Post: #1

I've seen a couple of threads lately about fellow members with fucked up sleeping patterns, and wanting a change. I myself have been dealing with for almost all my life, however I've been slowly fixing this and to my amazement, it works wonders.

Alot of good advice given in those threads, I'm here to share the way I do it.

1. Sleep Early
This is probably the hardest part, which is why I'm addressing it first. You need to go to bed early, before 9pm or 10pm. When you start doing this you might find falling asleep to become incredibly hard. This is because you need to adjust and change your sleeping pattern, which is exactly what you are doing in this step.

Even if you roll over bed for 3 hours trying to sleep, you eventually will. If you make good practice of going early to bed for a month, this problem will dissapear. And you will notice that if you are still awake by 11pm-12pm you will feel tired and wanting to go to sleep. This is because you have changed your sleep pattern for the better.

2. Remove Distractions that interfere with #1
If you have computer with internet in the same room that you sleep, you will have an incredible hard time achieving step #1. I don't blame you, many nights I tell myself I'll go to sleep after watching another episode, reading and posting more at RooshV, watching youtube, downloading music, you name it.

Having internet and a computer interfering with step #1 is fatal, if you don't go to sleep early, even after you turn off your computer. Your brain will still be very active from all the previous activity you did, which will make falling asleep incredibly hard and frustrating.

Solution: Get rid of it. Put your computer (or whatever the distraction is) in another room where you don't sleep, and leave it there. You need to train your subconcious to recognize that the room where you sleep is for peaceful rest, not long nights of insomnia.

If you need to use the computer/TV, go to the new room where it should be located, and use it there only.

3. Don't Eat Late
Don't eat large meals late. Remember, you should be going early to bed. Going to bed with a full stomach is not good for you, and might make falling asleep a little harder.

However, I almost always take a bottle of cold water to my room in case I get thirsty. Just be sure to piss it before going to sleep, you don't want your precious sleep to be interrupted by going to the bathroom late after.

Recommendation: I have experimented with taking a glass of milk combined with honey and vanilla to be very relaxing and soothing for sleep. It is said that it improves your dreaming experience, you might want to give it a try.

4. Adjust Noise and Illumination
The noise and type of illumination present in the room can affect your sleep. This can vary for each individual, some might want to sleep in complete darkness, which can be great, others might want to have a lamp with dim color light, which can be very relaxing as well.

This is what I do: I put on my sleep playlist from my iPod. My playlist is composed mainly by Chill Out music, New Age, and Jazz. Check out Cafe del Mar and Enya. I place my iPod a little far from my bed, with enough volume for me to listen to the music, and enough low volume for it to don't complicate my falling-asleep process. Choose your music wisely, I love metal and hard rock, but lets be real here, I don't think you will have an easier time falling asleep that way.

SleepMachine is a great app for iOS that includes many ambient and nature sounds if you rather use that.

Remember to have your playlist on repeat-all, and your device charging. I'm telling you, the feeling of waking up with the music that helped you fall asleep is incredibly relaxing, and helps you start your new day with a positive attitude.

NOTE: DO NOT sleep with headphones. It makes sleeping harder, uncomfortable and its hard to control good sleep volume. Not to mention that you can damage your headphones like this.

Regarding Illumination, I like to sleep with as much darkness as possible, pitch black. However, I'm thinking on buying a nice red/orange colored Lava Lamp and experiment with it.

5. Sleeping Position
This is very important. The way you sleep will affect how pleasant and productive your sleep will be. Bad sleeping positions can harm your body.

Good sleeping positions:

• Laying on back, facing up.
• Laying on the side, facing sides. Use pillow between your legs if you need more comfort.
  

Bad sleeping positions:

• Body facing down, head turned facing sides.
• Fetal positions
  

6. Waking Up
It is said that a healthy amount of sleep should be at least 8 hours. For some people, this is too little. Be sure to get between 8-10 hours of good sleep.

If you do this by going to bed early, you shouldn't be having problems waking up with alarm. Neither should you be putting the alarm far away for you to get up and turn it off.

