Sleep .. or lack of.. to be specific

LegacyUser

Hi all,
Going unregged for this.

Might not seem like much of a biggie,but i'd appreciate any feedback advice, or tips from all of you shiney people. :-D

Since about Christmas, I haven't been able to get as good a night's sleep as I was previously used to. Before then, i'd sleep on impact with the bed! ..but now.. i find that it takes me between 3-6 hours to get to sleep almost every night.

I go to bed at a reasonable hour(bout 11 or 12)..the house is quiet...I try to read a book beforehand or watch a few minutes of telly..but somehow I can never get to dreamland. Eventually i'll fall asleep at about 5 or 6 in the morning..then messing up my routine for the following day

I'm just back in college for the new semester this week, and I can't afford to miss my 9 and 10 o clock lectures anymore.

Does anyone have any tips on how to get sleepy without having to resort to sleeping tablets (as I hear they can be addictive)

Thanks everyone

Marksie

you can get herbal sleep aids from health stores, but they may be a little hit and miss.

One possibility is to clench and then unclench teh muscle groups starting from head to toe.

Another is to breath in through the nose slowly and into the belly, focus on this slow breathing.
As you do so just let all the thoughts and worries of the day pass by you and imagine yourself sinking into the bed and relaxing. That usually does the trick.

randylonghorn

Part of the problem is that you probably go to bed with "Oh, I won't sleep again! ... when will I sleep?" going around and around in your head, and the more you think about it the harder it is to sleep. I go through that cycle from time to time.

The muscle relaxation / body meditation techniques Mark mentioned can help ... also a good long soak in a hot bath before bed sometimes works.

Some people swear by hot milk ... can't stand the stuff myself, unfortunately!

loyatemu

get some exercise, cut down on alcohol and caffeine, make sure you get up early and go to bed at a reasonable time.

Mini

I agree - with all of the above, alot has to do with the fact that you think that you won't sleep and therefore don't. but also some of it maybe to do with you diet and excercise routine and if you are over stressing about something that wont' help either.
different scenarios :
things going through your mind.

why not write down everything that is going through your head at night, is it your upcoming exams ? an assignment. whatever ....

Write down the steps needed to complete whatever it is. .. example an assignment.

Write down what topics/areas you want to cover allocate a time to them, once you feel you have an end date on this you feel much better - esp if you are the type of person that might wing it in a assignment - write it down.

same goes for studying - if it is just the exams that are worrying you - come up with a study plan.

If all this is done - then maybe it is something personal - ya know what the same can go for your personal life as well. trust me - whatever the situation - write down what you want to say to some one and you will be fine.

if it is none of this - then get some excercise see if that helps - even if it just a walk down the end of your road and back.

maybe even sit out the back garden we have lovely weather now - so maybe that will help !!


Hope this all helps !!

best of luck !"

Raminahobbin

Don't eat after 7. Go for a walk before you go to bed, 20mins to half an hour should do.
When you get back, have a nice cup of chamomile tea, and some people find putting a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow works really well, but if you have the time take a lavender bath.
Make sure you keep your bed sleep ONLY- do not read or watch TV while you are in it. This conditions your body to associate bed with nothing else.

Drakar

Down with lavender oils: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6318043.stm

Raminahobbin

oh pishaw.
There's a difference between products applied directly to the skin and essential oils used for aromatherapy purposes. Smelling something isn't going to give you boobs.

tinkerbell

Do some exercise in the evening and don't eat late at night. I find that if I eat later than normal, I can't get to sleep for ages. Cut out the coffee as well in the evening if you are drinking it. Exercise should tire you out though. Look at your diet as well, might be that you are eating the wrong foods which are messing up your sleep system?

Wisheress

There is a whole boards.ie forum about sleep and dreaming (in Rec, the go to Sleeping and Dreaming) and better still there is a section on insomnia there

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054968841

Vorsprung

Don't drink anything with caffeine after 6 (coffee coke etc.), don't eat after 7/8

Dord

I had this problem last year, usually what i did was to put on some music while i was trying to fall asleep. i'd put on something very calm, and not have it loud. just kind of in the background. I used to use some mellow jazz, it worked a treat.