Trouble sleeping, what can I do to help?

Question

I am a college student, and I have had trouble sleeping the last few weeks. My problem is i can fall asleep right away, I tend to wake up alot during the night, and sometimes I sleep the whole night, but wake up feeling like crap, have any ideas please let me know , thanks

Answer 1

I hope this bit of info might help you - there has been a lot of research done on chamomile's ability to relieve pain and insomnia. Almost all the people who drank chamomile tea instead of taking their regular pain medication fell into a deep sleep within ten minutes.

Herbs are also good - Valerian (herb) has been compared to various prescription drugs. One compound found in this herb depresses the central nervous system so well that the effect is similar to that of the sedative barbiturate phenobarbital. And valerian does this without causing any dizziness, blurred vision, drowsiness or poor physical performance and concentration the next day, as tranquilizers and barbiturates so often do. It does not even affect your dream recall or the ability to awaken refreshed in the morning.

Another herb that is good for treating insomnia is catnip. For some reason, though, catnip has never been as popular as valerian, even though the two contain similar components that encourage sleep. Nevertheless, it did have its heyday.

Passionflower another great herb has also been a popular sleep inducer since the days of the Aztecs and the Incas, and it is still widely used in Brazil to treat insomnia, anxiety and nervousness. Combined with valerian, this herb makes one of the most popular sleeping aids in Europe. Passionflower is particularly helpful when tight muscles or an overactive mind disturb your sleep.

If you are having trouble falling asleep at night or if you wake up too early in the morning and cannot doze off again, try Saint-John's-wort to help regulate disturbed sleep patterns. Like passionflower, it adjusts brain chemistry, helping to increase the availability of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is responsible for promoting sleep and relaxation, as we know. When taken over a period of many weeks or even months, both of these herbs help people who suffer from chronic insomnia.

Hops is another important sleep-promoting herb with a unique way of working. It acts directly on the central nervous system, and takes effect in 20 to 40 minutes when taken as a tea or tincture or in pills. In studies conducted in Germany on people who have trouble sleeping, those who were given a combination of valerian and hops reported that they experienced a much sounder sleep. These favorable reports were confirmed by researchers who observed the participants in this study and measured their brain waves as they slept.

Even sniffing hops helps you doze off. Throughout much of Europe, bed pillows have for centuries been stuffed with dried hops for just that reason. Unlike most herbs, hops actually gets better with age—exposure to air increases its sedative effect.

Hops Sleep Pillow

2 pieces of fabric about 8 inches square

¼ cup hops

1/8 cup chamomile flowers

1/8 cup lavender flowers (optional)

Sew pieces of fabric together around the edge to form the pillow, leaving enough room to insert a tablespoon. Turn the pillow inside out so that the stitching is inside. Combine herbs and spoon them into the pillow. Sew up the opening. Lay the hops pillow under your regular sleeping pillow. If you are feeling creative, you can make the pillow any shape or size—just make more of this recipe to fill it. The hops should last about a year.

Insomnia Formula

½ teaspoon each tinctures of valerian rhizome, hops strobiles, passion flower and chamomile flowers

Combine ingredients. These herbs can also be made into a tea, although most people prefer the tincture because the tea doesn't taste very good. Also, valerian is more effective as a tincture since some of its components are not water soluble.

You can find all these herbs at a site called Ancient Wisdoms if you are interested.

Answer 2

Gaaaaddd, I hear ya. I personally think this goes hand-in-hand with being in college. Stress. I'll likely read others' answers to your question. Same problem. So frickin' annoying...

Best stress reliever, if you can afford it, is a hot stone massage. It's total heaven. If you're a poor student (uhhhh, like myself), I suggest baths, trying to do your thinking before you go to bed. If your life is really being disrupted by this, ask your doc for something. I personally wouldn't mess with sleep aids due to the dependency factor and all, but for a short-time during a particularly stressful period?? Well, it might be worth it. Ativan is nice. Tried that. Just have to make sure you can lay down for 8 hours or you'll feel a little groggy in the a.m.

Answer 3

I've had this problem on and off....usually I do a hard work out shortly before turning in, allowing for about an hour of cool down. Most of the time this helps tire me to the point where I can fall asleep easily.

I also discovered that if I eat a late meal, I can't sleep. So I don't eat anything after around 7pm....also avoid anything with caffeine in it past about noon time......

Answer 4

I am not a college student but i get this on a regular basis.Whenever i think i'm gonna have trouble sleeping and have to be at work in the morning i take a gravol 50 mg. They are for travelsickness but they also make you drousy.No side effects non addictive and cheap.Take them at 8 pm otherwise you might be a little tired in the morning

Answer 5

I have this problem too. Too many things going through my head, stress about an exam, the answers to things that I've studied going through my head. That, and I have a urinary problem that keeps me up sometimes, I won't go into detail on that though. I've never found a really good remedy to it. Sometimes I will work out and exercise to the point where I get really tired to make me sleep. This seems to work better than anything else. I don't believe in taking those stupid "sleep aids".

Answer 6

there is a good nonperscription medicine that NATURALLY puts you to sleep and its called melatonin. you can find it a trader joes and it works wonders! especially when you have stuff on your mind. also, if you sleep with a fan on, the sound will dull you to sleep. that is how i go to sleep, and i have many troubles getting to sleep.

Answer 7

Hello
please take a long walk and possibly take a lot of cold water.relax yourself and stop thinking late in the night.