Advanced Clinical Fellow Ilana Friedman

Back in January, I wrote a blog post about the importance of sleep and some tips and tricks to start sleeping well. I still wholeheartedly believe that sleep is the cornerstone of our overall wellness and recently, I overhauled my own sleep and wellness routines. So, I have some updates to make to my original blog post based on my new learning! I want to preface this by saying that I am not a doctor and this information comes from my own learning and exploring...

Turns out, melatonin may be no bueno for the system. My acupuncturist (shoutout to Jenna at WTHN 22nd St, who is brilliant!) explained that we are supplementing the body with something it makes naturally, which may signal the body to rely on that supplement instead of naturally making the hormone. Additionally, melatonin is an over-the-counter supplement which means it is considered by the FDA to be a food item, so it is not nearly as regulated as a drug. Thus, it is hard to know how much and what kind of melatonin is in your melatonin supplement. Additionally, studies have shown that melatonin has more of a placebo effect than anything, only cutting down the time it takes to fall asleep by a couple of minutes! Learning about all of this helped me to kick my nightly melatonin gummies to the curb but then I needed something else to help me fall asleep...

In my quest for something to replace my beloved melatonin gummies, I learned that magnesium can be an amazing sleep companion. A lot of people take it orally as a tea, like this one from Perelel, which is delicious, but having a hot beverage at night in the summer just doesn’t work for me. Enter, Magnesium Oil like this one from Amazon. Now, the research into the efficacy of magnesium on the skin for sleep is still being explored but I have found it incredibly helpful to rub it on the bottoms of my feet when I get into bed. I also spritz my pillow with a homemade essential oil spray containing lavender, cedarwood, and vetiver to get the sense of smell involved.

In my last post, I wrote about enjoying falling asleep to TV and wow, has that changed! I finally gave into the fact that watching TV before bed does, in fact, exactly like the research says (shocker!), keep me awake. However, my partner still likes to watch TV so we got him some noise-canceling headphones to wear in bed once we say goodnight. Additionally, I added in the use of blue-light glasses in the evening, which seems to be helping with the wind-down process.

Even though it has been proven, I never believed that waking up at the same time every day made a difference. I thought it would be truly impossible with an erratic NYC schedule but let me tell you, if you can put it into practice, it is absolutely worth it! I looked at my calendar and figured out the time I would need to wake up every day based on my earliest morning. I even built in extra time for a morning routine, which I now crave in the morning. The interesting thing is that even though I’m waking up earlier, I’m waking up more easily, and am not having the dreaded afternoon slump, and I am falling asleep faster.

I wake up using a sunrise alarm clock (I have this one from Hatch) that mimics the room brightening naturally with sunlight and I finally let my snoozing habit go. First thing in the morning, I open the curtains and get fresh air (if the weather permits) to help my body register that it is time to wake up.

Please let me know what’s been working in your sleep routine and if any of these ideas resonate with you! Sleep well!

Chiu, A. (2022, March 25). You might be using melatonin all wrong. Here’s what you should know. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2022/03/25/how-to-use-melatonin-for-sleep/

Rausch-Phung, E & Singh, A. (2023, August 9). How long does melatonin take to work? Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/melatonin/how-long-does-melatonin-take-to-work