caregiver. I am going to try to shut everything down by 9 and see if she will follow me. Thank you for the advice.
Omg !!it feels like super synchronicity . I am right there .No Sleep since last few days . Which is actually draining me now . Though we all know right things to do but dnt take the Step. I intend that i do now . It feels like in ages i havnt slept at a go for few hours. Thank you for this.
I am new to learning about the HPA Axis, but I do know that sleep is like doing a back or front flip. You have to land perfectly because if you don’t you will crash every time. Each one of us has a rhythm that we need to find and eventually wake or “land” in the most natural, unique and perfect way possible. For me, I feel most refreshed with 7:15 – 7:30 minutes of uninterrupted sleep. It is a challenge, but that is me.
Thanks for the post. Nick.
When I was in my 20s, a wise old doctor told me, “You have to go to bed the same day you get up.” That was a stretch back then! As I get older, the lights are out at 10pm more and more often. I smiled as I read your post. I actually heard the voice of that dear old fellow and remembered, for a moment, being so young…
I get my sleep on the weekdays. Early to bed and get up when I open my eyes. However, my weekends are when the boyfriend goes to sleep, 11 to 1am depending on what’s paying on the TV. I really feel it too! Digestion play a big factor over the weekends as well. Don’t feel so good in the tummy. Thank you for all your insight and information that you share!!!
I loved your article as I think it’s full of wisdom. I’ve been fighting the bad habit of going late to bed almost since childhood, and now that I’m retired I fight to get to bed before 2 o’clock in the morning! It’s great effort to go just by midnight, but I’m sure if I try to do it by 9 pm it’s going to be very very difficult to get asleep. Nevertheless, I’ll try to do those three nights you suggest by 10 pm, and hopefully forever. I’m sure that’ll do wonders for my lack of energy. Thanks and best regards,
I used to be a “good” sleeper. Some things changed to create a perfect storm that disrupted my sleep. For a year I tried everything to get back my sleep patterns. I followed every piece of advice. Vitamin supplements, no electronics, getting up instead of tossing and turning, etc. Then I listened to webcast of yours on the healing power of herbs. A friend had forwarded the link. I was a newbie to the world of healing herbs!
After the webcast, I ditched my coffee and starting drinking mushroom coffee. (It takes a minute to get used to it!) I found I was getting sleepy around my old usual time again but I wasn’t staying asleep. That’s when I started drinking my concoction I call Golden Moon milk. It is a combo of golden milk and moon milk with herbs selected for me and my particular ailments. ) Now I fall asleep and STAY asleep!! When I woke the first morning and realized I had slept through the night, I nearly wept! Thanks for sharing so much knowledge Nick!
Wow Nick Polizzi,
I’m literally going thru this right now- having a couple of crash days in a row because of disrupted sleep patterns, especially because I’ve started to see those late hours as “fun time.” You hit the nail on the dot.
I knew Sleep was the issue but today, as finally caught up on rest by sleeping in, your email came through as a blessing to push me to get the sleeping habits back on track.
Thank you
Thank You very much for Your kind email. I am always gladly receiving them but I can’t sleep more than 3-5 hours although I go to bed at 9 o’ clock every single day.
And nothing helps. My eyes stay “wide open.”
I only hope that after our worries are gone, my sleep come will come back as well.
Handy that you have said this now ,Nick, I do the same, have an off day , it knocks my sleep pattern out and I then can’t sleep till 3 or 4 in the morning have to be up at 6am and same happens to me as you. Now I know what it is I will sort it out THANKS so much and a thousand thanks more
Years ago I realized that my body did not seem to work on a 24 hour clock. I seemed to be comfortable on a 30 hour clock. If I was in a position to let my body sleep when it wanted to sleep and be awake when it wanted to be awake, I would sleep about 10 hours and be awake about 20 hours. However, the world that we live in runs on a 24 hour clock. So, I push it as far as I can. You might wonder how I ever came to consider this possibility. Years ago my husband was in the Air Force, stationed in England. Most of their TV was documentaries. There was one about college students being housed in what I will call “Pods.” They could not see outside. They only communicated with the experimenters. They had no way of knowing what time it was. They worked, ate, relaxed, and slept when they wanted to. None of the students operated on a 24 hour clock. Some were shorter, some were longer. Because I was having some issues, I decided to conduct. It was a while before I could arrange the freedom to do so, but eventually I was able to spend a week where I was able to sleep as long as I wanted to and stay awake as long as I wanted to. This is when I found that given the freedom to do so, I functioned best when I slept 10 hours and was awake 20 hours. After that I tried to go to bed as early as possible on Friday nights and sleep until my body decided to wake up on Saturdays. Now that I am 71 and retired, I find that I never sleep 10 hours and I seldom sleep 8. I assume this is because I am not as active. Sorry, didn’t intend for this to be so long.
