Sleeping aid advice

[coffeebuddha]

So here's the thing. I'm tired. I'm ridiculously, literally fall down when I try to walk, feel like my eyes are about to fall out of my head tired, but I just can't fall asleep. It's 5:45AM and I haven't slept even a moment. I only slept about three hours last night (night before last at this point? idek) before my alarm went off and I had to get up. This has been the norm for me for months now. I've been drinking a single glass of red wine before going to bed, which helped to slow my brain down enough that I could fall asleep, but that doesn't seem to be working anymore. I don't want to go on sleeping pills. I really don't want to go on sleeping pills. I have an addictive personality and a history of alcohol/narcotics abuse in my family. For me, sleeping pills are the absolute last resort, and maybe even not then.

I'm tired and I'm desperate. If anyone has any tricks they use to help themselves fall asleep, I'd be willing to try pretty much anything at this point. Except for sleeping pills--vitamins and supplements would be okay--or meditation--because I've been trying that on and off for years and it's never once helped me. Other things I've tried that don't work include warm milk, tea, and lavender scented lotion. Tried that shit for a week and I hate the smell of lavender. Which is possibly part of the reason it didn't work.

Comments

[roachstar.livejournal.com]

I read for 30 mins before bed if I can't sleep - it shuts my mind off from all the things going on. But reading online doesn't work. Has to be a book.

*hugs*

My problem at the moment is life being too short so I want to cram as much into my days as possible so I end up going to sleep around 1-2am lol I feel soooo tired in the mornings, but I'm in the habit of it no!

[laurensa.livejournal.com]

Have you tried melatonin? I have a whole family of non-sleepers and it works for us.

[devon99.livejournal.com]

I log onto youtube on my phone and pick a vid called sleep music which really does help.It's that background, almost white noise that helps my mind just relax and switch off. All I focus on is the sound and just let go.

Is your bedroom dark? That helps along with earplugs.

The key is to get your body back into a set sleeping schedule by going to bed at the same time each night and not watching tv or having a laptop on - it's too hard for your brain to switch off if you stimulate it before sleep.

I would cut out the wine and about one hour before your bedtime have the warm milk and honey. There is something about serotonin and milk that makes you drowsy (helps toddlers to sleep) but it takes around an hour to reach your brain.

I go through stages of not sleeping and can sympathise. There is nothing worse than that restless edgy feeling that it leaves you with.

*hugs*

[broken-faith12.livejournal.com]

Try counting in your head.

I sometimes have similar issues with sleep - I can go for months sleeping just fine and then become this crazy eyed zombie because I haven't slept for more than an hour at a time in two weeks.

I find counting helps because it helps me block out any noise that might keep me awake and if you do it steadily it can be very soothing. Plus, it doesn't take nearly enough brain power to keep you awake.

Hope it helps.

[a_blackpanther]

Oh, wow, that has to suck. I don't have any experience with this really (my problem is waking up), but I remembered an article I read a while ago:

http://lifehacker.com/5828581/how-i-achieved-better-sleep-with-the-help-of-technology?tag=sleep

And this one: http://lifehacker.com/5838765/ask-and-answer-questions-about-sleep

Anyway, also read the comments, those are a bunch of inventive people there with good tips. Hope this helps, or at least gives you some idea of what to try.

*hugs*

[rispacooper.livejournal.com]

Actually the sugars in alcohol keep you awake once the initial sedative effect wears off. Poo.

[theslashbunny.livejournal.com]

One of the best things I've heard (from doctors, etc.) is avoiding anything with a screen - like TV or computers - for at least an hour before bed. And avoid doing anything that constitutes as work, which according to my doctors includes writing or reading for school. Also, if you don't like tea, have you ever tried chamomile lemonade? It tastes like apple-y lemonade and I find it very soothing, especially on warm nights. It's really easy to make with Countrytime lemonade powder and chamomile tea bags.

Do you want me to rip you a copy of a couple of sleep cds that I have?

The females in my family regularly suffer from insomnia and that's what we usually try. I hope some of it works!

[lazaria91.livejournal.com]

What I do is I make sure the room is completely dark and all electronics are off. They hum and sometimes I can hear them. Then I concentrate on my breathing. What I do is I inhale and when I exhale I imagine sinking deeper into the pillows, that my eyes are heavier, and just keep it up. I guess it's kinda like meditation but I've never had the patience for it and this is just breathing and snuggling into the mattress. Lots of fluffy blankets and pillows and a fuzzy thing to hold help too.

[cedara]

I'm using a sleep tea mix that contains valerian. Works well for me most of the time to get relaxed enough for the brain to settle and me to sleep through. Tea needs four weeks to start working properly though, like any other herb as an infusion.

Sidenote: If you're taking any meds then valerian might cause interactions/counteractions, so that would have to be checked first.

[dlasta.livejournal.com]

Read something familiar and comforting before going to bed.

[dreams-of-irony.livejournal.com]

I take two Herbalife supplements: Sleep Now and Relax Now. If, at around 9 pm, I realize I'm not tiring and probably won't be able to fall asleep easily I will take just the Sleep Now (about 1-1 1/2 hrs before I want to go to sleep). If I am feeling particularly wired, I will take both the Sleep Now and Relax Now. If I feel like I am just not going to fall asleep no matter what (I'm sure you know the feeling), I'll take a Relax Now and two Sleep Now. However, if you try the last option, make sure you have at least eight hours for sleep...you will regret it otherwise.

A therapist once told me that if you're an insomniac, you should not do anything in your bed other than sleep. When you, say, do homework or read in/on your bed, it creates an association with something other than sleep and can exacerbate insomnia symptoms.

[sinjah.livejournal.com]

I have the exact same problem and still haven't found a solution, so I don't know how much help I can be, but there are things that help me on occasion. Reading usually helps, as does listening to podfics/audiobooks with a timer on so it shuts down and doesn't keep my brain busy all night. Clean sheets do help, like dlasta said, especially if it's hot.

And I've never tried it myself (yet) but I've heard great things about valerian. There are all-natural valerian pill things that you can take. I know that it doesn't help some people, but I've heard mostly positive things.

Oh, and try keeping your bedroom as dark as possible. Or at least make sure there isn't any blue light. Blue light especially suppresses melatonin. (This is why doctors tell you to avoid electronics around your bedtime, because their light suppresses melatonin production). I'm a bit wary about melatonin supplements, but if you work somewhere with mostly artificial lighting, and you generally spend a lot of time in front of a screen, it's quite possible that your melatonin levels are low.