My Sleep Story | 8 Years of Insomnia (What Worked)

I haven’t slept properly in 8 years.

This is the story of how that broke me, and what I’m doing about it.

It’s 1:47 AM on a Tuesday in March 2017. I’m lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, wide awake. I’ve been here for 2 hours. My mind won’t shut off.

Tomorrow’s meeting. Yesterday’s awkward conversation. The email I forgot to send. Did I lock the back door? What was that noise? Why can’t I just sleep like a normal person?

I finally drift off around 3:30 AM. My alarm goes off at 7:00 AM. I wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck. I drag myself through another day running on 3.5 hours of broken sleep, chugging coffee, barely functional.

This wasn’t a one-time thing. This was every night. For months. Then years.

This is my full sleep story. Not a product review. Not a how-to guide. Just the honest, messy journey from “sleeping fine” to “8 years of insomnia” to where I am now.

If you’re struggling with sleep and feel alone in it—you’re not.

Before: When Sleep Wasn’t a Problem

I took sleep for granted.

From childhood through my mid-twenties, sleep was the easiest thing in the world. Head hit pillow, asleep in 10 minutes, wake up 7-8 hours later feeling refreshed. Sleep was boring. Automatic. Not even something I thought about.

What normal sleep felt like:

Fell asleep effortlessly
Slept straight through (maybe one wake-up to pee)
Woke up naturally around 7 AM
Actually felt rested
Had energy all day
Could focus at work
Never worried about whether I’d sleep that night

The irony? I used to think people with sleep problems just needed to “try harder” or “relax more.” I had no idea how wrong I was. I had no idea I’d become one of them.

I can’t pinpoint the exact last night I slept well. It faded gradually, then suddenly. Like slowly losing your vision until one day you realize you can’t see anymore.

The Breaking Point: 2017

What Triggered It

Early 2017, I went through a rough period. Work was stressful—dealing with a difficult manager, unrealistic deadlines, office politics. A relationship ended badly. Money was tight. Classic adulting problems, nothing extraordinary, but it all piled up at once.

The Anxiety Period

For about 3 months (March through June 2017), I was anxious all the time. Not panic attacks—I never had those. Just constant low-level worry that sat in my chest and wouldn’t leave. The kind that makes your shoulders tense, your jaw clench, your stomach tight.

When Sleep Started Failing

Around April 2017, I started noticing changes:

Taking 30-45 minutes to fall asleep (used to be 10 minutes)
Waking up at 3 AM with racing thoughts
Lying awake for an hour, unable to fall back asleep
Dragging through days absolutely exhausted

I thought it was temporary. “Once life calms down, sleep will fix itself.” Everyone goes through stressful periods. This was normal, right?

The Cruel Twist

By August 2017, the stressful period had passed. Work situation improved. Got over the breakup. Money stabilized. Life normalized. The anxiety faded.

But the sleep problems didn’t.

If anything, they got worse.

This is when I started to panic. I wasn’t stressed anymore. Wasn’t anxious. Life was actually… fine. So why couldn’t I sleep?

The Downward Spiral

Not sleeping made me anxious about not sleeping. Which made it harder to sleep. Which made me more anxious. The classic insomnia spiral.

I’d lie in bed thinking: What’s wrong with me? Everyone else can sleep. Why can’t I? I’m going to be exhausted tomorrow. I can’t keep living like this.

The numbers from mid-2017:

Time to fall asleep: 60-90 minutes (sometimes 2+ hours on bad nights)
Wake-ups per night: 2-4 times
Time awake during the night: 90-120 minutes total
Total sleep: 4-6 hours on a good night
Days per week this happened: 6-7

How it felt: Exhausting. Frustrating. Lonely. Everyone else seemed to sleep fine. I felt broken.

The Dabbling Years: 2017-2022

For 5 years, I tried everything. But I was dabbling—trying things randomly for a week or two, not tracking anything properly, giving up when they didn’t work immediately.

Melatonin (2017-2018)

Bought it after reading dozens of articles saying “melatonin helps you sleep!”

Took 3mg every night for 3 months.

Result: Helped me fall asleep sometimes. Didn’t help me stay asleep. Inconsistent. Made me feel groggy in the mornings. Gave up after realizing it wasn’t solving the problem.

