Need sleep!!

LegacyUser

Hi!

I'm not sure if this is appropriate for this forum so please feel free to close if necessary. I am looking for something that can help me get a good night's sleep. I've been like a zombee for the last three months now and can't go much further. I went to my doc and she insisted on sleep hygiene, something I use all the time...I even go as far as going out for walk in the middle of the night to try and wear me down but it's just useless!

I have read the other forum and I'm still at a loose end. I am going through an extremely stressful time and have tried councelling ect but I am yet to find any good out of that!

Thanks!

St James

Try to stay off the drugs.

You say you are going through a stressful period - you must release this stress.

What about meditation?

try lying on the bed, face upwards, eyes closed, hands by your side. take in a very deep slow breath and then slowly let it out again. As you exhale, feel yourself sinking deeper and deeper into the mattress.

cafecolour

Well, you've misinterpreted the 'sleep hygene' rules a bit if you're going for a walk at midnight to wear yourself down. You're supposed to get exercise at least a few hours before bedtime, and have a relaxing routine before bedtime.

Plus, TBH, a walk isn't going to be enough to wear you down to sleep unless you're grossly out-of-shape/overweight. Think more along the lines of a 4 hour hillwalk more so - you should be so physically exhausted you can barely move. The tiredest I've ever been is when I went cross-country skiing (all day) once. Slept for 14 hours after. In a tent.

Go back to the doc. If it's stress that's keeping you up, maybe you can be put on anti-anxiety meds or the similar.

Also don't drink any caffeine. At all. No tea/coffee/coke/lucozade/red bull.

LegacyUser

Im having exactly the same problem.
Whenever I have something significant work wise the next day I tend not to sleep. So in the last 3 weeks Ive missed 3 nights of sleep and I didnt sleep one wink those nights and feel very depressed the next day.
This was never a problem for me before.
I have had an eppisode of depression since mid August and this is one of the symptoms of it.
Anyway I went to doctor today and he prescribed Stilnoct (a sleeping tablet). I also got a herbal remedy called Natrasleep. Im not sure what Il do tonight. Im reluctant to take a sleeping tablet for the first time aged 34.

Overheal

Caffeine and sugars are bad.

Keep your extremeties warm. Especially toes. Wear socks.

Exercise should be done many hours before bed, preferably in the morning. This will affect the way your entire body operates throughout the whole day and will give you more energy. Early morning routines help to wake you in the mornings in addition. Wake-Exercise-Shower-Eat.

Activity just before sleep does you know good. Its called getting Wired. Your body takes time to norm out from activities.

Other than that theres one activity you can do as a fallback and thats masturbation, which releases all sorts of endorphines and all that.

Medical sleeping aids are an utmost last resort and should never be used but in the most extreme circumstances, like clinical insomnia. speak to your doctor if you think you may be a true insomniac.

Susannahmia

I'm a chronic insomniac and have recently come across melatonin supplements which I find very good. I got a supply of them in America over the counter but over here I think they are prescription only. I would consider asking your doctor about them though they are a much better alternative than resorting to sleeping tablets.