Been through this before, so I know it gets better eventually, but what do you folks generally do to optimize beddy-bye time? To the insomniacs, what are some things you do in the wee hours/early morning for a relaxing start to your day?
This morning’s choice is checking out the music of Casiopea - saw them mentioned in a meme here recently, then later on saw one of my favourite gig spaces has a great local fusion jazz band doing a show covering them at the end of the month. Very chill, feels like menu music of a mid-90s Japanese 3D game in a very good way, lol. Funny how these things happen sometimes, kinda like seeing the car model you just bought everywhere on the road shortly after purchase.
Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer for sleeping and relax. Rooibos for Calming and clear thought. Yerba Mate for Waking up and organized thought. I throw the Rooibos into my Yerba Mate drink to start with too. Rooibos lasts about 6 hours. Yerb Mate is everything you thought coffee was going to be that first try but it’s like that every time.
What do you do to get ready for bed?
Uh… I smoke weed. 🤷🏻♂️
- 6 hours before bed: no more caffeine intake. Some people may need to go as high as 12
- 3 hours before bed: no more food
- 2 hours before bed: no more drinks (not everyone needs this; I have to pee a lot and getting out of bed just before falling asleep or waking up midway sucks)
- 1.5 hours before bed: shower followed by hot bath. Especially if you’re somewhere like Japan where insulation is a joke and everything is drafty and cold currently
- 1 hour before bed: no more active content (games, study, etc.) and preferably no serious content. Watch/read something only for pleasure, meditate, etc. ideally, avoid blue light and bright light in general.
- bedtime: no screens nor lights. Cooler, comfortable temperatures are good. Have comfortable sheets, bedclothes (if you wear them), potentially blackout curtains, etc. and keep them clean
Also, if at all possible, wake up and go to bed at the same time every day including weekends.
This works for me when in the system. The only bad part is if I’m on call or on holiday, my schedule easily gets smashed and takes a long time to get back (some people are luckier and can adjust instantly). Edit: Also, try to make sure you ARE getting light during the waking hours, preferably natural light; this helps with your body’s natural rhythms.
so taking a long, hot bath before bed helps me sleep and we got a red light therapy unit and that does it to. Combining both and oh man hard to keep my eyes open.
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned sex/masturbation yet. I thought that’s always been the norm, no?
I think that only works for individuals with penises. When I have sex or masturbate, it immediately gives me energy and I’m inclined to jump out of bed and be productive.
…this is embarrassing to say, but I never considered that this could be the case for vagina owners. Without going into too many details (not really my place to share), hasn’t come up with my partner and I re: sex, and I’ve never thought to ask her re: masturbation and sleepiness or lack thereof.
Could always just be an element of personal make up, though. I learned something today! Legit appreciate the added perspective!
That’s a good point
If I’m taking a T break, I still need to manage my pain before bed. So I try to do some stretches to keep my muscles loose. It works sort of. I use a heating pad if the pain is too much.
I also try to make sure my bedding is just right. It needs to be clean and the right weight for the temperature. My pajamas need to be the right amount of comfy as well.
Lastly, I need to make sure the light level is good. Curtains drawn, charging lights covered, phone not polluting with light, HEPA filter light out.
T makes it easier to sleep even when something is off. Without it, I need to address those things.
Man … between your comment and some of the others, I really need to get my sleeping space in order. It’s, uh, not good. Bit untidy (my wife has more clothes than we have space at the moment), my usual comforter has been downstairs waiting to be washed for a while now (using another blanket which has been fine until recently), etc.
I like the idea of doing some light stretching before bed, just to kind of relax the muscles. May try that tonight. Actually been thinking about taking up/taking advantage of a newbie deal for hot yoga in general during the quit - if nothing else, a nice hot space to spend some time during the cold winters :).
