Feng shui for sleep turned out to be my solution to insomnia

From vogueadria.com 

By Violeta Valdes

Using feng shui in the bedroom to encourage deep sleep is nothing new. A bed with a headboard, but 

never positioned beneath a window or with the foot of the bed facing the door; soft, neutral wall 

colours; a mirror that doesn’t reflect us while we sleep; everything tidy and nothing stored beneath the 

bed; no electronic devices or electrical sockets near the head of the bed; and symmetrical décor. 

Broadly speaking, these are the basic principles of feng shui applied to the bedroom.

But there are other, lesser-known aspects that are even more important within this tradition, such as 

keeping mobile phones, iPads, televisions and all other screens out of the bedroom. In fact, this is the 

number one rule for creating a therapeutic bedroom environment. But there are more, and these are 

the principles behind the feng shui rooms created by ZEM Wellness Clinic Altea to maximise the 

benefits of its Sleep Boost programme, a personalised protocol that transforms rest into a powerful 

tool for regeneration. With the help of David de Cubas, clinical psychologist and Director of the 

Health Department at the centre, we’ll explore them below.

#1. Decorate with natural materials

Wood, ceramics and stone should take precedence over polyester bedding, melamine furniture or vinyl 

wall coverings. “Natural materials have a direct impact on our wellbeing at night. They can evoke natural 

surroundings and provide an immediate sense of calm and authenticity,” explains David de Cubas.

In his view, this sensory connection with nature helps reduce stress and encourages relaxation: “We know 

that simply seeing or touching natural materials can lower blood pressure and heart rate, both clear signs 

of physiological relaxation,” the psychologist explains.

#2. Curved shapes, minimalism and organic design

The expert explains that “curved shapes have a calming effect on our brains, helping to reduce our 

level of emotional alertness. Incorporating these shapes into bedroom furniture and décor creates a 

sense of safety and sanctuary that encourages rest.” De Cubas believes that “a cluttered environment 

creates sensory and cognitive overstimulation, while minimalism, when thoughtfully applied, is far 

from cold or empty. Instead, it creates calm, warm and functional spaces.”

As for organic design, “it introduces shapes inspired by nature, such as waves, leaves or delicate 

patterns, which encourage introspection and tranquillity,” explains the expert from ZEM Wellness 

Clinic Altea.

#3. Pay attention to lighting

This is a fundamental factor in maintaining healthy circadian rhythms. “The room should be 

completely dark to encourage the natural production of melatonin,” explains David de Cubas. And 

while we’re awake, “lighting should be warm and indirect, using table lamps,” the psychologist adds.

The time we spend awake in the bedroom should be kept to a minimum, as the room should be 

regarded as a sanctuary dedicated exclusively to sleep. “We should establish a wind-down ritual 

through reading or meditation, signalling to our bodies that it’s time to sleep or rest. In this way, we 

can find the soothing silence that is so necessary in our lives.”

#4. Air out the room in the morning

“Finally, we should air out the bedroom every morning after waking up so that we can sleep better 

again in a room with fresher, better-oxygenated air,” the health expert advises.

Ultimately, applying the principles of feng shui to the bedroom goes far beyond simply arranging 

furniture. It involves paying attention to materials, shapes, lighting and even the air we breathe. 

Transforming this space into a sensory sanctuary free from unnecessary stimulation not only 

encourages deep rest but also benefits our mental health, our daily energy levels and, ultimately, our 

quality of life. Because a good night’s sleep isn’t a luxury: it’s a basic necessity.

Vogue.es

https://vogueadria.com/feng-shui-for-sleep/

I tried the military's 2-minute sleep method for 30 days—the results shocked me

From vegoutmag.com/lifestyle

By Jim Botten

What if the secret to conquering insomnia isn’t complex therapy but a surprisingly simple military trick that transformed my restless nights in just 30 days? 

When I first heard about the military's two-minute sleep technique, I rolled my eyes so hard I'm surprised they didn't get stuck. Another internet hack, I thought. Another too-good-to-be-true solution to the modern epidemic of insomnia that plagues roughly one-third of American adults. As someone who'd spent years cycling through melatonin, white noise machines, and every meditation app on the market, I'd grown cynical about quick fixes. Sleep, I believed, was a complex neurological process that couldn't be hacked by some trick allegedly used by World War II fighter pilots.

