sleep

leotardbanshee

I have awful insomnia. Anyone have any tips or solutions. I am getting sick of being tired

tricksee

I hear more activity helps.

BrettPGH

^Exercise is a big help. You could also try reading before bed.

nytius

Grew up with this and I still can't really pass 6 hours of sleep no matter what day it is but that 6 hours is a huge improvement from my teens I would say the best thing is excercise to help with any anxiety that may be an underlying cause and then the bed to do list. This is just a list of things that are on your mind that you write down before bed. Usually helps. Good luck!

schicksa

If it's consistently bad I'd check with a doctor. Otherwise keeping a regular schedule as far as sleeping does wonders. If all else fails, try melatonin.

ShoequeenB

Peppermint tea helps me sleep, its good to drink after dinner. Helps my digestion and helps me sleep a lot better!

MSam1205

MIght want to consider being checked for sleep apnea. Your doctor would know the right questions to ask to see if you need to go further with it. Also consider herbal tea's maybe? Chamomile helps me calm down at night. Might also check your caffeine levels, just a few thoughts. Good luck cuz I know it stinks to always feel tired. I dealt with it for years before my diagnosis of sleep apnea....

wikitbikit

Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?

MidwestAngel

^Exercise is a big help. You could also try reading before bed.

Other activities help too.

justkate88

My insomnia has started up again this week. Today for me is day four of being awake, I've had probably 4 or 5 hours sleep over the last four days and as a result have just been signed off from work with stress. I'm usually quite active, my job keeps me on my feet and I go to the gym a few times a week. I'm just too tired to do anything right now but sit and vegetate. I guess I should force myself to do something.

Sometimes it seems impossible to live with insomnia. My GP suggested that I read a self-help leaflet which contains good tips. If you go here http://www.ntw.nhs.uk/pic/selfhelp and scroll down until you see 'Sleeping Problems', you can read it too.

I hope you get some rest soon.

donyellemoniquex3

5mg of melatonin before bed and keeping yourself busy during the day.

IndyMario

^Exercise is a big help. You could also try reading before bed.

Other activities help too.

A nice protein shake
A nice tossed salad
Chorizo and eggs

Food can help as well. Maybe you need more protein in ya!

kappyblu

:flowerforyou: First, check with a doctor. Trouble falling asleep and trouble staying asleep are different things. I have to take Ambien for my insomnia. It doesn't knock you out and make you feel groggy the next day. It just makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Also, I find that a cup of sleepytime tea (my favorite is the sleepytime vanilla) right before bed helps me relax even more. You can get sleepytime at any grocery store, it's made by Celestial Seasonings, which also makes a delicious honey vanilla chamomile. :drinker:

Also, just a note here: a friend of mine at work had the same problem. She never slept well. Then this year, she decided to give up caffeine for lent. She was always drinking diet coke. Now, she is drinking water all day and hasn't had a soda all this time. She is sleeping better than she ever has before and feels so much better. Just something to consider.

Hope you feel better soon!

emiliewright

I hear more activity helps.

^^ This ^^

And Melatonin- Only one though..too much will keep you up!

chymerra

i had the WORST SLEEP FOR YEARS. when i cleaned up my diet and ditched all the processed foods and sweets/junk, my sleep did a 180 and i went from having a ****ty, fragmented FOUR HOUR night to a solid 6 or 7. used to take me over 1hr to fall asleep at the beginning of the night and each waking but now, it takes me maybe 5 minutes at the most. if i wake up, it takes me 5mins again to go back to sleep. sometimes i don't even realize that i had woken up and gone to the washroom and crawled back to bed!

exercise further increased and solidified my sleep.

sullus

I had massive insomnia, and had to train myself to go to sleep. Now, I'm out within 2 minutes of hitting the pillow. Here's what helped me:

1. When you go to bed, if you're not asleep within about 20 mins to a half hour, get out of bed. Mentally your bed needs to be the place where you sleep, not the place where you fail to sleep. Get up, do something, and try again in a half hour or so. This sucks at first, but it helps. Laying in bed staring at the ceiling is creates negative associations with being in bed. The vicious cycle needs to be broken.

2. Look into meditation and relaxation techniques. Prepare yourself to go to sleep before you go. Read up on how you breathe while you sleep, and force yourself to breathe that way when you get into bed.

