Outdoor Sleeping Tips - How to Enjoy Camping Without Missing Your Bedroom

Camping outdoors gives us a chance to get closer to nature. We can enjoy the wildlife up close and grasp the feeling of jungle living. But sleeping in the outdoors can become unpleasant unless you are poorly prepared. The following tips will help you snooze better outdoors and get most out of your camping experience.

Maintain a positive attitude

Sleeping in outdoors will not be the same as snuggling in your cozy bedroom. You need to tolerate a certain level of inconvenience. It is all part of the outdoor experience. Too much worrying itself can become a barrier for sound sleep.

Plan ahead

It is important to find out about the conditions you might encounter during outdoor sleeping in your particular camping site. Check the night time temperature, weather and precautions needed against insects and other animals. Also be mindful of the regulations dictating your campsite.

Pick the right sleeping bag

Selecting your sleeping bag or mattress will depend on how much weight you can carry and your personal preference on comfort. You can always give your sleeping bag a test-run at your own bedroom floor, before taking it out into the wild.

Pillows

Carry your own pillow (even a miniature version) if you can't sleep without one. But there are alternatives. You can take only a pillowcase and stuff it with clothes. Roll up a towel and use it as a pillow or neck support.

Earplugs

You might be surprised noisy it can get in the wild. If you are a light sleeper, then carry a pair of ear plugs to dampen the sounds of nature. Sleeping close to a water flow, can work as natural white noise, helping you screen out the rest of the sounds.

Pick a suitable spot to sleep
When setting up your tent, look out for roots, stones or uneven ground. Don't set up your camp on a mountain top (if it can be helped) since you can experience strong winds and lower temperatures at night.

Light exercises before sleep

Engaging in some light exercises or stretching before sleeping can help you fall asleep faster. Avoid workouts that make you sweat. This will cause the heart rate to rise and stimulates your mind, making it harder to fall asleep.

Plan your meals

Your travel plans might dictate on meal times, but try to have a gaps of 3 or 4 hours between dinner and sleep time. You might want to grab a light snack before sleeping to keep yourself from waking up hungry early morning.

Insects and animals

You can't rely on campfire to ward off insects. Carry insect repellents to avoid mosquito and other bug bites that disturb your sleep. Keep your food safely packed at hanged from a branch, further away from your sleep area.

Mimic your usual sleep routine

Even while camping, it is important to repeat the tasks you are familiar with before going to sleep. Brush your teeth and drink some water. If you are used to reading a book, then carry one and read it before going into your sleeping bag.

Relax and enjoy your adventure

You may not have the same level of comfort at your bedroom, but sleeping outdoors has it's own rewards. If there's a clear sky you can enjoy thousands of stars dotted against a dark sky. You can breath pristine air. And more importantly, you will begin to appreciate your bedroom and it's comforts better.

The Easy Guide to Becoming a Morning Person

If you are a 'night owl' then waking up early may not be your cup of tea. Here's a quick (but easier-said-than-done) guide to transform yourself into a morning person.

Go to bed early

It's not rocket science. Even a morning person needs to get an adequate amount of sleep (this may vary individually). So plan the night before, and sleep early. Having a sleep-friendly bedroom will help you fall asleep quickly. Drinking a little extra amount of fluids can help you, since a full bladder in the morning is a good enough reason to get up. But don't overdo it.

Get quality sleep

Never underestimate the benefit of quality sleep. Poor sleep quality will make you sleep more and still feel tired in the morning. A quiet bedroom, good quality mattress and pillows, getting treatment for sleep disorders all help you to sleep better.

Wake up to your alarm

An alarm comes in handy when you need to change your sleep habits. Set your alarm to go off at a multiple of 90 minutes (e.g. 6 hours, 7.5 hours, 9 hours) works best. Our sleep cycles usually last for 90 minutes, so the alarm goes off when we are in shallow sleep, making it easy to get up.

During the first few days, keep a back up alarm set at your usual wake up time.

Reward yourself for waking up early

The most difficult part of getting up early, is the first few minutes of trying to get out of bed. It's so easy to crawl back into bed and snuggle. One way to overcome that temptation is to reward your new found good behaviour.

Start doing a workout (plan this the previous night), make yourself a cup of tea or (my favourite option) listen to upbeat music. Rewards not only strengthen your new habit, but is also helps you to make good use of your extra few hours in the morning.