But desperation has a way of making believers out of sceptics. After a particularly brutal stretch of 4 a.m. ceiling-staring sessions, I decided to give the method a shot. What did I have to lose besides another month of terrible sleep?

The technique itself seemed almost insultingly simple. Developed by the U.S. Navy to help pilots fall asleep anywhere, anytime—even after drinking coffee or hearing gunfire—it promised to work for 96% of people after six weeks of practice. The steps were straightforward: relax your face muscles, drop your shoulders, let your arms go limp, exhale to relax your chest, then relax your legs from thighs to toes. Finally, clear your mind for ten seconds by imagining one of three scenes: lying in a canoe on a calm lake, lying in a black velvet hammock, or simply repeating "don't think" over and over.

My first night attempting it was a comedy of errors. "Relax your face," I told myself, only to realize I had no idea what a relaxed face felt like. Was I supposed to let my jaw hang open? Should my tongue be touching the roof of my mouth or lying flat? I became so focused on whether my forehead was properly relaxed that I created new tension just thinking about tension. Twenty minutes in, I was more awake than when I'd started.

The first week continued in this vein. Each night, I'd dutifully work through the steps, only to find myself trapped in a metacognitive loop. Was I relaxing correctly? How would I know when I'd cleared my mind if I was thinking about whether I'd cleared it? The technique seemed to demand a kind of embodied awareness that my anxious, analytical brain resisted at every turn.

By day eight, I was ready to quit. Not only was I not falling asleep in two minutes, but the pressure to make the technique work was actually making my insomnia worse. I'd lie there, counting the seconds, growing increasingly frustrated as the two-minute mark came and went. This was exactly what I'd expected: another failure to add to my collection.

But something strange happened on night ten. Perhaps out of sheer exhaustion, or maybe because I'd finally given up trying so hard, I found myself actually following the steps without overthinking them. My face went slack without my commanding it to. My shoulders dropped of their own accord. And somewhere between imagining the canoe and telling myself not to think, I fell asleep.

I woke up disoriented, unsure how long I'd been out. My phone showed 3:47 a.m.—I'd been asleep for five hours straight, the longest uninterrupted stretch I'd had in months. It felt like a fluke, a coincidence. But the next night, it happened again. And the night after that.

By the end of week two, I was falling asleep within five minutes most nights. Not quite the promised two minutes, but close enough to feel miraculous. More importantly, I was beginning to understand something about the technique that had eluded me initially: it wasn't really about the specific steps at all.

The military method, I realized, was essentially a form of progressive muscle relaxation combined with visualization—techniques that have been studied and validated by sleep researchers for decades. But what made it effective wasn't just the physiological response of muscle relaxation. It was the way it short-circuited the mental patterns that keep insomniacs awake.

Every insomniac knows the particular torture of trying to fall asleep. The harder you try, the more elusive sleep becomes. It's like trying to catch a butterfly by chasing it—the very effort ensures failure. The military method works because it gives your conscious mind something specific to do other than worry about falling asleep. It's a benign form of distraction, a way of getting your analytical brain to step aside so your body can do what it naturally wants to do.

This revelation led me to experiment with the technique in ways I hadn't expected. I started using a shortened version during the day when I felt stressed, spending thirty seconds working through the relaxation sequence at my desk. I used it before difficult conversations, before presentations, any time I needed to shift from spinning thoughts to embodied presence.

By week three, something even more interesting emerged. I noticed that the quality of my sleep had improved along with the quantity. I was dreaming more vividly, waking up less groggy. The technique seemed to be training my nervous system to transition more smoothly between waking and sleeping states, rather than the jarring crash I'd grown accustomed to.

I also discovered that the three visualization options weren't arbitrary. Each represented a different pathway to mental stillness. The canoe visualization worked best when my mind was agitated, giving it a peaceful scene to settle into. The black velvet hammock was ideal when I felt physically restless, the imagined sensation of soft darkness somehow more soothing than actual darkness. And the "don't think" mantra, which had seemed the most ridiculous at first, proved surprisingly effective when my thoughts were particularly sticky.

