what can i do to control my sleep timings which are very erratic?

Question

please suggest methods other than medicines. i have tried and they don't work on me.

Answer 1

listen to music

do some Yoga

change the place your sleep in

Answer 2

There's probably a chance that you are under a lot of stress, depressed or, have a slight anxiety problem, if your sleep patterns are erratic. Erratic meaning you sleep when you sleep, and you don't really have any control. In my personal opinion, I think that you should buy yourself a journal, try writing in it every night. Things that you can't tell anybody, things that bother you, things you need to get off your chest. If you are afraid that some one will find it and read it, then after you write in it, tear that page up and through it away. That way, you get what ever was bothering you off your chest, and you don't have to worry about anybody in your business. If you are just having a problem with going to sleep at night, buy you some benadryl's, take about two-three 25mg tab, like 30 minutes before bedtime, they will knock you out believe me. If you don't want to take any drugs, you can buy yourself some loose leaf tea from a health food store, some chamomile or peppermint tea. Valerian Root is also used as a sedative, but the taste and smell are yucky.

I hope that one of these works for you.

Answer 3

That is a good question to ask a chronic insomniac...

Melatonin sublinguals of 1-3mgs taken the same time every night will establish a biological clock. That particular endorphin will tell your body that a certain time is bedtime.

In addition, force yourself into a routine every moring of getting up, doing some form of exercize, showering, eating breakfast, then going to work.

I would also suggest your larger meals of the day be breakfast and lunch. Eat a light, but heavy protien dinner about 90 minutes before you plan to go to sleep. Do not eat dessert. The sugar from dessert will kick your body awake. Instead, eat the higher protien dinner. Your body will get tired from the initial amount of caories it has to use to start the digestion of that dinner. Enhance this with a glass of red wine.

Make sure your bedroom is dark. Make sure you ahve a comfortable bed and the temperature is cool and to your liking.

Do not watch the news, read the news, play video games, watch shows or movies that upset you, read anything gripping, or do anything exciting for the last hour before bedtime.

Do not drink any caffinated or highly caloric drinks for 4 hours before bedtime. that means no Coke, no Diet Pepsi, no red Bulls...

A warm relaxing bath helps. So does a massage. Making love to somebody you care deeply for can help knock you out as well ;)

Answer 4

Biofeedback is really underused and not understood. You can learn how to concentrate on getting yourself sleepy, and it helps a lot. I have suffered from insomnia since teenage years, and am 48 now. Also, yoga helps, some music you like to relax to, a quiet environment, if at all possible.
When I do the biofeedback, I make myself comfortable, either in bed or on a couch or chair, get blankets and pillows, make sure I'm warm, and then, I close my eyes, and imagine I'm in a quiet black room. There's nothing else there, just me, in this quiet black room, and I keep repeating this to myself, and I tell myself I'm sleepy, and I eventually go to sleep. Some nights you just can't sleep, no matter what, so sometimes I get up and crochet or read a book. Best wishes.

Answer 5

You have had some very excellent answers to your problem. But I have a few questions for you.
1.Have you discussed this with your doctor or health specialist?
2. Have you enlisted alternative medication such as herbs and or vitamins?
3.Are you going through menopause?
4. Do you work swing/grave yard shifts?
5.Are you drinking alcohol in the evenings or right before bed?
6. Do you get a minium of 20 minutes of sunlight daily?

1. I realize most people do not have health insurance or access to medical help. But if you problem is this bad you really need professional help.

2. My mother was BIG on herbs and vitamins. I find that when my sleep cycle is off I use "Melatonin". I first heard of this from the national and international known journalist Tony Brown. I have heard of airline personnel also use this since there schedules can combat not only odd hours of sleeping but time zones as well. WARNING/CAUTION not everyone can use this vitamin. Please research and discuss this with a health care specialist in this area.
3. Well I am and my sleep is worse than ever. Once again you will need to research and get experts help. 1. http://www.menopause-online.com/... and http://www.knowmenopause.com/

4. I did and that is why I started using "melatonin"

5. I have heard and experience first hand that if I drink alcohol right before bedtime that I will fall asleep fast but the sugar conversion in 4 hours will wake me up and I am on a sugar high just long enough to disturb my sleep completely.