A book I’m currently reading is “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker. I highly recommend it if you want to understand the science and ways to help improve your sleep.
After reading all the comments it sounds like people want/need help with better sleeping habits. I would highly recommend reading “Why We Sleep”, it will literally change your views on sleeping backed by science. Also, will give you ideas on how to get the best sleep. This is the #1 thing to help improve your health! Here are some quick takeaways if you don’t want to pick up the book. Or at least get some cliff notes version.
How to sleep better:
No screens at night. Blue light from screens inhibits your melatonin production, which makes it harder to get to sleep.
Exercise, but not right before bed. People who exercise sleep better, but if you do it right before bed your body temperature and heart rate will still be up.
Sleep in a cold room. Your core temperature drops when you sleep. Sleeping in a cold room helps that process.
Take a hot bath or shower. When you take a hot bath, blood rises closer to the surface of your skin. Once you’re out of the bath, that makes it easier to release heat and actually lower your body temperature.
Avoid sleeping pills. Sleeping pills don’t put you to sleep. They make you unconscious. Sleeping pills limit your deep NREM sleep and REM sleep, so you aren’t actually getting the rest you need.
Avoid alcohol before bed. Alcohol inhibits deep NREM sleep and REM sleep, so you won’t actually get rested.
Avoid caffeine in the afternoon. Caffeine has a half life of 5-6 hours, meaning that it takes that long for your body to process just one half of the amount you took in. If you drink coffee in the afternoon, it will still be affecting you at night.
Maintain a consistent schedule. Your body likes routines. If you wake up and go to sleep at roughly the same time each day, you’ll find it easier to sleep.
Mood lighting. Dim the lights before bed to facilitate melatonin production.
Keep the room dark. Blackout curtains or a sleep mask are the way to go, so that the sun doesn’t wake you up too early.
There’s much more than that but hopefully this will help others out there!
This is very timely for me. Thank you. I have been running on empty. I have even been going to bed nice and early, but instead of turning off the light, I sit there catching up on FB postings.
Early to bed early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy and wise.
My grandfather went to bed at 8pm regardless of the holidays. ” good night folks glad you could come.” Off to bed without apologies he would go. He got up at 4am to start his day.
I have come to know the peace of following my Grandfathers sleep habit. The quietness one receives while the world is still asleep is so precious one shouldn’t miss it.
All of these points are well taken….however.the larger picture needs to be acknowledged in my opinion, i am aware, having read the other responses how this culture is not designed to meet the psychological, spiritual and physical needs of humans….and the current situation is showing that in glowing colors. it is witnessed by the severity of the effect of the drunk uncle in the White House. I have been a psychotherapist for almost 40 yrs and in groups with other therapists and mental health types.
When this person was campaigning, therapists all over the country were reporting their clients who were sexual assault survivors, had been in intimate relationship with a parent, mate etc who was an Narcissistic Personality Disorder were being triggered…marriages were being challenge and destroyed by differing political positions…..not only were clients re-experiencing these traumas,. but the providers were as well.
That’s when The Duty to Warn group, among others was founded. Mental health providers have an ethical requirement to “warn” when someone is a danger to self or others. Bandy Lee a very straight, academic psychiatrist who’s specialty is trauma, was asked to take a public stand…and she has done that in an effort to educate the public that this person is a Malignant Narcissistic Personality Disorder…which is the clinical term for psychopath and we are all being traumatized and in serious danger as he continues to decompensate which he is doing at a rapid pace..consequently, no one is experiencing a relaxed personal life style or sleeping the way they need to. Some folks are aware of the soup we are swimming in and some are not
All this, by way of saying that stopping the bleeding is the first step….but, the symptoms will persist until the consciousness which created the imbalance changes…which is no surprise to holistic types. Digging deeper is always required in true healing
Hi Nick
That’s a tall order for me as my regular time is after midnight ” I am nocturnal” I blame this on all those years that I did doing shift work and no longer having my wife there to tell me to go to bed.
