Beh.

[MissAva]

Okay it is offical. I am not going to get home tonight. It is now 6am and I am still not finished with things.

I am such a fun and exciting kid. Not that I would have been sleeping even if I was home. I have tried Milk, yogurt, cheese turkey and benedryl and still no sleep. I getting less then an hour a day this past week. Does anyone know of a good way to ease into sleep?

I have read that having someone else in the bed can help you fall and then stay alseep becuase you can hear their breathing. Perhaps I will be able to steal my puppy back and her breathing will be enough let me sleep. Anywho back to work.

 

[Lorelei]

You could try some lavendar oil on the pillow or on a Kleenex nearby, that is a good sleep aid for me. I hope you find something that works.

 

[MissAva]

Oh I had never heard that before. I will definately look into that. Thanks!

 

[lilyinct]

Mat-

What is your ticker counting down to? I think I must have missed something...

 

[goldengirl]

Them''s look like POUNDS to me, lily!

Matatora, white noise (a fan), blackout shades (no streetlights), and a nighttime decongestant, if I''m desperate, lol!! I have an "herbal sleep aid" but I don''t really think it does much... you''re supposed to turn off computer, tv, etc 45 minutes before bed and do something relaxing (listen to music, read a book) because the electromagnetic gobbledygook waves artificially stimulate your brain, or something. I don''t DO that, but I should. I should also go to bed about an hour earlier...

Try a hot shower (or bath), too. And if you''re not falling asleep, get out of bed. You''re not supposed to do anything in bed (including reading) except sleep and

.

 

[MissAva]

Lily- it is my weight. I did this when I was a freashman trying to diet and it helped me stay focused. I had searched in vain to find it again and was unable to...until I saw Aphig''s and low and behold my password still worked!

I am trying to lose some weight and live a more healthy lifestyle.

Goldengirl- I have black out curtains, which are my most favorite luxuary item ever! I do not normall turn things off that long before going to bed. Typically I will turn off tv/comp and turn on either the radio or a book on tape and go through my bedtime cleaning routine...I cant sleep if I know I will wake up to chores. I have been trying Sun Salutation a few times before bed it seems to hype me up more then let me sleep. Sat/Sun I lay in bed for 20 minutes staring at the ceiling before just getting out of bed and going walking.
Thanks for the suggestions ladies!

 

[jcrow]

camomile tea? tried that? my BF swears by a scoop of peanut butter and a glass of milk.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Tylenol PM or a Melatonin pill usually works for me.

 

[njc]

Date: 10/11/2005 9:37:05 AM
Author: jcrow
camomile tea? tried that? my BF swears by a scoop of peanut butter and a glass of milk.

I second the camomile tea. I usually get the TAZO brand and it knocks me out!

 

[Erin]

meditation, meditation, mediation

for me, works like a charm

 

[MissAva]

Benedryl is what they put in tylenol PM to make you sleepy.

My SO thinks I have some sort of mental block that is not allowing me to sleep. We came up with a list of things that we had heard of...the only one we came up with that I did not try, and wont, is to buy a new mattress. I have neck pain alot of the time, and I dont like taking the percribed pain pills becuase they interfere with my school work. But I am getting despreate, now the lack of sleep is affecting my school work. One more day...home and God willing sleep.

 

[ammayernyc]

So sorry you''re having this problem. I''ve had insomnia for years... I know how horrible it can be.

Some of my tricks:

1. Go to bed (if not sleep) at the same time every night

2. If you cannot sleep, get out of bed until you are sleepy, then try again

3. Cover up all clocks so you can''t see what time it is... only makes you more anxious

4. Find a mantra... when my brain goes into overdrive thinking about things I need to do, or whatever, I just say to myself ''you can''t do anything about it now, so stop thinking about it'' Cheezy, but it works.

I have lots of them, but it has to be personalize. For instance, I can''t drink tea before I go to sleep because I''ll be up in a hour or two to go to the bathroom.

If all else fails, go to your doctor and ask for a sleeping pill. The big three are Ambien, Sonata and Luceta (or something like that... it''s new). I take Sonata... it''s a miracle drug for me.

 

[jcrow]

my cousin and grandma also take a Melatonin pill.

 

[pebbles]

I have a CD of ocean wave sounds (and other white noise) that totally relaxes me.

Have you tried changing your pillow? My husband now swears by one of those TemperPedic pillows, the ones that have a roll at the bottom to support your neck. I personally don''t like them but he can''t sleep on any other pillow.

We also have a temperpedic mattress pad on top of our mattress. That also has made a huge difference.

If you''re using Tylenol PM or Benadryl, your body can build up a tolerance to it after a while.

There is a new medication called Lunesta that is the only sleep aid approved for long term use. I''m going to call my doctor about it b/c Ambien makes me too groogy.