Recommendation: Set your alarm to trigger 20 minutes before normal time. If you are still too sleepy when the first sound triggers, snooze it for 10 minutes. If you are still too sleepy for the second alarm, snooze it again for 10 minutes. By the third alarm you should be getting your lazy ass up. This will train your brain to recognize the amount of snoozes you are making, even if you are barely awake when doing so. When your brain hears and recognizes the 3rd sound, it will alert you that you need to get up or you'll be in deep trouble.


This is it. I think I have covered pretty much everything I take in consideration for my good sleep. I will be sharing more new good sleeping music if I find any. If you have any I would appreciate you sharing it.

Post: #2

good list I have a few to add.

avoid caffeine and/or alcohol. caffeine will keep you up and alcohol will give you a bad, non-restful sleep.

also try to go to bed the same time and get up the same time every day.

Post: #3

illumination is a big one. I've fallen asleep with my laptop on before, and while I'll sleep through teh whole night, waking up with the battery having died, I'm not rested. That glow from screen didn't keep me awake but it definitely interfered with the quality of sleep I got.

Another thing that's helped me is having a deadline for when you get in bed. Note this isn't a "bedtime" as Ill still read or do work or just play around with my laptop, but I do so in bed so my brain naturally starts to power down. After thirty minutes, regardless of what I'm doing I start to get sleep enough to say "screw it i'm going to sleep" and down shift completely into getting ready to sleep.

Chef In Jeans
A culinary website for men

Post: #4

Yeah television,internet was a killer for me . Now I don't open the computer during the evening .
Doing all the the little things to do in advance help too. Shower,lunch for work,bills,cleaning . You can't expect to sleep if you run the last hour everywhere doing all the task . The best things for me is reading smooth subject . Avoiding economy books or magazine and all the big stuff who keep you thinking . I prefer comic or travel article , something that put your brain off . Watching Oasis Hd help too .

Post: #5

I'll have to strongly DISAGREE with not eating before bed. Not eating before bed is extremely damaging and will cause starvation.

The easiest thing to do is EAT properly and enough meals through out the day. Organic Yogurt or protein shakes with fat should be taken RIGHT BEFORE BED.

You should NEVER go to sleep hungry or on an empty stomach.

Post: #6

(02-24-2012 08:20 PM)velkrum Wrote:  I'll have to strongly DISAGREE with not eating before bed. Not eating before bed is extremely damaging and will cause starvation.

The easiest thing to do is EAT properly and enough meals through out the day. Organic Yogurt or protein shakes with fat should be taken RIGHT BEFORE BED.

You should NEVER go to sleep hungry or on an empty stomach.

I didn't mean don't eat before bed, just not right before going to sleep. I usually have dinner between 6:30pm - 7:30pm. That gives me plenty of time if I'm aiming to go to sleep between 9-10pm.

Post: #7

no it doesn't....by that time you would have digested your dinner and your stomach (the small intestine where a majority of nutrients are absorbed) would be empty.

Sleep is needed to rebuild the body, how you gonna rebuild when you don't have anything to build with ??

if you are going to bed at 9:30 you should eat High protein high fat at 9:00 maybe even drink a protein shake up to the last second of going to bed.

Post: #8

(02-25-2012 09:07 PM)velkrum Wrote:  no it doesn't....by that time you would have digested your dinner and your stomach (the small intestine where a majority of nutrients are absorbed) would be empty.

Sleep is needed to rebuild the body, how you gonna rebuild when you don't have anything to build with ??

if you are going to bed at 9:30 you should eat High protein high fat at 9:00 maybe even drink a protein shake up to the last second of going to bed.

That is actually not true, if you eat right before bed your body will store the food is fat and over a long period of time you will gain weight. What is important though is eating something right when you wake up in the morning.

Post: #9

your body stores SUGAR but it is constantly metabolizing PROTEIN and FAT during sleep.

Obviously your not going to eat sweet or sugary meals before bed.

As I stated before. EAT HIGH PROTEIN HIGH FAT meals right before you go to bed.

Post: #10

Jeeze dude, you can go to sleep on an empty stomach. Don't freak out. It won't kill you since your metabolism slows down to a crawl while you sleep anyway.

Another lifestyle tips that helps is to do some light calisthenics maybe a half hour before you have to sleep.

Post: #11

How would you recommend working in a good sleeping pattern with going out 2/3 times a week?

