What is your routine for a good night's rest?

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  • veronicav0502
    veronicav0502 Posts: 112 Member
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    emmarrgh wrote: »
    I try to have a happy-thought that I can think about. Sometimes if my mind wanders randomly, anxiety kicks in and I remember that horrible/embarrassing thing I did 10 years ago and I inwardly cringe and then I'm wide awake again. So I have to focus on one happy thing. Right now it's how amazing our powder room/mud room will look when it's all renovated :)

    I also find that it takes a few days of the 9.30pm bedtime before I fall asleep quicker, like my body needs time to adjust. I use a sleep tracker and I was in bed at 9.30 for 3-4 nights in a row before I got more than 6-7 hours of sleep. Last night I got 8.5 hours of sleep, and 2 hours of deep sleep - my best yet!

    I do that too lol but I haven't tried the happy thoughts, so i will be trying that. I'm glad you are getting your rest. Until I get mine, please sleep for me. :D
  • daffyblessed
    daffyblessed Posts: 11 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Try magnesium supplements. Natural Calm powder in a warm beverage before bedtime works nicely. Most people are mag deficient. I have always been a poor sleeper until I started the supplements and now drop off and sleep soundly through the night- except when the cats wake me ;)
    Also, avoid alcohol close to bedtime, it may help you drift off but you won't sleep through the night (unless you drown yourself in booze and then you'll be up retching...) I enjoy a glass of wine with dinner and then cut myself off.
    Exercise is excellent, but again, not too close to bedtime as it can actually invigorate you and you don't want that when you need sleep :D
    I wish you all the best and sweet dreams.
  • veronicav0502
    veronicav0502 Posts: 112 Member
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    daffyblessed wrote: »
    Try magnesium supplements. Natural Calm powder in a beverage before bedtime works nicely. Most people are mag deficient. I have always been a poor sleeper until I started the supplements and now drop off and sleep soundly through the night-except when the cats wake me ;)

    Thanks for the info. I am definitely going to try this! How long did you have to take this before you noticed the difference?
  • daffyblessed
    daffyblessed Posts: 11 Member
    edited February 2017
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    Actually, the Natural Calm powder (don't get the one w/calcium) works pretty much right away. Start at 1/2 tsp (use an actual measuring spoon) and if that isn't doing the trick, increase in 1/2 tsp increments up to 2 tsp. I also supplement with magnesium in the morning as it helps with stress throughout the day. Google the benefits of magnesium supplements and you will see the MANY benefits of this vital mineral.
    Do your research and make your decision. Too much mag is not good for you (like ANYTHING!) so don't think more is better...There is tons of info about magnesium online. Some people have had a less than favorable experience with Natural Calm, but most are more than satisfied. Remember that is not the only way to supp mag. In fact, it is said that transdermal application is actually the best way to take it into your body. Loose stools is a possible side effect of the mag if you take too much, so be careful with dosage. I am not a doctor, just a person who has done extensive research on this supplement. I take magnesium as a part of an iodine protocol that has made significant improvements to my overall health- that's another research project for you ;)
  • Heather4448
    Heather4448 Posts: 908 Member
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    I take Valerian root and listen to music all night.
  • MacaronStyle
    MacaronStyle Posts: 35 Member
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    About an hour before bed I put away screens and take a hot bath. I read and then go to bed. If I have a lot of trouble sleeping then I'll make myself some stress tea, either with kava root or valerian. (I think the kava has a recommended max dose so read up on both before trying them.)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,177 Member
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    Up about 7:45 am
    Busy and active all day
    Chamomile tea about midnight
    Valerian right before bed
    In bed about 1 am
    Sleep like a log
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,177 Member
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    veronicav0502 wrote: »
    marieamethyst wrote: »
    I try to exercise most days, and read a little bit before bed to relax me.

    I just went to a retreat where a sleep expert did a session with us, and one of his recommendations was to not actually think about trying to fall asleep or how much you need to go to sleep. I've tried this trick a few times on the nights where I was having trouble sleeping, and sure enough as soon as I stopped focusing on falling asleep, I finally did. :)

    I'm going to have to try to break that habit! lol. I kept saying to myself, "All I want to do is sleep!" So what do you focus on? Usually all other random thoughts of the day come streaming by if I'm not thinking about wanting to sleep.

    I think about what I want to wear the next day.

    By the time I've finally decided on the top, I'm asleep. Then I wake up knowing what top I want to wear but no idea what to pair it with. :grin:

    Maybe my wardrobe is just that boring ...
  • Boland_D
    Boland_D Posts: 85 Member
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    Wake up at 5:30 AM so by the night I'm just exhausted and don't need much help.
    But my routine is eat dinner at 6, watch TV until 7 with the hubs, come into the room and read until about 8:15 and we are asleep no later than 10pm usually by 9:00.

