Ahhh, sweet, sweet sleep... or insomnia...

Guten tag, Gnafia!

I was Facebook chatting with my mother, of all people, today and she asked how my blog was coming. I said I was looking for inspiration for today's post, and I think she mentioned meatloaf. Or I may be thinking of a different conversation had around the same time. Well, meatloaf isn't very inspiring most of the time. But seeing as how I'm frequently battling sleep in one way or another, I'd share some of my personal favorites for either helping you get to sleep, or helping you avoid sleep!

Tips To Sleep:

1. Go to bed at the same time every day, and consequently wake up at a similar time every day. It becomes a routine, and your body likes a routine. It's similar as to how some people are able to retune their bodies to fall directly into REM sleep and only sleep a few hours a day.

2. Get a little exercise every day. Even if it's a 15-30 minute walk, or two hours of vigorous raquetball, exercise is a very good way to promote healthy sleep. Plus, most of us don't get enough exercise as it is. Just try and avoid going for a run right before bed. You'll be hyped up on endorphins. Unless you're crazy tired, then it might work.

3. Get rid of blue lights! Blue light (which is included in white light, mind you) tells your brain to be awake. Don't do it! Turn off the lights and make things very dark for yourself when you want to sleep. Oh, and computer screens and LCD TV's emit a LOT of blue light. I'm personally a fan of red lights, but that's probably because I spent too much time on the bridge on late watches. Ahhh ha ha ha ha.

4. Progressive relaxation. Look it up. It is awesome.

5. Your bed is for sleep and sex. Keep it that way. Avoid playing video games or computer games or facebooking or anything that isn't sleep or sex in your bed. By limiting your bed to those two activities, you'll develop muscle memory so when you lay down your body will say, "Hey, it's time to sleep!" Guys, here's your best excuse for falling asleep before/during/after sex - "But honey, it's muscle memory!"

Tips for Inducing Insomnia:

1. Be cold. Air conditioning, cold water, being naked... all of these things where it might be a little chilly will help you stay awake. Ever noticed how hard it is to stay awake in a room that is really warm and humid? And how many times have you fallen asleep in your freezer? I rest my case.

2. Exercise, exercise, exercise. I recommend light exercise, like a few push ups or some squats. Bear crawls also work. Even a brisk walk. Nothing too vigorous, just enough to get the blood pumping.

3. Let there be light! Turn on the lights, it's harder to fall asleep. Do eeet!

4. Play video games. Not only do you get lots of light, but there is a reason why World of Warcraft geeks and Halo fanatics don't sleep -- these games don't allow them to!

5. Eat fruit. Blueberries, apples, strawberries... these little delicious morsels will give you a little kick of energy.

6. Drink lots and lots of water. Hydration is always good, and getting up to go to the head every 30 minutes will also make sure you're awake. Also, cold water. Remember how cold helps you stay awake? Double trouble!

7. Pull down on your earlobes. Trust me on this one. It's awesome.

There you have it, Gnafia. Now you are well equipped to adjust your level of sleep to suit your schedule and work needs. Time for an all nighter? No problem. Can't sleep on the weekend because you studied so hard this last week? Also no problem. I do, however, not promote insomnia. You will be tired and want to sleep. Trust me.

Keep it in the family.