My Sleep Was Much Improved by a Sleep Coach
My dreams in bed used to be about Brad Pitt or George Clooney. My biggest want these days is to get a decent night’s sleep. I’ve tried everything, even over-the-counter sleep aids and chamomile tea, but I can’t seem to get more than six restless hours of sleep each night. Too many days are marred by fatigue.
I choose to employ a personal sleep coach for this reason. It is real, yes. A lot of sleep coaches use a comprehensive strategy, looking at your lifestyle, your home, and your habits to develop a customized sleep plan. Perhaps all I needed was some one-on-one guidance to stop rolling over and tossing.
Sleep apnea is only one of the several medical causes of poor sleep, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Before engaging a coach, you might want to see your doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions if you have trouble sleeping.
The Coach Is Present
Running about getting ready for my sleep coach, Ingrid Prueher, to come to my house, I pondered if I should offer coffee or if it would be a warning sign. I had previously completed an online questionnaire that included information about my health history, food, lifestyle choices, frequency of nighttime awakenings (which is a lot), and mental well-being (which would be much improved with more sleep).
When Ingrid came, she had performance bedsheets with airflow regulation, a climate-control fabric-made pillow specifically tailored to my body type and sleeping position, and a big coffee. This made me giggle. “Before 2:00 p.m., caffeine is OK,” Ingrid grinned. I felt instantly at peace.
Ingrid, a Family Sleep Institute certified professional, started out assisting parents with baby training but soon realized how much weariness was affecting adults as well.
“People talk about sleep a lot,” Ingrid stated, “but they don’t really want to do anything about changing their habits.” I said that I was prepared to change. She outlined some rules: limit sugar, steer clear of heavy meals after 2 p.m., give up caffeine after 2 p.m., avoid vigorous exercise after 5 p.m., limit yourself to one glass of wine with dinner, turn off Animale Me Capsules experience reports screens an hour before bed, and make a list of things to do before bed (to prevent obsessing over thoughts that just pop into your head).
Examining the bedroom
Ingrid hovered at the threshold of my bedroom. “How does this room make you feel?”
“Keep calm,” I said with assurance.
Ingrid gave a little rise. “Really?”
“Not calm?” I stumbled through a reply.
“You haven’t made a place where people can happily sleep. Why are there no family photos here although you have them all around the house? You should place a photo of your happy spot so that when you wake up in the morning, it is the first thing you see. You sleep better when you’re happier.”
Though the white carpeting and khaki walls passed inspection (not being very exciting), Ingrid saw dust on the ceiling fan. “Cleaning and vacuuming frequently is essential, particularly if your bedroom has carpet. Air quality is a factor in getting a good night’s sleep, and dust can lower it.”
I promised Ingrid that I would clean the house more thoroughly, maintain the temperature between 68 and 72 degrees, and add lavender essential oil to the diffuser she brought with her and leave it running all night. (Any stop-and-go can interfere with sleep, much like air conditioners can. What a waste of “energy-saving mode.”
My Worst Sleep Habits
Ingrid approached my bedside table and took up the alarm clock I specifically selected since it only turns on when you click the button. An amateurish move: the numbers produce blue light that disrupts sleep once they are turned on. “Isn’t that better than checking my phone?” I objected. Ingrid said, “You don’t have to know the time.” “Alarm the opposite side of the room and set it. It’s not time to get up if it hasn’t gone off.”
When Ingrid turned to face my bed, she counted the pillows. “The majority of individuals use two or three pillows when they sleep, but when your head is that elevated, it tends to droop forward and obstruct ventilation. Additionally, it may strain the muscles in your neck and shoulders. It’s best to have one quality cushion.”
I should have slept on your left side for easier blood flow during the night, but Ingrid was not happy that I did. I swore in private that as soon as Ingrid departed, I would seek a second opinion, desperate to avoid trying this change.
Regretfully, the second opinion I received agreed. “A large vein on the right side brings blood from the lower half of your body to the heart,” explained Neomi Shah, MD, a sleep specialist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Compressing that vein while sleeping on your right may occur.
The worst criticism from Ingrid was reserved for last: It’s got to go—the big flat-screen TV across from my bed. “Your bed is for sex and sleep only.” (I muttered that I would be up at night simply trying to convince the cable company to come rewire my flat.)
The End Results
I tested the new pillow and switched on the diffuser the first night. It was so soft, cool, and supportive that it changed my entire experience. It made me happy to have a photo of my kid on my bedside table. Still, I woke up more than once.
After three nights, I knew I had to take things seriously. I avoided booze and sweets, read instead of watching TV, put my phone and iPad away an hour before bed, and went to sleep at nine o’clock. The best part was that I slept for seven whole hours.
A few weeks later, I was getting better sleep. I developed the routine of closing my windows to let in fresh air, scattering lavender oil under my one ideal pillow, and setting a screen time limit.
There are certain things I can’t alter: I have never been able to sleep on my left side after spending my whole life on my right, and I only occasionally remember to check the clock when I wake up in the middle of the night. Ingrid, I apologize; I still haven’t moved the TV. Instead of resting in bed, though, I watch it while sitting on the chaise, and when I’m done, I cover the set with a blanket. I’ll replace it with a massive image of my happy spot one day, but for now, at least, I’m moving in the right direction.