Insomniacs, what do you do to help you sleep?

[sweetiepieexo]

green tea is healthy for u and actually contains less caffeine than many other teas and coffee..
to each their own babe.. what may not work for u , will work for somebody else.

Green tea contains caffeine and it can be stimulating
depending on how strong it is. I don't see how drinking
it would help you to fall asleep.

I don't mean to recommend this, but Rhodiola Rosea
seems to have a little soothing effect as a relief formy
anxiety. But I haven't tried it often enough to know for
sure if that wasn't placebo effect.

 

[nottyboi]

to fall asleep try yoga breathing.

 

[Brill]

Read a chapter from "Thoughts from Walden Pond" by Henry David Thoreau.

 

[likwid]

Is your mattress and pillow comfortable? You should invest in this, its worth it. Foam memory pillow and mattress is what I suggest, test for loft (low to high) and firmness level.

 

[RLTF]

Learning to quiet internal mental chatter is a must. If all else fails, rub one out.

 

[mexx]

find a progressive doc who will give you access to buy medical mj and try any or all of the following

https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/the-best-cannabis-strains-for-insomnia

 

[D-Fens]

Is your mattress and pillow comfortable? You should invest in this, its worth it. Foam memory pillow and mattress is what I suggest, test for loft (low to high) and firmness level.

I just spent $600 on a new matress a couple months ago because my old one was 20+ years old and giving me back pain. My matress is very comfy but I still can't sleep. My problem is more psychological then physical. I also hate sleeiping when it is dead silent. I need some sort of noise. That's why I like to keep my PC on. The hum of the fan helps me sleep. Been doing this for years. I turn off the monitor of course.

 

[SexyFriendsTO]

Been struggling with Insomnia for almost a week now. Most nights, I'm lucky if I get 5 hours of sleep. I'm been struggling on and off with Insomnia for as long as I can remember but it has never lasted this long. I often go to bed anxious wondering if I will ever fall asleep. I have tried Melatonin and Unison (benedryl) and while they do help, I do not want to develop a dependence on them. I believe they have already started to disrupt my body's natural ability to fall asleep.

I go through the days as a zombie, cranky, and depressed. My body wants to sleep but my mind won't allow it. It's only been a week and it has wreaked havoc on how I feel. I think I want to make an appointment with my doctor.

Go mountain biking. Exercising outside and riding grarly trails will help you sleep better at night. For the winter get yourself a fat bike. After riding a fatty for three hours in the cold when I come home I am ready to fall asleep and it's never an issue to pass out within five minutes.

 

[Arden Wu]

Being in school really messed up my ability to have good sleep hygiene.

I used to be on the melatonin route, but now I find valerian root a lot more effective. I alternate between the tea and capsules.

 

[dirkd101]

Exercising is good for you, the health benefits will aid in good sleep patterns, but too close to bedtime and you risk a good nights sleep. Have you tried melatonin? It can be purchased at any drug store and is a natural way to help one get a good nights sleep.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview#1

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...t-answers/melatonin-side-effects/faq-20057874

https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/melatonin-and-sleep

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/van-winkles/the-dark-side-of-melatoni_b_8855998.html

As with all things, check with your doctor, because he/she should know about what you take, even if it can be bought OTC.

 

[SchlongConery]

My problem is more psychological then physical.

How so? Do you keep thinking about things? Like Rumination?

"Rumination is the focused attention on the symptoms of one's distress, and on its possible causes and consequences, as opposed to its solutions"

I also hate sleeiping when it is dead silent. I need some sort of noise. That's why I like to keep my PC on. The hum of the fan helps me sleep. Been doing this for years. I turn off the monitor of course.

Also? So the white noise is also a factor?



The suggestions here are generally good when it comes to general "sleep hygiene" but it sounds like you have a more specific issue. Insomnia is complicated. There is situational and episodic insomnia and many forms of general insomnia. After establishing good general sleep hygiene and you still have insomnia you will need to focus more on trying to figure out the reasons you have a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep.