Practice makes permanent

It might take you a while to adjust to the new routine, but keep pushing yourself. You might miss out every now and then, but stay positive.

What's your secret to waking up early? Share your own tips!

My Pet is My Alarm Clock

I once had a pet cat who wakes me up in the morning. It's amazing how quickly they adapt to assume the role of an alarm clock.

Having your pet dog or cat wake you up isn't rare. But such behaviour isn't always welcomed by pet owners. While you can turn off your alarm on weekends to catch an extra bit of sleep, your pet alarm don't come with a snooze button.

Why do pets wake their owners?

You might think it's your pet's superior intelligence, but waking up owners is often a behaviour reinforced via classical conditioning.

Let me explain.

Your pet can wake up early one day feeling hungry. Since it can't find it's owner, it might walk into your bedroom and start barking or meowing. You might get up and feed your pet. That simple act of feeding, is a reward in the eyes of your pet. The reward strengthens the behaviour of waking you up early morning. So the next day, your pet will try even harder to wake you up to reap the rewards.

So in a way it's you, who set the alarm, in the first place.

How to stop your pet alarm

Sooner or later you will be annoyed by our pet's 'alarm clock' behaviour. When it does, you might find the following steps useful to change it's bad habits.

Stop rewarding your pet

You encouraged it (maybe unintentionally), so it is up to you, to correct it. Avoid waking up to your pet's calls. And don't associate waking up with feeding.

Reinforce good bahaviour

Wait till your pet gives up trying to wake you, and reward the silence. So your pet will learn that it is the silence that gets them food, not to noise or scratching.

Create a distance between you and your pet

If your bedroom has a door, close it so your pet can't come onto the bed. Wear ear plugs if door-closing isn't an option.

Make your pet sleep more

Play with your pet late at night to make it tired. Feed them dinner late so they are less likely to be hungry in the morning. You can even use thick curtains to block out light to make it seem dark in your pet's room.

Does your pet wake you up early morning? Share your story and tell us how you dealt with it.

7 Interesting Facts About Microsleep

1. What is microsleep?

We all have experienced drowsiness. When extreme drowsiness causes us to sleep momentarily, it is called microsleep. Microsleep can last from a faction of second upto 30 seconds.

2. What causes someone to microsleep?

Sleep deprivation is a the main reason for microsleeps. It can also occur as a result of extreme fatigue, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia and depression. So anyone can have microsleep.

3. Aren't short naps good for you?

Taking a short nap is helpful when you're sleepy. But microsleep occur suddenly, without prior warning. Very often you are completely unaware of having a brief nap. While this may not affect you badly while reading a newspaper, it can lead to grave consequences when you doze off while driving or doing a hazardous task. Microsleeping is responsible for many motor traffic and workplace accidents.

4. How can you tell if a person is microsleeping?

Fixed gaze, drooping eyes, slow eyelid closure, complete failure to respond and head nodding are telltale signs of microsleeping.

5. Are there any tests to confirm microsleeping?

EEG recordings, which measure brain's electrical activity can be used to confirm microsleeping. When you close your eyes and fall asleep, the brain waves change from alpha to theta waves. The same occurs during microsleeping. The domination by theta waves is considered as a microsleep. This is an oversimplified explanation as various regions of the brain act differently during microsleep.

6. Does the whole brain shut down during microsleep?

Microsleeping can be described as a localized sleep by several regions of the brain. The areas controlling vision, co-ordination go into sleep, while others are active.

7. How to prevent microsleeping

If you are worried about microsleeping, or caught yourself suddenly jerking into consciousness, then you need to improve the quality of your sleep to prevent microsleeps. Avoid sleep deprivation and accumulating sleep debt. Seek treatment for sleep disorders. Avoid drowsy driving or other high risk activities when you feel sleepy.

Do you know someone who microsleeps? Share this post with them and tell us their story!

Pregnancy Sleep Tips

Pregnancy can bring more challenges to your sleep habits. Changes in your body might force you to change your sleep posture. Or the frequent visits to the bathroom and heartburn can really tax your sleep. Here are few tips to help you overcome these problems and enjoy a quality sleep during pregnancy.

