Did you have trouble sleeping last night? If so, she is far from the only person who was awake at 2 am. In fact, insomnia symptoms can affect up to half of the adult population. The prevalence of this all too common sleep thief is what prompted Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer to narrate the documentary. The search for the dream. The film delves into the all-important yet frequently neglected topic of sleep hygiene.
The topic is especially personal for Spencer, who has long struggled to fall asleep and stay asleep. “I make lists,” she says, half jokingly comparing aspects of her brain to a search engine. “When I’m not sleeping or when I don’t fall asleep easily, what am I doing? I’m counting down my lists for the day,” she says. “If I remember something that was on yesterday’s list, I think, ‘Wait a minute. Didn’t I do that?’ And then you jump in and write it down, and then you start the loop again.”
Spencer previously believed that she could make up for a lack of sleep (whether due to a busy schedule or a busy mind making lists) by catching up at a convenient time. Unfortunately, however, there is no way to make up for a sleep deficit. “I didn’t realize you couldn’t catch up on sleep that you didn’t get,” says Spencer. “If you think, ‘Oh, I’m going to work 90 hours this week, but I’m going to rest on Saturday and Sunday,’ it doesn’t work that way. It takes a toll.”
As she learned more about the importance of sleep, Spencer began to consciously prioritize her sleep hygiene and seek help when she needed it. “Thank God, my relationship with sleep has definitely changed,” she says. But that change didn’t happen on its own: “I don’t think she would have done it if she hadn’t gotten the professional help she needed. That’s why it was so important for me to be a part of this movie; I understand the community of us.” [suffering from sleep loss] who are out there.”
Spencer’s goal isn’t to shame people who don’t get enough sleep, but rather to help them recognize the benefits of making the shift to prioritize a healthy relationship with sleep. “Everyone lives in a state of exhaustion,” she says. “Being motivated is wonderful, but it shouldn’t be in place of living a balanced life… If you’re a person who sleeps less than six hours a night, that’s not good. It has long-term effects,” she says. (In fact, chronic sleep loss is linked to a host of health problems, including high blood pressure, stroke, and depression.)
Last night, did you have trouble going to sleep? If that’s the case, she wasn’t the only one awake at 2 a.m. In fact, up to half of all adults can have problems with insomnia. The Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer was asked to narrate the documentary because of how common this sleep thief is. Looking for the dream. The movie talks about sleep hygiene, which is very important but often overlooked.
Spencer is very interested in this subject because he has always had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. “I make lists,” she says, jokingly saying that her brain is like a search engine in some ways. “What am I doing when I don’t sleep or can’t fall asleep quickly? “I’m making a list of all the things I need to do today,” she says. “If I think of something from yesterday’s list, I say to myself, “Wait a minute. I did that, didn’t I?’ Then you jump in and write it down, and then you start the loop again.”
Spencer used to think that she could make up for not getting enough sleep at a convenient time, whether it was because of a busy schedule or because her mind was too busy making lists. There is, however, no way to make up for not getting enough sleep. Spencer says, “I didn’t know you couldn’t make up for sleep you didn’t get.” “If you think, ‘I’ll work 90 hours this week, but I’ll rest on Saturday and Sunday,’ that’s not how it works. It has an effect.”
As Spencer learned more about how important sleep was, she started to make sleep hygiene a priority and ask for help when she needed it. She says, “Thank God, my relationship with sleep has changed a lot.” But this change didn’t just happen by itself: “I don’t think she would have done it if she hadn’t gotten the help she needed from a professional.” That’s why it was so important for me to be in this movie: I know what it means to be a part of a group. [who aren’t getting enough sleep] who are out there.”
Spencer’s goal isn’t to make people feel bad about themselves if they don’t get enough sleep. Instead, he wants to help them see how important it is to change their sleep habits for the better. “Everyone is tired all the time,” she says. “Being driven is great, but it shouldn’t keep you from living a well-rounded life… People who sleep less than six hours a night are not doing well. It will last for a long time, “she says.” (In fact, not getting enough sleep over a long period of time is linked to a number of health problems, such as high blood pressure, stroke, and depression.)
But in a culture that often praises the attitude “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” the documentary tries to help people, excuse the pun, and wake up at the cost of being tired all the time. Spencer says, “I think we’ve become used to not getting good sleep.” “It’s time for most of the talk to be about getting enough sleep and why it’s so important to our lives.”
Spencer talks about the three changes she’s made that have helped her sleep better and lessen her symptoms of insomnia. She does this to encourage others to give sleep hygiene the attention it deserves.
But in a culture that often celebrates an “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” attitude, the documentary aims to help people, pardon the pun, wake up at the cost of chronic tiredness. “I think we’ve normalized not having restful sleep,” says Spencer. “It’s time to center most of the discourse around proper sleep and why it’s such an integral part of our existence.”
Here, hoping to inspire others to give their sleep hygiene the attention it deserves, Spencer describes the three changes she’s made that have helped her experience fewer insomnia symptoms.
1. Make sleep a priority
Sleep is such an important part of who you are that it can’t be an afterthought when it comes to health, says Spencer. Because of this, he says that everyone should make sleep a priority. The best would be to sleep for eight hours every night, but even small steps help. “Ask yourself, ‘How can I gain an hour and change those five hours to six each night?'” she says. “‘How can I quiet my mind?'”
Changes like these won’t happen overnight, but they’re worth working for. Spencer says, “There’s a lot to learn, but it’s the kind of relationship that, once you get it right, makes other parts of your life better.”
2. Create a morning routine…
Actually, a good night’s sleep can start in the morning, so Spencer says that she gets more out of her day when she doesn’t rush out the door as soon as she wakes up. She says, “One thing I’ve learned to do is meditate in the morning to clear my mind.” “The key is to stretch during the day, and once you start meditating, it will also help you sleep at night.”
3. …and a nightly routine
Spencer does things that help her calm her mind before she goes to bed. “She says that posing, stretching, and taking a hot bath before bed help her relax. She also says that white noise helps her brain relax. ” And because of how well she takes care of herself when she sleeps? She says, “I feel like I’m getting more out of my sleep.”
