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Every night i can never fall asleep, it take forever for me to sleep!! What can i do to make me fall asleep faster??

2007-08-19 14:16:37 · 13 answers · asked by Pinks 1 in Health Other - Health

13 answers

Sleep Expert Offers Tips for Falling Asleep Without Medications
People who struggle with insomnia often turn to medications to help them fall asleep. Medications, however, are rarely a good first choice. "Natural sleep is healthier than drug-aided sleep," says Robert Ballard, M.D., Director of the Sleep Center at National Jewish. "After taking sleep medications, people often feel hazy and detached when they wake up. In contrast, people who fall asleep naturally are more likely to wake up refreshed."

In many ways, sleep is a habit. People frequently overlook bad habits that could be keeping them awake at night. Dr. Ballard offers several simple steps people can take to develop good sleep habits, which will help them to fall asleep more easily and reliably.

Prepare Yourself for Sleep

The calmer and more relaxed you are before heading for bed the better you will sleep. In the evening before bed, try to wind down with a relaxing activity. Turn down the lights, and avoid loud music and TV. "Television stimulates both the visual and auditory senses and, in this regard, is rather interactive," says Ballard. "Before bed, it is better to stick to quieter, more isolated activities. Reading, yoga, and meditation often prove to be beneficial toward sleep habits."

Get on a Regular Schedule

Go to bed and get up around the same time everyday. Your body will grow accustomed to a regular schedule and be better prepared for sleep at bedtime and to awaken in the morning. "This will lead to more regular, healthy sleeping patterns," says Dr. Ballard.

Create a Sleep Sanctuary

People experience their deepest sleep in dark, cozy places. Make sure you have a cool, comfortable environment to sleep in. If you have a luminescent alarm clock, move it out of your direct vision.

Don't Toss and Turn

Spend no more than 15 minutes in bed while not asleep. Insomnia often sprouts from anxiety about not sleeping enough. The average insomniac spends nine to 10 hours in bed while sleeping only five to six hours. When lying in bed awake, people think about the consequences of their sleeplessness and place an even greater amount of pressure on themselves to sleep. This magnifies anxiety and makes sleeping more difficult. Instead of lying in bed, get out of bed and read or pursue a relaxation technique, such as meditation.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for to improve your chances of good sleep. When the body is fatigued from exercise, glands release endorphins into the blood stream, which serve as natural relaxants. It is important, however, to exercise at the right time of the day. Exercise provides an immediate flux of energy due to a temporary increase in metabolic rate. As a result, exercise late in the day can contribute to sleeplessness. The ideal time to exercise is in the morning. When timed right, exercise causes a flux of energy for your daytime activities and drowsiness in the evening.

Limit Consumption

Stay away from big meals before bed. Food supplies energy, the last thing needed when trying to get a good night's sleep. By the same token, don't consume caffeine in the afternoon. Stay away from tobacco, as smokers generally have more trouble sleeping than non-smokers. Although alcohol can make you feel sleepy for a while, it often impairs sleep later in the night.

"When people don't get enough sleep, their health can be seriously jeopardized. Not sleeping enough can impair the memory, cause depression, and make one more susceptible to illness," says Ballard. If sleeplessness persists for more than a month while practicing healthy sleep habits, consult with your doctor. A good night's sleep doesn't have to be just another dream.

2007-08-19 14:31:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

The best way to fall asleep at night is to sleep more consistently. Avoid sleeping in as this will cause you to get tired later at night. Avoid napping for the same reasons. However, if you do take naps, avoid napping for more than an hour.

Also, regular exercise will allow you to feel more relaxed and, thus, it should be easier to fall asleep whenever you try to. Exercise will also work the other way and help you to have more endurance when you need to stay awake.

Your last resort should be sleeping pills. Most sleeping pills have not been scientifically proven to do anything. Thus, it's dangerous to be putting random chemicals with unknown side effects into your body. Some people resort to using cold medicines such as Benedryl to fall asleep; however, this typically leads to addiction. If you're old enough, it's better to have a beer before bed than to have to resort to medicine.

2007-08-19 21:32:56 · answer #2 · answered by Jerry 2 · 0 0

Wake up earlier and be more active during the day. Then, when it comes time to sleep, don't put the TV on. Just lay down and close your eyes. You will fall asleep faster as days go by.

2007-08-19 21:24:00 · answer #3 · answered by MaryBerry 3 · 0 0

First off don't worry about it! don't see it as a problem cuz then your mind will worry about it and be more wide awake, close your eyes and think of positive things like about your future who you wanna be. Take this time in bed to do fun things, like maybe if theres a question on your mind ask it in your head alot of times and focus on it and sometimes your dreams try to give you the answer. When I found it extremely hard to fall asleep I used to make up storys in my head, often love storys :) and the nest day I would write about what I had made up the night before. Go to bed at a certain time and stick to it, you could always try to sleep in a different place for a while, maybe in another room because sometimes your mind remembers the trouble you had trying to sleep in this bed, when you feel better in sleeping then you could go back to your bed. When I couldn't sleep I reorganised all the furniture in my room and the position of the bed and now I sleep perfectly, maybe its something to do with feng shui I dunno hope this helps x

2007-08-19 21:41:37 · answer #4 · answered by Natz 1 · 0 0

warm milk (or hot chocolate, just make sure it doesn't have caffeine in it), a glass of wine, limit your caffeine intake after lunch (it will stay in your system for ~7 hrs), a warm bath, the scent of lavender, try and get really tired before you go to bed, read a boring book, make sure you cannot see a clock while you are laying in bed, turn your alarm clock around so it's not facing you if you have to... if none of those options work, there are good over the counter sleep aids (anything with diphenhydramine hcl in it)... if you're still having trouble, ask your doc for ambien (it takes some getting used to, but it'll knock you out)...

just don't try so hard... relax, think about other things

2007-08-19 21:26:13 · answer #5 · answered by Kelly 3 · 0 0

I too had sleeping problems until I found the Nikken wellness Home. Nikken also has the best sleep system. Take a look at their site

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2007-08-19 21:22:04 · answer #6 · answered by Craig R 2 · 0 0

I work nights, sleep during the day, my house is over the approach path to a busy airport. I found running a fan drowns out both noise, and the thoughts running through my head. Or you can set your stereo to between stations where you hear that static, white noise they call it.

2007-08-19 21:22:17 · answer #7 · answered by Clipper 6 · 0 0

Don't eat any caffine after lunch, excersize during the day, and relax half of an hour before trying to sleep. Try meditating before sleeping or listen to music.

2007-08-19 21:23:17 · answer #8 · answered by Monica H 4 · 0 0

exercise during the day. it will make it easier to fall asleep at night.

2007-08-19 21:20:58 · answer #9 · answered by amy00 3 · 0 0

When you watch TV use a treadmill or stationary bike. Or just Exersize normally. Don't eat 2 hours before bed. Fantasize in bed about a hot boy or girl, what ever makes you happy.

2007-08-19 21:23:46 · answer #10 · answered by Narb 3 · 0 0

i listen to my ipod, and fall asleep to the music, it doesn't matter what kind, or during the day run outside for a bit itll make u tired.

2007-08-19 21:20:51 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

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