8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Oct 19, 2014 6:09:49 GMT -5
I have a horrible time trying to sleep. It takes me a long time at night to fall asleep, and I can be jostled awake by the tiniest thing. My mind doesn't shut off. I've been waking up early on weekends wide awake. But when its 10 minutes before my alarm on a work day, I could sleep another 2 hours without thinking about it.
Anyone else have problems like this? What do you do about it?
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Oct 19, 2014 7:22:01 GMT -5
I'm having trouble now. It's stress related. When I remember, I take a Xanax and it relaxes me enough to sleep.
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Blonde Granny
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Post by Blonde Granny on Oct 19, 2014 7:38:54 GMT -5
I have a shoulder problem and will see ortho-surgeon this Tuesday. I usually take 2 Tylenol PM 1.5 hours before going to bed. If that fails to work, and some nights it does, I take 1/2 a Xanax. The Xanax takes the edge off and my brain eventually stops running around in circles worrying about every little thing.
It's a rare night I don't wake up multiple times, except those Xanax nights.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Oct 19, 2014 7:46:34 GMT -5
I feel for ya. I can give you all the standard advice. Cut down on caffeine, darken your room, don't do things prior to going to bed like surfing the net, etc that stimulate your brain and so forth. So, certainly try all that. And, you can try some over the counter sleep aids like Nyquil, melatonin or Benadryl. But, I have had insomnia for years and I have tried everything so now I just accept it as part of life.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on Oct 19, 2014 8:29:41 GMT -5
For me it's when I've got a bunch to do on my plate. Lists help alot.
I can't read before bed. I never remember what I read, and sometimes it makes me want to stay up.
I do play Candy Crush and Free Fall before bed.
I also try to make sure I am present/mindful in activities and I also engage in activities that help me zone out. For me, that's knitting, cross stitch, etc.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2014 8:54:39 GMT -5
I sleep better now that I'm retired; sometimes I fall asleep at 10 and wake up at 7:30 or 8. I used to get up at 6:30 AM on weekdays.
I still have nights when I wake up around 3 and my brain won't stop. I have a playlist of relaxing music on my iPod and I plug that in. Most of the time it works. It takes awhile but the big advantage is that there are no chemicals involved. I have a stash of Ambien but rarely use it, especially when insomnia occurs so close to my normal waking hour. And sometimes I just get up, knowing I can always take a nap later if needed.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Oct 19, 2014 9:13:39 GMT -5
I was literally awake one time for 4 days. And, I mean 4 days, no nodding off, short periods of sleep, nothing. My blood pressure then went sky high and I ended up needing to take Atenolol for a period of time. I changed everything I could change to try to help my sleep patterns. And, I usually end up taking some OTC sleep aid most nights of the week. I do sleep now, but I still wake up several times a night.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Oct 19, 2014 9:26:32 GMT -5
I have used Sleepytime tea.
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Oct 19, 2014 9:34:18 GMT -5
I haven't slept well for years. I used to wake up every couple of hours, sometimes every hour or so. A couple of years ago, I started taking a combination of a melatonin supplement (that includes valerian and other sleep-inducing herbal ingredients) and a 5-HTP supplement (which promotes the production of serotonin) about 30 minutes before bedtime. It has helped a lot. I still wake up during the night, but now its after 3 hours or so, and I have less trouble getting back to sleep. I still don't sleep well, but it is better, and sometimes I can sleep for 5 or 6 hours before waking up.
I hope you can find something that will help you sleep. A good night's sleep makes a world of difference.
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trippypea
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Post by trippypea on Oct 19, 2014 9:45:55 GMT -5
Do you have a lot of electronics in your bedroom? Is your alarm clock close to your head when sleeping? My daughter is doing her science fair project on electromagnetic field hot spots in the home and how it affects living things, and while the experts haven't come out and said there is a definite link to specific issues, they do say to limit exposure (there are 'safe' limits). Alarm clocks put out higher EMF readings, so it couldn't hurt to move it across the room while you are sleeping. DD hasn't gotten to the point where she's setting up her plants yet to see how far is a good distance, lol, so I'll let you know if the plants closest start dying when she does!
