No more Insomnia

In October 2019, Claudia and I conducted a workshop for an institutional client with a national presence. We posed a simple question to the audience: Who suffers from insomnia or sleep problems? To our surprise, about half of the audience raised their hand. This was not an isolated incident. In various groups we work with, the number of people who always respond affirmatively to this question is close to half. The prevalence of insomnia is striking, and it's a reality that many of us are living with. What was particularly notable about the October 2019 meeting was that a medical doctor attending the course approached us to comment on the subject, stating that insomnia or sleep problems are a pandemic today.

This statement by the doctor, in addition to my 25-year struggle with sleep problems, motivated us to investigate the subject further. After that date, I began to apply everything I knew about behavioral therapies to improve my sleep. I conducted research, and after about three months of consistent and persistent work, I can say that my situation improved by about 70% and continued to improve. This improvement is not unique to me. It's a possibility for anyone struggling with sleep. That is, if I had three nights of good sleep a week before, I can now say that I have between 5 and 6 nights of good sleep a week. The quality of life I lead during the day has changed radically. When you sleep well, you enjoy life during awake hours, are more productive, and relate better with others.

The neurotransmitters most closely linked to sleep are melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin is activated by information coming from the eyes. When the eyes detect darkness, melatonin begins to be released. Darkness is necessary for the regular release of melatonin during the night; if there is light, its release is interrupted. Blue light is more harmful than yellow light due to its shorter wavelength. Melatonin is important because it activates various regenerative and cleansing processes in the brain and throughout the body. According to leading researchers on the subject, it is the most critical antioxidant in the body. In the nighttime cleansing processes, it helps eliminate heavy metals and free radicals. These residues are cleaned in our body, and if they remain, they can promote the emergence of diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, and others.

The melatonin production cycle peaks during the night and then gradually declines. By this, I mean that taking melatonin supplements should be done with prior analysis to avoid causing two peaks in production within your body. Two peaks can disrupt the proper functioning of the so-called circadian sleep cycle, ultimately making it difficult to find an effective solution.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps you feel relaxed, peaceful, and confident. It is released to counteract moments of high activity or excitement. For example, when you exercise, dopamine is released, and the heart rate increases. Serotonin helps the heart rate slow down, and you can rest.

The above is only to share some of what I have learned and applied. Recent information suggests that nearly 60% of the adult population experiences difficulties falling asleep, and an increasing number of cases are being observed in adolescent populations, primarily attributed to new lifestyles and the widespread use of electronic devices. Both have increased the amount and hours of lighting, reducing sleep hours for the entire world population by about 1.5 hours per night over the past 50 years. The consequences of lower productivity and quality resulting from insufficient sleep are a topic of grave concern.

Knowing all this, it is no longer brilliant to say I will stay up late working or studying. It makes no sense. The next day will be less productive. In addition, the learning of the day is consolidated during sleep; if you do not sleep, you do not learn efficiently. Therefore, it is highly worthwhile to prioritize sleep.

Today, after delving deeper, learning, and applying what I've learned to my reality, I can say that my quality of life has improved, and I am very committed to taking care of my sleep. In addition, I am pleased to share with you that we have decided to write a book on this subject to help many overcome insomnia and say, "No more insomnia."