Hi Everyone. I've read all the posts here and my heart goes out to all who are suffering from sleep deprivation.

I have been in a state of general to, at times, severe sleep deprivation (sleeping 3 hours a night, sometimes 5 or 6 (broken up into two or three segments, etc.)) for about three years now. Doctors have done the standard tests and say, "You're fine. Here's some medication." Medication is a tricky thing, as it does not promote real deep restorative rest and most likely causes additional issues with long-term use, but, in a pinch, can be a nice lifeline for a moments where any relief is welcomed.

I believe my sleep issues / insomnia derive from deep stress and trauma (from an accumulation of "life", culminating in particularly stressful events I experienced about 3 - 4 years ago). This expresses itself as anxiety (my body / chest buzzes a bit when i lay down, my heart beats a bit harder and faster than it should, my mind ruminates, etc.) To treat just the anxiety with anything from drugs to meditation, for example, is a short term balm, but the "root of the weed", the deep stress and trauma, remain. The goal (if you suffer from something like I do), is to root out that weed and relieve the symptoms of anxiety, racing thoughts, buzzing body, sleepless nights, and so on.

There is my experience and a few thoughts, generalized, and here are a few tips and suggestions for those who relate to such a thing:

1 - Get morning sunlight in your eyes (even if it is overcast, get outside!) for 10 - 15 min after waking up (within 60 min of waking). This will get your body's circadian clock aligned over time.

2 - Do not stress yourself with unneeded events. Whether this is relationship stress (remove yourself from toxicity), or fasting / cold therapy (can be very healthy to someone who has a regulated nervous system, but not if you are deeply stressed - these will work against you. wait to resume once you are more regulated), extreme exercise (will note this later), etc.

3 - Limit caffeine intake between 90 min after waking up -to- 8 hours before bedtime (preferably 10 hours before bedtime). The 90 min after waking up is so the brain's chemicals used to signal "wakefulness" can have a chance to enact themselves before the caffeine butts in the way. The keeping caffeine intake away from bedtime is due to the half-life of caffeine's effect (about 5 hours-ish is the half life of caffeine).

4 - Get some sun exposure throughout the day, mainly (as stated) in the morning, some in the afternoon, and as it sets / dusk. This will help with re-setting your "inner clock".

5 - Get moderate exercise. Go for a walk, go some light weight training; something to put a small but good amount of stress on the body that will aid with overall mental and physical health.

6 - Become familiar and practice 20 min of breath work (4 sec IN, 6 sec OUT. I find 5 IN, 7 OUT is perfect) as well as Yoga Nidra (15 - 30 min). Both can be researched via YouTube. Do these daily and close to bedtime. They will help, over time (a couple weeks or so) to regulate and calm the nervous system.

7 - If you worry / have ruminating thoughts that revolve around worries and anxieties, try starting a worry journal. This is a journal where you jot down all that is concerning you and causing stress. It is cathartic and helps to purge some of the stressors. There is good data in clinical studies that this helps speed up the "fall-asleep" time. Do this and hour or two before bed.

8 - Avoid, if you can, using alcohol and THC for sleep. Clinical studies also show this, overall, does not help. If it does help you, use it as a tool to employ every now and then, but use caution. CBD however is still being researched and may have some benefits.

9 - In the evening, keep home lights to a minimum. No overhead lights, if you can avoid it. I have a lamp on the floor, behind a dresser, to mimic a low-angle light (i.e. sunset). You can harm your circadian rhythm with bright lights at night.

10 - Design a routine that will lead you to the bed / sleep. Mine is (basically): short warm shower, brush teeth, worry journal, breath meditation, put m'kid to bed and say goodnight (I'm a single father), stretch lightly, drink CALM magnesium drink (studies show that magnesium is not all that effective, but it is still is a part of my routine. The taste signals my brain that sleeptime is nearing), read a little bit (not in bed, but in another room with calm lighting), then go to bed and listen to Yoga Nidra for about 20 min. Sleep is like landing a plane - it is a process. You don't just go from cruising altitude to landing... it takes steps. Find the steps that work for you.

11 - Make the bed a place where you sleep, not worry / watch TV, toss and turn. If you find yourself awake in the middle of the night for extended periods of time (30 min+), get up and go read in another room with calm, low lighting. or go meditate. or fold laundry. or whatever. You want to associate your bedroom with sleep, and nothing else. This takes time to re-wire your mind, but will help in the long run.

12 - Be kind to yourself and if frustrated, learn to accept the situation. I've had my rounds with this for years and getting upset has done me no favors. Accept the situation and go to the next phase in relaxation and self-care, instead of ruminating on what you wish would happen and the associated fears.

That is my general take on it. I have more info, but gotta get back to work.

There are a few people that i find a lot of help listening to. Dr. Andrew Huberman, Dr. Matthew Walker, and Dr David Sinclair. If you do not know of these people, a quick bit of research will show you they are preeminent researchers in the field of general health and sleep. 75% of my info is derived from these sources.

Take care!

MW