Meditation Apps (2018)

Downloaded Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer. Did guided sleep meditations every night.

Result: Calming and helpful for reducing anxiety. But it didn’t make me sleep. I’d fall asleep during a 20-minute meditation, wake up 20 minutes later, and still be exhausted. Good for mental health, not for sleep itself.

“Sleep Hygiene” Advice (2017-2020)

Read every article: “10 Tips for Better Sleep!” “The Ultimate Sleep Guide!” Tried everything they recommended:

Earlier bedtime → Still took 90 minutes to fall asleep
No screens before bed → Helped slightly but not enough
Dark room → Already had blackout curtains
Consistent schedule → Still woke up at 3 AM every night
Cool room → Made some difference but didn’t solve it
No caffeine after 2 PM → Didn’t change anything

Result: Minor improvements but nothing consistent. Frustrating because everyone said “just do sleep hygiene!” as if it was that simple. It wasn’t.

Chamomile Tea, Lavender, Essential Oils (2019)

Bought fancy lavender pillow spray for £12. Drank chamomile tea every night. Used lavender essential oil in a diffuser.

Result: Smelled nice. Did absolutely nothing for my sleep. Complete waste of money.

Exercise Timing Experiments (2020)

Tried morning workouts, evening workouts, no workouts.

Result: Exercise helped my mood and overall health but didn’t significantly improve my sleep. Evening workouts actually made it slightly worse (too energized).

Books, Podcasts, Reddit Forums (2017-2022)

Read “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker (terrifying book that made my anxiety about sleep worse). Listened to sleep podcasts. Scrolled Reddit’s r/insomnia at 2 AM looking for answers.

Result: More confused. More anxious. No solutions.

The Money I Wasted

Between 2017-2022, I spent roughly £300-400 on:

Supplements that didn’t work (melatonin, valerian, 5-HTP, CBD)
Books about sleep
Premium meditation apps
Essential oils and pillow sprays
Blue light blocking glasses (did nothing)
A basic Fitbit (didn’t help, just showed me data I already knew)

Nothing had a lasting effect.

The Pattern

Try something → Works for 3-5 days (probably placebo) → Stops working → Back to lying awake for hours → Google “how to fix insomnia” at 3 AM → Try next thing on the list.

Repeat for 5 years.

The Frustration

I wasn’t lazy. I was trying. Hard. But nothing stuck. Every morning I’d wake up exhausted thinking, Why can’t I fix this? What am I doing wrong?

By late 2022, I hit a breaking point. I realized my approach was the problem. I was dabbling. Trying things randomly. Not tracking anything systematically. Not committing long enough. Not testing one variable at a time.

I needed a system.

The Turning Point: January 2023

January 1st, 2023, I made a decision: Stop dabbling. Start testing systematically.

What Changed

1. Bought an Oura Ring (Gen 3) – £299

This was a big investment for me. But I needed objective data, not just my feelings. The Oura Ring tracked:

Deep sleep minutes
Wake-ups per night
Heart rate throughout the night
Sleep score (overall rating)
Restlessness

Finally, I had data to work with. I could see patterns. I could track what actually worked versus what just felt like it worked.

2. Created a Detailed Spreadsheet

Every morning, I logged:

Time to fall asleep (my estimate)
All Oura Ring metrics
What I tried the night before (supplements, techniques)
How I felt in the morning (1-10 scale)
Any notes about stress, food, exercise

3. Committed to 30-Day Testing Minimum

No more trying something for 3 days and quitting. Every product or technique got a minimum of 30 days. Changed ONE variable at a time so I’d know what actually worked.

4. Started TheSleepExperiment.com

If I was going to spend money testing products anyway, I might as well document it and help others avoid my 5 years of wasted time and money.

The First Real Test: Magnesium Glycinate (February-March 2023)

I chose magnesium because:

Scientifically backed for sleep
Safe with minimal side effects
Affordable (£14 for 8-month supply)
Multiple people on Reddit recommended it

My Protocol:

2-week baseline (tracked normal sleep, no changes)
30 days taking 200mg magnesium glycinate, 1 hour before bed
Tracked every single night in my spreadsheet
No other changes to routine

The Result: My First Success After 6 Years

Weeks 1-2: Barely noticed anything. Thought “here we go again, another thing that won’t work.”