Appreciate this! I know T breaks can be particularly challenging if you’re actively using cannabis for pain management, so much respect to you.
seconding the lighting stuff!
turn on that blue-light filter on your phone, be mindful of screen usage before bed, and ELIMINATE any lights (specifically blue ones) in your bedroom.
sometimes full dark can also be a little offputting, personally i’ve had a weird amount of luck with really low level warm lighting. just being in a dimly lit room will put me OUT way quicker than pitch black will.
i also do a podcast or something on a barely audible speaker with a 45 minute sleep timer. but that’s mostly a tinnitus thing for me, your mileage may vary.
I don’t know about marijuana withdrawals but when I’m having a tough time going to sleep I try listening to those guided meditation videos on YouTube.
I learned about meditation fairly Young so I’ve got a bit more practice than some people, but most of the ones that are like an hour long or so are enough to send me off to lala land
Appreciate the comment - all good on the lack of experience with cannabis withdrawls, intent was really just folks talking about sleep habits in general and early morning routines.
It’s a good tip. I have some meditation experience under my belt as well, and it’s usually provides some useful tricks for inducing sleep. Funny, actually - as a young teen I was dating someone who meditated (their Mom was Indian, so coached in a particular outlook) and had trouble sleeping. Described what I did as sort of like meditation, and she asked “But how can you fall asleep”. I said “You know when you’re feeling relaxed and your mind starts to drift? Change your focus to that relaxed feeling, and feel it getting deeper.” Worked like a charm.
Nowadays, I use a looped bathtub filling sound and just focus on the sound of the water. Usually works unless there’s some kind of biochemical nonsense afoot :)
Appreciate it!
If I’m on a T break, I do a nighttime routine to prepare my body for bed. No screens/reading/herbal tea or some such. I also like to buy cranberry juice to sip on - it gives me something to do instead of smoke and cuts down on the anciness surrounding the oral fixation part of smoking. As for sleep - if you’re not quitting to pass a drug test then just take CBD. Seriously, CBD is all the relaxing parts of weed with none of the high. Maybe it won’t make you pass out like smoking a fat blunt, but it will definitely help take the edge off. Then you can kick the CBD after a week or so and it’s a much smoother transition into sobriety.
Solid advice in general, particularly for people approaching this for the first time.
The only issue I’ve had subbing out CBD is, I usually get it in flower form (legalization in Canada has it’s pros and cons - ready access to CBD flower, even if the choices are a bit limited, is a definite pro). You’re absolutely right - it does help with relaxation without getting ‘high’. But previously, I’ve found myself smoking it a bit longer than I’d like, with an inkling feeling of “You know what’d make this better? Some fucking THC”.
Danged if it didn’t help as a break-glass option for the insomnia in past breaks, though. And I do have some CBD pills I got my wife left over I could break into if all else fails.
Appreciate the comment!
If you’re a smoker I definitely recommend using ingestable CBD. Just smoking it makes me want some weed too.
Melatonin is a hormone and you shouldn’t take it long term just so you know!
I find reading in bed (on a Kindle, not phone/tablet) sends me to sleep within an hour unless I fight it. You’ll be getting better quality sleep without weed too! Good luck
Totally! Definitely only under consideration for the worst of it.
I used to read in bed pretty frequently - need to re-jig my sleeping area a bit to better support the habit (have a standing lamp rather than a reading lamp. Just a me thing I think, but it’s an annoyance to have to stand up and turn the light off when getting dozy, so I usually just try to go to sleep ASAP. Minor inconveniences and laziness getting in the way of doing good stuff I know has worked - kind of what this quit is about, in a way 😆).
Trust me, I am stoked for the shift in sleep quality. One of my favourite bits of stopping, it’s just the wait to that point that’s the killer. Appreciate the well wishes!
Work out in the evening
I try to set my body clock by getting sunlight in my eyes in the morning after I wake up. Also try to minimize light going into my eyes before bed time. It all seems to help.