    If I'm being naughty or am restless after that I'll play a game of hearthstone on my phone then fall asleep.
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,245 Member
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    I go to bed about 10:00 or 10:30 and play games on my tablet for about 15 minutes, then usually fall right to sleep. The husband likes the TV on, but he turns it on low volume on a sleep timer so it shuts off about an hour later. Dark room with cool temperature. However, in the past 5 years or so I often wake up between 2:30 and 3:00, especially if I've had a lot to drink that day (anything liquid, water, tea, coffee, alcohol). That's when I have a hard time getting back to sleep. To get back to sleep I will think about a recipe that I want to try and assimilate all the ingredients in my head, or make a mental to-do list for the next day, or list all the things I'm grateful for in my life. That sometimes helps me drift back off. If, after about 30 minutes I'm still awake, then I turn on my tablet and log into MFP for a bit and "LIKE" all my friend's posts from earlier time zones. :)

    I discovered that my sleep patterns changed after about age 45 - those lovely hormonal years. I started with this middle-of-the-night wake up call from a hot flash or urgent need to pee. Some nights full-on insomnia where I didn't sleep all night or only had what I call "twilight sleep". Where you know your body is relaxed but you feel your mind is still active and you can't shut it off. That's not good restorative sleep. After a couple nights of that I'll take 1/2 a Tylenol PM and that seems to get me back on track.

    I've come to REALLY appreciate and celebrate those nights when I actually sleep a full 7 hours without waking up or getting up!
  • RaeBeeBaby
    RaeBeeBaby Posts: 4,245 Member
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    daffyblessed wrote: »
    Actually, the Natural Calm powder (don't get the one w/calcium) works pretty much right away. Start at 1/2 tsp (use an actual measuring spoon) and if that isn't doing the trick, increase in 1/2 tsp increments up to 2 tsp. I also supplement with magnesium in the morning as it helps with stress throughout the day. Google the benefits of magnesium supplements and you will see the MANY benefits of this vital mineral.
    Do your research and make your decision. Too much mag is not good for you (like ANYTHING!) so don't think more is better...There is tons of info about magnesium online. Some people have had a less than favorable experience with Natural Calm, but most are more than satisfied. Remember that is not the only way to supp mag. In fact, it is said that transdermal application is actually the best way to take it into your body. Loose stools is a possible side effect of the mag if you take too much, so be careful with dosage. I am not a doctor, just a person who has done extensive research on this supplement. I take magnesium as a part of an iodine protocol that has made significant improvements to my overall health- that's another research project for you ;)

    Curious as to why not take the one with calcium? (That's the one I have currently.) Does it defeat the sleep inducing properties?

    I've also heard that some people take it as a mild laxative so I've never taken more than a teaspoon at a time (without any issues in that area). I normally just blend a teaspoon into my smoothies in the morning.
  • jurapak9960
    jurapak9960 Posts: 32 Member
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    What helps me the most is either a nice candlelit bubble bath to help relax or some yoga (mostly breathing and stretching) before bed. Getting your brain and body in the right mindset helps significantly with the quality of sleep.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Eat dinner with my wife while we watch some t.v...crawl into bed around 9:30...sometimes I read a bit, sometimes I don't...fall asleep.

    Sometimes I get into cycles of poor sleep and difficulty falling asleep and I have to use a sleep aid for 2-3 days to break me out...usually benadryl.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I stop drinking caffeine 8 hours before bedtime. I take 3 mg melatonin at bedtime. I quickly fall asleep and then awaken by 5:30 a.m., usually earlier. Bedtime is around 11:30 p.m.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    We can't get Melatonin over the counter in the UK so I bought some when last in the states.

    I took some on the night flight home and slept well (relatively well - considering I was in economy on a plane) but I took some at home, just to see what they were like in a normal sleep setting - Bloody Hell!! I had some vivid and weird dreams. Is that normal?
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Also watch out for what supplements you are taking and when. I took Vitamin D at night and had trouble falling asleep. Now I take it around lunch and my sleep patterns are back to normal
  • daffyblessed
    daffyblessed Posts: 11 Member
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    RaeBeeBaby wrote: »
    daffyblessed wrote: »
    Actually, the Natural Calm powder (don't get the one w/calcium) works pretty much right away. Start at 1/2 tsp (use an actual measuring spoon) and if that isn't doing the trick, increase in 1/2 tsp increments up to 2 tsp. I also supplement with magnesium in the morning as it helps with stress throughout the day. Google the benefits of magnesium supplements and you will see the MANY benefits of this vital mineral.
    Do your research and make your decision. Too much mag is not good for you (like ANYTHING!) so don't think more is better...There is tons of info about magnesium online. Some people have had a less than favorable experience with Natural Calm, but most are more than satisfied. Remember that is not the only way to supp mag. In fact, it is said that transdermal application is actually the best way to take it into your body. Loose stools is a possible side effect of the mag if you take too much, so be careful with dosage. I am not a doctor, just a person who has done extensive research on this supplement. I take magnesium as a part of an iodine protocol that has made significant improvements to my overall health- that's another research project for you ;)

    Curious as to why not take the one with calcium? (That's the one I have currently.) Does it defeat the sleep inducing properties?

    I've also heard that some people take it as a mild laxative so I've never taken more than a teaspoon at a time (without any issues in that area). I normally just blend a teaspoon into my smoothies in the morning.



    I said not to take the one w/added calcium because most people already get enough calcium in their diets and it is actually magnesium that is lacking. The balance between the two is important and if you are already getting enough calcium, it can counter the benefit of the magnesium. The ratio between the two should be 1:1
    Maybe just a better idea to supp calcium separately if needed.
  • __TMac__
    __TMac__ Posts: 1,665 Member
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    My husband likes to watch TV in bed. There's a show about restoring old airplanes that knocks me out in 5 minutes. :)

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