Calling All Troubled Sleepers

This life hack improved my quality of sleep overnight

Do you dread going to bed?

Do you toss and turn for hours before you finally knock out?

Do you wake up feeling exhausted instead of rested?

Two months ago, the answer to all these questions was an emphatic yes for me.

According to an article at sleephealth.org, “It is estimated that sleep-related problems affect 50 to 70 million Americans of all ages and socioeconomic classes.”

Over the years, I’ve tried several hacks to get a good night’s sleep.

The list includes:

• Drinking herbal tea
• Reading a book
• Watching ASMR videos
• Vigorous workouts

While these things worked sometimes, they never worked most of the time. I resolved to spend the rest of my life with lackluster sleep.

After all, my pediatrician once told me adults required less sleep than kids, so I thought this was the natural order of things.

Since I wasn’t looking for a sleep cure, it surprised me when I fell into a remedy for a good night’s sleep by reading a book about detoxing from sugar.

The fix seems simple now, but I would’ve never discovered it alone.

If you crave quality, peaceful nights of sleep, do this one thing.

Take a detox bath.

What’s a detox bath?

I’d say it’s the key to locking down a tranquil night’s rest. However, in layperson’s terms, it’s a bubble bath.

The Recipe

• 2 cups of Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 1 tablespoon bubble bath soap
• 10 drops of essential oil of your choosing

Run the water as hot as you can tolerate, then soak for 20–30 minutes.

As I mention, I found out about the detox bath in the book, The Blood Sugar Solution 10-day Detox Diet by Mark Hyman, M.D.

One of the critical steps listed in the book was taking a detox bath every night. I was less than thrilled with this nightly addition to my routine.

Who has time to sit in a tub for twenty minutes?

Do you know how many tasks can get done in that time?

What does one do in the tub?

I’d been an avid shower taker for most of my adult life. I liked to be in and out and on the next task well before half an hour had passed.

In American society, hustle culture is everywhere. We optimize our time for maximum results and push ourselves to accomplish big goals. Slowing down to take a bath can feel inefficient when a shower achieves the objective of getting clean.

As you can see, there was no way I was going to discover a detox bath would be the cure to my dismal sleeping lifestyle on my own.

The results speak for themselves

In the past, I could never get comfortable in bed. My mind wouldn’t slow down. My upstairs neighbor wouldn’t stop stomping around.

However, after more than ten days of consistent quality sleep, I’m sold on the power of detox baths.

I don’t even mind the 20–30 minutes I spend in the tub because the resulting night’s sleep is that good. I sleep like my former eight-year-old self after a long summer day outside playing with friends.

Now, random banging from neighbors doesn’t rouse me. My body is relaxed and heavy when my head touches the pillow. Even my thoughts change from planning and worrying to revolving around rest.

My FitBit sleep analysis for the past few weeks has remained in the Good range.

I wake up feeling rested and energized. The sleep hangovers I grew used to are long gone, and I can concentrate on the day ahead.

At this point, I’m almost thirty days into detox baths, and I don’t see myself getting rid of them any time soon. I look forward to them now.

Since I have a hard time not being productive, I read books while I soak. These 20–30 minutes in the tub calm my mind, body, and spirit in preparation for 7–8 hours of blissful slumber.

Even though you may not want to take a detox bath, you may need it.

At this point, you know what you have to do, so do it.

I dare you to try this detox bath and not have your best sleep in recent history.

Let me know how it goes!