Learn relaxation techniques

Expectations and worries can make pregnancy a stressful experience. Try learning deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation or yoga to help alleviate anxiety and stress. Since some mothers need bed rest for a safe pregnancy, always consult your doctor regarding your choice of physical activities.

Drink fluids wisely

The growing baby takes up space inside the tummy leaving the bladder less room to expand. Frequency urination is a common symptom particularly during the first and last trimesters. So drink plenty of fluids during the day but reduce it close to bedtime to prevent your bladder from disturbing your sleep.

Adjust your sleep posture

If you sleep on your stomach, then the growing belly can make it difficult to maintain your preferred sleep posture. As the pregnancy progresses, sleeping on your back compresses the large blood vessels, reducing the blood flow to the baby. Best position to sleep is on your side (preferably your left side).

Grab extra pillows

When you sleep on your side, keep a pillow under your knee and tummy to support your body. Alternatively, you can use a body pillow for support.

Take naps during the day

Short day time naps can help you overcome tiredness and make you more relaxed. Heartburn can aggravate when you sleep soon after a spicy meal. Keep a gap of at least 2 hours to minimize heartburn and acid reflux. Limit your naps to 30 minutes so you wake up refreshed. Too much daytime sleep can make you sleepy and also prevent you from falling asleep at night. 

Don't forget sleep hygiene

Good sleep habits like sleeping and waking at regular times will also help you during pregnancy. Also keep your bedroom colourful and clean.

Keep away from sleeping pills

It is best to minimize the use of sleeping pills to avoid any harm to the growing foetus. But some medications are registered to use during pregnancy to help overcome sleep problems. Always ask your doctor before taking any sleeping medications.

If you are worried about having a sleep disorder during pregnancy, talk to your doctor. Your sleep disorder can be a sign of another illness like depression or sleep apnoea.

Share these tips with a pregnant mother and add anymore tips that have worked for you.

How to Wake Up Early Without an Alarm Clock

Waking up to an alarm can be a real pain. It is even more painful to forget to set up the alarm and wake up late to miss something important. Is there an alternative to alarm clocks? Can our biological clocks be used to wake up early morning?

The following steps will help you wake up naturally without an alarm clock.

1. Regularize your biological clock

Our internal clock can get disturbed by bad sleep habits. Our biological clock is synchronized with the light and dark. When you get too many naps during the day, the body gets mixed signals. Stick to a regular routine. Night shifts and jet lag can ruin your internal clock and it could take weeks to get things in order. Too much caffeine in the night can also prevent the body from relaxing and slowing down before sleep, which is a natural part of our daily habits.

Poor sleep habits is one reason for alarm clocks to exist. So get your internal clock in shape before anything else.

2. Assess how much sleep you need

Not everyone requires the same amount of sleep. Sleep requirements also vary with age. While a toddler can sleep up to 14 hours, an adult requires only half that number.

Signs of sleep deprivation can help us assess how much sleep we need. Excessive daytime sleepiness, inability to pay attention, forgetting simple tasks and falling asleep too quickly (reduced sleep latency) all point to inadequate sleep.

3. Practice waking up at a fixed time

Waking up at a regular time helps your body adjust to a rhythm. You might need an alarm clock to help you with this. And often we set our alarms to go off at a fixed time in the morning. With time, the body will adjust and will 'switch-on' just before the wake up time.

4. Go to sleep at a regular time

Similar to waking up, going to bed at a regular time will help your body relax and anticipate sleep. This helps you to enjoy better sleep. Good quality sleep makes it easier to wake up in the morning, because your body has had enough rest.

When you go to bed, picture yourself waking up in the morning. Give suggestions to your brain to wake up at the desired time. Talk to yourself and say you're going to wake up.

5. Minimize sleep disturbances

External stimuli can affect the quality of your sleep. Waking up during sleep can disrupt the sleep cycle and make it difficult to wake up at the desired time. Our blog post on creating a sleep-friendly bedroom will point you in the right direction.

6. Plan your morning routine

When you have some task to do in the morning, it motivates you to wake up. But it has to be something you like doing. If you are keen on fitness, then do a light workout soon after waking up. I found that running can be a good motivator to wake up. It is much easier to run early morning, so it acts as an incentive to wake up early. Watching television, drinking tea or enjoying the sunrise can be used to motivate yourself.

