How can I sleep at night?

Question

For around 10 years now I've not been getting much mor than 4 hours sleep a night, usually considerably less, and almost without exception it is interupted sleep, sleeping for an hour, then waking up and not getting to sleep again for another hour. Some nights I don't sleep at all and in the past I have gone up to 72 hours without sleep.

I've had many different opinions on the causes and cures for this. Some people say it's to do with the fact my Dad died around the time it started, some say it's to do with my diet (possible), and some say I just need to let go and stop my mind from thinking (this I find impossible).

I have discovered that a couple of beers or whisky's before bed helps me sleep, although mor than this keeps me awake. I refuse to drink to sleep however because I do not want to become dependant on it. For this same reason I will not take sleeping pills etc.

Has anyone had similar problems and do you have any suggestions. I feel tired, sick & weak everyday.

Answer 1

You need medical adviceso as to help your chronic sleeping problem;however here are a few tips to follow before seeing a doctor; see if it helps:


What's the difference between a sleepless night and insomnia?
Sleepless nights strike all of us at some time - usually when we suffer stress or anxiety over an event in our lives. However, when an inability to sleep continues for more than a few weeks it's time to get medical advice. Anxiety or poor sleep habits can develop during this short-term phase that can lead to lifelong sleep problems and poorer mental and physical health.

Anxiety: the worst enemy of sleep
Lack of sleep is often due to a reduced ability to relax. Think about what is going on in your life: do you have some underlying worries? Sometimes the things we worry about are not obvious at first. But they can churn away in the back of our minds and disrupt our ability to relax deeply enough to find a deep sleep.

Learning to cope with stress and reduce anxiety usually gives the best results for chronic sleep problems. See your GP for advice.

Sleeping tablets
Only take sleeping pills when prescribed by your doctor and for short periods of time (five to six days). If you take sleeping tablets for longer than this the 'rebound effect' can cause your sleep to be worse than it was before you were taking the tablets. It's much better to work out other sleep strategies with your GP.

Tips for a good sleep
The bedroom is only for sleep. Get rid of the TV, the radio and even books which activate your mind too much.
If you can't sleep - get up. Read or do something else and go back when you feel sleepy.
Take a bath before bed. A 20-minute warm (not hot) bath will relax the body and set your body temperature at the right point for deep sleep.
Don't have a fixed bed-time. Insomniacs are likely to suffer anxiety as the time approaches. Go to bed when you're sleepy.
Early morning waking may be a sign of depression - if you are unsure always ask your GP.
No one dies of sleep deprivation, and you won't go mad: but it will interfere with your ability to function at 100%.
FOODS TO AVOID
Caffeine:
Avoid coffee, tea and chocolate from 4pm. Caffeine can reduce your ability to drift off to sleep and the quality of your sleep.

Alcohol:
Alcohol initially has a relaxing effect on the body, and many people will argue that "a few glasses of wine put me into a deep sleep!". However, once the effect of alcohol has stopped your blood sugar levels drop and your body suffers from withdrawal and wakes up.

Sugary Foods:
Foods with high sugar content or high GI (glycaemic index) will have a stimulant effect on the body similar to caffeine. Avoid soft drink, cake, biscuits, ice-cream and even sugary fruits and juices at night.

FOODS TO AID SLEEP
Milk:
Yes it's true, warm milk can help induce sleep. A naturally occurring substance called tryptophan occurs in milk which helps promote sleepiness.

Herbal teas:
Camomile and valerian tea help some people to sleep. However, please see your GP before taking any herbal remedies.

Complex carbohydrates:
Complex carbohydrates such as oats and wholegrain cereals (without added sugar) have a calming effect on the body and can help promote sleep.

Answer 2

If you haven't already, talk to your doctor about the problem.
My way of sleeping is very similar to you...I'm a very light sleeper... the littlest noise will wake me up and trying to get to sleep is an ordeal.
My solution isn't 100% effective, but at least it beats the alternative: I take two Tylenol PMs a couple times a week between 6-7:30 PM (I have to be at work at 6:30 the next morning). It usually takes an hour for them to kick in enough for me to fall asleep when they work (if the brain refuses to turn off, I'm miserable all night--how DO people shut off their brains to sleep?!!!!!).
The other thing that helps me is hot milk or hot cocoa. For my hot milk, I usually pour a mug of milk and add a tablespoon or two of sugar and some vanilla to flavor it. Nuke til hot or heat up in a pot on a stove. Sometimes hot milk is the only thing that will get me to sleep. There's some chemical breakdown of lactose that helps relax the body. Once again, it isn't 100% reliable.
The other thing you may want to do is go to a sleep lab, especially since your sleep isn't a solid period of time. You could be having breathing problems that are waking you up.
I hope you have sweet dreams soon!

Answer 3

Maybe going to a counsellor could help you find out why you're not sleeping; it could get you to the root of the cause. Other than that, cammomile tea helps me, and then some really lond deep bretahs when I'm in bed - it emulates to the breathign thst you do during sleep, and so helps your body to go into sleep more easily.

Answer 4

Some give them Benadryl you have to be careful. Some elders don't do well on it. A small dose of Valium or Xanax if agitated, but these are addicting.They are dangerous if they can't metabolize them. Always check with a doctor. Lived by a little old Italian man the whole neighborhood called grandpa and his family gave him a shot glass of whiskey every night. He almost was 100 when he died.

Answer 5

go to a doctor and have a sleep study done. you may have sleep apneia. have someone to watch you sleep sometime and then have them to tell you if you snore or not. its something that you should have checked out very seriously. this problem has cause many people to die in their sleep. don't want to scare you or anything but this is something that plages a lot of poeple. and the cure for it is a machine called a c-pap it basically a oxygen mask hooked up to a machine that gives you air and you will not have interupted sleep anymore. i know several people that have that condition and they tell me that the c-pap is the best thing they have ever purchased

Answer 6

Insomnia – Beat it with Sleep
http://www.askaquery.com/question/Insomnia-%96-Beat-it-with-Sleep.html

Insomnia - Treatment
http://www.askaquery.com/question/Insomnia--%28dash%29--Treatment.html

10 Tips to Sleep Well
http://www.askaquery.com/question/10-Tips-to-Sleep-Well.html

Answer 7

Check out (http://www.reducingstress.net ) there are a lot of great articles and information on how stress levels can affect sleep and how to fix the problem.

Good luck.

Answer 8

Try taking a hot bath and drinking a warm glass of milk before bedtime. Also, if you like onions, they are supposed to help you sleep.

Answer 9

go for a 30 minute walk. get some calcium and magnesium in your system. I heard sex helps you to sleep. if you have no one just fantasize or masturbate. keep away from sweets, caffeine, and heavy foods before going to bed. listen to soft relaxing music. check out sleepwakesfl.com. naturalcures.com is another option.

Answer 10

http://www.healthysleeping.com/sleep/understanding.asp

try the site above - you might want to think about doing a sleep study - they pay you in some cases.