Top 8: Insomnia Checklist

Struggling with sleep? Here are my quick tips.

Insomnia is one of the main symptoms I see in the clinic for people who are navigating The Upgrade, also known as menopause or perimenopause. Below are the top eight things that are commonly overlooked, yet worth considering if you struggle with insomnia during these years (and even if you struggle with insomnia outside of these years!). 

Keep in mind, I recommend reviewing this checklist even before reaching for herbs. It’s incredible what a few changes in one’s environment and habits can do for us.

8. Is your bed more than 10 years old? 

While I’m not a bed salesperson, I do know that a bed will lose its shape after several years and become less comfortable. Which means you may have a harder time getting comfortable and falling asleep like a little fairy on a mini marshmallow.

If your bed is reaching (or has surpassed) a decade, look into what kind of bed you might want to get. If you’re on a budget, start saving for this item and consider going to a 3-day weekend or Black Friday sale when these types of higher-priced items are discounted.

7. Consider your environment.

Insomnia is generally categorized into three types:

1. People who have trouble falling asleep (see 7A)

2. People who wake up in the middle of the night (see 7A & 7B)

3. People who wake up too early (see 7B & 7C)

1. Trouble falling asleep or waking up in the middle of the night? Try cracking a window open or setting up a fan (can double as a white noise machine, see 7B)  if your sleeping environment is not cool/cold. We sleep much better under cozy blankets if the room itself is a bit chilly.

2. Are sounds waking you in the middle of the night or early morning? Set up a sound machine or fan (see 7A) if there are sounds that disturb your sleep (like a housemate waking up/getting home, a garbage truck passing, etc.)

3. If you wake up earlier than you would like, is the morning light bothering you? Consider getting a higher level of window coverage, like “blackout” curtains or a high quality eye mask (see #6), so that you can sleep when you want and avoid disruption.

6. Get a high quality eye mask.

I really wish someone was paying me to say this, but they are not. A high quality eye mask, like the ones made from Manta Sleep are LIFE CHANGING. 

Quick story time: I had tried eye masks before. They flopped around. They did not stay on and they felt weird on my face when I was trying to fall asleep. My sister insisted that I try one from MantaSleep and she got it for me as a gift. I let it sit in the original package for MONTHS (for some reason I thought I was better than a highly-engineered product) until after one night of very little sleep, I decided to try it.

Now I do not sleep without it. 

I have an extra one for when I travel or if my regular one is in the wash. The mask is useful for people with all types of insomnia, because even if you don’t have blackout curtains, when you put on the mask, you cannot see anything. Nada, zilch. It’s lights out! There are less distractions for your brain to notice and so your brain gets kinda, well, bored. And it turns off. Good night!

5. Get an alarm clock.

Stop using your phone to wake you up. I cannot tell you how much better life is when you get your phone out of your bedroom. It’s boatloads better, and you sleep better too.

I believe the most important part of an alarm clock is the sound it makes when the alarm goes off. I hate a loud, startling sound, so my alarm clock is a discontinued model from LaCrosse Technology that makes a gentle beep, that gets progressively louder. If your alarm clock is something that sparks joy in your bedroom and you enjoy using it, you will be encouraged to set it and wake up without your phone within reach.

Plus, with an alarm clock, there’s no more late night or early morning scrolling. No unexpected texts in the middle of the night waking you up. It’s just you and yourself in the bedroom. Which leads me to…

4. No blue light two hours before bed.

I know that 2 hours can seem like a lot. When will I watch my shows?? How can I stay in touch with friends?! Reducing screen time overall is a GREAT choice for your health. It means that we practice savoring the screen time we do get to enjoy and we get to be creative about how to use our time.

Many of my clients report that giving themselves a 2-hour buffer of no screens before bed helps them wind down and relax. It means there’s more time for reading books, doing puzzles, going for a walk, making a nice dinner, doing art, journaling, and calling friends to catch up.

This tip is on many sleep hygiene lists. That’s because screens are synonymous with downtime in the dominant culture. And unfortunately the light that a computer, TV, tablet or phone gives off is similar to the light of the sun, which throws off our circadian rhythm and makes the body think it’s the middle of the day, rather than the middle of the night.

3. Write down your ideal evening.

It can help to journal, draw, or list how you imagine your day or evening unfolding. Is there something you’re not making time for? Keep in mind, when we were younger, we often had a routine after school or dinner. What kind of routine would help you relax into bedtime?

Spend 10 minutes brainstorming and come up with a clean list of activities and time frames. Then post it somewhere in your space and try to stick to it for a couple of weeks. Notice what shifts. (And drop me a line if you feel inspired, I’d love to hear what you learn!)

2. Cut back on caffeine

Most people don’t like to hear this one: a few cups of coffee in the morning may be affecting your sleep. Also many people don't realize that chocolate has caffeine and folks may be “dosing” themselves inadvertently before bed. 

If you struggle with insomnia, I recommend cutting back ½ cup to 1 cup of coffee at a time, to get down to 1-0 cups of coffee per day. You can also try green tea or an overnight nettles infusion in the morning to add a little pep to your step. Which leads me to my final suggestion:

1. Notice stress throughout the day

Many people who struggle with stress or anxiety also struggle with insomnia. In my mind, as a clinical herbalist, they are not two problems but one. Remember, everything in our body is connected, and stress and insomnia are both discomforts of the central nervous system (our beautifully big brains and spinal cord). 

I often find people who struggle with insomnia are also people who don’t realize that they are on an emotional rollercoaster (or caffeine dependent, see #2) during earlier parts of the day. Without a dedicated wind-down routine (see #3 and #4) our nervous systems struggle with the shut-down process and turning “off.”

We are not printers. You cannot simply flick a button on your brain from “on” to “off.” Instead, we must ease gradually into rest and relaxation. 

Imagine a line graph, the type that connects dots over time into a smooth line. 

Where would the dots of your stress land on the graph throughout the day? In my experience, people with more of a “roller coaster” shaped graph are more likely to have a harder time falling asleep or staying asleep at night. 

If we learn tools of self regulation, and ease the line of the graph to look more like a cool snake moving through the grass, or better yet, railroad tracks through the prairie, there is a greater chance of deeper, restful sleep at night.

If you enjoyed this post, and would like to read others like it, or would like to learn more about working with a clinical herbalist during The Upgrade or any battle with stress or insomnia, please sign up for my weekly newsletter Whale Mail. 🐋