Good write up. Do you think that by having whoop’s data available, you began nudging yourself toward a different rhythm (even not entirely consciously)?
I agree with your conclusions. Sleep seems like an obviously easy thing to do, but somehow many people drift away from an optimal equilibrium. I know I did, for a couple of years, until I realized it about a year ago. I began taking sleep supplements (valerian root), which brought instant and welcome relief. However, this didn’t help with the underlying problem, so I couldn’t sleep well if I didn’t take the supplement.
2-3 months ago, I read some comments on ACX about CBT for insomnia. I obtained “Say Goodnight to Insomnia”, a self-guided CBT course that takes 6 weeks. It begins by going over much of what is written in this post, then the 6 week course starts. By week 3, I was falling asleep without any supplements 4-5 nights a week and waking up rested, as if by miracle.
I think what helped me was:
understanding that my body knows best how much sleep it needs. Before, I was getting anxious about not getting enough sleep, which prevented me from sleeping, which made me more anxious, etc. A vicious cycle. Understanding this somehow made the anxiety go away. This also brought a change of habits—I don’t force myself to sleep, and only sleep when I’m tired.
taking sleep hygiene seriously. No screens an hour before bed, adding cardio to my exercise routine, ensuring that the window is open and that the temperature will be just right.
I didn’t even get to week 4 because right now, I’m doing good enough that I only take the sleeping supplement maybe 1 times a week, usually after a more stressful day.
Sounds cool, I’m tempted to try this out, but I’m wondering how this jives with the common wisdom that going to bed at the same time every night is important? And “No screens an hour before bed”—how do you know what “an hour before bed is” if you just go to bed when tired?
I don’t adhere to these guidelines strictly, which helps when they conflict. For example, if I’m tired before my usual bed time, then the “no screen rule” goes out the window because I won’t have trouble sleeping. And when I’m not tired by my usual bed time and haven’t been looking at a screen, then I have plenty of paperbacks to keep me company (or exercise, or cooking, etc.) before I eventually get tired and fall asleep.
Practically, this means that I don’t use screen after 9pm. I usually fall asleep between 9:30pm and 11:00pm, where the median is around 10:15pm or so. I guess this variance comes from different days, days when I do a lot of exercise or little, days with plenty of sun or just a bit, etc.
I don’t think whoop influenced my rhythm that much. But I had quite a steady rhythm already, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. I think I mostly profited from whoop by having an assessment for my quality of sleep. This made it much easier for me to decide how to prioritize my work, e.g. when I should do intellectually intense stuff and when light work.
I haven’t tried any of your other suggestions, e.g. CBT, so I cannot comment on them. But thank you for sharing your experiences.
Good write up. Do you think that by having whoop’s data available, you began nudging yourself toward a different rhythm (even not entirely consciously)?
I agree with your conclusions. Sleep seems like an obviously easy thing to do, but somehow many people drift away from an optimal equilibrium. I know I did, for a couple of years, until I realized it about a year ago. I began taking sleep supplements (valerian root), which brought instant and welcome relief. However, this didn’t help with the underlying problem, so I couldn’t sleep well if I didn’t take the supplement.
2-3 months ago, I read some comments on ACX about CBT for insomnia. I obtained “Say Goodnight to Insomnia”, a self-guided CBT course that takes 6 weeks. It begins by going over much of what is written in this post, then the 6 week course starts. By week 3, I was falling asleep without any supplements 4-5 nights a week and waking up rested, as if by miracle.
I think what helped me was:
understanding that my body knows best how much sleep it needs. Before, I was getting anxious about not getting enough sleep, which prevented me from sleeping, which made me more anxious, etc. A vicious cycle. Understanding this somehow made the anxiety go away. This also brought a change of habits—I don’t force myself to sleep, and only sleep when I’m tired.
taking sleep hygiene seriously. No screens an hour before bed, adding cardio to my exercise routine, ensuring that the window is open and that the temperature will be just right.
I didn’t even get to week 4 because right now, I’m doing good enough that I only take the sleeping supplement maybe 1 times a week, usually after a more stressful day.
Sounds cool, I’m tempted to try this out, but I’m wondering how this jives with the common wisdom that going to bed at the same time every night is important? And “No screens an hour before bed”—how do you know what “an hour before bed is” if you just go to bed when tired?
I don’t adhere to these guidelines strictly, which helps when they conflict. For example, if I’m tired before my usual bed time, then the “no screen rule” goes out the window because I won’t have trouble sleeping. And when I’m not tired by my usual bed time and haven’t been looking at a screen, then I have plenty of paperbacks to keep me company (or exercise, or cooking, etc.) before I eventually get tired and fall asleep.
Practically, this means that I don’t use screen after 9pm. I usually fall asleep between 9:30pm and 11:00pm, where the median is around 10:15pm or so. I guess this variance comes from different days, days when I do a lot of exercise or little, days with plenty of sun or just a bit, etc.
I don’t think whoop influenced my rhythm that much. But I had quite a steady rhythm already, so it wasn’t too much of a problem. I think I mostly profited from whoop by having an assessment for my quality of sleep. This made it much easier for me to decide how to prioritize my work, e.g. when I should do intellectually intense stuff and when light work.
I haven’t tried any of your other suggestions, e.g. CBT, so I cannot comment on them. But thank you for sharing your experiences.