7. Don't throw away your alarm clock, just yet!

Even after following all the above steps, you can't guarantee 100 percent success. So when you have an important appointment, have the alarm clock as a back up, 20 or 30 minutes later than your wake up time. That will take away the stress of trying to wake up all by yourself.

Try this and you might be surprised how amazing and accurate our biological clock can be. But it can get affected by mood, stress or illnesses.

Have you ever had any success waking up without an alarm clock? Share your views with us!

Try These Natural Sleep Remedies to Prevent Insomnia

When you don't get enough quality sleep, it is easy to turn into sleeping pills for a cure. But try these natural sleep remedies that can help you improve you sleep. Sometimes, a few adjustments to your daily routine is all you need to switch back to good sleep.

Modify your diet

Food habits can mean the difference between good sleep and twisting and turning in bed with insomnia.

A light dinner helps your body to relax. It also minimizes acid reflux, which can interfere with good sleep. Avoid caffeine (tea, coffee, milk chocolate) in the evening and night. If you must have chocolate, then stick to dark chocolate which improves sleep. Oatmeal, cherry, banana, honey and cheese promotes sleep. Soy based products also interfere with sleep when consumed later in the day.

If you don't eat enough food containing calcium (milk, yogurt, cheese, almonds, fish etc.) and magnesium (almonds, potato, rice, soybeans and oatmeal etc.) then consider having a calcium and magnesium supplement. Calcium and magnesium can help you relax and enjoy a good sleep.


Having a glass of milk before you sleep helps you fall asleep faster and give enough calories to keep your body running during sleep.

Relaxation techniques

Anything that helps your mind to calm down before lying down in bed will help you enjoy a good sleep. It will cut down on sleep latency, which means you will fall asleep faster.

Meditation can reduce your stress level and help you get into sleep. Progressive muscle relaxation is another way to loosen up before you hit the sack.

Exercise wisely

Physical activity will help you overcome the stress build up during the day. But exercising few hours before going to bed is a bad habit with bad consequences. Try to space out your workouts with your napping time. Also try light exercises like yoga, if you only have spare time available for workout close to your bedtime.

Relaxation music

Listening to soothing music can help you relax and enjoy a good sleep. Noise pollution during sleep, on the other hand interferes with your sleep, especially if you are a light sleeper.

Aromatherapy

A good aroma can lift up your spirits. The smell of lavender can induce sleep.

Tweak up your bedroom

Having a cozy bedroom is one way to beat insomnia. Few months ago I wrote a blog post on how to create a sleep-friendly bedroom.

Sleep on a hammock

If you aren't the kind that hugs your bed, then try sleeping on a hammock. Gentle rocking helps you to fall asleep faster. Your sleep is also immune to noise pollution when you sleep on a rocking bed. If you can't find a hammock, at least dreaming of a hammock or a boat itself can help you sleep better.

Cold shower

Having a shower in the night helps you to relax before bedtime. It also cools your brain and reduce the metabolism so you can fall asleep more easily.

Good sleep hygiene

Benefits of good sleep hygiene can never be underestimated. Sleeping and waking up at regular times will help your body adjust to a rhythm that promotes good sleep.

Fatal Familial Insomnia: The Disease That Kills You by Keeping You Awake

Fatal familial insomnia is a rare genetic disease. It is death sentence coded in the genes of an unlucky few, that makes them suffer from chronic insomnia and eventual death.

We all suffer from bouts of insomnia every now and then. But people living with fatal familial insomnia never get a chance to turn back the tide and sleep normally.

A ferocious sleep disorder

Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease. So an affected person has a 50% chance of transmitting the condition to his or her progeny. But this disease is extremely rare, with around 40 families harbouring this genetic defect.

The genetic defect is in the short arm of the chromosome 20.

The victims of this fatal familial insomnia lead a normal life, until the onset of symptoms around 50 years of age. But it is known to occur at ages between 18 to 60 years. The genetic defect results in production of an 'abnormal' protein. This 'abnormal' protein gets deposited in the brain, resulting in degeneration of the brain tissue.

Symptoms of fatal familial insomnia

The disease progress in four stages. Deaths occur between 7 to 36 months from the onset of symptoms. The people suffering from fatal familial insomnia doesn't seem to sleep beyond sleep stage 1.

