I’d accepted poor sleep as just part of getting older. Everyone over 40 seemed to complain about it, so I figured waking up three or four times a night was normal. Feeling tired all day despite sleeping seven or eight hours was just what happened when you hit your mid-forties. That’s what I told myself, anyway.
Then something changed. I started using a hyperbaric chamber for completely different reasons, and within two weeks I was sleeping straight through the night for the first time in years. Now, at 45, I wake up feeling like I did when I was 18. No grogginess, no multiple wake-ups, just actual restful sleep. I didn’t expect this benefit at all, but it’s been the most life-changing result.
How Bad My Sleep Had Gotten
Falling asleep was never the problem. I’d be out within 10 minutes of my head hitting the pillow. But staying asleep? That was impossible.
I’d wake up at 1am for no reason. Lie there for 20 minutes before falling back asleep. Wake up again at 3am. Then 5am. By the time my alarm went off at 6:30, I’d already been awake multiple times and felt like I’d barely slept at all.
Mornings were brutal. That groggy, foggy feeling would last until at least 10am, sometimes longer. I needed coffee just to feel human, then more coffee to actually function. By afternoon, I was dragging. By evening, I was exhausted but somehow still couldn’t sleep well when bedtime came.
The worst part was accepting it as normal. Everyone my age complained about sleep. My doctor said my blood work was fine and suggested better sleep hygiene. I tried everything. Blackout curtains, cooler room temperature, no screens before bed, meditation apps. Nothing made a real difference.
Everything I Tried Before
I spent money on sleep supplements. Magnesium, melatonin, herbal blends. They’d help me fall asleep but did nothing for staying asleep. Some made me groggy the next day, which defeated the purpose.
I tracked my sleep with apps and watches. The data just confirmed what I already knew. Light sleep most of the night, barely any deep sleep, constant wake-ups. Seeing the numbers didn’t help me fix the problem.
I cut out caffeine after 2pm. No alcohol near bedtime. Perfect sleep environment. I was doing everything right according to every expert, and still sleeping terribly.
The acceptance that this was just my life now was depressing. Feeling tired became my baseline. I forgot what actually rested felt like.
The Unexpected Sleep Transformation
I got a hyperbaric chamber to help with recovery from workouts. Faster healing, less soreness, that kind of thing. Sleep improvement wasn’t even on my radar.
I started doing sessions in the evening, about two hours before bed. Just following the general recommendations I’d read about timing. The first night after a session, I slept through until 5am without waking once. I figured it was a coincidence.
The second night, same thing. Straight through the night. I woke up at 6am naturally, before my alarm, and felt actually rested. That hadn’t happened in years.
By the end of the first week, the pattern was clear. Every night after a session, I slept deeply and continuously. My sleep tracking app showed deep sleep percentages I hadn’t seen in a decade.
Two weeks in, I was convinced this wasn’t placebo or coincidence. I was genuinely sleeping better than I had since my twenties.
What Changed in Two Months
The sleep quality improvements kept building. Not only was I sleeping through the night, but the quality of that sleep was dramatically better. I’d wake up refreshed, not groggy. Alert within minutes, not hours.
My energy during the day became consistent and reliable. No afternoon crashes. No fighting to stay awake in meetings. Just steady energy from morning to evening.
People started commenting that I looked different. Less tired, younger somehow. My skin looked better. I had more patience with my kids. My mood was more stable. Everything improved from the foundation of actually sleeping well.
The mental clarity was remarkable. Decisions were easier. Focus came naturally. Work performance improved because my brain was finally getting the rest it needed.
Why It Works
I learned that oxygen and cellular recovery are crucial for sleep quality. During sleep, your body repairs itself at the cellular level. More oxygen means more efficient repair and deeper, more restorative sleep.
The hyperbaric sessions were essentially prepping my body for better recovery during sleep. My cells were getting what they needed to function properly, which translated to better sleep architecture.
Reduced inflammation played a role too. Chronic low-level inflammation interferes with sleep quality. Better oxygen delivery reduces inflammation, and better sleep follows naturally.
My Current Routine
I do sessions four or five evenings per week. Usually 60 to 75 minutes, between 7pm and 8pm. I’ll read, respond to emails, or just rest quietly. It’s become my wind-down ritual.
The sessions themselves are relaxing, but I’m not sleeping during them. I’m conscious and aware, just letting my body absorb oxygen. Then, a couple hours later when I actually go to bed, the sleep comes easily and deeply.
On nights when I don’t do a session, my sleep is still better than it was before I started, but the nights with sessions are noticeably deeper and more restorative.
For comprehensive information on how hyperbaric chambers support sleep and recovery, check out this detailed ultimate guide to hyperbaric chambers.
The Ripple Effects
Better sleep changed everything else. More energy meant more motivation to exercise. Better mood meant better relationships. Sharper thinking meant better work. One improvement cascaded into every area of life.
I stopped accepting fatigue as normal. I stopped believing poor sleep was just part of aging. My body needed support to sleep well, and once I gave it that support, everything shifted.
At 45, I’m sleeping like I did at 18. That’s not an exaggeration. If you’ve accepted poor sleep as your new normal, consider that your body might just need the right support to do what it’s designed to do. Mine did, and getting that support back changed my life.