The other thing is, how old is your mattress? My mattress is 20 years old, but not lumpy or anything, so I didn't think there was a problem. But if I woke up in the night, I couldn't fall back asleep because my hips and legs felt like they were 'pulling' and I was uncomfortable. I'd start thinking about going to the bathroom, even if I didn't have to, so the walk would wake me up even further. This was practically every night. I bought one of those mattress toppers, which is just a glorified egg crate, and darn if I'm not sleeping straight through the night since I got it!
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gacpa
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Post by gacpa on Oct 19, 2014 9:53:00 GMT -5
I also have trouble staying asleep at night. All the advice given here is true and helpful. I also want to suggest you start an exercise program. I walk on a treadmill for 30-40 minutes a day, 5-6 days a week. Any kind of physical exercise should help you sleep better and it is good for you.
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Oct 19, 2014 12:05:06 GMT -5
I do love the sleeping bear. Not sure why he is eating muffins, but whatever. I'll look for that specific type of "sleepy time".
I'll check out xanax as well. This is America, I want to take a pill that will solve all my problems.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on Oct 19, 2014 13:57:37 GMT -5
Get a newborn or 2--that'll help you fall asleep! From my experience, there's nothing like extended sleep deprivation to help with falling asleep. But seriously, I've had this problem since I was a kid. It gets better and worse depending on what all's going on in my life and how much caffeine I drink. (and newborns in the house) Discussed this problem with my mom's Dr., as she tends to have sleep troubles when she doesn't take her Ativan. (Actually, the Ativan works great, but that's pretty extreme.) He said Kava Kava, Valerian Root and Melatonin - 5 mg. The melatonin is supposed to help with falling asleep and the other(s?) help with staying asleep. He's a really good Dr.., so it's worth a try. My mom still prefers to just take her Ativan, so whatever works.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Oct 19, 2014 14:21:55 GMT -5
Some of the things that caused me problems was (1) exercising too late in the evenings, (2) eating too late in the evenings and (3) having a problem in the lab that I couldn't figure out.
I discovered if I wanted to be asleep by 11, I needed to be out of the gym by 6. Any later, then I'd be eating too late and I'd be awake. If I tried to exercise before going to bed, it was even worse.
The lab problem I never figured out how to deal with. I would chew on it in my brain until I fell asleep, inevitably around 2 am so my alarm going off at 5:30 am really sucked.
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Pants
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Post by Pants on Oct 19, 2014 16:12:47 GMT -5
I do love the sleeping bear. Not sure why he is eating muffins, but whatever. I'll look for that specific type of "sleepy time". I'll check out xanax as well. This is America, I want to take a pill that will solve all my problems. Screw it, if you want a pill go straight for the ambien. We'll see you in 9 hours.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Oct 19, 2014 16:41:18 GMT -5
I would not recommend taking it for more than 2 weeks.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2014 16:56:29 GMT -5
Yes I have this problem as well.
However, my problem is less FALLING asleep (I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow) than GOING TO BED. I'm also sure that on some level it's also because of this board (because of the time difference).
I agree, it's often stress related.
My very close friend here is a prominent sleep doc. Per her, most people have many issues that impede sleep, and stress is generally the most important one.
BUT ... she maintains that DESPITE the stress, if you eat healthy and exercise regularly, you will have far fewer problems getting to sleep (unless you have a sleep related illness, of course, like sleep apnea, which you can be tested for.) She also (IMO) underfed her kids, per most people's guidelines. ZERO crap in the house until the kids were all out of primary school. It was rationed when they were in MS. Once they hit HS, they could have as much as they wanted of any crap. But, she had correctly banked on having "trained" them by then. So, they "pig out" once a week, and their friends eat the rest.
