insomnia

[applegum]

Anyone else have this problem? During school my sleeping schedule usually falls apart what with staying up late to do homework and then getting up early and then going back to sleep after I get home at four, but now even this summer I can't sleep. I even managed to get to bed at 11:00 tonight, but then my friend called me at midnight and woke me up. I'm still trying to get back to sleep. Any advice?

[DebW]

My worst insomnia has usually been hormone related. When pregnant with my first child I had insomnia from 1-6 am for the first 3 months. In the first couple years of perimenopause I had insomnia from 3:30-5:30 for a few years. Unfortunately I have no advise to offer you.

[DirtDiva]

I suck at getting to sleep. Always have and should think I always will. Once I actually get to sleep though, I tend to be fine. Deb's right: hormones sure don't help - always have the most trouble sleeping when I'm PMSing. Exercise helps a lot in allowing me to get to sleep more quickly. I don't know how much of it is that I'm obviously physically more tired and how much of it is that I've had some quiet thinking time whilst I'm riding/running/swimming/walking/whatever and don't end up only having the thinking space when I'm supposed to be sleeping.

[mimitabby]

if something woke you up, go to the bathroom and do everything you usually do when yo go to bed
Then go to bed with the lights all out... if you don't fall right to sleep start counting backwards (or forwards,). If you lose track, start again. keep focusing on counting instead of all the interesting conversations you just had..

[applegum]

Yeah I've tried all the counting tricks and all that. Thanks for the tips though. It just takes a while to shut my brain down again once it's been woken up. Since I'm on birth control my hormones are usually pretty stable (since I use it for just that reason) so I'm hoping it's nothing to do with that. I didn't get as good a workout as I usually do rowing last night though, so maybe I should start going to the gym afterwards if I have too much excess energy.

[chickwhorips]

when i was taking classes all the time i was the same as you. no problem sleeping. but when summer came around forgit sleeping.

i figure class just wears out your brain and it just wants to shut down and go sleepy. i don't even remember dreaming much while i was in class.

now that i haven't taken classes for a while, my brain doesn't want to shut down and i have lots of dreams that i can remember. that's been my problem for the last two nights. can't sleep, the brain just wants to keep going, but my body is exausted. laying in bed last night i was tempted to get up and steal my bf's math book and work on some problems to make my brain tired. :confused: but i decided to toss and turn instead.

no clue how i'm moving today with no sleep in the last two days. sleep is as important to me as getting a workout in.

[Deanna]

Off the top, I'd suggest taking your phone off the hook or turning off the ringer so you don't get people calling and waking you up when you do get to sleep. In our house, the only phone with the ringer on is the one furthest from the bedroom.

[applegum]

haha I like the math problem idea, maybe I'll try that out. I need to pull up my math SAT score anyway, so two in one! I'm going to start silencing my phone at night, but yesterday I was getting calls for birthday party plans for tonight, so I didn't want to not answer. I wouldn't have a problem with this schedule if it was so hot outside and I could bike later in the morning. I blame the heat wave!

[chickwhorips]

i definatly can't sleep when its warm out. i have to have at least a sheet covering me.

[Geonz]

I can't sleep when it's hot - that's about the only thing that keeps me up. I'll jump into a cold shower and that helps, but then a few hours later...

[latelatebloomer]

For insomnia or emotional upset/general stress, we use an herbal assist called valerian. We get it in healthfood stores - it's a very common and safe. The drug Valium is the synthetic approximation - but valerian is NOT habit forming and is very gentle - doesn't make you dopey, so you can take it during the day if needed, no problem. There are pills and teas available, but I like the tincture (a small vial of liquid w/eyedropper. Mix w/ a little water, and have a chaser like a few sips of juice (tastes like old socks - not supposed to be good, just good for you!:rolleyes: )

I find that it quickly soothes and quiets the mind - perfect for the nights that I am just about asleep and then - POP! - my mind jumps to some issue...

Hope this helps. Sleep is crucial....