I have heard this old wife’s tale and there is scientific evidence today to prove that it is in fact true.
After fifty years of work doing various jobs I have long since hung my working boots up and I am thankful for not having any cold starts at five in the morning in the winter time and not having to prop my eyelids open with match sticks to keep me awake when I was doing night shifts . Love and blessings
As a 55-year-old woman, I’m finding sleeping very difficult. It started a little more than a year ago. I fall into bed at about 9:00. Sleep for 2-3 hours, then wake up and stay awake for hours and sometimes even all night long. I feel weak and a little emotionally fragile. My work is very physical and demanding, but somehow I’m able to push through. I worry that I’ll eventually run out of steam or get sick.
I have developed a routine of staying awake close to midnight or after. I tend to wake up at two am and find it difficult to fall off to sleep again. I avoid cat naps during the day in order to sleep at night.
I have in between sleeps of six or seven hours after a day of complete physical exhaustion.
I suppose more activity accompanied by relaxation exercises would help.
I will also try going to bed by ten pm
I’m also a diabetic and 72 yrs old.
Thank you for the advice shared.
My husband is a poor and bad sleeper. Lying awake for several hours each night.
We allready tried this patern of sleeping. I love it. It gives me energy to get up early and walk for an hour and a half with our dog.
He hates it, hates his bed aswell. He finds it hard to Fall asleep early. Lights are low, no television, no PC etc. Just making puzzles.
He allways has been a poor sleeper. There are many things we tried to turn it into a healthy sleep.
Are there any solutions left?!
Greats Eve
Hi Nick,
This happens to me. I always go to bed late:( I know this is not good. I try to correct myself!!! Thanks Nick.
My mother told me that any many many years ago Your body heals when you sleep.
I lived with insomnia for 18months, no prescription drugs worked and I don’t like relying on them. I would stay still & in bed even if not sleeping my body was resting & ive practised meditation for years so my mind was quiet it was just my system was all jumbled up from shift work. Eventually I found sound frequencies for deep sleep on YouTube along with lavender all around me & chamomile in my bath. The sound frequencies I’ve used for everything and I find they do seem to work every time. Worth trying for anything.
I want to second the suggestion of Melatonin!
My brain has been going “a hunnert miles an hour” lately, and that one little tab, about 1/2 hour before I hit the pillow has made sooo much difference!
Blessings and BetterSleep! to you all ~
I work from 6pm to 10:30pm. Some days up early and on the go. I’ve started a cleaning business at 62. It takes time to build a business. I’m POA for my brother who lives 3 hrs away, I’m close to putting my home up for sale. I would consider this the most stressful time of my life but also the most exciting. I’ve noticed a Brian fog has set in, tired, body aches. It is forcing me to clean up my act, to make better choices. I’ve been so healthy all my life. Stress sucks! Thinking I could get away with a meal of pepperoni pizza chased by Carmel corn! Lol! No more! My body is my livelihood! I will sure know if eating, sleeping better, herbal meds help! Thank you for all the great information! Cheers to Health!
Dear Nick, sleep has been the last thing on my list for 6 months, cause I’ve been taking classes to educate myself on how to heal my thyroid, adrenals, microbiome, immune system and skin. I will commit to going to bed by 9pm-10pm instead of 3am and up at 9am. I will give you a report in a couple of weeks. Thank you for the wisdom. Ms Ra-Lee
Seriously? You are joking! Nurses and other’s who work 12 hr shifts don’t get off work until 7:30 home by 8 p.m. if they are lucky then make dinner and eat way too late and go to bed on top of a full stomach. Often it is more like 8:30 or 9 p.m. before one gets home. Then there is the other half of the clock where one can only sleep during the day as best they can. Ever wonder why nurse are so unhealthy and many especially those that have worked 20, 30, and 40 yrs in a hospital are so heavy. They can’t help but be unhealthy. Add to that the stress that a nurse is under all day or night long. The reality of it is this and just stating the facts.
