No caffeine. No chocolate. No alcohol. No dessert. Nothing to eat after 7pm.
Pathetic, isn’t it, but how I sleep now is fully a matter of how I eat. Any caffeine (after my morning cup of coffee) and I’ll have a “surface” night of sleep. Not even decaf coffee. Decaf still has caffeine. Certainly not a coke at lunch. Chocolate? Same problem. Caffeine. I’ll be in for a very long night. Alcohol? If I have a beer or glass of wine at or after dinner, I’ll fall asleep just fine, but I’ll wake up at three o’clock with an “alcohol rebound” as the stimulant effect kicks in. There is a greater risk of indigestion as well. Dessert? Indigestion, and that burst of sugar makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Nothing after 7? Solid sleep doesn’t happen on a full stomach. It’s better to go to sleep a little hungry than to succumb to a 10 o’clock snack.
I don’t live a life of denial; I can do any of the things I list not to do, but at the same time I recognize that if I want a solid night’s sleep, I need to get every one of these things right!
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