Easy Ten Points (maybe).....zzzzzzzzzzz?

Question

I can't easily get to sleep, I try reading, watching TV, staring off into space, replaying movies in my head...there is nothing wrong with my mattress or pillow and my bedframe is fine.
HELP PLEASE!!! Just give me a few suggestions and you may win!

Answer 1

Hi- I am 24 and have had sleeping problems all my life, ranging from severe insomnia (10 days awake- I also have manic depression) to extreme hypersomnia (30 hours without waking up). I don't use drugs other than prescription medications.

The first thing to consider is this- do you feel tired when you go to bed? If you are still alert and active, it is unlikely you will be able to sleep. You will toss and turn and may catnap but you will wake feeling groggy and tired.

How alert are you in the day time? Most people believe that it is "natural" for humans to be awake in the day and sleep at night, but many scientists believe that approximately 10 percent of the human population are nocturnal- from an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense. These people feel the most alert at night and relative groggy and sluggish during the day. If this sounds like you you may naturally be one of a large majority that is biologically programmed to sleep during the day (the sunlight makes me tired, as does all the bustle of other people). Something to consider.

It is also hard to sleep if you are worried or anxious. If you suffer from nightmares, even occasionally, you might not WANT (subconsciously) to go to sleep. A lot of people are extremely stressed these days- the world seems to be a dangerous and extremely scary place.... however, it is no more dangerous than at any other time. The Media and a Consumerist market do well when people are stressed. They eat more to self comfort, spending more money on edibles, then spend more money on weight loss techniques. They buy all sorts of things in an effort to distract themselves- from shoes, to clothes, to video games to live in a virtual world. Sales of sleep aids, gel insoles, special orthopedic pillows, illegal drugs, pornography... anything that is deemed comforting, goes through the roof.

If you are stressed, you could try doing some exercises to figure out the cause. What are you worried about? School tuition or student loans? Parents? Your Health? The world in general? Then write out ways you can improve the situation, and if it's out of your hands you have to accept that. I think a lot of people would be better off if they would stop watching the news for a while and watch a little more of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Perhaps you are too hot at night? You can try lowering the temperature or perhaps getting a fan near your bed. If you take naps in the day, stop them. If you decide you want to sleep in the day, see about night shifts or night classes.

Getting enough physical exercise will naturally tire you out, both by using up energy and releasing endorphins into your system.

Contrary to what others said, I would not recommend eating before sleeping. Stop eating solids a full 4 hours before you intend to sleep. It's harder to sleep on a full stomach than a partially empty one and if you are trying to lose weight or simply establish a routine, the body tends to do better if it can repair itself during sleep rather than spend most of it's energy digesting food.

Of course, if you are getting hunger pangs, you can eat something small. But no late night meals.

Your mattress might feel fine to you but you might be sensitive to pressure or sleeping surfaces. Some people I know sleep in hammocks and seem to get better sleep. The slight sway of the hammock and the lack of pressure on whatever part of the body is facing it (unlike a stiffer mattress) seem to work. There is a reason many people associate hammocks with relaxing and their are indoor hammocks and hammock bed contrapations that you can buy and hang from the ceiling.

Instead of getting a warm shower before sleep, you might want to get a tepid shower. If the water is too warm it can elevate heart rate and make you feel a little queasy (I had a bad habit of taking much too hot showers for the longest time). If the mirror is fogging up, it's too hot. By lowering your body temperature a little (not to the point of discomfort) you might find it easier to sleep.

Also, many people need total blackness in which to sleep but very few get it. TVs, phones and other contraptions can keep us awake until it's virtually time to get up. Unplug your phone when you go to bed so you won't be disturbed. You can get an eye mask to screen out light if you can't make your room dark enough.

If your insomnia doesn't respond to any of these, you might want to try some of the techniques used to soothe infants. It is theorized that many newborn babies can't sleep because of the lack of motion (they are used to the back and forth swaying motion of being inside the uterus while the mother walks and moves) and the intra-uterine sounds. I know that, for me, I feel tired listening to the dryer, which could be compared to those sounds. You might want to get a white noise maker to filter out any annoying sounds. There are also noise machines and CDs that can play sounds such as a heart beat, thunder storm, rain, etc.... whatever you find soothing.

Most of all, don't worry about not being able to sleep when you get into bed. It's a good way to jinx yourself. After 15-20 minutes, if you aren't on the verge of sleep, you should get out of bed. Don't lie in bed miserable. You will only come to associate your bed with insomnia, not anything positive. You can go for a walk or a jog then or get on the internet and research deceased philosophers.... at the very least you'll be educating yourself or getting some exercise. When you start to feel tired again, you can try again. But do NOT lie for hours in bed, miserable.

Those are my best tips. One activity I have found that is soothing enough to do when I am tired but too wound up to sleep is paint. You don't need to pay careful attention to it but it is active enough that you can get some energy out (especially if you paint large pieces).

Have a nice night. ;)

Answer 2

I have been told that Benadryl helps. I have taken it in the past and it can help you sleep. Don't get the stuff with diphenhydramine in it, but the other one. It is basically the same as sleeping pills, but non addicting.