The above question is the root of all my sleep problems, if I go out it fucks me over for getting up early for 2/3 days.

Post: #12

I've always had sleep problems so I've broken down some of the important things about sleep that I've learned:

-Eating before bed is never a good idea. At least 4 hours after eating is the best time. Eat a big breakfast in the morning.
-Internet/TV before bed is one of the worst things you can do. It's old-fashioned but reading is far better
-Alcohol hurts sleep, marijuana helps it
-If possible, going to bed and waking up at the same time does wonders!

Post: #13

(02-26-2012 01:31 PM)dulst Wrote:  How would you recommend working in a good sleeping pattern with going out 2/3 times a week?

The above question is the root of all my sleep problems, if I go out it fucks me over for getting up early for 2/3 days.

Here are some solutions:

- take naps or meditate
- do only daygame
- when you go out don't stay too late

Post: #14

(02-26-2012 01:31 PM)dulst Wrote:  How would you recommend working in a good sleeping pattern with going out 2/3 times a week?

The above question is the root of all my sleep problems, if I go out it fucks me over for getting up early for 2/3 days.

You might try training yourself to alter your sleep on weekends (which I assume are the days you have your night outs), this is going to be simply a new sleep pattern.

A pattern with great relaxed sleep on weekdays, and stay-late on weekends. You can train yourself for this, bear in mind though that it might be hard at first since your body will be used to sleep early, so you might feel a bit sleepy when you are out.

Also remember to get plenty of sleeps on Sundays to get ready for the new week.

Post: #15

hmm.. i happened to read an article by this guy named Robin Sharma. Though i am yet to personally try it , it seemed genuine and sensible. Will try posting the link today.

Article taken from his book, "Who will cry when you die",

Getting up early is a gift you give to yourself. Few disciplines have the power to transform your life as does the habit of early rising. There is something very special about the first few hours in the morning. Time seems to slow down and a deep sense of peace fills the air. Joining the “Five o’ Clock Club” will allow you to start controlling your day rather than letting your day control you. Winning the “Battle of the Bed” and putting “mind over mattress” by rising early will provide you with at least one quiet hour for yourself during the most crucial part of your day: the beginning. If spent wisely, the rest of your day will unfold in a wonderful way. In The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, I challenged readers to “get up with the sun” and offered a number of ideas to help them cultivate this new life discipline. From the many letters, e-mails and faxes I have received from people who have improved the quality of their lives by getting up at 5 A.M., I can safely say that this is one success principle that is really worth integrating into your life. In doing so, you will join the ranks of many of the most influential people of our time ranging from Mahatma Gandhi, Thomas Edison and Nelson Mandela to Ted Turner and Mary Kay Ash. One reader of The Monk, a marketing executive, wrote that her stress level fell so dramatically once she started rising early that her team at the office presented her with a paperweight bearing the following inscription: “To our MIP (Most Improved Player). Whatever you are doing, keep doing it. You are an inspiration to us all.” A consummate late riser, she vowed to stop sleeping in and spending her days making up for time lost while under the blanket. So while her family (and the world around her) slept, she began to get up first at 6 A.M., then at 5:30 A.M. and finally at 5 A.M. During the free time that she found she had created, she would do all the things she loved to do but had somehow never found time for. Listening carefully to classical music, writing letters, reading the classics and walking were just some of the activities that she used to rekindle her spirit and reconnect with a part of herself she thought she had lost. By getting up early, she began to care for herself again. And by doing so, she became a much better parent, spouse and professional. To cultivate the habit of getting up earlier, the first thing to remember is that it is the quality rather than the quantity of sleep that matters most. It is better to have six hours of uninterrupted sleep than ten hours of restless, broken sleep.
Here are four tips to help you sleep more deeply: • Don’t rehearse the activities of your day while you are lying in bed trying to get to sleep. • Don’t eat after 8 P.M. (If you have to eat something, have soup). • Don’t watch the news before you go to sleep. • Don’t read in bed
Give yourself a few weeks for this new habit to take hold. Saying that you tried to get up early but gave up after seven days because it was just too hard is like saying you tried taking French lessons for a week but gave up because you could not speak the language by then. Life change takes time, effort and patience. But the results you will receive make the initial stress you experience more than worth it

Post: #16

All you need to fix your sleep is Melatonin. Works wonders

Post: #17

(02-27-2012 06:08 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  

(02-26-2012 01:31 PM)dulst Wrote:  How would you recommend working in a good sleeping pattern with going out 2/3 times a week?