But the most profound shift came during my final week of the experiment. I realized that I'd stopped dreading bedtime. For years, I'd approached sleep with a kind of performance anxiety, treating each night like a test I was doomed to fail. The military method had given me a protocol, yes, but more importantly, it had given me agency. I had something to do besides lie there hoping sleep would find me.

On day twenty-eight, I fell asleep in two minutes and thirteen seconds. I know because I'd been timing myself, not out of pressure but out of curiosity. It felt like breaking a four-minute mile—arbitrary but somehow meaningful. The next night, I didn't time myself at all.

Looking back on the month, what shocks me most isn't that the technique worked—it's how profoundly my relationship with sleep has changed. I'd spent years thinking of insomnia as something that happened to me, a cruel quirk of biology or psychology beyond my control. The military method revealed this to be both true and not true. Yes, sleep is complex. Yes, insomnia has real neurological underpinnings. But we have more influence over our sleep than we think.

The technique didn't cure my insomnia—I still have occasional bad nights. But it gave me a tool, and tools change our relationship with problems. A problem without a tool is a source of helplessness. A problem with a tool becomes a challenge we can engage with.

These days, when someone mentions the military sleep technique, I no longer roll my eyes. Instead, I think about how many of our modern ailments—stress, anxiety, insomnia—stem from a disconnection between mind and body, and how sometimes the simplest interventions can rebuild that connection. The military method works not because it's a magic bullet, but because it teaches us something we've forgotten in our hyperconnected, always-on world: how to let go.

They say it takes twenty-one days to form a habit, but it took me thirty days to understand a truth. The real secret of the military's two-minute sleep method isn't the technique itself. It's the discovery that our bodies know how to sleep; we just need to learn how to get out of the way.

https://vegoutmag.com/lifestyle/j-bt-i-tried-the-militarys-2-minute-sleep-method-for-30-days-the-results-shocked-me/

"I’ve had insomnia since I was 18 and it’s affected my whole life"

From aol.co.uk/lifestyle

Kate Morris, a mother-of-two and journalist, lives with her husband, Luke, a photographer in London. Here, she shares the reality of sleeping badly and her advice for others with insomnia

The most soul-destroying part of my life is my inability to sleep well. I have suffered with bouts of insomnia since I was 18.

My average time asleep is about five or six hours a night, and occasionally I hobble through the day on three or four. Seven hours’ sleep is optimum and I feel invincible when I (very rarely) achieve that. I envy people who sleep that well all the time.

Nearly three-quarters (71%) of UK adults do not have the recommended seven to nine hours' sleep a night and one in five of us have problems sleeping.

How insomnia affects me

Lack of sleep affects my mood, memory, focus and brainpower. On the days I have hardly slept, I can be anxious, lacking in energy, short-tempered, judgemental and unable to work to my full capacity.

Not sleeping is detrimental to mental health. I have often thought I’d be a more positive person if I had experienced better sleep. It’s no coincidence that I have only spent one year in my whole working life commuting to an office. My lack of sleep days used to be so bad, that I’d have to take a nap halfway through the day.

I have often thought I’d be a more positive person if I had experienced better sleep

Lying awake is also depressing and boring. My mind drifts with escalating negative thoughts. I decipher petty grievances, decide I have no friends and conclude that I haven’t achieved anything. It takes concentration to pivot these thoughts around.

My triggers

There are triggers that can make sleep even more elusive. Caffeine can stop me sleeping, so I avoid it after midday. Chocolate can keep me awake. I can be too stimulated by a party or some kind of entertainment to sleep. Champagne, or vodka, is like an adrenalin shot.

A new bed and place is also a trigger. Last summer, we were invited to Greece by a friend. It was so exciting, but I panicked once there when I discovered my pellet of melatonin did not have enough pills to last the week. Three nights were spent awake, hot and unsettled. Thankfully, the days were not taxing, mostly soaking up the sun and falling into the sea, but the nights were lonely and depressing.

Kate Morris works from home, partly because it's easier to manage her broken nights that way. (Luke White Photography)

       Searching for solutions

I have tried many methods to sleep, some work for short periods. At one point, after a tip from an insomniac friend, I enrolled on a weekend course in Acem meditation. I found the process of repeating a mantra helped me fall back to sleep. I would also use it for a short power nap. It still works now and then, but is not foolproof.