Hi Nick,
I go to bed around 9 am, mostly because I am really ready for bed having not slept previous nights, I lay awake for two to three hours most nights then when I get up feel so tired and want to go back to bed.. I know computer work can be sleep debilitating so try and stay off that after around 7.30 pm.. THere seems to be a pattern here and I will go for around four nights without a good sleep and then it’s okay again.. I go to gym once a week but not walking as much as it is winter where I live..
Your 9pm challenge is tone-deaf to the many people who work nights, or are natural “night people.” That’s an area where there is not nearly enough research. I have yet to find a sleep study done on 100% “night people,” who have been naturally nocturnal since birth.
Such people exist, and they are an invisible minority which is regularly abused and put down by “health care” types of all stripes. An acquaintance of mine is a neonatal ICU nurse with 40 years’ experience. She and I are both “night people,” and she has observed that about 1 in 20 newborns are also natural “night people.” She works the night or “graveyard” shift in the hospitals and has had ample occasions to witness and document her observation.
Every published sleep study I’ve read has failed to identify naturally nocturnal people and to separate the observations for them from the observations for the diurnal majority. Enjoy your early sleep but don’t spread bad advice for people whose circadian rhythms vary from the norm.
Sleep by 9 and awake by 3 pm. I toss and turn and stay awake. If I stay in bed awake for more than hour I get a headache Now what?
Patty, I use a variety of sleep remedies when my sleep patterns get out of whack: Mugwort tea (also enhances dreams); Calms Forte (homeopathic); Boiron Quietude (homeopathic); or Celestial Seasonings “Sleepy Time” tea. Any of these will help you get to sleep and stay asleep through the night without any sluggish side-effects in the morning.
Through my years of trial and error….pushing myself relentlessly, at the beautiful age of 65, I truly and wholeheartedly discovered ME. I have learned, in the summer,when I’m most active outdoors, running and working in my large garden, I go to bed with the birds and I rise early in the morning with them.
When we live With nature we ourselves begin to live.
Hi Nick
Thank you for your recent series, most informative. A lot of people say we are what we eat, but I maintain ‘we are what we assimilate’. Someone said recently that the food on the end of your fork is far more powerful than all the drugs we take, for good or for bad. Often the most overlooked component of our health and well-being is the state of our nervous system. People reading this will gloss over this statement with “I know all that but I feel great”, thinking that is the end of the subject. Unfortunately life isn’t all that simple, most people, including yourself and your presenters are running well below their physical and electrical potentials.
As a Chiropractor for the last 40 years I have struggled to understand what causes our bodies to not function as well as they might. in an effort to develop Chiropractic so it is consistently reliable, easily reproducible and easily teachable I have developed what I call ‘innate energy’, allowing the body to heal itself. Anything you are exposed to that you are unable to adapt to, almost immediately, will cause a vertebral subluxation at the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebra which will interfere with the transmission of mental impulses between the brain and the body, and the body and the brain thus causing dis-ease, which uncorrected develops into disease. This is an area of critical importance to the restoration and maintenance of health.
If this is an area that tweaks your imagination I would welcome the opportunity to talk more.
Regards,
Pete Esdaile D.C.
Are u serious?! Asleep by 9 in the summer? It’s not even dark!
I work the graveyard shift. What can I do to get more restful sleep? I have no problem with falling asleep but I have a problem staying asleep.
Tried this for 3 weeks but just woke up at 4am or 5 or 6am.
Thanks to ‘Whispers of Wings’ for the post that explains the deeper/hidden aspects of what is taking place during the frequency that we call ‘sleep’. We are wonderful energy Beings having the experience of navigating through the ‘physical world’. When we switch into sleep frequency, we are able to temporarily remove our consciousness link with the ‘world’, this is a more normal, balanced state for our true energetic consciousness.
Whilst we are in this frequency, the physical vehicle/body receives energetic cleaning, balancing and re-routing if required. We are also able, as consciousness, to tune into many other ‘spaces’ or sources of interaction with others. When this cannot take place or is not completed, we suffer the range of imbalances that we call ‘being short of sleep’.
