I Can’t Believe It — Last Night I Slept 8 Hours Straight!

Gradually improving my chronic insomnia by tackling two key areas

Jul 15, 2023

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photograph of a person wearing a brown linen top, lying on their side on a wrinkled grey sheet. we can see the side of their face, including one ear and shoulder. There are colourful cardboard butterflies resting on their hair. — Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

I’m gobsmacked, because last night I slept eight hours straight.

This never happens!

I was in bed before ten and up just before six, feeling pleasantly rested for the first time in what feels like decades. It’s such an unusual feeling, I’m writing this to work through it and leave a record of what it felt like in case it never happens again. But actually, I’m optimistic this wasn’t a one-off; that it’s going to repeat often enough to eventually feel normal.

Why the optimism? Because since making a few simple changes to my routine the last two weeks, my sleep has gradually been improving. A wee bit up and down, to be sure, but the overall movement is definitely up. I know two weeks isn’t long enough to prove anything, but given what I know about myself, it’s definitely grounds for hope.

Next I’m going to recount where I’ve been and then describe the changes I made, but before I do, please take note: I’m not making any claims about discovering how to banish …

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