Speaking with a colleague on the phone I was struck by something I wanted to share here. I even wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget. Funny, but that was in the dream I had last night. The dream was so vivid that I even looked through my notebook to find the thought that was never really entered there.
I wonder how much the odd dream had to do with my sleeping habits. I understand that as people age, the body secretes less melatonin. Basically, it means the melatonin that is normally produced in response to darkness is less — so old people’s circadian rhythms are starving and don’t promote sleep. Blah blah blah.
I’m just chalking my sleepless nights up to a part of life and plan to simply roll with it.
I could eat 10 jars of melatonin gummies every night and it wouldn’t make one bit of difference for me. And I doubt the vape pen would help but they do look sort of amazing. (Here’s a link if you’re interested.) It’s about the only thing I haven’t tried. From blue light glasses to winding down with meditation, I’ve hit most all of the suggestions at one time or another. Nothing has worked so far.
While I may rarely catch a sunrise, I remember to enjoy a sunset almost every night.
Top 5 ways to naturally increase your melatonin levels to get a good night’s sleep:
- Dim lights at night
- Reduce screen time (ha!)
- Cut back on coffee (ha ha!)
- Get some sun on your face
- Eat the right foods (melatonin-rich foods include walnuts, orange bell peppers, tomatoes, tart cherries and flax-seeds)
TIL (Today I Learned): Looney Tunes director and animator, Robert McKimson, bragged to colleagues for getting a good bill of health at 67. His family history of living past their 90s caused him to tell his colleagues: “I’m going to be around after you guys are gone!” He died two days later of a heart attack.