She says (and she is very prominent in her field) that done regularly, eating healthy / exercising / cutting down on caffeine and alcohol will at least alleviate the stress enough to allow you to sleep properly. She also says (and she's not alone) no computers / TVs in the bedroom. And no exercising (ie running or going to the gym) w/in 2h (ideally 3) of bedtime. Also, set yourself a regular bedtime, and try to stick to it. Better to set it later and stick to it than earlier and NOT stick to it (per her). Once you've done that for a while, try to move it earlier, in 15-m increments.
In an ideal world, a bedroom is for sleep / other activities (obviously some people don't have the room for a "work station" outside the bedroom, but I'm guessing you do.) Like with food, she was VERY strict on computer time with her kids when they were younger but as they got older she gave them more autonomy. BUT, even now (the youngest kids are 16) EVERYBODY in the family leaves their laptop in the study when they go upstairs to bed (including her and her DH).
Per her, the problem is that most people who are stressed out do NOT bother to eat healthy / exercise / and also drink too much caffeine and alcohol.
Hope this helps Gowron.
ETA: If you say to my friend, I have trouble sleeping, she will ask you a long list of questions and THEN give you 15-30m of advice. So, this is a VERY condensed version. SHE would definitely tell you to consult a local sleep specialist, and get some personally-tailored advice.
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quince
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Post by quince on Oct 19, 2014 17:11:58 GMT -5
I have a hell of a time falling asleep. It takes me forever. I am also very anxious- so if I go to bed NOT wiped out, I will lay in bed awake for hours working myself up over something or other- Quiet time alone with my thoughts is a very bad thing.
It kind of sucks with a kid who sometimes wants to be bouncy late at night, or wakes me in the middle of the night, and never lets me sleep in.
The only time I've ever fallen asleep easily is when I was sleep deprived and on opiates- right after my C-section. Even then, every twitch or snort of my kid would get me up. I've come out of my bedroom to where my mom and husband (kindly letting me sleep!) were juuust getting up to check the baby to ask what was wrong.
I have a nice husband who lets me nap sometimes on weekends. He can afford to be nice, since he sleeps like a rock as soon as his head touches the pillow. Otherwise, I deal with it. if I'm too tired to drive safely, I don't drive, but otherwise, life goes on.
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Apple
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Post by Apple on Oct 19, 2014 17:26:12 GMT -5
If I know I'm going to have a horrible time falling asleep, I'll take Tylenol/Advil/Excedrine PM, but I have to take it early since I get up for work by 4:30.
I've always taken hours to fall asleep, and could not figure out how people fell asleep so quickly. I figured out a trick that worked for me-- I would lay with my eyes closed and try to visualize each letter of the alphabet, one at a time, in order. It's not easy for me to "see" things, so it takes a lot of focus, enough that I start to forget the stuff that is always racing through my head (even extremely stressful stuff). At first, it would take me 20 minutes to get through the alphabet, and I'd have to start over because I was still awake. Eventually, I started falling asleep half way through, and then, after a while longer, I'd rarely make it to the letter "F" before I was asleep. Now I only have to do this is if I'm really stressed out about something, most nights I can just go to bed and be asleep within 10 minutes. Something finally "clicked" I guess.
It's probably similar to "count sheep" (which I never understood), but this worked for me.
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mamasita99
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Post by mamasita99 on Oct 19, 2014 17:59:39 GMT -5
I start my day at 5am, so I aim to have lights out/in bed by 9:30pm. I usually fall asleep soon after, thanks to a very busy, active day. In the summer when I don't work I actually have a much harder time staying asleep, probably because my body isn't as worn out in the summer.
Nowadays I take a Tylenol PM a half hour before bed. Not to fall asleep, because I fall asleep quickly, but rather to sleep later. I tend to wake up too early when I go to sleep all natural. I also use visualization when anxiety starts to creep in. When a thought pops up, visualize it on a soft cloud, and then it floats away. Cheesy, but it is very relaxing and works for me.
