Tips on sleeping better?

heather9986hg
heather9986hg Posts: 61 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Any tips on sleeping better and getting back into your sleep routine?
I've gotten off my sleep routine and have had insomnia the last few nights.
How do I get myself back to falling asleep when I should? Thanks

Replies

  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    I take Natural Calm, which is a magnesium supplement in powder form. I always sleep like a rock when I take it at night before bed. I usually have pretty wild, vivid dreams, too!
  • Hanibanani2020
    Hanibanani2020 Posts: 523 Member
    Turn off all electronics an hour before bed. Go to bed once you’re tired. If you wake up really early stay up so you are tired that night. Don’t workout at night. Don’t eat too late. Make sure your bed is clean and comfortable.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    Hanibanani2020 wrote: »
    Turn off all electronics an hour before bed. Go to bed once you’re tired. If you wake up really early stay up so you are tired that night. Don’t workout at night. Don’t eat too late. Make sure your bed is clean and comfortable.

    In addition, don't nap, don't consume caffeine after 1 PM, keep your bedroom dark and cool (if you can), avoid alcohol in the evening. Once you are in bed, let your breathing slow, consciously relax your face (sounds weird but it's helpful).
  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
    Not knowing a lot about your life, here are some things I find useful: try to stay active and actually burn off energy during the day. I always sleep worse if I've been sitting all day, like my body literally does not get tired from doing nothing. I also sleep better if I've spent the day outdoors. Change into fresh clean bedsheets and take a shower before bed, so everything is nice, comfy and clean.
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    I like audio books or podcasts, something to get out of the thoughts whizzing about in my head.
    The choice is critical, something that's interesting enough to get into so you are distracted, but not so interesting that it stops you falling asleep!
  • heather9986hg
    heather9986hg Posts: 61 Member
    hipari wrote: »
    Not knowing a lot about your life, here are some things I find useful: try to stay active and actually burn off energy during the day. I always sleep worse if I've been sitting all day, like my body literally does not get tired from doing nothing. I also sleep better if I've spent the day outdoors. Change into fresh clean bedsheets and take a shower before bed, so everything is nice, comfy and clean.

    I've been off work this month but I've been trying to clean a room of the house every day
    Also I've been working out too so I'm not just sitting on the couch
    I thought it was that too but I don't think so
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    I find some relaxation meditations on Youtube do the trick -- try the "Honest Guys" -- calming voice helps you relax and wander into happy dreams. If you let the voice convince you that you're lying in dappled sunshine next to a babbling brook it's a struggle to get the headphones off before going out like a light.
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    I often meditate just before going to bed. During lockdown, as I'm not going to the gym and being at home isn't tiring me out as much as I'd like, I've been listening to the (free) sleepcasts on the Headspace app. Each story is 45 mins and I have absolutely no idea how any of them end. I prefer the male voice on the Rainday Antiques one as I find that the most soothing. I just play it on my phone, which I put on my bedside table, so I don't have to do anything that will stop me from falling asleep.
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    A tip that I read, early on in lock-down, was to count backwards, slowly, from 1000. I found that worked too.
  • toadflaxbex
    toadflaxbex Posts: 55 Member
    I bought Moshi Sleep and Mindfulness for my kids. End up using it for myself just to listen to the ocean or forest sounds. So relaxing!
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
    littlegreenparrot1 wrote: »
    I like audio books or podcasts, something to get out of the thoughts whizzing about in my head.
    The choice is critical, something that's interesting enough to get into so you are distracted, but not so interesting that it stops you falling asleep!

    This is critical for me, as it helps me turn my mind off by distracting it. It's always sports talk radio podcasts. I've been very much helped by getting myself to bed at the same time every night.
  • heather9986hg
    heather9986hg Posts: 61 Member
    Lynnsgoals2020 wrote: »
    Ok, this will sound super goofy, but when my mind starts to stress when I'm trying to go to sleep, I start listing all the healthy fruits and vegetables I can think of, in alphabetical order. It makes my mind focus on something besides what I was worrying about. I rarely make it past T or so. 🍎

    Told ya it was goofy.

    I like that idea
    I remember sometimes it does help me to fall asleep if I picture myself driving up the road from my house and picturing each house as we as I can
    Haven't done that in a while
  • Mithridites
    Mithridites Posts: 600 Member
    Magnesium, melatonin, valerian root.
  • melodyvegan
    melodyvegan Posts: 59 Member
    edited June 2020
    Your body starts producing melatonin in the evenings to get you ready for bed. Making sure you're not exposing yourself to a lot of light after dusk can help (that means no screens an hour before bed, keeping the lights low in the house after sundown). Additionally, getting 15 minutes of natural light in the morning can help regulate your circadian rhythm. Our bodies were not meant to be indoors all day, exposed to unnatural light. There have been lots of studies that have proven the role of light in helping our bodies regulate our sleep and wake cycles and helping us prepare for sleep.

