I was getting 3 hours of sleep a night until I tried 5 unconventional hacks

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It’s 2am and I’m wide awake, doomscrolling after being sucked into the latest true-crime rabbit hole on TikTok. 

Is he guilty? Was it premeditated? What will the jury think? I can’t put my phone down until I know the answers. 

Only, I have to be up in three hours for my 5am alarm. 

This isn’t just one restless night, it’s my every night. Hi, my name’s Alicia and I have terrible sleep hygiene. 

It’s a punishing habit that I’ve fallen into. On the rare occasion I do end up asleep before 11, it’s on the sofa, and I wake around two and haul myself to bed (where I end up on my phone again). 

However, I’m becoming increasingly health-conscious and quality shuteye is top of my list. I’ve been able to function thus far, but I am now struggling to get up in the mornings.

Who better to speak to than a sleep doctor for some helpful tips that go beyond counting sheep? 

‘We call that sofa surfing’, Behavioural Sleep Specialist Donna Fairley told me about my nightly routine. 

I then hear the words that remind me of the Sunday Scaries as a child: ‘I’m going to put you to bed at 10:30pm.’ 

As a night owl, a bedtime before midnight feels sacrilegious, but Dr Donna wants me to commit to a ‘golden hour’, which is using the 60 minutes before I fall asleep to actually unwind with minimal activity, keep my cortisol low, and then only take myself to bed when I’m ready to sleep. 

Donna has also advised keeping a worry journal and repeating the word ‘the’ if I’m tossing and turning in the middle of the night. 

Not leaving anything to chance, I’ve turned to tech and some less conventional methods, too.

Day 1 / Night 1 

I’ve felt anxious about falling asleep all day; that the pressure to fall asleep means I won’t be able to. 

But I am determined to give this trial a good shot, and so I get to work setting up my new Lumie lamp – the Bodyclock Luxe 750DAB. The popular alarm clock is designed to help mimic waking up to the sunrise (and going to bed with the sunset) with an adjustable light function. 

On top of that, it lulls and rouses you gently with over 30 sound options, and features a nightlight that fades as instructed. 

I’m proud of myself as I nestle into bed at 10:45pm, hoping the lamp’s rainfall sounds have me asleep in the next 30 minutes. 

The sounds are soothing but tiredness is not happening, so I begin using Donna’s advised method of repeating ‘the’ in my head slowly. Apparently, doing this ‘stops the negativity coming in and breaks that train of thought’. 

It does seem to be helping but I think I’m so focused on trying to be relaxed that I just can’t be. 

After about an hour, I doze off for a bit, but it’s not a deep sleep. I’m still very aware that I’m not fully in the land of nod. 

Before I know it, those gentle rainfall sounds fill my ears, and the orange glow of the Lumie’s sunrise encourages my eyes to open. The light does work wonderfully but sleep anxiety proved too strong. I’ll have to try something new tonight… 

Day 2 / Night 2 

Almonds. 

It’s a bit ‘out there’ but apparently the magnesium, calcium and melatonin content of the nuts can improve sleep quality. 

I munched down on a handful before I did my skincare routine and settled in bed at 10:30, praying for a better night. 

It could be the almonds – or just sheer exhaustion – but I get a solid night of uninterrupted sleep for the first time in a long time. 

Day 3 / Night 3 

I think my body is in shock from too much rest (it can’t have been more than eight hours) and I feel an unfamiliar sense of lethargy. 

I want data to fully understand what’s really going on, so I introduce the Withings Sleep Analyzer mat, which sits right under the mattress at chest level. 

This device, which was developed in collaboration with sleep physicians, allows me to monitor how long it takes me to fall asleep, the duration, whether I snored, the number of interruptions, whether I have sleep apnea (thankfully not) and the quality of my slumber. 

I turn on the sunset setting on my Lumie clock before getting into bed – it’s set to 30 minutes but I’ve drifted off seamlessly before it gets dark. 

Day 4 / Night 4 

80. That’s not the number of hours I’ve slept, but my sleep score. I’m starting off strong and feeling like I’ve got a pep in my step after six hours and 16 minutes asleep. 

It might sound like someone else’s idea of hell but for me, that’s a dream. 

According to the Withings app, I fell asleep within 10 minutes, my heart rate variability (HRV) showed that I was in the optimal zone for restorative sleep, and the depth of my deep sleep was good. 

I do notice a slight difference in energy levels as the day goes on, and I only need one cup of coffee to function. 

Well, that calls for another early night… 

Day 5 / Night 5 

I’ve got my almonds in hand, sleep tea and the Lumie to get me off to sleep sharpish – this seems to be a winning combination. 

This time, I’ve also introduced my snazzy new Luminette light therapy glasses, which you can wear throughout the day to naturally improve your energy levels and sleep. 

Luminette recommends wearing the glasses for four to seven days to really feel the impact of their patented technology, but they essentially work by emitting white or blue light to mimic the effects of sunlight and properly align your circadian rhythm. 

The light from the glasses is gentle on the eyes and I’m excited to see if they help – but I’m glad they are intended to be worn indoors, as I look like RoboCop. 

Day 6 / Night 6 

I’ve woken up with a sleep score of 81. I’m getting better at this. 

However, I’ve had quite a stressful day and fear that this will impact my ability to sleep. 

Donna suggested that writing down your worries in a journal earlier in the evening helps to ease overnight anxiety, so that’s what I’ve done. 

It would be a shame to ruin my good streak now… 

Day 7 / Night 7 

Unfortunately, writing down my concerns did nothing to stop them from coming back to haunt me at night. 

As predicted, my sleep score dropped to 67. It took me 41 minutes to fall asleep, and I woke up twice.  

Determined to shake off some of that anxious energy before nighttime, I head to the gym for an hour-long workout, using the sauna and steam room before heading home. 

It’s worked a dime, and I’m out like a light in 20 minutes. 

Conclusion 

I’m proud of myself for committing to the sleep plan after years of developing an unhealthy habit. Some methods worked better than others – the Lumie clock is a winner, as are the almonds, while others like the worry journal just aren’t for me. 

Would you believe it, getting more sleep did make me more productive? A week is too short a timeframe to see sweeping changes, but I noticed small improvements – one being that my skin looks clearer.

However, the biggest change I’ve noticed is my mindset. Two weeks ago I could easily stay awake until 2am on my sofa, but now I see the benefits of making sure I’m in bed by 10:30pm to naturally encourage sleep. It probably sounds simple to most but any habit is tough to break. 

It’s all about getting into good routines, and this is one I plan to keep.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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