Sleep issues

I get like that around school finals or when I'm stressed out a ton, but what i have found out doing was boiling some tea like i boiled some camamel and green tea and put some honey and inhaled some of the steam then when it was warm i drank it and it usually helps me sleep, before that i would rely on like night time ibuprofen or Benedryl and at one time when i had access Oxcodone (bad choice) but now i rely on tea. Sorry if that doesn't help

 

Do u take any medications? They can cause drowsiness..I know I take an antidepressant and it does for me. Also, you may want to consider a sleep test..next time you are at the doc just mention it.

 

What do you typically do in the last couple of hours before you fall asleep? What time do you go to bed and how many hours do you typically sleep?

 

I don't understand some of the advice you have been given (cold showers!!... not eating!!)

I have heard that a warm bath about an hour before bed, and some light food is helpful
So is the environment in your bedroom (e.g.: quite, tidy, no noise, no TV or music)

The root cause might be anxiety over something .. or stress

Another tip is to do nothing too demanding after about 9pm... (ie: no work and nothing stressing) allow your mind to wind down

if you REALLY can't sleep ... and are just lying in bed thinking too much ... get up for 30 minutes, watch some light TV until you feel drowsy again

 

As a person who suffers from insomnia, here are some things that have worked for me in the past. They don't always work every time, but it helps to do one thing once, then next time you have trouble, do another thing. So, here's the list.

~Attempt to adjust your sleep schedule by staying up for a full day. I know it's difficult to do, but if you can manage to stay up for 24 or more hours, by the time 9 or 10pm rolls around, you'll be exhausted (most of the time) and fall into a dead sleep. I used to do this when I was switching from 1st shift to 3rd and back a lot.

~Melatonin and Valerian root. Melatonin is a chemical that your brain produces that basically tells your body "it's time to go to sleep now" Melatonin is naturally produced after dark. If you're having trouble falling asleep, chances are that your brain isn't producing enough melatonin. The valerian root works wonderfully in combination with the melatonin to put you to sleep and keep you asleep. I recommend the 3mg Melatonin, and take 2 of those for every 1 Valerian root capsule. Both of these can be found in most grocery stores or CVS type places.

~ Drink tea. Any kind of hot beverage really, as long as it doesn't have a lot of sugar or caffeine in it. Chammomile or Chai teas are very relaxing, as are lavender and jasmine. I'd suggest using honey instead of sugar to sweeten the tea as honey doens't really stimulate the body as much as sugar.

~If you do homework, or watch tv or play games on your bed, you should probably stop doing that. If you go to your bed only to sleep, your brain will associate it with sleep and you will find more often that shortly after sitting on, or laying down in your bed, you will feel tired.

~If you take any sort of medication to go to sleep, you should lay down immediately after taking it (within 10 minutes). If you wait for it to "kick in" before going to bed, you lose the most effective time of the medication. By the time you realize that you're getting sleepy and actually get ready for and into bed, the medication has worn off, and you're no longer tired.

~Put something over your eyes. Like a mask, or a bandana. Not being able to see, and the gentle pressure on the eyes typically helps trick the brain into resting.

~Throw your sheets in the dryer and warm them up before bed. Or heat them up with an electric blanket before bed. Sometimes the temperature difference in the bed can make it difficult to get comfortable for a while, and the brain takes that time to go "hey, I can think about this while I'm super uncomfortable".

~Eat something warm before sleep. Like maybe a bowl of soup or anything with turkey in it. You don't have to completely stuff yourself, but I have found that having a full belly makes me sleepy

Hope some of this helps

 

if it's a stressful time it's normal to have trouble sleeping. Have you tired doing something to wear yourself out a few hours before you go to bed? A jog. A workout. Wii Fit.

Try not to take in an caffeine past 2 pm.

Melatonin can help you sleep, you can get them most grocery stores.

 

No problem I've had insomnia off and on since I was a kid. So I've had to find ways to deal with it that don't involve me taking a bunch of random medications. Good luck in your :sleep: quest!

 

There's two ways to look at insomnia- whether the person has trouble falling alseep and whether the person has trouble remaining asleep (i.e.waking in the night repeatedly).

Reading is fine at bedtime. As long as it is done in a darkened room with a mild reading light, it will usually help.

As someone else pointed out, studying stimulates the mind and youtube requires subjecting yourself to the generated light from a computer screen. In the hour before bedtime, you want to avoid things that stimulate your mind- watching television, bright lights, computer time, smart phones- all things that are light sources and increase mental activity.

Melatonin, valerian root and mild antihistamines can help you fall asleep and stay asleep.

If you end up sleeping 4-6 hours, you're better off getting out of bed and starting your day. Staying in bed and tossing and turning are just going to make you miserable.

And even if you are sleepy during the day, avoid naps. Naps are fine if you're sleeping normally but if you're having trouble sleeping, you're better off trying to stay in the steady, consistent sleeping pattern at night.

 

I have Issues with sleep firstly am a light sleeper sometimes I just cant drift off to sleep . I have a problem sleeping if I sleep with someone I just cant drift off to sleep I need my space .

 

I find as long as you try to keep when you wake up the same hour, it helps you feel like your on half a schedule rather than completely off.

 

^^^THIS.

It is 5 am, I've been laying in bed for 6 hours. I was about to vent on EC about how my insomnia is getting to me, and you beat me to it.

My brain won't stfu either. I have about 5 different songs that keep playing sparatically, about 20 recurring thoughts, and absolutely no attention span to meditate with. I have been using melatonin for the past month, and I've stopped taking it bc it no longer works. I think my insomnia is caused by stress. About to graduate w an engineering major, getting a job, coming out to family soon after graduation, trying to date, trying to establish myself in the community, staying healthy, fighting social anxiety, fighting once in a while depression, trying to stay positive, on and on... The more I think about my sleep problem, the worse it gets. It's almost comical how my frustration chases the sleep away. No way am I taking prescription sleeping pills. It's not a permanent solution, and benzodiazepines are nothing to mess with.

When I do fall asleep, I wake up all too often to allow my body to get deep sleep. I feel like its killing me. I look like total shit some days. I think it's all in my head. I haven't even yawned since I've layed down. I was tired and yawning before I got in bed. Even after an 87 mile bike ride a couple weeks back, I had trouble sleeping. Now, THAT is f***ing ridiculous.

Good luck. If I had good advice, I wouldn't be typing this right now.:sleep:

 

Just do what I do : ...this is probably horrible advice but.... drink a lot of coffee with tons of sugar so you pass out.