I know that I do it all the time...but they say watching TV to fall asleep is one of the worst things you can do...it stimulates the brain to much and stops you from relaxing.

I know when I can't sleep it is because of all the stress of the day that is still on my mind. Have you tried Yoga? I just started it last week and I know it helps the night I do it. (I am taking classes to teach me all the moves.) It helps you to learn how to breathe the right way to help you relax. If you can, go to the library and either get a book on Yoga or on relaxation.

I know I am no expert on this because I too have a hard time sleeping at night. I know mine is because of anxiety, but that doesn't mean your's is. But read up on ways to relax....you can find all sorts of websites that will give you info on it....and that might help.

Do you possibly have a problem with anxiety? I know that is why I can't sleep most of the time. Stress can cause anxiety and depression and that can cause sleepless nights.

They also say not to drink alcohol before bed. Even though it will make you tired to begin with...once it wears off then you will be wide awake.

Answer 3

Before going to bed (but not directly before going to bed), do something active, like go for a run or a jog, do some exercise, or play some sort of activity in the day. Sometimes watching TV or just doing nothing active prevents you from getting rest because your body has stored up energy that needs to be used up. Mental activities can help. You said reading doesn't help, but try puzzles or mind games or something like that. Try either of these ways (or both) with people too. Being around good buddies does make you relaxed and whatnot. Hope I helped a bit! Get some sleep soon!! *looks at clock* Yeah, I need to catch some z's myself. Later!

Answer 4

I have the same problem. I can never sleep right away. I've stayed up, just lying there, for 2 1/2 hours before. . . .Listening to soft music helps me. By the time the CDs about halfway through, I'm usually drifting off. Maybe try reading a book about an hour before you want to go to bed, to get you relaxed. Don't watch TV, or play on the comp, it will only make it worse, because it wakes up your brain. Try keeping busy during the day, so your mind and body are tired at night. Idk, nothing has worked perfectly for me so far. . .

Answer 5

I don't have this problem but my morning radio show (about as reliable as any other source!) swears by this and people call in all the time to say that it works. Count from 25 backwards, but visualize each number, like on a page of a calander that you tear off, so you'll be doing it slowly. So you count the number, see it and throw it away. Also, I have to ask, are you tired when you go to bed? Maybe you don't need as much sleep as you think? (I'm not being condescending, really asking!)

Answer 6

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Answer 7

What is keeping you from falling asleep then? Usually stress is the answer, and many forms of stress can cause insomnia. Most people try to drug the problem away, this works, temporarily until their body is used to the drug that it doesn't even work anymore. This is where you need to do some work on yourself, figure out the source of the stress. Usually working things out in your head about things you did during the day, and things you need to do tomorrow is what causes this problem. So before going to bed think about everything you accomplished for the day, scratching them off your mind's list, then think about your responsibilities for tomorrow, your brain will be cluttered with this crap, write the things you need to accomplish down on a piece of paper. This helps put your mind at peace over what you still have left to do. Try this, and see if it works, I am willing to bet your problem is your mind is busy with all of the crap that you have on it, so empty it out every night before bed.

Answer 8

Before you go to bed, like about 30 minutes before, eat a small snack. I suggest 1-2 oz of turkey (triptophan - spelling approximate), a cracker or a cookie, or if you are concerned about your weight - a low glycemic carbohydrate and some nuts - almonds or peanuts are best. This is a recipe for some slow burning energy that will help level your blood sugar out for the night.

If your restlessness is due to your brain seeking blood sugar, because it is getting low in the middle of the night, this recipe will help that.

If this works, and you should know it in about 3 days if it will, you may want to check out www.hufa.org for more info on low blood sugar, its causes and things you can do about it.

Answer 9

Gee... staying up watching late night TV works for me though =P
Seriously, try taking a warm bath to calm the nerves.
Another would be to drink warm milk, you may also try reading a book, that always knocks me out. A final insomniac cure is to play an easy listening CD that plays neutral sounding music (e.g. instrumental, spiritual, etc)
Hope this helped.

Answer 10

Okay, I used to have the same problem. It has not entirely vanished, but I can finally manage to sleep. The only thing that would work (quickly) was to -- Lie in bed. Relax your body. Close your eyes. Try to think of nothing. (sounds crazy but try it) Completely sweep your brain from thought. Now imagine something and just let your brain have at it --Not really thinking of anything--just instantaneous images roaming through your mind. --This really worked. But, only when I tried it. I know this probably does not make sense but my mind would just have so much energy and keep going and going --so I really had to force myself to do this-- and even though I knew it worked sometimes I just did not feel like it--I just had so much energy and I had to remind myself to relax. I really hope this helps. ;)

Answer 11

Things to try:

A tape full of relaxing sounds such as rain, bubbling brook, etc...
Warm Milk
Take a warm bath before laying down and trying to sleep
Playing on Pogo or another mindless gaming site for 30 minutes or so before drifting off.
Try listening to music for 30 minutes before hand.
Last resort: go to doctor and explain the insomnia... ask for medical help.