The key to navigating the journey without what we call ‘stress’, is to learn about and then understand that we are not our earthly ‘personalities’ , that is just our ‘role’ in the theatre in which we interact. It feels so ‘real’ when we take up a role, forgetting who and what we are, that the illusions in life seem real and so cause us anxiety and stress.
Having said all that, for temporary help whilst digging deeper, I can recommend the herbs mentioned in the excellent videos offered by Nick in the episode on sleep.
Peace and Progress to All
I am in EXACTLY the same place you described. So much so that I’ve canceled all of my social engagements for lack is energy. I’m not able to engage.
I went to bed last night with the intent to just sleep, no alarm, no guilt (the animals can just wait a couple hours). For the first time I was able to get up and ride the starionary Bike for a bit. More sleep = better function!
Thank you- what perfect timing to see your post this morning.
Im hoping it resolves this chronic fatigue, leg cramps, joint pain, and mental dysfunction!
I am interested.
For a good night rest, I use thin surgical tape (two strips) over my closed lips and fall asleep soon after. I have been doing this for about two months. I still get up to pee, then fall back to sleep.
Oh how I wish it was as simple as going to bed at 9PM. I actually am in bed at 9PM. I typically have no trouble falling asleep, but I then experience night wakings sometime after midnight after which I have a hard time going back to sleep. I have tried practically everything: melatonin, different kinds of herbal teas, tart cherry juice (which supposedly helps to increase melatonin levels), an herbal supplement of calming herbs like passion flower and lemon balm, magnesium, and ashwagandha. I do yoga a few times a week and more recently have started using EFT (tapping) to manage stress and anxiety. As a woman in her 40s, I suspect that my changing hormones may be involved with my sleep disturbances. So for all the women out there with sleeping problems, getting your hormones checked may help to get to the root cause. I just did the DUTCH test and am waiting for my results. Hopefully that will shed some light on what is happening in my body. One word of caution: if you do find out that your hormones are out of balance, I DO NOT recommend taking synthetic hormones. From my own experiences with the birth control pill and based on some research I have done, synthetic hormones create more problems than they solve. There are many ways to naturally balance your hormones and only as a last resort should hormone supplementation be considered. If it is necessary, bioidentical hormones are the better way to go in my opinion.
9:00 bedtime when tired enough works great if I sleep thru to 5:00 or 6:00. It’s the best.
Otherwise I wake up at 2:00, 3:00 or such time. Then I can’t just naturally fall back to sleep and that brings in a new undesirable set of sleep circumstances.
What about marijuana ,and eatables ,they have helped with me , but the dreams are weird.
That’s great.
How might this apply to a 90 year woman who continues to want to be independent but the tide has changed from independent living to needing supportive care because of dementia and ability to care for self. This is a fact of aging; declining abilities. This lady becomes ill, is treated for comfort, the doctor says the family needs to gather to say goodbye yet she regains her ability to complete her daily activities of living and returns to her retirement facility. I would like to be directed to research endeavours that explore the individual who does not fit the expected pathway of aging decline nor the medical teams expectation of decline as presentation at the ER. The ER team and medical follow up team were super but this ladies recovery threw everyone for a loop. Thank you for reviewing my statement of experience.
Hi Margo, Thanks for connecting! Not sure I follow your question regarding this article on sleep. But for more resources on Aging research, here you go 🙂 https://www.nia.nih.gov/about/advances-aging-research, https://www.agingresearch.org, https://www.afar.org, https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jar/
Just curious… I work at a very busy hospital and work 2nd shift, 10.5hrs, 4 days a week. Can I still be healthy going to sleep later because I wake up later?
Thank you for sharing this, Nick! I’ve been working with my naturopath on sleep and I have an easy time falling asleep by 10pm. My issue is that I have a hard time staying asleep through the night. I wake up 1-2x a night between 2-4am. Do you have any recommendations for this? Thank you in advance!
I am usually not tired until 11 p.m. and wake up about 8-8:30. I have an autism spectrum disorder that can throw off my sleep cycle. Even once I get into bed, though I still am not tired, my brain starts going crazy over the day’s events. This can go on for as much as an hour sometimes. To get me tired before 9 p.m., I would need to use 1 mg melatonin daily because my brain just doesn’t make enough of it. This is common with autism spectrum disorders.
