Ideas to help me sleep!!

[Momagain1]

Hey all....

I'm not sure what is going on; but for the last few months I've slept hardly any overnight..then about 8 am I crash til about 1030...I've stayed up instead of crashing...and I still dont sleep...

I've taken one unisom..nothing...
I've taken TWO unisoms at once..I felt cotton mouthed and jittery...

I've taken melatonin (natural ..it enhances your own bodys sleep hormones)..I've taken anywhere from 1 to 4 at a time...
rarely works...

I went to taekwondo on monday night and was exhausted...I also painted my 10x10 chicken coop...and I was awake ALL NIGHT..I finally fell asleep about 620 am...slept til 10..hubby let me sleep...
today I went on a 2 mile bike ride and went to taekwondo for 1 1/2 hr normal class...

I'm exhausted..but I nkow once I lay down..I wont sleep....

anything that you all know that helps you sleep???

I've tried deep relaxing breathing (the kind you use for self hypnosis that i learned for hypno-birthing)...I've tried soft music...I ALWAYS have my fan on..its been a constant
since I was like 4 lol..

I'm not sure what gives..but man...I have to sleep...

 

[bunnibird55]

I feel your pain! I have suffered off and on like this for most of my life. I have tried everything and the things that help most is valerian and melatonin. I have resorted to up to five benedryl at a time but it leaves me a bit hazy at work the next morning. I have learned to turn the tv off early, not read any mystery novels or anything that will get my brain activated for at least an hour before I want to go to bed. Also don't take any phone calls for several hours before you want to go to bed. A cup of hot chocolate will help me relax. I also am on BYC every night and don't read any of the distressing posts. I try to keep with all the happy people with new hatchlings. I too have a noise machine set to white noise right near my head at night. It is a pain because none of the sleeping meds that even the doc prescribed have helped. It is like my brain refuses to turn off and just starts going through all the activities and conversations I did/had, could have done, should have done! Of course the nights I am up checking on the bator or the brooder are just lost nights! Good Luck!!!!!

 

[aggie9296]

Prescription sleep meds like Ambien or Restoril may help. Can be habit forming and cause weird side effects, but occasional use is pretty safe. Need Rx from your doc.

The OTC stuff is pretty safe, but not terribly effective for some people.

 

[dkvart1]

heard an interesting report not to long about about how computers and other electronic gizmo's can interfer with sleep patterns, they recommended staying away from them for a couple of hours before you plan on turning in.

Dont' know how young you are, but the older we get the less we tend to sleep through the night (and start wanting those naps!) For the past few years I've suffered bouts of serious insomnia, and as a rule I am generally up about 3:30 (on my own!). I've found that a fan on low provides good white noise and a cup or two of sleepy time tea, or chamomille tea will help relax me, and a very boring book helps at times.

A lot of people have good luck with establishing a routine that they follow every night to cue thier body and mind that it's time to settle for sleep.

My insomnia is worst when hubby is away. Every night he lightly rubs my head, which my grandma used to due when I was a wee lass to get me to take a nap. To this day it usually works!

I hope you find something that helps!

edited cuz I just wanted to say, I tried Ambien a few years back. Knocked me out within about 45 minutes, but I would only sleep 2 hours and then be wide awake and wired!

 

[sunflowerenvy]

iam not sure what age u are late 30 to 50s.
and what kind of diet you are on. but if you drink coffee, soda cut them out after 4 pm.
you want to have a bland dinner at night. so pple have to stop eating 3 hour before bed
you might want to take a relaxing shower or bath before going to bed drink a cup of warm milk

in my situation before my change of life it happen when i was in lates 40s. i did not sleep either but i took alot of warm bathes, showers, drank lot of milk until i starter to wake up at night to use the bathroom. now i am the oppisite everytime eat i want to go to sleep for 2 hours and still get 9hours at night but i cannot do that now.i have to much on my plate to sleep more then 8 hours a day. i will be 52 yr old this week
laura

 

[Momagain1]

I'm 39...hubby works every other week overnights...

I am exhausted and CANNOT nap during the daytime; I homeschool, run my own biz and have a pre-k'r thats gone only from 8 to 1030 am...

 

[HeatherLynn]

I tried a cd from the lindenuk store. I will have to dig the thing out again but it was pretty much a lady talking on a cd essentially leading you through relaxation techniques and guiding you to sleep. It seemed to help. I also used melatonin which helped me. I took it an hour before bed and spent that hour meditating.

What worked best was these little pills I got at whole foods. Stressless sleep. Expensive as fire but they helped so much. After the 2nd bottle I had my sleep back on track and have been able to do without them. When things are super tense and they keep me up I will still use these for a bit just to make sure I don't get off track again. I also was taking passion flower twice a day to try to help with tension so I was able to relax a bit easier at night. Once not sleeping becomes habit, it is dang hard to get back on track.

 

[lil'turkeymama]

I have trouble getting my brain to stop working over time at bedtime.I keep thinking about the day or what I've got going the next day.I don't like taking something that will make me sleep.Thats just me,nothing wrong with it.I have found that if I think of things I enjoy when I lay down it helps my mind slow down.I love camping and fishing and being out in the woods.I've took to thinking about what I need to get together to do these things.I like go over the list of stuff required for say camping.If I start thinking of other stuff I make myself get back to that list until I fall asleep.I often dream about camping and fishing.I have fussed at DH for waking when I was about to catch a big fish.

Works for me.

 

[Momagain1]

Quote:
\\\\we dont have a whole foods here...but what is in it? maybe I can write it down and look at other places for something very similar...

Its 11 pm and my body is achey; I'm heading to bed in a few...I PRAY I'm asleep by midnight...we'll see..

 

[old geezer]

...on a lighter side --i sometimes , and only occasional , have the same problem--what works for me is a couple of shots of canadian LTD , i feel good , and go to bed with a smile on my face--i don't even hear the DW snore .

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