    I also second the suggestion above to not take in caffeine after 1pm. That includes tea and chocolate if those affect you. Also, despite what it feels like, I've heard drinking alcohol in the evening can disrupt sleep.

    When I wake up in the middle of the night, I find the worst thing I can do is get on my phone if I can't sleep. The second worst thing is stressing out about the insomnia itself. If I just relax and focus on taking breaths in and out, not trying to force myself to sleep and not dwelling on the fact that I can't sleep, I eventually fall asleep.

    Hope this helps! Good luck!
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited June 2020
    Maxxitt wrote: »
    Hanibanani2020 wrote: »
    Turn off all electronics an hour before bed. Go to bed once you’re tired. If you wake up really early stay up so you are tired that night. Don’t workout at night. Don’t eat too late. Make sure your bed is clean and comfortable.

    In addition, don't nap, don't consume caffeine after 1 PM, keep your bedroom dark and cool (if you can), avoid alcohol in the evening. Once you are in bed, let your breathing slow, consciously relax your face (sounds weird but it's helpful).

    In addition in addition, go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every single day. Try to get out in the sun for a little while first thing in the morning too if you can (seasons permitting). This helps reset the circadian rhythm. If its winter and too cold, you can try using a SAD lamp for an hour or so in the morning (maybe when you get to work?).

    Insomnia really sucks too... since sometimes your body starts associating your bed with being awake instead of asleep. So keep your bedroom for sleep and sex only. Dont work or read or use your phone in bed at any time of day. If you have insomnia, its sometimes better to get up, do something/read something (no electronics) and then go back to bed in a bit.

    When I had insomnia I needed blackout blinds and blackout curtains and had to cover my clock. Absolutely no light.

    I also find using a white noise app helps me stay sleepy through the night.

    Hopefully yours doesn't last long. I only got 2 to 4 hours a night for 3 months before it went away.

    Also assess if something specific might be causing it... do you feel well? Digestive issues? Anxiety/worry/stress? Addressing any specific causes for it will be the fastest way to solve it.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,460 Member
    heather9986hg wrote: »
    hipari wrote: »
    Not knowing a lot about your life, here are some things I find useful: try to stay active and actually burn off energy during the day. I always sleep worse if I've been sitting all day, like my body literally does not get tired from doing nothing. I also sleep better if I've spent the day outdoors. Change into fresh clean bedsheets and take a shower before bed, so everything is nice, comfy and clean.

    I've been off work this month but I've been trying to clean a room of the house every day
    Also I've been working out too so I'm not just sitting on the couch
    I thought it was that too but I don't think so

    Right there’s my problem. Allergies. A small allergy pill near bedtime on cleaning days.

  • spr931
    spr931 Posts: 61 Member
    I have a fan on in the summer and I will stretch before crawling into bed and then read an actual paper book under a dim reading light all tucked in. Always works for me. Last few nights I timed how long it takes for my eyelids to fall shut while reading. Average 6 minutes.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    Belated question: When you say "insomnia", what exactly do you mean?

    Can't get to sleep?
    Fall asleep but wake up too soon?
    Can't fall back to sleep after wake up?
    Something else?
    Physical aspect (like twitching or discomfort that wakens you, clenched jaw, or that sort of thing)?
    Sleep not restful even when there's sleep?
    Headaches or sore throat after sleep?
    "Mind spinning" effect where you just keep thinking of things and can't relax?
    Something else?

    I assume you're talking about "can't get to sleep" and some variation on the "mind spinning", since those are kind of typical, but lots of other things fall under "insomnia" as well, and it can make a difference.
  • M0n1KCR
    M0n1KCR Posts: 149 Member
    Have you lost a lot of weight? I lost nearly 20 kg, and my mattress was too hard for the lighter me. It took a while to realise what the problem was, I just had problems falling asleep, woke up lots of times, was uncomfortable... The solution was a topper, I bought one from ikea and now sleep like a baby.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Ease back into your schedule 15-30 min per day. It makes the transition easier.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/healthy-sleep-tips
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,985 Member
    Proper sleep hygiene should be a given (google it if you don't know).

    If I really can't sleep then I have a couple of routine. I always make up little stories in bed and spin them further. Sometimes I revisit a good story line. Some of my longest ones run for 3-4 months, but of course I always have to repeat episodes as I do fall asleep at a certain time and am not sure where I stopped. This really helps me with keeping my mind off the thought of having to fall asleep. If I don't think about falling asleep I fall asleep quickly.

    If this doesn't work then I concentrate on a special story line where not really a lot happens. Basically I'm in a small plane, or a passenger jet and something happens to the pilot. So i basically fly that thing with the help of a tower somewhere to the next airport and land it. Thinking of landing actually is what makes me fall asleep. I guess it's some kind of meditation where you feel a specific sensation in your body. Meditating consciously. just makes very very restless. Thus this is my way. Mind you, I did play flight simulator an awful lot back in the days.

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