any tips on insomnia?

Question

i have been suffering from insomnia for as long as i know and its really getting to me now

i study but i am not stressed, i have a good life, obviously i do have some problems but who doesn't?

i know the usual things people say,

have a warm bath
drink warm milk -
read - i seriously dont have the patience to sit thorugh a book
relax - i always am, infact i am lazy

on the odd occassion when i do get a full night's sleep i feel lucky to be alive, its the sort of thing people take for granted and i wish i could.

i never go through a whole week geeting sleep, i usually end up catching up on my sleep in the weekend.

what changes can i make to help me overcome it? it ruins most of my days as i am not productive enough and always feel i could have done better

sorry the sentence is meant to read

i can never go through a whole week getting enough sleep, i usually end up catching up on my sleep in the weekend.

thanks for the first to answers but i dont feel comfortable taking sleeping pills, i dont want to rely on medcation to get me to sleep, i know it does get addicitve so im seriously against that,

sorry i should have mentionned that

Answer 1

i myself have insomnia
it runs in my family
sleeping pills often do not work so you're doing good not taking them a building an imunity and risking over dose.
there aren't really any tips that will work that don't involve medication.
back when i was in school i'd try staying up all weekend and then on sunday lay in bed and think about good things that i want to be successful with, sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. if you stay up long enough, you'll eventually be tired enough to go to sleep. prime objective is to stay awake when it's daylight and sleep at night.
i've found that warm milk doesn't help or warm baths.
find a temperature that makes you sleepy, being really cold makes me sleepy sometimes so i go lay in bed and get covers all around me and watch tv until i fall asleep.
another thing you could try doing is going for a run before your "bedtime" comes. run until you're exhausted and you'll probably be able to sleep.
find some music that doesn't have people talking, just sounds, try playing that while you lay there trying to sleep.
i'm sorry if those aren't helpful, but sometimes they work for me.

i have yet to overcome my insomnia, but i make the best of it and get as many things as i can done while i am awake. with medication that is strong enough to knock you out, will leave you drugged out when you do wake up again. i can take up to 200 miligrams of mine and i still don't go to sleep. and it's dangerous to take more, but i do anyway.
good luck & i hope someone gives you ideas that will work.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I suffered from insomnia for a couple of years. Here are a few suggestions:

If you have a tv in your room get rid of it.
Get room darkening blinds or drapes.
Paint your room a calming color.
Wear a sleep mask.
Avoid caffeine late in the day.

This may sound weird, but I have a hand held BOGGLE game that i play every night---It is so boring and monotonous, I always fall asleep while playing.
Try all these things and if you must, take a Tylenol simply sleep. I had to see a doctor about my insomnia which is often a symptom of an underlying problem like depression or anxiety.
Good luck! I know it is terrible not getting any sleep. Just don't let it go on too long.

Answer 4

What a horrible problem. I feel for you.
I remember my poor mom saying she couldn't sleep. I remember thinking, why doesn't she just go to sleep??

When I used to drink coffee around 1-2PM in the afternoon at work, I had no idea it was effecting my sleep.
I still 'fell' asleep at 9-10PM. Felt really sleepy, but never slept well. I remembered thinking all night and was always tired.

My cortisol levels were checked, and even my drinking a cup of coffee at 8AM still had the levels higher than normal that night. Cortisol, adrenalin, those should all be lower.


Also, I have fibormyalgia, which is the main reason I never slept. I thought I was, until I found out what sleep really was. Depression also can cause insomnia. Even mild depression, which you might not recognize as such.

I wouldn't run out and get all sorts of pills or prescriptions.
Even over the counter ones people suggested here.
Finding the cause is THE best way to start. Sleep aids don't usually work forever, can cause other problems, and the real problem still exists.

I assumed I knew my body, my habits and myself. Be open to thinking differently by observing yourself. Keep a detailed diary of your daily habits.

Note what was happening when you DID fall asleep. That day, that evening, what you ate and drank that day, etc. Mine surprised me.

Good luck and I hope and pray you find peace. And sleep.

Answer 5

I too have suffered from insomnia for longer than I want to think about. Some things that work best for me are:

1) Try to go to bed at around the same time every night and get up at the same time, even on weekends!

2) DON'T take naps!!

3) Don't tell yourself "I HAVE to sleep tonight!" Just lay there and say..."Ok, even if I don't sleep, I'll just lay here and relax."

4) Sometimes (but of course not ALWAYS!!!) it helps to try to remember the dream you had the night before.

5) Think of something boring. Have you seen a boring film or TV show lately? Review the whole movie/show in your mind.

6) Try "white noise" (have a fan running) or earplugs...especially if you live in a noisy place.

7) Have a "bedtime routine". Do 3-4 things EVERY night before sleeping to get your mind/body "in the mood" to sleep.

8) Accept the fact that some nights you just won't be able to sleep. Maybe you're one of those people whose body doesn't need a whole lot of sleep. Not EVERYONE needs 8 hours!! Maybe your "normal body rhythm" is more like 6 hours a night!

Answer 6

Try excercising and diet. I was recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I have changed my diet and cutting out sugar and excess carbohydrates. I walk everyday at least an hour and then do some weight training as time allows.

I have been sleeping more soundly and with the weight loss, I don't snore as much either. I sleep throughout the night without waking up too. I am usually in bed by 8pm or so because my day starts at 4am.

Even though it is the weekend, I do try to stick to my week day hours and get up early on the weekends too.

Answer 7

I HELPED SOMEBODY YESTERDAY WITH THIS ANSWER:
I recieved best answer for it!


"I've had this problem for years, and the real problem is that my mind races as I'm trying to sleep. Do you find yourself thinking too much, and worrying about getting to sleep?
Here are a few things to try:

When you take a bath, try bath salts, they tend to relax me to the point of sleep.

While you're lying in bed relax every part of your body, think: Relax my legs... Feel your legs relaxing, and move your way up to your head. I can sometimes fall asleep before I even finish!

I have also tried listening to music or the television as I try to sleep. This gives my mind something else to concentrate on rather than my daily stresses.

Try not to resort to drug induced sleep, this causes dependancy and you'll soon have trouble sleeping without! Watch you sugar intake before bed as well, I normally do not eat or drink anything other than water starting 3 hours before I plan to sleep.

Good luck, I hope this helps!"


& I hope it helps you as well!!!

Answer 8

Insomnia is often caused by fear, stress, anxiety, medications, herbs, caffeine, depression or sometimes for no apparent reason. Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. Soak a tablespoon of mint leaves in a cup of water for an hour, drink every night. Check out http://useinfo-insomnia.blogspot.com/ for more info

Answer 9

I use self hypnosis. lie down relax each muscle in turn starting at the feet working slowly up to your scalp. Imagine you're in a tower walking down a spiral staircase, walk down each step slowly from about 6 steps up. There's a door at the bottom, choose a relaxing colour for the door, when you get there open it and step out onto a beautiful sunny tropical beach, feel the warm sand through your toes, find a spot and lie down, close your eyes and listen to the waves gently lapping against the sand.
Hopefully you're asleep now.
Happy dreams

Answer 10

Make sure you don't sleep during the day. If you can't get to sleep then stay up later. Don't even go to the bedroom until midnight or later. If you go to bed at that time and still can't get to sleep - get up, and go to another room. Watch your intake of caffeine and alcohol- and other items like chocolate, tea or sweets. Get some moderate exercise during the day.