By Kristen Tobias, M.A.
I write this blog from NYC, the reputed city that never sleeps. We are plagued with incessant overstimulation that can wreck havoc on our requisite eight hours of shuteye. We live in close quarters—individual apartment units are nearby, other buildings are in close proximity, and the adjacent streets are full of lights and activity. It is not unusual for city dwellers to lament the outside sounds that interfere with sleep, from the noisy couple across the hall, to the barking dog upstairs, to the construction or sirens outside of our windows. Love the noise or hate it, it is not always conducive to sound sleep.
Adding to the clamor of the urban environment are our overscheduled days and nights. It is all too common for work to continue well into the evening, with that last email check as we set our morning alarm. There are also the stimulating effects of modern technology (oft used right up to bedtime), which are thought to directly interfere with melatonin levels, disrupting normal circadian rhythms (i.e., our biological brain clock that regulates sleep-wake patterns).
The end result of city dwelling can be poverty of sleep, which may include difficulty falling asleep (called initial insomnia), difficulty staying asleep (termed middle insomnia), early morning awakening (known as late insomnia), or some combination thereof.
So what’s a New Yorker to do? First, there are good sleep hygiene practices. Some include: going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday (yes, even on weekends), reserving your bed for sleep and sex, developing a nighttime routine that helps you to wind down (e.g., candlelit bath, cup of chamomile tea, meditation), and minimizing exposure to bright light before bed. But some of these pragmatic solutions may not always work for New Yorkers, with our erratic and chaotic schedules and deadlines, or living conditions like a studio or apartment share, wherein a bed may double as a desk with the use of a tray, and even an eating area (gross, I know, but I once lived in a really small studio).
The next step to improving our chances of getting more sleep is to be aware of our evaluations of not sleeping. It is all to easy to get worked up during a bout of insomnia, thinking “I should be able to fall asleep,” “I must fall asleep soon,” If I don’t fall asleep soon, I won’t do my best at that meeting tomorrow and then I won’t get promoted,” or to watch the clock to start counting the hours of sleep we’ll get as we can’t sleep (e.g., “If I can fall asleep by 2AM, I’ll get 5 hours…). This type of thinking will surely lead to physiological arousal that will make it even harder to fall asleep! Catastrophizing or awfulizing about insomnia is not consistent with our goal of falling asleep.
As a substitute, we can tell ourselves that even if we cannot fall asleep, we are still getting physical rest (and with some tweaking of our thoughts, mental rest too!). Next, we can remind ourselves that while insomnia is not something we prefer, it is also not horrible. Other people survive a night of insomnia and then get though a busy day and we too, will get through that meeting tomorrow even if we are a little sleepy and it is not our optimal performance. Likewise, insomnia is not uncommon and nowhere is it written that we are guaranteed a solid night of shut-eye every night. Freeing up our mind from irrational/distressing thoughts will also leave us in a place to practice some deep breathing or relaxing imagery, which will help to lull us to deep sleep.
If insomnia persists despite changes to both your bedtime routine and thinking, consider seeking professional help that may include therapy and/or medication.