Getting enough sleep

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kristinkt
kristinkt Posts: 921 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I keep hearing/reading about the importance of getting enough sleep to help your body work more efficiently including higher calorie burn. I'm all for getting enough sleep, however I often wake up in the early morning hours not able to go back to sleep. Do any of you have this same issue? What have you done to help get back to sleep or sleep through the night?

Replies

  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    I had horrible insomnia in college. Reduces stress helped me sleep better and when it creeps up, I use melatonin to help me.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    I have that issue, but its because of my daughter. Why won't she sleep until 9:30 :'(
  • brendak76
    brendak76 Posts: 241 Member
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    My son has had type 1 diabetes for 14 years and I've spent most nights the last 14 years getting up at least once in the middle of the night to check his blood sugar. So I've HAD to learn how to go back to sleep...

    Things that help:
    A sleep mask
    White noise
    Focusing on my breathing (even counting "in-2-3-4, out 2-3-4)
    Guided meditation (Meditation Oasis podcasts are free and my favorite)
    A super clean and clutter free bedroom (weird but true. My brain knows a mess and hates it even in the dark.)

    Things that don't help:
    Any alcohol at any time of the day makes me wake up at 2am and stay awake. I just don't drink at all now.
    Electronics/TV
    Being hungry
    Being too hot or cold.

    Good luck. Sleep is so important and insomnia is maddening.

  • 3audkids
    3audkids Posts: 74 Member
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    I have the same issues, always feel exhausted. Unfortunately without taking over the counter meds I would never sleep. They don't usually last through the night. Sleep stations on pandora help to relax me.
  • tenkides
    tenkides Posts: 151 Member
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    Try tea or having rose or other flowers that have a scent to them have helped me a lot before i had to start to take medicine for it.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,982 Member
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    I recently put up blackout curtains and now it's like Dracula's Lair in here. I also drape dishtowels over LED lights before I go to bed. It's really, really dark. Previously, when I woke up if it was starting to get light I'd have a hard time getting back to sleep. Now, I if I wake up I don't even fell the need to get up to pee - I just look at my watch and go back to sleep.

    Speaking of which, I don't drink fluids after 6 or 7 PM so my bladder won't wake me up. I pee several times right before bed.
  • BWBTrish
    BWBTrish Posts: 2,817 Member
    edited July 2015
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    i sleep only 4 to 6 hours in 24 hours and lost over 100 pound in 8.5 months
    It didn't stop or bother me losing weight.

    I do agree we all need enough rest...which i do ( this to repair muscle and to keep my mind sane etc lol)

    I rest for about 9 hours per 24 hours ...just relaxing and when i am lucky i fall asleep for 6 hours max. I just go to bed and relax..read or watch tv. No biggie when i dont sleep.
  • WeddedBliss1992
    WeddedBliss1992 Posts: 414 Member
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    i had horrible insomnia growing-up. i have only in the past year been able to defeat it. i take all my meds at night + melatonin. it helps me sleep all night long.
  • kristinkt
    kristinkt Posts: 921 Member
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    Thanks for the tips. I appreciate the input.
  • Marilyn0924
    Marilyn0924 Posts: 797 Member
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    Nearing 50, rarely sleep more than 6 hours a night, and even then, I wake up 3 or 4 times most nights because I'm either too hot or cold. Horromones play a part in this for sure, but I opt not to use anything to help me sleep.

    If I'm still awake after 20 minutes, I get up and walk around the house a bit and then go back to bed and do some deep breathing exercises to help me relax again. That usually does the trick for me.
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
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    I had trouble sleeping recently. Originally I was sleeping completely naked, but now I sleep naked plus socks and I fall asleep a lot faster. It's weird because I don't really like to wear socks at all. I'm barefoot as much as possible, but having those fuzzy socks on at night worked.
  • boogiewookie
    boogiewookie Posts: 206 Member
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    I take melatonin every night. if I don't ill just watch tv or stare at the ceiling think about random things until 4-5am. I get up early every morning and still very rarely go to bed before 1am. I usually just take a nap with my baby. I'm nocturnal lol
  • kristinkt
    kristinkt Posts: 921 Member
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    Marilyn0924 wrote: »
    Nearing 50, rarely sleep more than 6 hours a night, and even then, I wake up 3 or 4 times most nights because I'm either too hot or cold. Horromones play a part in this for sure, but I opt not to use anything to help me sleep.

    If I'm still awake after 20 minutes, I get up and walk around the house a bit and then go back to bed and do some deep breathing exercises to help me relax again. That usually does the trick for me.

    This is exactly where I'm at in my sleep cycle. I haven't tried walking, but I think it could be worth a try. I'm trying to set 6 hours as my goal. I've been waiting an hour before trying to read, but then it's usually another hour before I can sleep. Once school starts back, I get up at 4:30. Then my issue is running out of time. Ugh.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    I sleep about 4-6 hours on average and that's how my body works. Hasn't interfered with my fitness goals.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Happens to me quite a bit... so I try not to go to bed later than 10pm most nights. The main issue for me on those days when I'm up at 5am is that typically I'll be hungrier that day and it will be harder to stick to my goal.

    You can try the 4/7/8 breathing trick though... Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7, then breathe out from your mouth for 8 seconds... It doesn't seem to do anything to me but I talked about it with a friend and she tried it and fell asleep right away, so I guess it works for some people. There are a bunch of articles about it online.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    I sleep about 4-6 hours on average and that's how my body works. Hasn't interfered with my fitness goals.

    My husband is the same way. I require , give or take 30 minutes. Crazy.
  • blossomingbutterfly
    blossomingbutterfly Posts: 743 Member
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    I've dealt with sleeping problems for a long time. What's helped me the most is an eye mask and tiring myself out before going to bed. That with doing relaxing things: shower, drinking tea. Good luck!
  • heyyoutoo
    heyyoutoo Posts: 12 Member
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    I get good results from drinking Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra tea. The "extra" is valerian. I steep two tea bags in a big mug, add a splash of milk and drink it in bed while I read a bit. It's inexpensive, found at Target and grocery stores and is the difference, for me, between sleeping all night or not.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    My understanding with sleep and weight loss (and someone please correct me if my information is incorrect) is that when you're tired your body looks for another energy source... Aka food. Your body sends your mind hunger cues trying to get a little more energy and people usually give into their hunger cues eating more calories causing them to gain weight.
  • lindaloo1213
    lindaloo1213 Posts: 283 Member
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    They say exercise helps you sleep better. That being said..Im a night shifter and only sleep when my 2year old naps during the day. So I only get about 2-3 hours of sleep a day for 5 days in a row. I have not had any issues with losing the weight. Ive lost 101# in 10 months and only need to lose about 15-20 more. Eating within calories and staying active are key for me. Lounging around saying Im tired until I can finally sleep would be a problem. So I take the kids out to play and go to the gym. Eat lunch then we nap. We are all happy this way.

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