ideas to help me get to sleep at night?

Question

...please, and i don't want counting sheep ;)

Answer 1

Of course no caffeine or sugar 4 hours before bedtime, a dark quiet place, a regular bedtime, maybe a glass of milk.

Answer 2

Woo, you already have lots of answers!

There are about 4 things that help me.

1. If I'm anxious about the next day, I write down what I need to get done. That way I can put it out of my head.

2. If I had a dream the night before, I try to remember it. If I can I'm off in a dream very soon.

3. If I'm feeling like a scared kid all alone, I say the prayer that starts off "Now I lay me down to sleep..."
When I really thought about the words it is a comforting thought.

4. Sometimes praying the Rosary can help. Not necessarily getting everything right (what mysteries and all) but the repetitions and thinking about God being there can bring sleep on.

These may not be the best for you, but the remembering a dream is amazingly effective.
Also I see colors when I close my eyes. If I watch them, that helps too.

I almost didn't answer, but these are non-substance, comforting things to do. Hope you re sleeping like a baby tonight!

Answer 3

I've found that the best, healthiest way to get to sleep is to concentrate on your breathing. Yogis take deep, regular breaths in and out through the nose. Lying on your back, you make a slight snoring sound in the back of your throat. It mimics the sort of breathing you do while sleeping, and the breathing itself is restorative. You might even want to practice yoga... during the day.

Waking in the morning and exercising in the sun light is an excellent way to reset your daily rhythm, making it easier to sleep at night. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and smoking. These substances can interfere with sleep.

Melatonin is only good for resetting your daily rhythm. If you change time zones, or have been staying up too late, melatonin can help you, but it's not a long term solution.

Instead, work on teaching yourself how to relax and go to sleep. It's a skill to quiet the mind and slow the body, and you must need practice. Luckily you'll get the opportunity every evening.

The site below had many solutions for sleeping better. It's about.com.

Answer 4

Relaxing your mind before you climb into bed is important. Anything that stimulates your mind may prevent you from falling asleep.

Avoid caffeinated drinks after 7 p.m. Try a cup of chamomile tea such as "Sleepy Time," or take a supplement with melatonin like "Melatrol." Finish watching TV or reading a book at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Play soft, new-world type music while you are winding down.

While some recommend a good book to induce sleep I find reading to be too stimulating. The new-world music is often random-seeming tones that don't stick in your mind, but provide a pleasant and calming background.

Answer 5

Well what I do when i can not go to sleep is:

1) I could take a nice warm shower, that makes me sleepy especialy at night. (When you take the shower you should not turn on all the lights or just light some candles, enough to see what your doing so you dont fall or anything, and have your pj's ready out and slip them on and go to sleep!

2) You could watch a movie that drags on forever, make sure its not a suspensing movie or a thriller or anything like that. Sooner or later, you will just hate that movie and want to go to sleep

3) You can wear clothes that are like summer clothes when at night so you get cold, and want to just go and sleep in your nice, and cozy warm bed

4) You can listen to music on your ipod/headphones and this one acually alwayssss works for me. Make sure you dont listen to any songs with like hard rock/metal etc. before you know it you will be so tired from the music and your brain will just wanna fall asleep.

5) Get a notebook, and a pencil, and start drawing things, and do your best at that so eventually you will feel really tired and just give up and go to sleep.

6) This one is totaly a 100% good sleeping method.....wake up like one hour or two earlier than you usualy do, then at night you will feel so tired and worn down, because your body did not get enough sleep as it wanted to, so you will go to sleep early and really acualy fall asleep from how tired you are.

hope those help!
im sure at least one of these will work for you!
good luck~

Answer 6

1)Sleep-inducing foods include cheese, milk, seafood, whole grains, lentils, peanuts and sesame seeds.
2)Be sure you have a comfortable mattress and pillow, and that your bed is big enough for everyone who will be sleeping in it.
3)Keep your bedroom dark and cool.Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Even if you stay up later than usual one night, don't try to catch up on sleep the next morning. It will only throw off your internal body clock.
4)Don't force yourself to sleep.
5)Have your pets sleep on the floor. Sharing a bed with your pets can disrupt your sleep, according to a recent study, which found that 22 percent of people with sleeping problems share a bed with their cats and dogs.

Answer 7

Most people cant sleep in warm or sometimes hot environments. So dont use to many blankets to get comfortable. This doesn't mean you should sleep cold either. Get comfortable, and relax. Try drinking tea if you like that stuff. And just don't stress out about it. A lot of people have this problem. Hell.....I do.

Answer 8

Ugh, I hate counting to fall asleep it doesn't work and it makes my head hurt trying to remember where my place was. Drink some Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime tea, sometime before bed. That should relax you a bit. You could also do some yoga before bed to relax your muscles and your mind. Deep breathing helps too. And you could just sit there and think of something that is not stressful.Thinking too much helps me knock out. Try listening to music like, Corinne Bailey Rae, Norah Jones, Coldplay, or John Mayer to fall asleep.

I really don't recommend drugs because you could become addicted to them.

Answer 9

those are all fine and dandy but if your looking for a non drug way to catch some z's then go get a cd or tape or download some mozart or classical music no words just calming music and lay there in the dark with the music and relax...i know its harder than it sounds i have a running mind and can never get to sleep but it helps...just listen to the music dont think about anything either boombox or personal player which ever it helps it really does for me anyway...if that doesnt help you then i would try to consult a doctor or go for tylenol pm if you have exhausted the whole non drug avenue...

Answer 10

take a walk a few hours before your bed time
take a warm bath
read a book
turn the tv off at least an hour before sleep time
drink warm milk (as long as your not lactose intolerant)
drink warm decaffeinated tea (there are some blends
specially made for bedtime)
no caffeine after 4pm