My daughter gave me a lavender and magnesium lotion for Christmas and for a few weeks that combined with melatonin pills worked very well and I slept deeply

Recently I have tried listening to podcasts, but if the content is too interesting it can be stimulating rather than soporific. My daughter gave me a lavender and magnesium lotion for Christmas and for a few weeks that combined with the melatonin worked very well and I slept deeply.

I recently heard Fearne Cotton on Davina McCall’s Begin Again podcast say that she was unable to sleep the night before her BBC2 morning radio show because of anxiety, which meant eventually she had to quit the job. This resonated with me because if I have something important to do the following day, the fear of not sleeping will often keep me awake.

Coping with toddlers

When my two children were small, I was almost crazy with tiredness. Broken sleep was compounded when my toddler son learnt how to climb out of bed and up the stairs to our room. He would get into our bed and I wouldn't be able to sleep again.

One morning, with a crashing headache and mad with exhaustion, I came down to the kitchen and aggressively snapped at our au pair for not having loaded the dishwasher. She snapped back and I left the room and wept. I felt demonised and not myself, as though my personality had changed.

That same day I dropped my son at nursery and asked to speak to the head teacher. When she asked if I was OK, I tearfully told her about my son waking me in the early hours. She instructed me to take him back to his room straight away, rather than let him sleep in our bed.

I would have to lean against the door so he couldn’t get back out. It sounded radical and extreme (not the kind of parenting I adhered to) but I was desperate. She said it would work within 48 hours and she was right.

The perils of sleeping pills

After my daughter was born, my sleep became so bad that, against my intuition, I began to take sleeping pills. The doctor initially advised me to quit caffeine, listen to music and meditate. I went back a month later, pleaded for pills and she gave me a prescription.

At first, it was great to know that I would sleep, even though it was dreamless and not particularly restful. Soon though, I noticed that I was beginning to rely on the pills and that they were not working as well. The doctor renewed my prescription with a higher dose.

I finally decided to quit sleeping pills the day I absent-mindedly left a wad of cash in the cashpoint

I began to feel permanently premenstrual and on edge. I finally decided to quit the day I absent-mindedly left a wad of cash in the cashpoint, and fell down in the street. I still kept them in my bedside drawer though for several months, which was reassuring.

What helps me sleep

Insomnia is a difficult infliction to bear, but I think it is possible to improve sleep patterns. It's also comforting to know that not everyone needs eight hours’ sleep. I am okay on six hours, really good on seven and can survive, albeit on low par, on five.

If I am vigilant and turn off screens before bedtime, don’t eat too late, drink a sleepy tea, take melatonin and spray the soles of my feet with magnesium and lavender spray, I should sleep. There are no guarantees for how long though, but that’s OK.

My sleep is far better than it used to be and for that I’m grateful.

https://www.aol.co.uk/lifestyle/ve-had-insomnia-since-18-055130682.html

5 key signs you're sleep deprived and how to fix it — advice from an insomnia expert

From tomsguide.com

Tired during the day yet struggle to fall asleep at night? You're probably sleep deprived

Wondering if you have all the symptoms of sleep deprivation? One bad night might be easy enough to shake-off, but when you're regularly missing out on sleep, you might start to feel like you'll never be fully rested. Frequently getting less high-quality sleep than your body needs is referred to as sleep deprivation, and it can impact your physical and mental health.

Sleep deprivation is generally treatable, but long-term sleep deprivation needs more than just one good nap to get your slumber back on track. For advice on recognizing the signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation and how to manage it, we spoke to Dr Lindsay Browning, leading sleep therapist, neuroscientist, chartered psychologist, author and CBT-i practitioner at Trouble Sleeping. Here's what Dr Browning told us...

What is sleep deprivation?

                                                                                                               (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sleep deprivation occurs when a person doesn't get the amount of rest that their body needs. "Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on both physical health and mental wellbeing," explains Dr Browning. An adult requires roughly eight hours sleep a night and during this time the body refreshes and restores itself. When you lack quality sleep, your body misses out on this important downtime. 

There are two different types of sleep deprivation: short-term and long-term. Dr Browning explains that short-term sleep deprivation happens when you experience a limited period of sleep loss "such as when you spend an uncomfortable night on an overnight flight and don’t sleep on the plane."