 

[Demelza]

So sorry to hear about the continued insomnia. Less than an hour a day?? That''s just awful. I''ve struggled with insomnia and it''s so lonely. I think talking to your doctor is a good idea. I think sometimes we get so anxious about not being able to sleep that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Perhaps you can break the cycle by taking one of the sleeping aids mentioned above for a little while. Is it easier for you to sleep at your parent''s house? I think with insomnia, there is often a huge psychological component. At least for me there was. I really hope it gets better for you soon. Being sleep deprived is no fun!

 

[MissAva]

Oh Pebbles! Yes I do have one of those pillows, two years ago I popped my neck badly enough and I oucld not move it at all for over a week, had to get MRIs and all sort of fun stuff. My DR gave me one and told me to sleep on my back only. Which truned out to be harder then I thought took me weeks to get used to things. But now I take my pillow with me becuase it does decrease how often I feel the need to pop my neck shodlers or back. If only I could get my hands on a stem machine...that would be heaven!

Dem- I think I sleep better at home becuase I have the animals with me, or my little sister, BFF or SO...sometimes all of us. I think it is harder to prowl around at all hours of the night when you have others to consider as well. This is the first time that I have been living alone, without a pet, and had major stress issues. I swear I am going to have a laungry list or things to whine about at the DRs by the time I get home. Poor man!

 

[MissAva]

On an up note it is time for class and I think I ought to be able to stay awake until 3:30 when I am done for the day.

 

[ammayernyc]

One other thing -- although a lot of people will tell you not to nap, that it will interfere with your night-time sleep, I say go for it. Naps helped me get through college without being sick 24-hours a day or falling asleep in class. Sleep as often as you can...

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Is this something that started suddenly or is this something that has been building up for a while? If it is sudden, it may be something psychological rather than physical or medical. I had been sufferring from insomnia for over ten years, but I find that the melatonin really helps. Also, getting on a set schedule helps.

 

[cutes814]

Mat,

I''m so sorry to hear about your insomnia. I know exactly how you feel. I have it too, but not nearly as bad as yours. It usually takes me an hour to fall asleep, and on bad days it can take 2-3 hours. My mind just doesn''t want to rest when I hop into bed. It''ll race and think about the stupidest things. Just last night it took me 1.5 hours to fall asleep.

I don''t have any little home remedies, but I think if this is becoming a major issue, then you should give the prescriptions a try. Talk to your doctor about it, because it isn''t normal to loose that much sleep. Especially if you''re only getting about an hour of sleep every night.

I hope you can catch some rest tonight.

 

[appletini]

Do NOT take any naps during the day (this is my bad habit and a tough cycle to break). Last resort...you could take a few shots of vodka or have a nightcap. The alcohol will help you relax.

 

[ammayernyc]

Date: 10/11/2005 3:06:50 PM
Author: appletini
Do NOT take any naps during the day (this is my bad habit and a tough cycle to break). Last resort...you could take a few shots of vodka or have a nightcap. The alcohol will help you relax.

As much as I like (and sometimes practice) this idea, it''s actually not good for sleeping at all. Alcohol affects your breathing and your sleep cycle. It might help you fall asleep, but the sleep is not ''good sleep'' and chances are once the alcohol metabolizes into sugar you''ll wake up from that.

Although naps are a hard cycle to break, that was a surprising suggestion from one of the doctors I consulted. Sleep is sleep... no matter what time of the day.

 

[MINE!!]

I know it sounds crazy... but I bought a CD called ocean waves.. that is ALL it is.. waves crashing on the sand... no music or birds etc... just the sound of waves... If I get too uptight.. that is what I use to help me fall asleep.

BTW... Do you sleep on your side? Is so try sleeping with a pillow between your knees.. heck just try it. it will fell awkward at first.. but it will hlp reduce the strain on your neck. I am a creature of comfort..My mattresses is sooooo soft... But no matter what I am sleeping on now hard mattress or soft, if I have a pillow between my knees, it straightens my spine and helps my neck...

 

[Buena Girl]

Oh man, that is awful! It is so stressful not being able to fall asleep. The only thing I have to add to all of the great suggestions is that I've heard you should stop fast paced brain stimulus 2 hours prior to going to bed. No t.v., no computers, no instant messaging, no movies, no puzzles or games, no thought provoking books on tape, none of that stuff. Otherwise your brain is still wired and stimulated and hasn't had time to "cool down". And limit caffeine intake. Maybe try reading a fluffy, chick lit book for @ 2 hours every night before going to sleep. Good luck!!

ETA: I just saw that goldengirl mentioned the same thing

And also, maybe try going to a chiropractor?

 

[Momoftwo]

I had trouble falling asleep for years until I had children. You relish sleep so much after getting up with a baby and being on call with a small child. My boys are grown now, but I can fall asleep in about 5 minutes and it used to take me 1-2 hours or more before my boys were born. What is recommended is get into bed with a book, but don''t turn on the tv, keep to the same hours every night and get up at the same time every day. My friend swears by Tylenol PM. I find one glass of wine relaxing and it doesn''t interfere with sleep the way larger quantities would.

 

[appletini]

Did you have better luck sleeping last night?