Definitely! I agree. I looove getting to bed by 9pm as soon as the kids are in bed. It makes me feel like a kid, literally! Because The next day I have the energy of a kid!
great advice
This advice is so well timed. I was trying to explain on the phone to a preacher…..of my excitement of many diseases being prevented by changing diet and lifestyle. By the way she had bowel cancer some years ago. My Father-in-law has also just also been diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas… his diet is pretty awful. Anyway she was very abrupt with me and said I should not put my views out to other people as this train of thought was not substantiated and only put out by Quacks wanting to make money. This response has been rattling around in my head constantly and messing up my sleep!!! Thank you for this timely reminder that thoughts can trigger the same affect as an actual event. Sally
I suffer from insomnia. I have been in an abusive marriage and I am still fighting with that man who kept my house and refuse it to be sold. I have develop skin problem,
I have had two car accidents, my spine, my shoulders, my knees were affected. I suffer from fibromyalgia and have serious skin problems.
I cannot loose weight. I need help
I wish it was that easy for me Nick! No matter if I go to sleep early or late, I wake up many, many times throughout the night and wake up early too. I’m glad you found your answer, truly 😀 I have not found mine yet. If you come across a study or answers for my issues, please let me know. I would love to sleep more, it affects everything, mind, body soul.
I’m in bed by 8:30 PM or 9 PM every night. I have 3 dogs that sleep with me and one who LOVES to wake up at 5 AM or so. I work full time and if I don’t get my eight hours or so, I am a bitch to deal with the next day. I take 3 Calms Forte, 2 Formula 303 muscle relaxers, 1 – Holy Basil, 1 – Stress Relief and 1 – Sleep from Bluebonnet for my bedtime “cocktail” to make sure I fall asleep quickly. I also have a bottle of Calms Forte on my bathroom counter and if I wake up in the middle of the night I always pop 2 to make sure I get back to sleep.
I consider sleep as my healing and restorative time. I get between 8 and 9 hours a night. I am always in bed by 10 pm, and usually wake naturally between 6 and 7 am. It’s not always true that you need less sleep as you get older: I get more than when I was younger and had a full-time job.
Thank you for those precious infos
Hello Nick…I liked your article. Let me tell you that everyday I go to bed at 7 PM after taking a light dinner. I wake up after 2 AM and watch TV in my rocking chair. This chair has got a marvelous effect on me. I again tend to fall sleep for couple of hours. This works fine for me. SRB
This is the most helpful article I’ve read in a long time. Thankyou!
Thank you so much Nick for all this content, so interesting and helpful! I’m a firm believer in good sleep hygiene. I drop off in the evening from about 9pm, so after a cup of tea and light snack I am in bed by 10 pm. I sometimes wake in the night but drift off again, finally waking around 7.30 am. This usually works for me xx
I always go to bed before 10 P.M. And in wintertime even earlier.
My waken up is between 5 and 6 a.m. In summer earlier.
And I feel great with this kind of life.
I am in my 70’s look like 60’s, 46 yr jogger, tons of vitamins and eat well, sauna. I have one situation I have not been able to conquer . I wake usually twice during the night to go to the bathroom, thus interrupting my sleep. Wish I could find something to have me sleep through the night
Ayurveda teaches the value of the sleep ours before midnight and science seems to verify this because it is when the melatonin is most active cleaning the brain.
Hi, how can I sign up for your email/newsletter?
I have looked for a link but haven’t found one.
Thank you for this blog. For years I’ve castigated myself for not staying up until 10 or 11pm like everyone else! I can’t keep my eyes open past 9pm. I hated myself for being old, a sleepy-head, or lazy. Now I can stop punishing myself and appreciate the wisdom of my body.
I go to bed at 10-11pm , maybe read for 20-30 minutes, then off to sleep , up for bathroom break, back to sleep usually, but when I get up at 7-7:30 , still feel tired, so I drag through the day Help
I always find your content useful.At present I too am struggling with my sleep pattern.I get inbed at about 10pm.
