Why Oh Why Can't I Sleep????

lucrecia

Does anyone have any advice for an insomniac? I'm sooooooo tired. My eyes are aching. But I can't sleep. For the love o'God what's wrong with me????? I'm GOING INSANE

funk-you

first of all get away from the computer, stop getting out of bed or thinking about things to do that involve getting out of bed. stop thinking.

Just lie back, relax and keep repeating the words: "think of nothing" over and over in your head without saying any other words in your head at all. next thing you know you'll wake up tomorrow.

If all else fails amuse yourself with your body for a while and you should be fairly relaxed afterwards.

-Funk

deisedevil

I'm having the same problem. No matter how late it is or how early i have to be up in the morning. I could lie there sometimes for 2 hours just trying to relax and fall asleep and nothing! End up usually turning on the tele and watching for a few more hours and eventually i might get to sleep and wake up wrecked again in the morning. Like last night, i got totally stoned, tried to go to bed at bout 12, didn't get to sleep until sometime after 3(last time i checked watch). Night before i was up until 6, and the worst of all that is i have to be up at 7 again. This has been happening ever since i have been on hols where i kept going for a week on bout 10 hours sleep. I haven't really been right since. Is this insomnia or is it something much less severe that i could just train myself to get out of? Would really appreciate any advice on this topic aswell as OP as i'm getting really frustrated by now.

Peace

Physical exercise is proven to give better and more restful sleep.

Get off your arse and go for a run/cycle/swim/gym/walk etc etc etc.

Boggle

Nothing worse than staring at the ceiling feeling tired and not bein able to sleep... used to happen alot at home and I blame that inability to switch off at night. Used to watch tv till round 3 to try and wait till I got tired but found this to make me worse.

Try getting up at 6.30 every day for 2 weeks and banning tv/computer after 10.30 - go to bed instead(regulate your sleep pattern). Might work, might not but if it doesn't then goto a doctor.


.. that is assuming this is a regular thing!

RE*AC*TOR

Maybe try some excercise, less caffeine etc.

Hobbes

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

Maybe try some excercise, less caffeine etc.

and hot milk before bed. Make sure the room is dark and no noise.

Ozzy

Ultimately the reason that you can't sleep is that you still have too much energy and your body is not exhausted enough. Obviously the only way to fix that is expending it through strenuous physical activity - don't be lazy, get some exercise! Running, walking, football, cycling, dwarf throwing... get at least 30 minutes of good cardiovascular acivity per day. As early as you can usually works best.

Don't take any stimulants like caffeine, nicotine or cocaine an hour or two before bed. Especially caffeine. Cut out the junk from your diet, but don't skip meals altogether - because sometimes it can hard to sleep without a decent meal.
And also, don't watch the television or use the computer a few hours before bed either - Or excessively during the day for that matter. You're using very little energy sitting on your pretty arse pressing buttons like some chimp in a lab... plus looking at artificial light at night can fool your brain into thinking it's day time. Silly stupid useless chimp brain!

Try read a book, listen to some slow music or just get some quiet time to yourself to help your mind relax. It's important to ake your mind off worries of everday life.
The only other piece of advice I can think of is don't have a little nap during the day... for obvious reasons!


i.e the lab Technician, seeing that you've stopped pressing buttons, might come in and drag you away for 'testing'... and man, you don't want to go for 'testing', that's where the real **** goes down. :v:
Hope it helps, good night!

LegacyUser

I used to suffer from this. Your head is just over flowing with thoughts and you just cant stop thinking long enough to fall asleep?? Mmmm, been there.
The trick I use is deep breaths, concentrating only on my breaths. Not letting any other thoughts into my head, just hearing myself breath in and out, till eventually I fall asleep.
Hope this works for you

full forward

Dont dring caffinated tea or coffee after 6pm. Dont eat chockolate either. But the number one cause is often alcohol. Its a stimulant too so dont drink after 6pm.

Canis Lupus

I find accepting the fact that your awake is just easier to do.

Grab a book and read it. If you start to feel drowsy don't get out of bed to turn the light off or anything just go with it.

I find the hardest thing about insomnia is trying not to think about it cos the more you think about falling asleep the harder it is to accomplish. My own fave trick to fall asleep when I can't be arsed reading is to focus on my breathing, slow breaths in and out. If I'm having insomnia from worry it calms me down and next thing I know it's morning.

LegacyUser

Canis Lupus wrote:

My own fave trick to fall asleep when I can't be arsed reading is to focus on my breathing, slow breaths in and out. If I'm having insomnia from worry it calms me down and next thing I know it's morning.

Same here!

deisedevil

Canis Lupus wrote:

I find accepting the fact that your awake is just easier to do.

Grab a book and read it. If you start to feel drowsy don't get out of bed to turn the light off or anything just go with it.

I find the hardest thing about insomnia is trying not to think about it cos the more you think about falling asleep the harder it is to accomplish. My own fave trick to fall asleep when I can't be arsed reading is to focus on my breathing, slow breaths in and out. If I'm having insomnia from worry it calms me down and next thing I know it's morning.

Ya , that used to work for me in the past when i'd only have a prob getting to sleep the odd night but with what i have been havin the last 6 months or so is strange. I feel tired and know i should sleep but at the same time have loads of energy, i feel like i could stay awake all night and i often do this at the weekend etc. I keep trying to get myself calm, just relax , slow breaths and keep repeating "the" in my head" (Was told before that repeating the would bore your brain into sleeping,lol) but this isn't really working anymore. I never drink any caffeine after bout 6 in the day and i drink very little anyway, maybe 3-4 cups of coffee in a week and 2-3 cans of coke. About two years ago i used to go to the gym 3 times a week and also go running a few times a week along with doing free weights at home and training with my club but had to stop when i had to move for a new job and i think that my prob is getting worse even since i stopped excercising. Might be a good idea to get back into that routine again and might help burn off all the excess energy. I think that's what's causing it, i always seem to have waaaaay to much energy.

Siogfinsceal

been an insomniac for years - esp in summer time. you can get these herbal tabs in boots called 'kalms' they help me sleep if im still awake at 2am i take 2 of them. or if you can get some xanax. saying that i never ever go to sleep before 12 my body just doesnt want to so I dont make it. I stay up and then read a magazine

emc2

I have this problem as well. I find that if you can't sleep, get up out of bed and go to another room and read etc until you start to get tired then go straight to bed. This works for me.

Peace

I picked up a few good tips from a program that was on Discovery/National Geo about sleep patterns.

Really all you should be doing in your bedroom is sleeping. If you condition yourself mentally that when you get into bed then its time to sleep then thats exactly what willl happen.

Watching tv in bed is a big nono. Your brain will not switch off when your head hits the pillow.

I used to have problems of not getting to sleep for maybe an hour or two after getting into bed. Now i have it down to maybe 20-30minutes most nights. Joining a gym did help quite a bit.

condra

Ozzy wrote: »

Ultimately the reason that you can't sleep is that you still have too much energy and your body is not exhausted enough. Obviously the only way to fix that is expending it through strenuous physical activity - don't be lazy, get some exercise!

Ultimately, the reason that this is utter rubbish is because you are not a doctor.

Seriously dude, when it comes to advising people about health issues, express opinions, don't state "facts".

Kintarō Hattori

womoma wrote: »

Ultimately, the reason that this is utter rubbish is because you are not a doctor.

Seriously dude, when it comes to advising people about health issues, express opinions, don't state "facts".

Thread is 3 years old man. I doubt he knows or cares what you just said.

AlmightyCushion

Zombie thread begone.