1. Progressive insomnia leading to panic attacks and phobias (lasting around 4 months)
2. Hallucinations (lasting around 5 months)
3. Complete inability to sleep and marked loss of weight (3 months)
4. Dementia, unresponsiveness leading to eventual death (6 months)

Can chronic insomnia cause death?

The precise cause of death of fatal familial insomnia is uncertain. But many animal studies have shown that total sleep deprivation can lead to death in a matter of days. Autopsies done on FFI subjects have not revealed enough brain damage to account for the deaths. If this is the case, then controlling the symptoms of insomnia can prolong the life of these people.

No cure, only palliative care

As the name suggests, there is no cure for this condition at present. Even gene therapy has not been a success. The only mode of treatment is to alleviate the symptoms. Sleeping pills and sedatives do not work well for these unfortunate patients.

If you want to read more about this rare condition, the following links might interest you,

• What is fatal familial insomnia?
• Fatal familial insomnia - New England Journal of Medicine

Also read the post about the man who never slept in 38 years, and obviously didn't suffer from FFI

Can Sleeping Without a Pillow Improve Your Posture?

Humans didn't always have the comfort of sleeping on a pillow. The most ancient pillows found in China and Egypt were made of wood or stone. During the middle ages, it was considered a weakness to sleep on a pillow. So can we actually benefit from sleeping without a pillow?

Benefits of sleeping without a pillow

People who sleep on their backs can improve their posture when they without a pillow. Some even say that sleeping without a pillow has helped them overcome neck pain associated with sleeping. Pillows can restrict your movements during sleep. So sleeping without a pillow also gives your body a wider range of movements.

If you sleep on your back, then sleeping pillow-less can improve posture and theoretically increase your height a little. It is a result of your back and neck being straightened and the general improvement in posture. So it won't help you 'grow' taller.

Drawbacks of sleeping without a pillow

Pillows support your neck. And if you are a side sleeper, a pillow will help your neck to remain straight while you sleep. Going pillow-less or sleeping on a tall pillow can tilt your neck and strain your neck muscles.

A pillow also provides comfort for the head. This helps you fall asleep faster.

Is it good or bad?

In the end, whether or not to sleep on a pillow is a personal choice. Your fitness level, sleep posture, sleep disorders or neck problems all contribute to it. If you think your pillow is giving you troubles, then try sleeping on a towel roll (you can make your own by rolling up a towel and keeping it under your neck).

Do you know someone who sleeps without a pillow? Share it with them and try it yourself and tell us whether it helped you to get a better sleep.

Can Sleeping with Earplugs Damage Your Ears?

Not everyone has the luxury of sleeping in a quiet bedroom. Snoring partners, nearby traffic or railroads all contribute to noise pollution. Shift work and jet-lag, force us to nap during daytime amidst noise. Apart from disturbing your sleep, noise pollution has many ill effects on your health. Earplugs are an easy solution to tackle noise pollution.

But is it safe to use earplugs? What precautions do you need to take when using earplugs?

Earplugs cut off only a portion of noise. Usually it cuts the background noise, leaving you receptive for your alarm tone and human voice.

Ear infection

Earplugs close the external ear canal, and prevent the natural drying process. The moist, warm environment invites bacterial and fungal growth.

Solution: Clean your earplugs with soap and water. Wash your hands before inserting them before going to sleep. And change them regularly.

Earwax compaction

The external ear canal is coated in earwax to protect itself from dust particles. They gradually flow out of the ear canal. When you push the earplugs too far, it can push earwax in, causing it to clog.

Solution: Insert the earplugs carefully and avoid pushing it too far inside.

Damage to eardrum

Earplugs make the external ear canal airtight. Overenthusiastic pushing of earplugs can suddenly increase the pressure inside the canal. Sleeping on your side can also push the earplugs inwards. This causes pain and can even wake you up. Same can happen when you try to remove it quickly.

Solution: Take care when inserting and removing the earplugs. When you try a set of earplugs, check them with your head turned sideways.

Dependency on earplugs

When earplugs are giving you good results, it tempts you to use them more often. Most of the ill effects of earplug use result from prolong use.

Solution: Try other methods to reduce noise pollution in your bedroom. Use thick curtains and use earmuffs.

Share this post with a friend who uses earplugs. And share with us your own problems or solutions with using earplugs

Here's a short video clip showing you the correct way of inserting earplugs.