Hi, thank you for this helpful article!
I try to go to sleep as you suggest. As I am living in a shared flat it happens that after I am in a sort of Deep sleep to wake up by noise. So if I go to sleep by 9 pm or 10 pm at 11 or 12 I will be again awake by the noise. Most of the times I can go back to sleep easily but not always. Would this Affect the healthy sleeping cycle?
I am usually in bed by 930. At the latest. I have been monitoring my sleep the last 6 months. My core seems to be doing okay, as well as REM most night. But that deep healing sleep went from 2 hours down to less that 30 minutes. Usually by 1 am, it is done. Open to any suggestions as to how to get it back. Or can we not get it back because of age?
Sleep still evades me. For over 40 yrs I’ve had about 2 1/2 – 3 hrs if that. Have tried over the counter sleep aids, prescription and natural ones. A sleep study said my alpha waves were very much controlling so I’m at a quandary . I realize my body can’t repair its self so it find more illness happening
I would love to get more sleep, and more quality sleep. Even when I turn off the TV and computer early enough, I’ve had a problem this past year with TINNITUS. It began last spring – I don’t know why – but it keeps me from sleep and drives me crazy. I’ve tried melatonin, aromatherapy (lavendar), gentle stretching before bed, audio tapes of healing frequencies, meditation, tapes, or brown noise audio. Nothing! I can be up for 3, 4, 5 hours, then drag myself around the following day. Even my primary says I have to learn to live with it, which he does, since he has it too! DOES ANYONE HAVE SOME ADVICE FOR US TINNITUS SUFFERERS?
many years ago in my early 30s (i’m now 63), i was under quite a bit of stress and came home exhausted early in the afternoon ~1pm. i lay down to “rest”, not intending to sleep, and woke up as the sun was going down around 5pm. i thought, “oh great, now i won’t sleep all night”. i went to bed at my “regular” time and slept better than i had in months! so restorative.
i tell this story to new moms all the time, esp. those who say “i can’t sleep during the day”.
also, i’m wondering if you would consider finding an alternative phrase for ” old wives tale “. it’s patriarchal bs meant to denigrate ancient feminine wisdom: no bueno! appreciate it.
Thanks, Nick, for being this important message to your following. I’ve enjoyed your emails for years now and appreciate your incite. I’m almost 77 and have been going to bed around 7, no later than 8 for years now. I still work in my carpet cleaning business I’ve had for 55 years and amaze some of my customers I’ve cleaned for more than 40 years.
There are of course many other things to maintain ones health, intermittent fasting, proper nutrition, good vitamin, minerals, exercise, loss stress, red light therapy, saunas, and having loved ones close to name a few.
Thanks again for all you do for us.
Ron
Nice article on sleep. I find that I am not tired before 9 pm. I have a bad habit of watching movies on the iPhone to the point that it has become addictive. It takes me more than 1 hour to fall asleep; my mind is still so active. I purchased the special glasses that protect one from blue light and the light the phone emits, however, I still have trouble falling asleep within an hour. Right now, I’m stressing on putting together a big celebration for my mother who turns 100 years old in December. Also, what’s not happening is that I’m a procrastinator. Any suggestions?
Can you comment on use of mouth tape. I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, could not continue with cpap. Am mouth breather, and using tape helps, forces breath thru nose and to brain. A respiratory therapist had negative response to it.
I do feel more energized and rested.
Thank you for reminding me of the necessity of going to bed on time and getting enough sleep! I know how important it is for my health and for making the next day a great one! Blessings
I work most nights until midnight and overnight once or twice a week. My sleep is terrible. Any suggestions for better sleep for me? Thanks
I do so agree with you. I am a 10pm until 6/6.30 am sleeper and if I change this routine for some reason, it does not feel right the next day. Also my fit bit gives me bad sleep score. This sleep routine is so established that a late night is still followed by a natural 6/6.30am wake up and that is the problem.
Thank you, this was an excellent reminder for both my husband and me. He tends to stay in bed later n the morning; I prefer to go to bed earlier at night, whenever possible. I simply feel better doing that. Thanks to your advice, my husband is prepared to try your way. I am deeply grateful. Please keep helping all of us with your sound advice! Yvonne
EXCELLENT article !!!!!! Brimming over with good, sound advice!
