Sleep Hygiene Gone Wild: How My Quest for Perfect Sleep Gave Me Nightmares

Let's face it, our 30s can be a wake-up call to our health. Gone are the days of bouncing back from anything. For me, it started with a dip into the world of sleep medicine. It completely blew my mind. Who knew there was a whole field dedicated to sleep and its surprising link to stuff like metabolism and so many other things?

Suddenly overwhelmed with all this new information, I fell into the trap of sleep anxiety. "Sleep hygiene" tips bombarded me: ideal room temperature, no screens before bed, the holy grail of 8 hours… Umm, hold on a second! That's when the real trouble began: sleep anxiety. The fear of not following the "rules" perfectly became my new nightmare. Did this even exist? Turns out, yes (Google to the rescue!).

It hit me hard – screens before bed became the enemy, my schedule became a tyrant, and 8 hours felt more like a chore than restful sleep. Listen, these sleep hygiene tips are fantastic if you can swing them, but let's be honest, who can follow them perfectly all the time? Especially us women, right? Between work and life, a consistent schedule felt like a unicorn sighting. And forcing myself to sleep for 8 hours just led to more stress – counting sheep became counting the hours I wasn't sleeping.

Thankfully, I was introduced to the beautiful concept of individuality. Not everyone needs 8 hours! And guess what? Not all sleep rituals work for everyone. Turns out, playing on my phone with a red filter (to block that blue light) actually helps me wind down. And shocker, I feel more rested with 6 hours of sleep than 8!

So, I've become a sleep detective. I keep a sleep journal, tracking how I feel with different schedules and habits. It's been an exhausting (and exciting!) journey to discover my sleep chronotype (that's basically your natural sleep-wake pattern). There's a whole blog coming up on that adventure!

Important Disclaimer

This isn't medical advice. Just a friendly reminder to listen to your body and experiment to find what works for you. I don't have insomnia or any sleep disorders – just lack of knowledge about my sleep style. The key is finding healthy habits that fit your life, not the other way around. It takes time and consistency, but trust me, a good night's sleep is worth the effort. And hey, if things don't improve after a few months, a chat with a sleep specialist is always a good idea.

Stay tuned for the next post!

Spoiler Alert: There's hope for those of us who weren't built for sunrises (because, frankly, who needs that kind of pressure?).

This article features a woman sharing her personal sleep journey. We believe individual experiences are vital in understanding sleep issues and developing personalized treatments. At Breathe and Sleep, we focus on crafting solutions specific to your unique needs. We hope her experience encourage you to listen to your body and learn from its needs.