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Oct 19, 2014 18:05:34 GMT -5
I generally sleep from 11 pm until 2 am or so. Unless people or cats are moving around. Then sometimes I don't sleep at all. After 2 am, I usually drift in and out of sleep until I need to get up at 4 or 5 am depending on the day. Sometimes I'll go back to sleep, for an hour or two between 2 and 4, usually it's only 20 minute stretches. It's no good going to bed any earlier, I wake up after 3 hours. I'd just as soon be asleep when it's likely to be the quietest. I am able to nap. By that I mean that if I sit down in the afternoon, I will fall asleep. I try not to because it sometimes interferes with my solid three hours of sleep at night. As I mentioned in the other thread, my superpower is my ability to function on practically no sleep.
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Artemis Windsong
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Post by Artemis Windsong on Oct 19, 2014 18:16:31 GMT -5
A friend told me about pressure points. Rub the protruding bone on the inside of each wrist then press your thumbs on your forehead between your eyes. She said it takes a few nights to start working.
It worked on me the first night.
I will spare you my sleep problems as they a long term and take a lot of different twists.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Oct 19, 2014 18:43:18 GMT -5
Its not hardcore, but sometimes I take Inositol, a B vitamin to help me sleep. I buy it in capsule form, and take apart 3 capsules and have what's inside them. It helps, but not if you are having very bad sleep problems.dra
In general upping your B vitamins helps. Also I think there is a drink out there called Calm with magnesium. Both magnesium and calcium can help you sleep if taken at night. (Or at least it helps for me.)
Also, make sure you are fully hydrated. As I get older, if I am under-hydrated my body doesn't want to sleep so sometimes I am up drinking liquids and then up a few times in the night getting rid of them...
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8 Bit WWBG
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Post by 8 Bit WWBG on Oct 19, 2014 20:18:10 GMT -5
I sleep a lot better when I'm on vacation. I'm sure most people do. In the mean time, I can try the visualizing the alphabet and the pressure points tonight.
Like most of America, I don't eat as healthy or exercise as much as I should. That being said, even when I was on a varsity sport, I didn't fall asleep quickly either.
Was the "don't do it for more than 2 weeks" about taking Xanax?
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Oct 19, 2014 21:31:50 GMT -5
No. I was talking about ambien. People have done some weird stuff on that.
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Oct 19, 2014 21:50:02 GMT -5
I did read a joke about people like us recently: The good thing about insomnia is it's only three sleeps til Christmas. Goodnight, all.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Oct 19, 2014 22:54:11 GMT -5
Hope your found your answer, 8 bit. Mine was ambien and it doesn't always work. I don't have a problem staying asleep once I get there; it's just getting to sleep is a problem. Ambien, as I understand it to work, is a pretty short acting medication. It gets me to sleep and I can stay asleep on my own. No hung over feeling in the morning either. If you don't like taking prescription meds, you could try a benedryl. Good luck. Not sleeping can raise your bp substantially, not to mention a bunch of other health issues.
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on Oct 19, 2014 22:57:52 GMT -5
I have a terrible time sleeping, many times I don't end up going to sleep until 3 in the morning. Really sucks when you have to be to work at 7 or 8 in the morning. I don't have a solution. I've always been a night owl and have never been able to train myself to sleep a "normal" schedule or go to sleep quickly. I spent 6 months doing everything you're supposed to do to stabilize your sleep patterns and none of it worked. No coffee, no food or exercise after so long, no screen time, etc. None of it worked. I've tried taking melatonin and other OTC sleep aids, but they don't put me to sleep, they just kinda turn me into a zombie and I get less sleep than I would normally and feel like crap the next day. Becoming dependent upon prescription drugs scares me, so I won't take any prescription sleep aids.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Oct 19, 2014 23:00:26 GMT -5
I agree with Opti about dehydration (or simple insufficient hydration) can interfere with sleep. I sleep the best when I am fully hydrated. Similarly, if I eat foods high in sodium during a particular day, I can almost guarantee I won't sleep that night.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Oct 19, 2014 23:01:05 GMT -5
msventoux? I was told Ambien isn't habit-forming. At least I think that's what he said. At the time, I would have eaten battery acid if I thought it would get me to sleep so it's possible I might not have listened closely enough.
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