Each one of us on the Bert Show is kicking a vice this week. It’s been well documented that my vice is Lunesta; a sleeping pill. I’ve been on half a Lunesta every night for 6 years. And I’ve desperately wanted to get off of it. This week I’m going cold turkey. Many of you have emailed great suggestions and herbal remedies that might help. This is one email that really spoke to me. Maybe if you have sleep issues it’ll help in some small way:
Hey Bert,
When I first started working third shift, I struggled with sleep issues. I would lie in bed and hear the garbage truck, kids on their way to school, and the woodpecker on my tin chimney. I would like to share with you my cure because I can now sleep anywhere, anytime, and to any noise, including misbehaved children. (not my own of course)
I listen to the show enough to know you are a little bit of a worrywart. I want to give you some facts about worry. Worry is low on the scale of fear but it is still on the scale. With each small worry comes a small shot of adrenaline. It is the natural course of life. Each small shot builds on the other. Granted you aren't covered up with fear or adrenaline to the point where you are up pacing and sweating but it is enough to keep you from falling asleep.
I don't know what you worry about but I want to share with you a couple of the fears that would run through my head:
Will that bird quit chirping long enough for me to get some sleep?
If I stay awake any longer I'm really going to struggle tomorrow!
I'm down to 3 hours of sleep… That SUCKS!
How am I going to function?
I wonder why my girlfriend didn't call?
Thought patterns are no different from any other habit; with practice you can kick them in about thirty days. When you are lying in bed I want you to focus your thoughts on things that won't trigger any fear however mild. I want you to be of the mindset that it doesn't matter if you sleep at all. It doesn't matter if you lay there all night and count the ceiling tile. Just be glad you are comfortable and enjoy relaxing. Don't think about work. This is the time to let all that go.
I suspect that you run wide open all day, so when you lie down you can finally take the opportunity to defrag your day. Don't. Do that while you run on the treadmill or whatever it is you do to stay sexy.
Worry has a valuable function; it is how you decide what you have control over and what you don't. Unfortunately, we are not taught how to use this emotion to our benefit. It is important to consciously decide what we have control over and if it is beyond your control, let it go. (if you sleep or not, what others think of you, etc…) If it is within your control, make a decision about how you are going to handle it and let it go before you go to bed.
In short, your sleep issues will naturally disappear when you learn to let go of the things you have no control over. I believe this will be a benefit in many other areas of your life as well. Most fears are self-fulfilling and stress is defined by our interest in control.
You're a good man Bert, I hope this helps. I'm writing a book so much of this is a copy and paste. I don't really have this much time on my hands…
Have a good weekend!
Charles