Help I have had insomnia for about a month now any suggestions how i can get sleep??

Question

I really need the help
thank you

Answer 1

I so understand -- insomnia is just terrible!

According to the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, about one in three American adults experience insomnia in a given year. About one in 10 American adults experience insomnia that is chronic or severe. Insomnia is more common among women (especially after menopause) and the elderly. About half of people over age 65 have frequent sleep problems.

Many conditions can cause insomnia. Some possible causes of insomnia include:

Lifestyle factors (e.g., drinking caffeine or alcohol before bedtime)
Medical conditions (e.g., peptic ulcers)
Psychiatric conditions (e.g., depression)
Medications (e.g., antidepressants)
Other sleep disorders (e.g., sleep apnea)
Symptoms of insomnia may include difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently during the night, daytime drowsiness or irritability.

Check out the site below for some really good and helpful information:

http://emotional.health.ivillage.com/sleep/insomnia.cfm

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Also make sure you are not consuming caffeine or sugar in the evening before you are trying to sleep. Be careful because stimulants can be in a lot of foods and drinks, chocolate can keep you awake, so can regular tea, soda, junk foods. warm milk can help you get drowsy and is safe and natural. Some medications can keep you awake as well as over the counter drugs,especially diet pills of any kind, so many of them are just caffeine pills. If you take any prescription drugs check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if this is a side effect, if it is ask for a substitute the next time you see your doc. Another tip - try prayers or even a mantra to relax. hope this helps.

Answer 4

I have chronic insomnia and have had it for 15 years so what I am telling you is tried and true and works for most people.

Sleep Hygiene: Get the TV out of the bedroom, and darken the drapes. The bedroom is designed for sleeping and you shouldn’t do anything else there. You want the optimum conditions for sleep in your bedroom. I run a fan all night long; the white noise drowns out other noises that could disturb my sleep. When I go into the bedroom I compose myself for sleep and that is my goal. I don’t stay up long, I go to sleep or at least start trying to within the first half-hour. I got this from my first visit to the Sleep Clinic at the hospital.

You can turn down the lights a little before bedtime then that can help put you into a sleepy mood, turning down the TV volume and winding down and hour before sleep puts your body into preparation for sleep.

Melatonin is a sleep hormone naturally produced by your body so it is a safe supplement to take, and I have done so for 20 years. Start with a milligram or two and then work your way up to 4-6 until it starts to work. Sleepy Time tea, before bedtime will help since it has natural herbs in it that help to trigger the sleep centers of the brain. Valarian Root is a natural supplement that has helped me and has some doctors recommend it. A doctor recommended the Melaton and Sleepy Time Tea to me.

Some medications have a side effect that causes drowsiness. Trazadone is a safe antidepressant that helps; seroquil is a stronger one that has worked for me. Clearly medication is your last route, and you want to try each previous step before going this far. I have moved on to stronger drugs because my problem is severe.

Ambien and the similar drugs are only good for a week or two, because they don’t give you a deep sleep.

There are four stages of sleep and we pass through them several times a night, usually one cycle can take 30 minutes to 1 hour. Only when you go down to stage 4 does your body start healing. Ambien drops you to stage two so it puts you asleep, but not a recharging one. When you drop off and are just drowsy you have reached stage one. At stage two you start dreaming. Stage three is a deeper sleep and the body becomes nearly paralyzed so your actions in your dreams won’t hurt you—you don’t run in bed or flail around widely. At stage four your body starts its night functions of repair and growth. Then you go up through the various stages. When you are in stage 2 and are woken up you have a good chance to remember your dreams, but when you dream and drop down to stage 4 then you probably won’t remember the dream.

Sleep is critical and a human can go with out if for about 2 weeks before insanity sets in and 3 weeks before death. During sleep your body goes over the facts of the day and creates long term memories or dumps the memory. It also works on the problems of the day and builds new reflexes if you are learning them. The brain is very active when you are asleep and that down time is critical to your health.

Answer 5

maybe you should try some relaxation techniques!!! for an example the one that works for me the best is a breathing technique that not only relaxes the body but also the mind. first make sure you are comfortable and your environment is quiet. then.start to visualize each part of your body {main muscles}as you breath in through your nose count to 15 then exhale through your mouth until no more air comes out . do this at least 3 times for each part of your body starting from your face to your neck then to your back then stomach than butt then 1 thigh at a time then do your ankles and feet the same way. repeat until the next thing you know is you are waking up from a good nights sleep.let me know if this works as well for you as it does for me.good luck and sweet dreams!!!!

Answer 6

Insomnia (sleeplessness) is due to stress,
dietary and medical problems. By making
small lifestyle changes like having a fixed
daily routine, relaxing and eating properly,
insomnia can be cured. I found the information
at http://www.nosleep.in/insomniacause.html

Answer 7

ok this happened to me for me it lasted a few weeks i think its all in your head and thats stopping you sleeping what i did was got my mind off sleep and went vto bed with my head clear like i did when i was sleeping then i thought of something nice!it also helps to turn the clock away so you dont ocnstantly check.You could try walking around all nihgtone night if your deperate?