The above question is the root of all my sleep problems, if I go out it fucks me over for getting up early for 2/3 days.

You might try training yourself to alter your sleep on weekends (which I assume are the days you have your night outs), this is going to be simply a new sleep pattern.

A pattern with great relaxed sleep on weekdays, and stay-late on weekends. You can train yourself for this, bear in mind though that it might be hard at first since your body will be used to sleep early, so you might feel a bit sleepy when you are out.

Also remember to get plenty of sleeps on Sundays to get ready for the new week.

This is a good shout, but as I'm a student I'm normally out on weeknights for the student deals and hot bitches. The fact that I'm writing this at 3:11am is a testament to how this has fucked up my sleeping pattern.

Post: #18

Anyone else run into to trouble sleeping after putting on some size? I'm not talking about apnea but I can't seem to get comfortable anymore with larger shoulders. I keep waking up with numb hands or arms. Perhaps a pinched nerve or circulation. I'm not even that "big" by any means. It's just that compared to my body before I guess I am larger and haven't found out how to adapt my sleep position to take this into account.

Post: #19

your bed is too soft, i have the same issue.

Post: #20

Has anyone had trouble with sleeping after losing a significant amount of weight? I am a side sleeper but lately I have been waking up constantly because of my arm losing circulation and my hips feeling uncomfortable. It feels like my back is bending too much toward the mattress without the missing body weight to prop me up straight. I have tried switching to sleeping on my back but I wake up on my side with the same issues. Does that sound like the same issue with a too-soft mattress as above?

Post: #21

(05-25-2014 09:02 AM)RexImperator Wrote:  Anyone else run into to trouble sleeping after putting on some size? I'm not talking about apnea but I can't seem to get comfortable anymore with larger shoulders. I keep waking up with numb hands or arms. Perhaps a pinched nerve or circulation. I'm not even that "big" by any means. It's just that compared to my body before I guess I am larger and haven't found out how to adapt my sleep position to take this into account.

It could be muscular impingement. I had a problem with it last year. Basically your shoulder muscles take up too much room and cause tendon pain/loss of circulation. There are mobility exercises you can do to lengthen your pecs, but also take a look at your posture and make sure you don't round your shoulders forward too much.

Post: #22

(08-18-2015 10:54 AM)Bear Hands Wrote:  Has anyone had trouble with sleeping after losing a significant amount of weight? I am a side sleeper but lately I have been waking up constantly because of my arm losing circulation and my hips feeling uncomfortable. It feels like my back is bending too much toward the mattress without the missing body weight to prop me up straight. I have tried switching to sleeping on my back but I wake up on my side with the same issues. Does that sound like the same issue with a too-soft mattress as above?

Make sure to continually stretch your body out by "lengthening the crown of your head and extending your legs". In other words, don't bunch up especially while you are adjusting to a new body type. Bunching up happens at our joints and when done while sleeping, especially for males, can create tension on the area.

Spread out.

Post: #23

Man I sprained the shit out of my ankle last week playing basketball and pretty much couldn't walk for a week... I spent the week laying in bed watching Game of Thrones and playing Xbox but my sleeping pattern got thrown out of wack... now I am up till like 6 or 7am every night and sleep until 2 or 3 pm.
Its been a pain in the ass trying to use willpower to get back into a regular sleeping pattern.

Post: #24

I recommend audio books to lull you to sleep. I've tried for a couple weeks and can't seem to make it through more than a half hour of the bible.

Librovox has tons of free audiobooks, you can also just so a YouTube search and they will pop up.

For the really hard nights, combine the audiobooks with melatonin. I've been using it off and on for about 6 months, and I haven't noticed any lasting side effect.

Post: #25

Podcasts also work. I prefer to play them on my phone at low volume. Usually fall asleep after listening for about 20 minutes.

I listen to things like the Tropical MBA, The Nomad Capitalist and a couple more location independence/online business/investing podcasts. Unfortunately, not a lot of quality content out there, but good enough to fall asleep.