Week 3: Data started showing subtle improvement. Falling asleep in 45 minutes instead of 75 minutes.

Week 4: Clear, measurable change.

The Numbers:

Time to fall asleep: 75 minutes → 38 minutes (baseline vs day 30)
Deep sleep: 48 minutes → 72 minutes average
Wake-ups per night: 3-4 → 2
Sleep score: 68 → 78

The Revelation:

Holy shit. Something actually worked. And I had data to prove it wasn’t just in my head.

This was the moment everything changed. I realized systematic testing was the answer. Not dabbling. Not trying random things. Actual structured testing with data tracking.

If magnesium worked, what else might work?

The Last 2 Years: Building My “Sleep Stack”

Since January 2023, I’ve tested approximately 25-30 products and techniques:

10+ different magnesium supplements
5+ white noise machines
3 sleep trackers (Oura Ring, Whoop band trial, Apple Watch comparison)
Various bedroom environment products (blackout curtains, EMF blockers, cooling products)
Breathing techniques
CBT-I methods
Temperature control experiments

Total Money Spent on Testing: ~£1,800 over 2 years

Oura Ring: £299 (+ £5.99/month subscription after year 1)
Products tested: ~£800
White noise machines: £60
Various supplements: ~£400
Sleep environment products: ~£240

Some worked. Many didn’t. But I documented everything.

What Actually Works: My Current “Stack”

After 2 years of systematic testing, here’s what I do every night:

The Non-Negotiables:

1. Magnesium glycinate – 400mg, 1 hour before bed ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Started at 200mg, increased to 400mg after finding it more effective. This is the foundation of my routine. Without it, my sleep falls apart within 3-4 days.

2. White noise machine (LectroFan Evo, pink noise) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Masks environmental noise. Reduced my wake-ups from 3-4 per night to 1-2. Game-changer.

3. Cool room – 18°C ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Used to sleep at 21°C. Dropping it to 18°C made a measurable difference in my Oura Ring data.

4. Consistent schedule – 11 PM to 7 AM, even weekends ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was hard to build but worth it. My body expects sleep at 11 PM now.

The Helpful Additions:

5. Worry journal before bed ⭐⭐⭐⭐

5-10 minute brain dump at 10:30 PM. Externalizes the anxiety so I’m not taking it to bed.

6. No screens 30-60 minutes before bed ⭐⭐⭐½

Still slip on this sometimes but when I do it consistently, I fall asleep faster.

7. 4-7-8 breathing when I can’t fall asleep ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If I’m still awake after 10 minutes in bed, I do this breathing technique. Usually asleep within 10-15 minutes.

What Didn’t Work:

CBD oil (expensive, no effect on my sleep)
Valerian root (made me groggy, didn’t improve sleep)
Blue light blocking glasses (minimal effect)
Weighted blanket (too hot for me)
“Smart” mattress (£400 wasted)
Sleep tracking apps without wearables (inaccurate)

Where I Am Now: 2025

The Honest Truth

I’m not “cured.” I still have bad nights. But I’m so much better than I was.

Current Numbers (Averages):

Time to fall asleep: 20-30 minutes (was 90 minutes)
Deep sleep: 1 hour 15 minutes (was 48 minutes)
Wake-ups per night: 1-2 (was 3-4)
Total sleep: 7-7.5 hours (was 5-6 hours)
Sleep score: 82/100 (was 68/100)
Good nights per week: 5-6 out of 7 (was 1-2 out of 7)

What “Good” Looks Like Now

Fall asleep in 20-25 minutes
Wake up once around 4 AM for 5-10 minutes
Fall back asleep easily
Wake up at 7 AM feeling rested (not perfect, but functional)
Have energy during the day
Don’t obsess about sleep constantly

What “Bad” Looks Like (1-2 Nights Per Week)

Takes 45+ minutes to fall asleep
Wake up 2-3 times
Lie awake for 20-30 minutes during wake-ups
Wake up tired

The Difference

Bad nights used to destroy me. I’d spiral into anxiety, worry about the next night, feel like my life was falling apart.