6. This is also related to Melatonin. If you are outside getting full sunlight for about 20 minutes (fully clothed) that will activate your body's natural melatonin that helps you with your relaxation/sleep cycle too.

I would do all the other suggestions too -exercise, find a relaxing/meditation activity for the evening, do the EXACT same routine for 3 weeks/months (my mind is a little stubborn) before bed, read spiritual works that relax and reassure your body/mind/spirit. As well as read what ever bores you. Listen to a book on tape that will not wind you up - my daughter who is 12 loves for me to read to her in less than two pages she is asleep. Otherwise she is awake for a hour or more. Warm milk - no caffeine like coco or alcohol. MENTAL hypnotism. Nigh-night

Answer 6

Try going to bed at about the same time everyday. Do exercise or housework during the day to tire yourself out. Before bed take a hot bath, relax, make sure you have enough to eat for dinner. Limit sugar atleast 4 hours before you know you are going to bed. The trick is to get on a set schedule. Watch a boring movie, that always puts my wife to sleep! I have had problems with this too and medication doesn't work and I don't like taking it. Sweet dreams!

Answer 7

I urge you to change the time of eating and I used to eat late and it was impacts my sleeping time. Now I eat less and eat early. So I have more than 3 hours for my food to digest while I am in bed I count numbers backward from 99 till 1 and I do it until I feel in to sleep mode.I do not take a bath before I go to bed because,It will keep me wake all night.By the way,do not bring these problems such as stress and etc. to bed because, you will keep thinking over and over and you will not sleep until a couple hour before dawn, I hear you pain and let's do not have any medicine or coffee or tea before going to bed.Good luck and try my ideas.

Answer 8

OK, this sounds wierd, but it sometimes works for me.
Go to bed at the same time evey night.
Get a 'ritual' that you do just before bedtime like drink a glass of milk, or write in a diary, or use Windex to clean your glasses. It doesn't really matter, just so can do it every night before bedtime.
Get comfortable in bed.
Picture your body as if it were made of glass. Right now, its full of smoke and dirt, thats everything that has happened today stuck on the inside of you.
Find a low spot on your body like a heel, back of your neck, butt hole, whatever, and imagine your body filling with warm sudsy water. Kinda like the scrubbing bubbles commercial. They are scrubbing the inside of your glass body clean. Once your body is full of scrubbing bubbles, and your body is clean, let all the suds and dirt and problems of the day drain out.

I don't know what to do after that, I am asleep by then.
Good night.

Answer 9

if you want to follow the normal human sleep pattern then first and foremost do not sleep in the day time. Excercise regularly during the day including some brisk walking, atleast 3 to 4 kms per day. Do not drink coffee or tea in the late evening or night. Take a light dinner preferably before 8 pm. get up early in the morning and do not sleep late. You can also do Yog Nidra everyday before sleeping. Its a yoga procedure which relaxes your body and helps you in sleeping.

Answer 10

I had the same problem what would do though was a hard 30 min workout right before I went to bed and I would sleep like a baby. However this does not work for everyone. Also try making your house cooler during the night it helps but makes it harder to get out of the bed in the morning.
Amy T

Answer 11

u have,nt mentioned your age,ofcourse u might have tensions or other factors regarding your life.That is common in humans,but you should'nt care about that,To relieve all that, be pleasant in your way and be commute without inner feelings. You will have some restirctions in work and sleep.Without these human cannot migrate,but to identify those in right time at right place is the significant factor.These both are repelling eachother and you are feeling insomania.identifying yourself when your feeling sleepy and calculate the timing in which you are feeling sleepy.
At that time you might feeling bored.Too interactive with your neighbours or read some interesting topics and that time only in sleeping hours i.e night. Too be calm wthout thoughts in mind u r free in sleep.