If you can try to explain it better here, or via PM, I think I (and others) might be able to offer some more specific information for you to look into.

 

[SchlongConery]

Melatonin is good to re-establish a regular sleep schedule. Especially if you keep late hours.

Melatonin does not induce sleep.

Melatonin is the brain chemical we secrete to tell us that it is nightfall and we should prepare for sleep. Taking it on a regular basis causes our brains to reduce natural production of melatonin so it should be initially limited to re-establishing a regular sleep schedule. And ironically, the smaller dosage seems to be more effective for many people who a 5 mg dose was ineffective.

 

[stinkynuts]

I've had insomnia ever since I was a kid.

Usually it's anxiety, or stress.

Try to exercise and keep healthy. Read a book. That usually gets me to sleep right away.

 

[AdamH]

I use marijuana. I'm not a recreational user, but one puff is enough to quiet my thoughts enough for me to drift off (otherwise I'm up stressing about work).

These days I actually use a pre-filled vape pen. I can use it indoors without stinking up the house. I'm not thrilled with it because I don't 100% know what's in it as it currently has to come from less than legal sources.. But I'm hoping legalization will eventually provide me with a decent product that I can trust..

 

[Mr Bret]

Seek professional medical help.
While I appreciate all the wisdom and good intentions on TERB, people are all different.
What works for one person may have a completely different effect on someone else.

 

[SchlongConery]

Seek professional medical help.
While I appreciate all the wisdom and good intentions on TERB, people are all different.
What works for one person may have a completely different effect on someone else.

Yes, agreed. But discussing things a bit among friends to help figure out the root causes and possible options really helps when you get to see the Dr. As we all know, while our health care is "free", it is rationed. Therefore, face time with the Doctor is limited and much more fruitful if one can better describe the symptoms etc. Just going into the DR office and saying "I have a hard time sleeping" may just result in being prescribed some benzo's. And maybe not even the optimal drug for the particular cause.

 

[Galseigin]

I agree with those that mentioned exercise, even walking. Try walking everyday for at least 30 minutes but 1 hour better.

 

[Mr Bret]

Yes, agreed. But discussing things a bit among friends to help figure out the root causes and possible options really helps when you get to see the Dr. As we all know, while our health care is "free", it is rationed. Therefore, face time with the Doctor is limited and much more fruitful if one can better describe the symptoms etc. Just going into the DR office and saying "I have a hard time sleeping" may just result in being prescribed some benzo's. And maybe not even the optimal drug for the particular cause.

Fair enough.

 

[D-Fens]

Told the doctor what was going on. and i didn't just tell him I was having trouble sleeping, I told him everything about my history with insomnia depression and anxiety (which he already knew about) how long i've had it, what was going on in my life etc. He prescribed me Amitropolyne, took it last night, and that night was the first good night's sleep I've had it almost 2 weeks. I feel like I am 20 years old again. I keep hearing about how all these drugs are bad for you. But If I have to choose between a chemically induced sleep and no sleep at all. I'll take the chemically induced sleep. I am at the point where I don't care what it is as long as it makes me sleep. I'll deal with the side effects I don't care. I just want to sleep dammit. Fortunetly the side effects for this drug haven't been too bad.

 

[Mr Bret]

Told the doctor what was going on. and i didn't just tell him I was having trouble sleeping, I told him everything about my history with insomnia depression and anxiety (which he already knew about) how long i've had it, what was going on in my life etc. He prescribed me Amitropolyne, took it last night, and that night was the first good night's sleep I've had it almost 2 weeks. I feel like I am 20 years old again. I keep hearing about how all these drugs are bad for you. But If I have to choose between a chemically induced sleep and no sleep at all. I'll take the chemically induced sleep. I am at the point where I don't care what it is as long as it makes me sleep. I'll deal with the side effects I don't care. I just want to sleep dammit. Fortunetly the side effects for this drug haven't been too bad.

Hopefully a few good nights in a row will allow you to get some normalcy in your life and that you find a drug free solution for the long term.