ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE: We are committed to finding products that we believe our readers will love, and we receive compensation from some of the businesses that we rank or review. This compensation may affect how and where products appear on the site, including the order in which they appear.
Sleep is a biological necessity, just like food and water. Every single day of my struggle with insomnia reinforced just how important sleep is for basic functioning. Adults should be getting 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep, but I was (barely) surviving on 5 to 6 hours.
After trying out multiple remedies and making several lifestyle changes, I finally found a routine that worked for me.
In simple terms, insomnia refers to a chronic difficulty in falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Sleep impairment can also manifest as waking up in the middle of the night and being unable to fall back asleep.
Insomnia has had a severe impact on my quality of life. I have struggled with poor concentration and memory, irritable moods, daytime drowsiness, low energy, and decreases in productivity.
Indeed, studies have shown that insomniacs are 2.5 to 4.5 times more likely to have an accident.
This is not to mention the physical toll it has taken on my appearance: puffy bloodshot eyes, dark under-eye circles, and a dull complexion. This is hardly surprising; after all, it is during sleep that your body makes more collagen and replenishes its cells.
Causes of insomnia vary from person to person. Short-term causes include jet lag, excessive napping during the day, alcohol (which blocks REM sleep), and caffeine (which stays in your system for 12 hours).
I would go to bed with a lot of things on my mind, and then as I tossed and turned, struggling to fall asleep, my back would get tense and uncomfortable. This resulted in a vicious cycle: I would be get poor sleep, which made my back and neck pain worse, and then in turn led to to even worse sleep, which fed on itself and multiplied exponentially. It’s really hard to get quality sleep once you’re stuck in this kind of rut.
Melatonin supplements: I tried taking melatonin supplements but there was literally no effect. I still had difficulty falling asleep, and there was no improvement in my sleep quality either—I continued to wake up feeling unrefreshed. I also found out that taking melatonin supplements in the long-term was not recommended (it was more suited for short-term usage).
Abstaining from caffeine and alcohol: This lifestyle change helped a little, but it was not enough because my insomnia was primarily caused by anxiety. I needed something in addition to this to manage my anxiety and sleepless nights.
Mindfulness meditation: This was recommended, but I just didn’t have the patience to stick with it. Effective meditation requires discipline and proper practice, but I wanted results quickly, so I became frustrated.
Prescription medication: I ended up seeking professional medical help, and was prescribed a variety of medications, but none were the right fit. Benzodiazepines were effective but not suitable for the long-term—I soon developed a tolerance and had to keep increasing the dosage. Also, while they helped me to fall asleep quickly, they did not improve my quality of sleep, and I continued to wake up during the night. I also tried other prescription medication, but they were too effective—the next-day hangover was awful, and I felt groggy and drowsy all the time.
Fed up and desperate, I went down a Google rabbit hole one sleepless night and chanced upon a new product called Ready Rocker.
Ready Rocker taps into the neurophysiological benefits of rocking. The gentle, rhythmic motion is baked into human DNA. Mothers rock babies to help sleep and cognitive development, and elders use rocking chairs to lubricate joints and alleviate back pain. In fact, Rocking’s most well-known benefit is its ability to help your body cope with tension and inflammation, which in turn promotes resistance to anxiety, chronic pain, and insomnia.
As I did more research, I found the Polyvagal Theory in psychology, which discusses the direct link between tension in the mind and body. The Vegus Nerve connects 80% of the body to the brain, and transmits information about tension throughout the brain. It’s your main red-alert system for when your body or mind is out of wack.
Rocking directly alleviates this tension, and the Vegus Nerve transmits that relief into system-wide benefits.
I ordered the Ready Rocker to see if it was the key to improving my quality of sleep, and I used my Oura ring to measure how long, deep, and restful my sleep was.
I was able to measure an improvement in my insomnia in the first night—within the first week of usage, I noticed that I was able to fall asleep much more quickly (within 30 minutes of going to bed), and I also woke up fewer times during the night. When I did wake up, I was able to fall back asleep.
It’s not just a sleep aid — I noticed a variety of the other benefits that the product also promised.
The product is compact, lightweight, and fits on all my chairs, so I can rock on it whenever I’m feeling stressed or tense
My back pain has dramatically improved, and my posture is naturally better, so I don’t have to constantly remind myself not to slouch
I’ve been using my Ready Rocker every day when working from home and when relaxing on the couch. The sleep benefits are my favorite, but it has created an overarching improvement in my quality of life.
I can confidently recommend it to all my friends and family
Stay Up To Date On All Of The Daily Buzz
© daily buzz. All Rights Reserved 2024
