Lately, I’ve been experimenting with the Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device to help me wake up in the morning.  The goLITE is a bit pricey and supposed to be used to combat SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or winter blues which seem to be a national affliction this endless, snowy winter.  This compact light box is supposed to mimic the effects of sunlight on the body and help you to recover from not having enough daylight.

It does make me feel more wide awake after a while (which is why you should never use it before bed) though I’m still somewhat paranoid about the effects of UV light, however muted.  I also goofed when initially setting the alarm, so now there’s this eerie blue glow in my home office at odd hours of the night.  I’m hoping it freaks out any potential burglars.

Rachel, who  kind of like the idea of owning a bright blue box of faux sunlight.

More interested in my musings on marketing, manners or modness? Visit my daytime blog at www.rachelcw.com

For that reason, I didn’t bother tossing or turning, nor did I play that game where I forbid myself to turn on the computer (callously messing with my circadian rhythms is one of my only remaining vices) or keep my apartment pitch black in the hopes that I’ll lull myself into a restive state.  Sleep won’t be coming for a while (oh no, did I jinx myself by typing that out loud?) and I’ve made my peace with it, but I did realize something else.

I’ve never been great at sleep and since I’m something of a perfectionist, it’s disappointing to try something night after night and still fail at it.  Perversely enough, I excel  at insomnia, which I suppose is why I’ve turned it into something of an art form over the years.

Rachel, who kind of digs the fact that night is my canvas

First there were those that expressed pity- ‘Oh you poor thing, I had no idea.’  I was kind of surprised to be honest, since my sleeplessness is so much a part of me, that I didn’t quite realize it would shock or dismay others.  Next there were confessions about how they, friends or loved ones have suffered for years while they stood helplessly by.  Actually, you know they were sound asleep during their loved ones’ worst episodes, but figured it was more polite to feign deep distress.  Then there were those who admitted insomnia as their deep dark secret, something newly acquired over the past year along with joblessness and massive debts.

For those who have come to insomnia late in the game, I offer some tips to help you to get through the worst.  My apologies if I seem less than wholeheartedly empathetic, but I suspect that unlike we chronically sleep deprived, as soon as the shake ups in your life calm down, you’ll be back to sleeping like a log.  At some point I’ll be backing up what I already know with wise comments from experts in the field, until that time however, you’ll just have to trust me because I’ve been sleepless for much longer than you have and know of what I speak.

1. Keep it Dark: Banish clocks, bright lights, computers, television or anything that beeps from your bedroom.  Your bedroom is only for sleep or sex (you should be so lucky) and having anything that distracts you from that mission is counterproductive.  The last thing that you want is a bedside clock that will help you to count down the sleepless minutes until morning.
2. Keep it Comfortable: Stop fighting over the temperature in your bedroom and agree to keep things a bit cooler than normal so that your body can comfortably relax and get to the business of sleep.
3. Keep it Dry: How shall I phrase this delicately? In the battle of the bladder, your body will win each and every time. Why spend hours struggling with the need to go, only to end up giving in and having to walk across those ice cold bathroom tiles at 3:00 a.m.? Avoid drinking that cool glass of water on the nightstand and go to the bathroom before bedtime.  Trust me on this one.
4. Keep it Calm: Limit your worrying to daylight hours.  For instance, if you’re panicking because you can’t pay the mortgage, try to give yourself free reign to panic from 10:00 a.m. until noon and then maybe for a half hour during the day.  The last thing you want to think about before trying to drift off is the economy.
5. Keep it Media Free: Don’t watch the nightly new before bed (there’s never anything good going on anyway) and switch off your computer and Blackberry at least an hour or two before you turn in.  If you do wake up in middle of the night, try to avoid Facebook or Twitter’s siren song.

Rachel, who feels your new found pain

More interested in my musings on marketing, manners or modness? Visit my daytime blog at www.rachelcw.com

There’s nothing quite like the crushing panic/depression/aloneness that comes from waking up at 3:00 a.m. in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar city.  Wait, there is – knowing that you’ll have to dazzle a client/win over a room/pass through security on your way to a series of interconnected flights despite the loss of sleep brought on by the crushing panic/depression/aloneness that comes from waking up at 3:00 a.m. in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar city.

For the record, I’m not a fan of pharmaceuticals of any kind and Tylenol is about as strong as I get, so I have never relied on sleep aids like Ambien to help me get some shut eye.  For that reason, I seek out comforting rituals, products or places to help me sleep.  Imagine my delight in being lucky enough to spend a night at the Benjamin Hotel (AKA the Sleep Hotel)  in NYC while researching a story.

While some hotels simply boast mattresses that aid sleep, the Benjamin seems to have a near fetishistic devotion to the pursuit of a good night’s sleep and seems to have every insomniac’s worst fear covered in their standard amenities.

While there, I spent a bit of time deciding which of their 12 pillows to choose from (you can speak with their Sleep Concierge before visiting).  I played with their top of the line white noise machines (at home I have 3 running at night) *and* tested out the lavender essential oil blend, sleep masks, book of dream interpretation and of course sampled the room service menu that boasts snooze friendly snacks like warm milk and cookies.

The mattress was divine, the room temperature set to my specifications and the busy Manhattan street noises were not only muffled- but impossible to hear.

So how did I sleep? Horribly I’m afraid, though it’s no fault of the hotel.  So convinced was I that I’d have the ultimate sleep experience, that I tossed and turned and fretted wondering if I was indeed having the best sleep experience of my life.  In other words, I let my performance anxiety keep me awake.  Instead of luxuriating in the soft, cool sheets, I wondered why I couldn’t fall asleep in said soft, cool sheets.

And so it went, until daybreak.

If you ever get a chance to spend a night at The Benjamin, don’t follow my lead.  Instead, allow yourself to luxuriate in the fact that for a change, someone else is doing all the worrying to make sure that you get a good night’s sleep.

Rachel, who appreciates the irony of the fact that my fear of insomnia keeping me from enjoying what could have been the best sleep of my life.

More interested in my musings on marketing, manners or modness? Visit my daytime blog at www.rachelcw.com

But I’m here now and exhausted after a poor night’s sleep.  This time though, I can legally blame the blizzard and the oral surgery earlier this week. I can also complain about being up all night because I was hungry (only soft foods) or just plain cranky.  But I won’t.

Instead, I’ll share a terrific promo that I just heard about from @SimmonsBedding.  Apparently, to drive their social media efforts they’re giving away a Beauty Rest Mattress.  So desperate am I for a decent night’s sleep, that I will actually devote my first ever post to that promotion in the hopes that they take pity on my overtired self and choose me!

That is what insomnia does to you my friends, it makes you weak and jittery and willing to promise anything just to get a good night’s sleep.

Rachel, Sleepless in Brooklyn