How do I get myself to bed before 11PM?

Question

I am still recovering from an illness and I am so happy to be feeling better that I am beginning to
burn the candle at both ends. I need to stop.
(Please, please, please don't tease me!) I am
serious. I really need the sleep. Ta!

Answer 1

I spoke to a shrink about this and they said the worse thing you can do when you have trouble sleeping, is worrying about it. She said that if you lose sleep one night, you'll make it up during another. If you try to force yourself to sleep when you don't really want to, you'll just stress about it and make it worse. If you don't feel that sleepy, don't sleep. You'll make it up sometime, it won't do any harm to lose a bit here and there. All this stuff about you needing 8 hours sleep a night is an old wives tale, different people need different amounts. So just chill and maybe get up earlier and suffer for a week or so, it'll even itself out naturally.

Answer 2

Start with cutting back or eliminating caffeine from your diet- or at least stop 4 hours before you want to sleep. Take a hot bath. Soak in Epsom salt and lavender if you can find it. Drink a cup of chamomile tea. Start waking up and going to bed at the same time every night. Only use the bedroom for sleep and sex. If you lay down and don't fall asleep within 30 minutes, get up and do something (read, knit, make more chamomile tea, draw, etc).
You can also use melatonin and/or Valerian. Stick with a strict schedule!

Answer 3

I struggle with the same issue, except that I'm not recovering from an illness. I can't fall asleep before 11:45. Ever. No matter what.

The only thing that assures I fall asleep by 11:45 is if I pop a Benadryll or some sort of sleep-aid.

I'll keep checking back to see if anyone else has better suggestions!

Good luck. I HATE sleep struggles.

Answer 4

Don't watch television or go on the computer before bed. The lights make you more awake. Instead, try reading a book. This will make you quite tired. Or maybe even listen to soft music while laying down. I do it all the time and I fall asleep so fast after reading.

Answer 5

Turn the TV to something boring, or music that will not be stimulating. Lay your head on the pillow and give it some time. Relax with camomille tea before that and it is easy to find at a grocery store. If you don't normally like tea, add some honey to it and it will be tasty. Some people add milk to it. Sometimes teas are called sleepy time, etc. That would help.

Answer 6

Get up a little earlier in the mornings, that extra bit f time will make you more sleepy as the day progresses. There's also things like Radox sleep spray or a little lavender oil on your pillow before going to sleep. Massage may help relax your body, aswell. xx

Answer 7

Tylenol P.M.-Take it about 1hr before you want to fall asleep, you can also drink some warm milk slowly, it works everytime. Also, do some relaxing stretches, when you lay down, you will be surprised how quickly you will fall asleep. If you don,t have P.M. just drink the milk and stretch. Good Luck!

Answer 8

Don't try to force yourself to sleep. It'll only make you restless in bed rather than restless on the couch. Do something until you get tired.

You could most definitely try a sleeping aid until you get back to your normal schedule.

Eliminate caffeine close to bedtime, change your sheets if you haven't already (no sense in laying around in sickly germs), lotion your feet (it helps me, anyway), and try soothing scents in your room.

Answer 9

set your alarm for 4:00am and get out of bed when your alarm goes off then you well be tired when 9:00pm comes round. But not knowing what illness you have makes it more difficult to answer.

Answer 10

Get up early 5:00am for at least a week no naps. You'll go to bed earlier