Go to Bed Resources

Welcome to the Go To Bed Resources Page!!

The information in Go To Bed: 14 Easy Steps to Healthier Sleep is designed to naturally provide you with the best night’s sleep possible. As discussed in the e-book, none of these sleep aids and gadgets are necessary to improve your sleep for most people. However, a few of these provide a tremendous benefit for very little cost: they can be thought of biohacks, so we can enjoy the best of both worlds. For example, wearing amber-tinted glasses in the evenings allows you to protect your dim-light melatonin production while also enjoying evening activities that involve computer or television screens and indoor lighting. These biohacks can help support sleep while minimizing the intrusiveness that changes designed to improve our sleep can be in our lives.

The only one of these biohacks that is used in the 14-Day Go To Bed Challenge is amber-tinted glasses. Because these are so well established in the scientific literature to support circadian rhythm entrenchment and improve sleep quality, and because they require very little investment (as little as $6). In fact, amber-tinted glasses can be purchased at any hardware store! However, there are some options in the program for those who don’t want or can’t wear amber-tinted glasses, so don’t despair.

For a complete list of sleep aids and gadgets, along with who they are appropriate for and how they work, see pages 197-206 in Go To Bed.

Amber-Tinted Glasses

Amber-tinted glasses block blue light from entering your eyes, which, when worn for the last 2-3 hours before going to bed, helps protect dim-light melatonin production. This means they help you fall asleep more efficiently and sleep more deeply. Remember to also dim indoor lighting in the evening since there are blue light sensitive photoreceptors in skin too!

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Light Alarm Clock

Instead of waking up to a jarring beeping sound, music or the news, light alarm clocks wake you up with a gradually brightening light to simulate sunrise. This gadget is all about waking you up gently, and avoiding that little adrenaline rush and stress boost that conventional alarm clocks offer. The Philips Morning Wake-Up Light changes color as it brightens (red to yellow to white) and also provide nature sounds to add to your gentle waking experience. Many wake-up lights double as a light therapy box.

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Red Light Bulbs

If you don’t like wearing amber-tinted glasses, another option is to put red lights into lamps and light fixtures around your home for evening use (have regular light bulbs in other lamps and light fixtures for during the day). Make sure that if you’re using this strategy to avoid blue light exposure in the evening that you also avoid all computers, tablets, smartphones, TVs and any other screen!

Incandescent ($6 for 2)
Compact Fluorescent ($11 for 2)

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Philips Hue Light Bulbs

If the thought of extra lamps with red light bulbs in them cluttering the house gets you twitching, then you’ll love the versatility of Philips Hue. These light bulbs can change both color and brightness and can be controlled from your smartphone! You can even program them to automatically turn off when you leave the house, and automatically change color and brightness based on the time of day.

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Light Therapy Box

The idea behind using a 10,000lux light therapy box for 20 minutes to an hour daily is to provide a comparable circadian clock syncing stimulus to your brain as sunlight. This is a great gadget for anyone who can’t spend time outside every day year round (note that these lights provide no UV wavelengths so they will not tan the skin or stimulate vitamin D production). Created for Seasonal Affective Disorder, you might prefer to use this light in winter months if you live somewhere with dreary, cold winter weather, or you may choose to use yours year round if you work long hours indoors.

NatureBright Light and Ion Therapy Lamp ($50)

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Treadmill Desk

A treadmill desk allows you to walk slowly all day while you work (or you can turn if off and use it as a standing desk if you need a break). Typical speeds are between 1 and 2 miles per hour, so this isn’t about getting your workout in, but rather, staying in constant gentle motion to enjoy all the health benefits (and sleep benefits!) of movement.

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Desk Cycle

If your office space doesn’t allow for the large footprint of a treadmill desk, if you need a movement solution that is less conspicuous, or if you simply need a more affordable option, the DeskCycle is designed to fit under your desk where you can pedal away unnoticed! The pedals are very close to the floor, making this option work even with desks as low as 27”. It has 8 different resistance settings and is very quiet!

Desk Cycle ($160)

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Elliptical Trainer

Another option for people who want movement in their office space but for whom a treadmill desk is not an option. The FitDesk Elliptical Trainer is designed to fit under your desk, where your day of movement can go unnoticed! The motion of an elliptical trainer can be easier on the knees than that of a bicycle, plus this is designed so that your knees won’t hit the bottom of your desk even for desks as low as 25”. It also comes with 8 different resistance settings and is very quiet!

FitDesk Elliptical Trainer ($154)

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Meditation CD

Steven Halpern, one of the fathers of New Age music, writes meditation music designed to stimulate alpha and theta (calming) brainwaves, his album Sleep Soundly is lovely background music to self-directed mindful meditation.

Sleep Soundly by Steven Halpern ($9-$15)

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Blackout Curtains

Whether you live in the city or suburbia, light pollution can be a big problem! Beyond the fact that backyard astronomers can’t see the stars, this makes it hard to have a dark enough bedroom to promote high quality sleep. Blackout curtains are an excellent solution to minimize the amount of light seeping into your bedroom at night (or to block out sunlight if you’re a shift worker).

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White Noise Machine

If you’re a light sleeper and find that even small noises wake you up at night, or if there are loud noises that you are unable to control that affect your sleep, a white noise machine is a great solution. These produce soothing, repetitive nature sounds that mask other noises (especially high frequency noises, which are more likely to disrupt sleep) to diminish their effect on your sleep quality.

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Weighted Blanket

Weighted blankets improve sleep quality and total sleep time by providing a comforting and cocooning pressure to the body. Scientifically validated for insomnia, there may be some benefit for individuals under high stress or who suffer from anxiety. Look for a blanket that weighs between 10% and 12% of your body weight. This weighted blanket comes in varying weights, up to a 25lb blanket suitable for up to a 200lb person. The company makes blankets to order, so if you need something special, you can contact them directly.

SensaCalm Weighted Blanket ($200-$250)

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Sleep Supplements

Certain supplements discussed in Go To Bed are well supported in the scientific literature to effectively improve sleep quality with very few contraindications. However, remember to always talk to your healthcare provider before taking any supplement. Also, make sure that supplement use is not a crutch for poor implementation of routine, circadian rhythm entrenchment, hormone regulation, and sleep hygiene.

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FitBit (Activity and Sleep Trackers)

A FitBit is a great gadget for tracking both daytime activity and sleep quantity and quality. It measures sleep quality by looking at your movements during sleep (FitBits that are also equipped with heartrate monitors use this data as well). Regardless of which model you choose, all have the added bonus of social connection so you can cheer your friends’ milestones, compete for the most number of steps in the day, and stay motivated.

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