This is the one thing I’m doing right, at least, and I hope has greater effect once my endocannabinoid system chills the fuck out.
Prior experience, once things even out, has me sleeping and waking without needing an alarm (still set one just in case, but usually am up about 5 minutes before it goes off). Hoping I can pull that off again, it’s pretty sweet :)
On top of all the great sleep hygiene stuff here, taking magnesium at bed time can help.
what do you folks generally do to optimize beddy-bye time?
Most of the time, I don’t look at any screen.
Instead, I read (paper book, a journal or a magazine), chat with my spouse, sketch and journal. Earlier in the evening, we may decide to watch a DVD together, but that’s not everyday. No coffee and seldom any tea late in the evening (or something herbal, then).
And almost without exception, the moment I put my head on the pillow I fall asleep. There have been many exceptions to that rule, mind you. That was back in those days where I was trying to escape my own personal daemons instead of facing them (like not getting rid of my own addictions and bad habits).
Like already suggested in the comments, if you have hard time sleeping melatonin is an option but on the short-term only. Don’t make it a long-term habit. I also consider the extra sleep it may give you not the best sleep, no surprise you may feel groggy.
To the insomniacs, what are some things you do in the wee hours/early morning for a relaxing start to your day?
Since I don’t need much sleep and I do my best work early in the morning, most of the days I wake up very early, around 3-4 AM and… I don’t look at any screen either. Imho, it’s even truer to realize that screens and online content are pure poison to the mind and to the soul early in the morning, like they’re in the evening.
I drink a large glass of water and appreciate the quietness for a few minutes. I may flip some pages of a book but most often I just sit or stand still breathing slowly. It probably is the closest thing to meditation, for me.
After I shower and dress, I’ll sit at my desk and start writing longhand—no screen remember, and no music either. Nothing but the still sleeping city around me with its otherworldly quietness, and me slowly scratching some paper with my fountain pen. (In summer, I’ll open the window next to my desk or even go sit on our balcony so I can better appreciate that magical quietness, and a little later start enjoying the company of the earlier-riser of the few remaining birds, the ones that start singing their songs well before car/bus/motorcycle engines overrun their voice for the rest of the day.)
I will write up until we’re getting close to the time my spouse usually wakes up @ 7-8AM (btw, we both work from home) at which time I’ll prepare breakfast and, while she is getting ready, I often will go grab some fresh pastry for her at the local bakery (they’re handmade and she loves them). We have a quiet but also chatty breakfast together. When she’s ready to start working I will go out for my first walk of the day, in order to get my body moving.
Now, the normal day is allowed to start, with its constant noise and its unexpected and very often less than pleasant events. I’m ready ;)
Dang, this almost sounds idyllic. What a wonderful way to bookend your day! Kinda jealous.
Taking notes :)
Physical activity. Do something until you sweat and then do it 5 minutes more. Do that 3 times a day und you will fall asleep from exhaustion. Works every time.
I don’t really have any tips but last night was my first nights sleep for this break and it wasn’t great, so just commenting for solidarity! XD
💪You got this! Dunno what your experience with cannabis and breaks in general is, but it does taper off, and when it does whoo boy, sleep quality sky rockets (though I can only speak for myself, YMMV).
Sometimes after only a couple days (that was awesome, but I was smoking pretty mild stuff up to it), sometimes after a couple weeks (my first serious one many years back, with this one looking similar :( Stupid hash era)
Cheers man and this is definitely not my first rodeo. I smoked everyday for around 10 years before before having a break and yeh that took a few weeks before I got back to some kind of normality.
This time I’ve just smoked everyday for about a month so this one will taper of super quickly for me. I just hate that these days my tolerance sky rockets at the same speed when I do go back to smoking xD
Either way I’m looking forward to the hectic dreams in the next week or more but quality wise I find it isn’t a lot different between being high and not, the only difference is without smoking I dont jump out of bed quite as quickly to have my first smoke.
Have a good day man!
