So sleepy! Help me out?

JosieRawr

Ok so if anyone had issues going to sleep or staying asleep, but has since then conquered that issue.... I need tips! What's worked for you? What's working for you? What wasn't helping?
Thanks for any input, I feel like I haven't gotten a good night's sleep since I quit smoking... (11days 9hrs n going strong)

Seachicken84

I am with you on lack of sleep. I would love to know how people have conquered this issue.

Great job on quitting smoking! That rocks.

marielaem

Sleeping is a bit up and down for me - I go through bouts of not sleeping well. Amount of exercise doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. I don't toss and turn - makes it worse - but pick up a book and read till I drop off. If I'm tired during the day and am not in a situation where I can nap, I go for strong black coffee to keep me going.

Sometimes, I "talk" my body to sleep from the toes up. That often works.

JosieRawr

Thanks seachicken, it's still a work in progress, one day or one hour at a time!


Marie I'll try that, I remember in theater in junior high we did that toes up relaxation technique n it always made me sleepy.

n anyways even if it only works sometimes it's better than no good sleep!

kangababy

Melatonin! That is all I have to say.. one about 30 minutes before I would like to be asleep

sandylion

Quit dairy. I know a number of people who have done this and had amazing results with sleeping so much better.

Also, quitting smoking will definitely screw up your sleeping. Gotta give your body time to get through the withdrawal.

Astacia74

Are you using anything to help you quit smoking? That may be causing your insomnia...

Animallover32

Melatonin! That is all I have to say.. one about 30 minutes before I would like to be asleep

I swear by this!!

Maddalen101

Some things that work to help sleep at night:
Chammomile tea.
Warm milk with a pinch of cinnamon and a dollop of honey.
A nice warm shower or bath.
Getting to bed an hour before you intend to sleep, and reading until drowsy.

If you've tried all these and are still 1) having problems sleeping and 2) are experiencing drowsiness, look into having a sleep test done. You might have sleep apnea, which means you're waking up a LOT during the night and not knowing it.

RobynLB

If you are using a patch or something, that's probably it. If not, you are probably just restless. Try doing whatever calls you down in the evening. Establish a new little ritual to replace smoking - like a walk, a cup of hot tea, a bath, whatever...

dawn_eichert

oh goodness.....My quit day is March 1st. I love my sleep and this is not making me happy that quitting is going to screw with that. The more I read from the Quit for Life booklet I got yesterday, the more I am thinking this was just a bad idea....NO NO NO I am quitting March 1st (40th bday). Hoping to hear some good suggestions here....

msliu7911

Not sure what your nightly routine consists of... but I find that my bad habit is once I lay in bed I keep my stupid smartphone out and I'll just stay sucked into the darn thing (looking at the news, shopping, MFP'ing......).

What helps me most is when I shut down all electronics... TV, phone, laptop, within 30 minutes of bedtime. I would try that, it might help you to fall asleep easier.

HotAshMess

Melatonin helps at my house....and I agree, about 30 minutes is as long as I last. I've also tried Valerian, and sleepy time tea. All very nice. I have a relaxation technique that a former babysitter used to use on us....I think I get so bored that I just fall asleep. One thing that helped me for years was playing a cd of Smoking Cessation hypnosis. A coworker told me they tried it and managed to quit smoking....it never really helped me quit, but it sure as hell put me to sleep.....see if you can buy one online. When all else fails....get up and scrub your bathtub or wash dishes, both activities suck so much that you're ready to go to bed after 15 minutes.

JosieRawr

Thanks for all the tips! Quitting smoking is definitely contributing to it, but as I have bad sleeping habits already it's jus tdown right horrible at the moment. I use to smoke 2-3 cigarettes within 30minutes of sleep... only time during the day that I chain smoked. Really hard to get outta that trigger. there have been nights that I haven't been to sleep at all because as soon as I'd think about bedtime I'd have a nearly uncontrollable urge to smoke so I would just get on my computer or stay busy with housework... I think I have some melatonin, I'll have to see if it's still good. I know I have some chamomile tea too, I'll have to develop a "sleepy time" routine.

Thanks again!

JosieRawr

Having a sleepy time routine is definitely helping me out. I have been drinking chamomile tea about 15minutes before I head to bed, also though, very important, is the ability to unplug! last night I was up till 2am because I decided to log while drinking my tea. good luck everyone!

5stringjeff

Not sure what your nightly routine consists of... but I find that my bad habit is once I lay in bed I keep my stupid smartphone out and I'll just stay sucked into the darn thing (looking at the news, shopping, MFP'ing......).

What helps me most is when I shut down all electronics... TV, phone, laptop, within 30 minutes of bedtime. I would try that, it might help you to fall asleep easier.

I'll second this. Also, if you have a smartphone, look for an app called Relax and Sleep. It's a free app that plays relaxing sounds to help you drift off. I use this 3-4 nights a week.

MG_Fit

Do you drink caffeinated or sugar products before you go to sleep. If so, how long?

I know when I drink green tea within a couple hours of trying to sleep it's hard.

Also, for me the bed makes a big difference on the quality of sleep I get (granted this is a pretty large investment). But I was sleeping in my guest bed, because I had some work done on my house, and it was rough.

Calliope610

I swear by Chamomile tea.

JosieRawr

Do you drink caffeinated or sugar products before you go to sleep. If so, how long?

I know when I drink green tea within a couple hours of trying to sleep it's hard.

Also, for me the bed makes a big difference on the quality of sleep I get (granted this is a pretty large investment). But I was sleeping in my guest bed, because I had some work done on my house, and it was rough.

usually my caffeine is ~3-5pm at the latest generally speaking.
yeah I need a new bed, but like u said- large investment!

JosieRawr

Not sure what your nightly routine consists of... but I find that my bad habit is once I lay in bed I keep my stupid smartphone out and I'll just stay sucked into the darn thing (looking at the news, shopping, MFP'ing......).

What helps me most is when I shut down all electronics... TV, phone, laptop, within 30 minutes of bedtime. I would try that, it might help you to fall asleep easier.

I'll second this. Also, if you have a smartphone, look for an app called Relax and Sleep. It's a free app that plays relaxing sounds to help you drift off. I use this 3-4 nights a week.

I will check this out. Have plans on investing in either surround sound or new headphones that aren't ear buds for night lol.

JosieRawr

I swear by Chamomile tea.

I think my main problem is the lack of routine! I Chamomile tea, but I don't drink it every night...

Xelace

I just quit smoking three weeks ago and I get what you're going through. It's worth it, though, and if you used to sleep well before you quit, you'll be back to sleeping just as well when your body and mind adjusts. Probably even better!
Personally, I felt very weird doing most things several times a day the first couple of weeks, but less and less in time. I can't say my sleep pattern/quality changed much during that time, but I've had sleep issues for years.

But as some people have mentioned, try finding and sticking to a routine before bed.
Good luck!

Lupercalia

A nice dose of magnesium at bedtime does the trick for me.