Now? Bad nights are just… annoying. Frustrating. But I know what to do. I know it’s temporary. I know I’ll sleep better tomorrow. I don’t spiral.

The goal isn’t perfection. Perfect sleep every night isn’t realistic. Bodies change. Stress happens. Life happens.

The goal is:

More good nights than bad
Know what works when things go wrong
Don’t let sleep problems control your life

What I’ve Learned After 8 Years

1. Stop dabbling, start testing systematically

Trying something for 3 days and quitting when it doesn’t work isn’t testing. It’s hoping for magic. Real change takes weeks, not days.

2. Track data, not just feelings

“I think I slept better” is unreliable. My Oura Ring showed me I was wrong about my sleep constantly. Data doesn’t lie. Feelings do.

3. One variable at a time

If you change 5 things at once, you’ll never know what actually worked. Boring but effective.

4. What works for others might not work for you

Everyone raved about melatonin. Did nothing for me. Everyone said CBD was a miracle. Didn’t help me. Your body is different.

5. Expensive doesn’t equal better

I spent £400 on a “smart” mattress that did nothing. A £14 bottle of magnesium fixed my sleep. Price doesn’t equal effectiveness.

6. Sleep is multifactorial

There’s no magic bullet. My solution is 4-5 things combined working together. Your solution will be different from mine.

7. Bad nights will still happen

Even with a perfect routine, stress happens. Accept it. Don’t panic. Get back on track the next night.

8. You’re not alone

Insomnia is incredibly isolating. Everyone else seems to sleep fine. But millions of people struggle. You’re not broken. You’re not alone.

Why I Started This Website

After 6 years of wasted time, money, and frustration, I decided: If I’m going to keep testing sleep products, I might as well help others avoid the mistakes I made.

What TheSleepExperiment.com Is:

Honest testing (30+ days per product minimum)
Real data (Oura Ring metrics, actual numbers)
Actual money spent (no sponsored posts, ever)
Both successes and failures
Written by someone who actually has sleep problems

What This Site Isn’t:

Corporate review site churning out fake reviews
Sponsored content disguised as honest opinions
Exaggerated claims and “sleep hacks”
Medical advice (I’m not a doctor)
“Perfect sleep in 3 days!” nonsense

My Promise to You

I only recommend products I’ve personally tested for at least 30 days. I share what doesn’t work, not just what works. I’m honest about limitations. I spend my own money on everything I test.

I’m not trying to sell you anything. I’m trying to save you the time and money I wasted.

Where I’m Going Next

Current Experiments

I’m still testing new things:

EMF reduction (blocking WiFi radiation at night)
Red light therapy before bed
Different pillow types
Supplement combinations
Temperature control methods (cooling mattress pads)

The Goal

I have 5-6 good nights per week now. Can I get to 6-7? I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.

Every product I test, every technique I try, I’ll document it honestly. The successes and the failures. The things worth your money and the things that are complete waste.

If this site helps one person sleep better, it’s worth it.

To Everyone Struggling

I know how it feels. The exhaustion. The frustration. The loneliness. The feeling that everyone else has it figured out except you.

You’re not broken. Your body isn’t failing you. Sleep is complicated. It takes time to fix.

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me in 2017

Stop dabbling. Commit to 30 days minimum.
Track data objectively, not just feelings.
Change one thing at a time.
Be patient. It takes weeks, not days.
You will get there.

The Bottom Line

After 8 years of sleep problems, I now sleep through the night 5-6 nights per week. Not perfect. Not “cured.” But compared to where I was—lying awake for 90 minutes every single night—I’ll take it.

If you’re at the beginning of this journey, feeling hopeless, wondering if you’ll ever sleep normally again—don’t give up.

There’s a solution. It might take time to find it. It might be different from mine. But it’s there.

Thank you for reading my story.

Now let’s fix your sleep.

Where to Start

If you want to fix your sleep like I did:

Start Here:

See All My Testing:

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DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor, sleep scientist, or medical professional. I’m just someone who’s struggled with sleep for 8 years and decided to test solutions systematically. Everything on this site is my personal experience. Your results may vary. If you have persistent sleep problems, see a doctor to rule out sleep disorders like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or other medical conditions. Don’t let my story replace professional medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before trying new supplements, especially if you have health conditions or take medications.