I too have experienced SAME!!!!
many thanks Nick for this exciting and very informative topic which is the sleep becoming a very dramatic and very serious problem in our productivist societies like for eating healthy food and not toxic food processed by the agribusiness industries, the sleep becomes also a real problem to keep us healthy
Thanks Nick! 🙏
Always great to share these articles…this one is close to my heart too….i always go to bed by nine unless some unusual thing occurs…one reason I always awake at 3 am and may even stay up then, but usually just a few minutes but for some reason I must be awake around 3 am ( often I do qigong or yoga) then sleep till 530. So if I don’t go to bed till two am say, I still wake at 3 or so and then 530.
For me it is def the hours before midnight for me ….its a treat to go to bed by 800pm! 🙏💝
Wait a minute- I heard that the first 3 hours of sleep, before midnight, are where the greatest brain rejuvenation and general recovery occur, while later in the night, there is more dreaming and less repair. So, if that is an old wives tale, I think it is supported now by science.
I’ve been struggling with my sleep for the last 6 months. I was going to bed at 10pm, but then waking several times at night and staying awake worst case for 60mins at a time, waking at 7.30am. I am now undertaking “sleep restriction” using the CPD tool to try and retrain my brain back into sleeping through the night. For me early nights are only good if you get good quality sleep as part of it. As a menopausal lady that is very difficult
Thank you Nick! Sleep is a big issue for me, I stay up very late and sometimes only get 4-5 hours sleep (or even less!). Last night I was up until 1am and then couldn’t go to sleep till 2am but had to get up at 6:30am. I’m zonked today.
I’m going to take on your challenge and see how I feel after 3 days!
Hello Nick,
I have followed all your documentaries since you very first one. I have to say I have received so many great benefits from you work. I am now taking the class with Mitten and loving it so much. I have had trouble sleeping for quite some time now, as my husband suffered with prostate cancer for many years,, and my so. And I were his sole care givers. He passed away in March, 2024, but my sleep still is not good, so I am looking forward to taking on this challenge of “to bed by 9:00 pm. I appreciate you and the work you do. It has made a difference in my world.
Sincerely,
Geneva Dinwiddoe
I normally go to bed between 12-2 am and get up between 9-10 am. My experience is if I go to bed two hours earlier, I might get up one hour earlier. And not be any more rested for it.
As far as I have read on this subject, there are 2 types of people: the larks, those who sleep early in the evening and wake up early in the morning, and the owls, those who go to bed late and wake late.
I always belonged to the second group. I fall asleep around 1 a.m. and wake up wonderful 8 hours later.
If I try to go to bed by 9 or 10 p.m.I find myself tossing and turning without being able to sleep or, if I’m really tired, I fall asleep but I’ll wake up around 2 a.m. and stay awake for hours. It doesn’t work for me.
Additionally, my time of the greatest mental and writing productivity always have been from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
You are so right. When I don’t get to bed on time, my whole body clock is off and I can feel it for days. Thanks for the information and for the reminder.
Thank you so much for this reminder Nick.
I got sixty this year and because of similar circumstances as you mentioned in the post, I suddenly got to just 6 hours of sleep or less and yes that’s not doing me well…
Many of my friends around my age, very often women tell me that they can’t sleep, and think it’s normal that you don’t need much sleep when you’re ageing, even when you’re still very busy in your life ? ! What you think/know about this ?
Thanks for what you’re doing Nick,
Sleep well, eat well and stay healthy ! 🙏🏽💜
Best regards Andreas
What if you CAN’T sleep? I have a party of doctors trying to figure this out. Outside of drugs, I can’t. have a natural, refreshing sleep as I used to. Have tried a lot of things.
The more I read in your info, the more I felt it move me and stir my hope. The info about Chakras and about natural healing have been part of my life that I have missed the past 3 plus yrs. This due to changes in my life journey. I am looking forward to gathering more info.
I took your challenge, i’m now trying to get ready for bed by 8:00 pm latest lights out 9 pm. I feel quite different when the alarm doesn’t go off sleep even longer thank you.
I had trained myself to have five or six hours sleep night for years!