SLEEP problem...?

Question

i have a problem with sleep. one time i went to bed pretty late and decided not to do that again for various reasons.
so the next day i decided to go at 8:30 but ended up feeling really tired when i woke up. this happens all the time ... i normally fall asleep at 11:00 but rarely feel tired the next day compared to if i went to bed early that night.
i dont understand how that works?! anyone know anything?

also, i find it incredibly hard to fall asleep at night! any ideas at all?
thanks

Answer 1

The following are good tips. You don't need to buy a book. It works. My answer involves a lot of research and is quite effective.


Tips for a better pre-sleep ritual
Keep a regular schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. Keeping a regular schedule will help your body expect sleep at the same time each day. Don’t oversleep to make up for a poor night’s sleep – doing that for even a couple of days can reset your body clock and make it hard for you to get to sleep at night.
Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music, sipping a cup of herbal tea, etc., cues your body that it's time to slow down and begin to prepare for sleep.
Relax for a while before going to bed. Spending quiet time can make falling asleep easier. This may include meditation, relaxation and/or breathing exercises, or taking a warm bath. Try listening to recorded relaxation or guided imagery programs.
Don’t eat a large, heavy meal before bed. This can cause indigestion and interfere with your normal sleep cycle. Drinking too much fluid before bed can cause you to get up to urinate. Try to eat your dinner at least two hours before bedtime.
Bedtime snacks can help. An amino acid called tryptophan, found in milk, turkey, and peanuts, helps the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that helps you relax. Try drinking warm milk or eating a slice of toast with peanut butter or a bowl of cereal before bedtime. Plus, the warmth of the food may temporarily increase your body temperature and the subsequent drop may hasten sleep.
Jot down all of your concerns and worries. Anxiety excites the nervous system, so your brain sends messages to the adrenal glands, making you more alert. Write down your worries and possible solutions before you go to bed, so you don't need to ruminate in the middle of the night. A journal or "to do" list may be very helpful in letting you put away these concerns until the next day when you are fresh.
Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired, go to bed.
Avoid "over-the-counter" sleep aids, and make sure that your prescribed medications do not cause insomnia. There is little evidence that supplements and other over-the-counter "sleep aids" are effective. In some cases, there are safety concerns. Antihistamine sleep aids, in particular, have a long duration of action and can cause daytime drowsiness. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare practitioner about your concerns!
.

Tips for getting back to sleep
Try visualization. Focus all your attention on your toes or visualize walking down an endless stairwell. Thinking about repetitive or mindless things will help your brain to shut down and adjust to sleep.
Get out of bed if unable to sleep. Don’t lie in bed awake. Go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy. Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake.
Don't do anything stimulating. Don't read anything job-related or watch a stimulating TV program (commercials and news shows tend to be alerting). Don't expose yourself to bright light. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
Get up and eat some turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a major building block for making serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which sends messages between nerve cells and causes feelings of sleepiness. Note that L-tryptophan doesn't act on the brain unless you eat it on an empty stomach with no protein present, so keep some turkey in the refrigerator for 3am.
Consider changing your bedtime. If you are experiencing sleeplessness or insomnia consistently, think about going to bed later so that the time you spend in bed is spent sleeping. If you are only getting five hours of sleep at night, figure out what time you need to get up and subtract five hours (for example, if you want to get up at 6:00 am, go to bed at 1:00 am). This may seem counterproductive and, at first, you may be depriving yourself of some sleep, but it can help train your body to sleep consistently while in bed. When you are spending all of your time in bed sleeping, you can gradually sleep more, by adding 15 minutes at a time.

Five keys to optimal sleep


1) Rise and shine. Spending a few minutes in the early morning sun helps your biological clock align itself with the cycles of nature. Bright morning light stimulates the release of serotonin, the hormone of wakefulness, and helps the brain reduce levels of melatonin, the sleep hormone.



2) Have your evening meal early. Finish your evening meal by 6 or 6:30 p.m. so your body's digestive processes can be at rest when you go to bed. If you need to change your meal times earlier in the day to do this, then work backward accordingly.



3) Go to bed at 10 p.m. Your body was designed to sync with the cycles of nature -- including daylight and darkness -- with the optimal time for sleep falling between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. If you're in the habit of staying up much later than 10 p.m., begin getting up progressively earlier by a few minutes each morning, over several days. This will make it easier to go to bed earlier in the evening until you reach your target.



4) Reduce stimulants. If you find it difficult to get to sleep around 10 p.m., try cutting stimulants out of your diet -- particularly caffeine products like coffee, chocolate and black tea -- even in the morning. These take a long time to be eliminated from your body, and their effects can linger into the evening.



5) Quiet your mind. If your body is tired but your mind is active, try meditation or prayer. But don't make it hard work; use a simple and gentle form, such as repetition of a thought or phrase, or just focus on following your breath in and out. Relaxation music is another excellent way to soothe an anxious or active mind.

Answer 2

You need to regulate your schedule better. Be consistant with it. Go to sleep around ten pm and wake up at 8 am. Get into a routine.

If you have a hard time falling asleep...

Take a hot bath
Read a book (but not in bed!)
Do some light stretches
Don't think about trying to sleep
Don't keep watching your clock
Stay offline after 9pm!!

Once you get on a schedule, you should do fine. G'luck

Answer 3

Try working out in the evening and in the afternoon avoid foods or beverages that has caffeine on it. Have a nice bath before going to bed. Re arrange your bedroom the way you want it to be. You can spray scents on your pillows. Pray earnestly to give you a good night rest...

Answer 4

Find a copy of "The Promise of Sleep", by Dr William Dement. He's the guy who pioneered sleep research in the 50's.
http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Sleep-Medicine-Connection-Happiness/dp/0440509017

Answer 5

im the same its not a problem- you just dont need as much sleep as other people so if you do try and sleep more that you need you feel dreary becasue your body isn't used to it and because its out of your usual sleeping plan so yuour body gets confused and tired.
tip: just go to sleep when your tired dont try to make yourself fall asleep

Answer 6

There IS such a thing as "oversleeping"

You only need aprox. 8 hours a night

Answer 7

Check out my wiki answer on battling insomnia at http://joy-sleepsolutions.blogspot.com