But long-term sleep deprivation is a cumulative effect, and as Dr Browning explains, it can happen when you go through "weeks or years of regularly not getting sufficient sleep." Those suffering with long-term sleep deprivation might not even realize they're missing sleep, as they start to consider being tired their new normal.

5 SIGNS THAT YOU'RE SLEEP DEPRIVED: KEY SYMPTOMS TO LOOK FOR

"Short-term sleep loss may be easier to spot compared to that caused by frequent nights of insufficient sleep, since people who regularly don’t get enough sleep may get used to feeling tired and not realize the health implications of sleep deprivation and how much better they might feel if they got enough sleep," explains Dr Browning. Here are some key signs of sleep deprivation to watch out for...

1. You feel fatigued (even after sleeping well)

One of the clearest signs of sleep deprivation is that you're feeling tired during the day even after sleeping well the night before. "If you have been getting too little sleep regularly, then one night of the recommended seven to nine hours' sleep will not be enough to make up for the long term sleep deprivation," says Dr Browning.

"You may be feeling sluggish and tired during the day, even if you got enough sleep the night before. You may feel mentally tired, physically tired, or both." So while you might expect to feel tired on Monday morning, you're also sleepy after that Sunday lie-in.

2. You nod off during the day (microsleeping)

                                                                                                                       (Image credit: Getty)

Ever been sitting in a meeting and you suddenly realize you don't remember what just happened? You might have been experience a microsleep; a short period of drifting off that many people don't notice happening until they can't recall the last few seconds. Microsleeps are a common sign of sleep deprivation and, as Dr Browning explains, they're more than just a harmless nap at your desk...

"People who are sleep deprived can experience nodding off while sitting, or feeling their eyes close and having a microsleep while doing something like driving a car," says Dr Browning. "Microsleeps and sleepiness during the day can be extreme dangerous since a lack of sleep has been associated with an increase in car accidents due to people falling asleep at the wheel or due to reduced reaction times."

3. You can't concentrate

A groggy Monday morning is something most of us are familiar with, but if that feeling lasts throughout the week, it could be a sign of sleep deprivation. "People who are sleep deprived tend to struggle to focus on tasks, experience memory lapses, and have reduced cognitive abilities," explains Dr Browning.

And it's more than just a tendency to daydream that you might be experiencing. "One study found that one night of sleep deprivation was equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05% – the equivalent of having two standard alcoholic drinks."

4. You're eating and snacking more

In the same way we tend to choose ice cream over iceberg lettuce when feeling sad, a lack of sleep typically has us reaching for fatty foods. "This is due to disrupted hunger hormones (ghrelin and leptin) which are regulated during sleep," explains Dr Browning. 

A study found that people who are lacking sleep eat on average 385 calories more during the day than those who slept well. When you aren't sleeping, your body misses out on a crucial period for hormone regulation – and you'll see the effects  of that in your behaviour the next day. As in, a tendency to reach for the cookie jar. 

5. You're more susceptible to illness

Getting enough sleep is important to maintaining good mental and physical health, so it follows that sleep deprivation has a negative effect on your overall wellbeing, as Dr Browning explains. 

"Sleep deprivation can be associated with increased headaches, muscle aches, and also a weakened immune system leading to more frequent illnesses." For those with long-term sleep deprivation, feeling less than your best might not seem like anything new – but it could be a crucial signal you're lacking rest.

CAN YOU FIX SLEEP DEPRIVATION?

It is possible to fix sleep deprivation – even long-term sleep deprivation – although one good night's rest isn't enough to solve the problem. To overcome sleep deprivation, Dr Browning recommends focusing on improving your sleep hygiene: creating a bedtime routine, sticking to consistent sleep and wake-up times, and optimizing your bedroom for relaxation.

However, if you've cleaned up your sleep hygiene and you're still struggling to achieve quality sleep, Dr Browning advises seeking medical advice. "If you have tried improving your sleep hygiene, but still feel sleep deprived, then you should speak to your doctor in case there is something else is causing your fatigue.

"Most common causes of this are sleep apnoea which can disturb the quality of your sleep, or an iron deficiency or a thyroid issue which can cause tiredness even if you think you have had enough sleep."