3. This one's a little odd, but awesome. When you close your eyes, roll them back up into your head about 25 degrees and let them slightly cross (like you;re looking at a spot just in front of the space between your eyebrows. This is where your eyes go to when you sleep. Try it right now sitting at your desk. It actually creates a feeling like starting to fall asleep.

There's probably a million other little things, Find what works for you. But, like anything else, this will actually take practice. it won't work on night 1. It took me about 3 months to finally just be able to fully know that when I hit the pillow, I could espect to be out within a couple minutes.

And last .. I still have the occasional night where my mind's racing, and I just don't fall asleep. In these cases, I try to fall asleep for about 20 minutes, get out of bed, have a double shot of bourbon, and watch a half hour of tv, then go back to bed. (Hey, it's a hell of a lot safer than ambien or some **** like that)

BeeElMarvin

Try *kitten*

DjDiggity

^Exercise is a big help. You could also try reading before bed.

Other activities help too.

what kinds of activities???

sullus

Try *kitten*

HAHA right. Ask any teenage boy; It's how you fall asleep and how you wake up

Unknown

This content has been removed.

MrsDrk

Self hypnosis works. I'm sure you could google it and find free ones on Youtube. I like David Meine- his voice is incredibly soothing and after a month, I am out in 3 seconds when he starts to talk.

meredith1123

People are saying exercise but surely its not helping me. I exercise regularly. I take long jogs, use the elliptical, work out on weights...
that doesnt help my insomnia. My brain doesnt shut down. I am up all night, sleep for an hour, up an hour. ..sleep for two hours ..up an hour... oh gosh every night!!! Its terrible.

I read online that sometimes Sodium may effect sleep so perhaps try watching your sodium intake for the day and also closer towards the evening. In saying that, i have been watching my sodium intake and comparing it to my nights of insomnia and i have noticed a slight pattern. the high sodium days manage to make my insomnia worse but thats a very recent observation of mine just this week alone.

I hate it, it is very frustrating so i feel your pain.
thats all i have. sorry.

jujuki47

I either recite Lords prayer or freelance prayer...over and over... i usually start to forget where i am in the prayer and then start nodding off before an Amen! lol

Seminolegirl97

I suffered from this a few years back. This is what finally got me back on track with the sleep.
1. Shower or Hot bath right before bed. The change in temperature will help you fall asleep.
2. Buy some lavender essential oil put a drop or two on a wash cloth and put it under your pillow. The scent is very relaxing.
3. Find a white noise type of sound be it on your phone or an alarm clock that has the rain, crickets, ocean sounds.
4.Establish a routine for going to bed. If you want to be in bed at 11, start getting ready at 10. Do this every night. Same routine.
5. The bedroom is for two things, sleeping and sex. No TV, no reading. I know some will disagree with the reading part, but my Doctor told me to get out of bed go into another room to read. I wasn't to equate reading and staying awake with my bed.
6. Don't eat 3 hours before bedtime and no caffeine after 3pm.
7. Get rid of the electronic device red glowing lights. Make your room as dark as possible.

I did all of this after 8 months of 4 hours of sleep or less and within 2 weeks I was sleeping 8 hours a night. It may not work for everyone, but it worked for me. Best of luck to you.

melw2910

If it's consistently bad I'd check with a doctor. Otherwise keeping a regular schedule as far as sleeping does wonders. If all else fails, try melatonin.

This. I suffered for years and had various drugs from the doctor all of which worked but left me feeling really sluggish in the morning. Since switching to a melatonin supplement my sleep efficiency has gone from 50 to 70-75% each night and I don't wake up feeling drugged.

crobl

^Exercise is a big help. You could also try reading before bed.

Other activities help too.

what kinds of activities???

Ahaha I know what works for me

grimendale

Melatonin supplements have done wonders for my sleep cycle. Both myself and my girlfriend have insomnia, and the melatonin has definitely helped both of us get a better night's sleep.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

sullus

....
7. Get rid of the electronic device red glowing lights. Make your room as dark as possible.
....

I dunno about this one. Like the old joke:

Q: what's the difference between light and hard?

A: I can fall asleep with a light on.

leotardbanshee

Thank you everyone for the awesome advice

leotardbanshee

one more question, for those of you who take melatonin, what mg dosage do you take?