But mainly, CBT didn't work [for me] because my sleep doctor worked with my cognitive behavioral therapist. My sleep doctor got angry with me when he learned I was writing the book, so I was afraid to go back.
What's the weirdest sleep technique you tried?
I talked to a psychic at [a large home-furnishing store in Manhattan] who was part of a celebration of Indian culture at the store. Not that I expected to find the answer, but some people recommended her.
I told her I had insomnia. She gave me a prayer to say to Nidra, the goddess of sleep.
You also went to Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle, at Christmastime. What did you hope to discover?
When I was little, I used to wait up for Santa. And I always thought if I could see a reindeer on Christmas, maybe I'd get the gift of sleep. In Lapland, reindeer outnumber people.
Did you get that gift?
At that time of year, it's dark almost all the time. One of the reindeer herders said it wasn't a problem. In the winter he sleeps about 10 hours a night, and in the summer maybe 4 or 5.
He said, "It's all about keeping rhythm with nature. When the sun shines, it gives us energy to keep going. When it doesn't, we go to bed.''
The idea hit home that my sleep, particularly living in a city, had gotten very far away from the rhythms of nature.
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