HOW TO FIX SLEEP DEPRIVATION

To fix sleep deprivation, it's important to create habits that will result in consistent and long-term better sleep. Below are the steps recommended by Dr Browning if sleep deprivation is affecting your health and wellbeing...

1. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule

Humans are creatures of habit and our circadian rhythms love the routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day of the week. This teaches the body when to feel sleepy, which in turn helps you to drift off.

"Set a regular bedtime and wake time, seven days per week, to help regulate your internal clock," advises Dr Browning. And that includes weekends and holidays. "Sleep deprivation may be caused by not getting enough sleep during the week and thinking you can catch up at the weekend, but it’s much better for your health and sleep to get enough sleep every day – seven days a week – as long as your life so circumstances allow."

As well as establishing long-term good habits, keeping an early wake-up time can be one of the best ways to fix your sleep schedule after a late night. By waking up early you're more likely to feel tired early, getting your circadian rhythm back on track.

2. Cut out caffeine in the afternoon

If you're worried about sleep deprivation then you probably aren't reaching for a pre-bed cappuccino – but you might be relying on a coffee fix to get you through a drowsy afternoon. However, your lunchtime latte might be the reason you're struggling to sleep in the evening, as caffeine can remain in the body for many hours after consumption. 

The 10-3-2-1-0 sleep method advises cutting out caffeine 10 hours before bed, but Dr Browning has a slightly more achievable suggestion. "As a general rule, avoid caffeine at least six hours before bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant and can interfere with falling asleep as well as disrupting sleep quality." 

3. Engage in a relaxing night-time routine

Going to bed early doesn't necessarily mean getting more sleep, especially if you spend a long time staring at the ceiling waiting to drift off. However, implementing a relaxing night-time routine can prepare the mind and body for sleep, meaning when you do crawl beneath the covers, you're likely to drop off quickly. 

"Spend 30 minutes to an hour before bed doing something calm and relaxing such as read a good book, do some meditation, have a warm bath or do some gentle stretching or yoga," advises Dr Browning. "This helps signal to your body that it's time to calm down and get ready for sleep."

Dr Browning also recommends putting screens away at least an hour before bed, to limit the disrupting effects of bright lights. But if you absolutely can't stay away from your phone, she has a tip: "Ensure night mode is activated to reduce the brightness and reduce the blue light frequency which is especially damaging to sleep."

4. Get active outside during the day

It isn't just what you do at night that affects how well you sleep. Your daytime activities can also contribute to sleep deprivation, as Dr Browning explains.

"Exercise during the day is good for your physical health and mental health as well as helping boost your alertness during the day and potentially helping you sleep better at night. However, avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime."

In addition to staying active, try to get outside during the day. "Natural daylight can help you feel more alert and awake during the daytime, and also help you produce melatonin and sleep better at night," advises Dr Browning.

5. Use naps and lie-ins wisely

"There are some circumstances when you simply can’t get enough sleep at night. In which case, let yourself have a lie-in at the weekend to catch up on some missed sleep." But try not to make this a regular habit, as you might find yourself suffering from social jet lag – when your weekday body clock and weekend body clock are out of sync. 

Naps can also be used to boost energy levels if sleep deprivation is making it hard to get through the day. "Try taking a short (20 minute) nap just after lunch to top up your sleep," advises Dr Browning. "It is best to avoid napping after about two o’clock as even short evening naps can make it harder to fall asleep when you go to bed." 

6. Create a relaxing bedroom environment

"Ensure your bedroom is conducive to sleep by keeping it dark, quiet, and at a comfortable temperature," says Dr Browning. Blackout curtains can be used to prevent disruptive light from getting into your room, while the perfect bedroom temperature is around 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Your bed should be providing you with support and pressure relief, so your sleep isn't disrupted by aches and pains. Our best mattress guide and best pillow guide can help you find the best bed for your sleep style and body type.

"If your mattress is more than 8 years old, it may need replacing, since mattresses have a finite lifespan and need to be supportive enough for your spine to help you sleep comfortably," advises Dr Browning. "You should also wash and replace your pillows regularly as they can absorb sweat and dead skin cells which can cause allergies and an uncomfortable pillow."

https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/sleep/5-key-signs-youre-sleep-deprived-and-how-to-fix-it-advice-from-an-insomnia-expert