I've lately been having a lot of trouble sleeping due to a lot of anxiety and my sleep schedule got really screwed up after I didn't sleep for like 36 hours after I came out last week. Now I end up sleeping for a few hours in the evening and then wake up in the early morning but then stay up because I'm not tired at that point and crashing. Do I just need to take caffeine and force myself to stay awake until a normal time to sleep or what? It's a pretty horrible cycle at this point
I would stay away from caffeine if you're having trouble sleeping. And I would try to get one a regular sleep schedule one way or another. Your body kind of likes a regular schedule for sleep. One thing you could try that's a pretty natural sleep aid is to get some melatonin from a health food store. I have some that's sublingual (dissolves under the tongue) and it helps me get to sleep pretty quickly but doesn't have the kind of side effects some other sleep aids have. Insomnia sucks - I've been there. Good luck getting back on a regular schedule!
Personally I use binaural beats playing real low in the background. They have some for relaxation, lucid dreaming, energy/stamina, creativity, etc. Just search for them on youtube and boom. They're there. Personally though I have issues getting to the point where I want to go to sleep. Some could be from anxiety or what have you, some of it could just be because I'm a night owl at heart. Who knows?
I like to use valerian root. It's also great for anxiety, but it makes you really drowsy, so don't use it during the day. I used to use melatonin tablets, too.
I sit down and solve mental sums. It helps. Try working out in the evening so you get physically tired and feel the need to sleep. Also, cut down on caffeine.
I use melatonin, but I don't think you need it. First of all you should try not sleeping during the day, and go to sleep in the evening whenever you begin to feel tired, be that 8 or 12. Also, don't stress about falling asleep, as that will just work to keep you awake. As Emulator said, working out is a good idea. But not too late in the evening, as your body needs time to calm down. So, don't work out during the last hour or so before you go to bed. Also, don't use your computer/tv/phone right before you go to bed, as the light from the screen makes you more awake.
Turn off electronics. Read paper books or magazines. It focuses your mind but doesn't overstimulate it. I know I need to do this more. Also do NOT excercise before bed. At all. That gets your body going. I'm not sure how well tea and stuff work but people claim it does. I personally take anxiety medication from my doctor as needed.
Yeah I'm definitely guilty of sitting in bed and staring at my phone and or playing my playstation if i can't sleep. Like it just sucks because i've accidentally fallen asleep (not for long) in class twice this past week and i'm normally not like that at all. i've also had a couple of mates comment on how tired i look I have also been doing my stupid p90x workouts somewhat late after i wake up from my earlier sleeping, which probably is a poor choice if you guys are saying not to work out before bed. It could just be that i'm over doing everything with swimming + that.
Stress and anxiety will also fuck with your sleep. Take it from a newly-out graduate student--I'm living proof. I've found that if I get into bed without either reading or watching TV, my mind starts to wander and it usually wanders to things that I'm stressed or worried about. So I'll usually either read or watch TV until I'm having trouble keeping my eyes open, and then I shut it off and fall asleep pretty quickly.
^This. I find it's the best way to fall asleep without having your mind wandering on stressful things. Reading is the one I recommend, but if you are not the reading type, then the TV on a barely audible volume is great too. This will just tire your eyes, when you feel about to give in, just turn the TV off, or close the book and embrace sleep :icon_bigg
Sounds really crude and gross, but jerk off. It put's me to bed instantly. I know being stressed out might not be the perfect time to do so, but it honestly does let loose a bunch of pent up stress and hormones. I dealt with insomnia for the majority of highschool and after highschool because of stress, and that method worked.
Take this from someone who has been dealing with insomnia for several years: Picking up your phone or playing playstation is terribly tempting when you feel like you're not going to fall asleep anyway, but do NOT do it. It will only make you even more awake, and it'll take you even longer to fall asleep. If you lie in bed at night and can't sleep, it's much better to read a book or make yourself a warm (caffeine-free) drink, like cocoa or milk with honey. And believe it or not it's also a good idea to leave your bed. If you stay awake in your bed, your brain will stop associating your bed with sleep. So: Get up from bed, do something that does not involve staring at a screen, and after a while when you begin to feel tired you can try going back to bed again.