[chickwhorips]

oh ya i forgot about the valerian. i have that too.

whats really good is the sleepy time 'extra' tea. it has valerian root in it. it tastes good too, not like dirty socks.

[Denise223]

Hi!

Right now, I'm doing pretty well with insomnia, but I have had chronic issues with it for several years. I have some medical problems, fibromyalgia, being one of them, and non-restorative sleep is something that I've had to deal with for years.

Already suggested to you was, "take your phone off the hook". I've been doing this for about a year now, and it has helped soooooooooo much!!

When I'm falling asleep, there are no worries that I'm going to be woken up by a ringing phone -- whether it's someone that wants to talk or even a wrong number. Doing this takes away a lot of anxiety. I believe that this has probably helped me the most.

Because sleep is so crucial to my well-being, and how well I'm going to function the next day, we unplug our phone at 11:00pm.

I'm 45, and my parent's are in ill health, (mom at home & dad in nursing home). They can get in touch with my husband or I through either of our cell-phones.

When my husband works out a few hours before bed, he is pretty much assured a good night's rest. The exact opposite happens to me. If I work out at night, it's pretty much a guarantee that I'm not going to get to sleep. I do hope that someday that will change.

I take Melatonin (over the counter), but please don't take unless your doctor suggests) and a prescription medication.

As we all know, sleep is crucial -- so, I really wish you a lot of luck in trying different things to get a good nights rest.

Have a great day!!

Denise

[maillotpois]

Early this year, I was having trouble with waking up at 3 - 4 and not being able to go back to sleep. Occasionally a Tylenol PM will help a lot. I was taking Benadryl every night before going to bed also, which helps.

Since I started taking Coumadin, I find I sleep VERY heavily. I don't need Tylenol PM or Benadryl or anything. Fortunately, I am not sleepy during the day - alot of folks report being very tired on Coumadin. Anyway, this has been a nice change for me, sleeping solidly through the night - but I don't recommend anti-coagulants to anyone!! ;)

If anyone calls us after 10 pm, they will be excommunicated. :cool: We go to bed by 9:30 or 10 and I am up at 5 am.

[Nanci]

When I'm trying to fall asleep in the first place, I read. I can't go to sleep without reading. Doesn't have to be for long.

If I wake up, and can't go back to sleep, I count backwards from 300. That almost always works. Or I try to name all my bottles of wine, in the order they are in in the wine attic. Or, if it's the night before a bike ride, I go over the route in my head, turn by turn.

When I was working nights and sleeping days, I would wake up after about four hours to pee, and then have a terrible time going back to sleep. Then I started taking Benedryl. That worked, as well as not opening my eyes on my way to/from the bathroom.

Drawing circles on BFs back works well, too, for some reason.

[Bikingmomof3]

My solution is most likely one of the strangest and least helpful, but it is worth a shot. I turn on a foreign news station and translate the news in my head. I always fall asleep.:D

[chickwhorips]

My solution is most likely one of the strangest and least helpful, but it is worth a shot. I turn on a foreign news station and translate the news in my head. I always fall asleep.:D

that wouldn't help me. i don't know enough of any other language to completely translate (only to get me in trouble). i would have to much fun making things up for what they are saying.

[Veronica]

When I can't sleep, it's because I'm thinking too much. Thom once told me you can only have one thought in your head at a time. So to fall asleep I concentrate on the word, "Sleep."

V.

[Tuckervill]

Early this year, I was having trouble with waking up at 3 - 4 and not being able to go back to sleep. Occasionally a Tylenol PM will help a lot. I was taking Benadryl every night before going to bed also, which helps.

Tylenol PM contains 25 mg of diphenhydramine, which is the active ingredient in Benadryl (50 mg).

Ibuprofen is known to help with sleep, too. I think ibuprofen (Advil) is a miracle drug (if your stomach can take it). But I think some people take more than is necessary. I don't take it often, but when I do, I only take one and it always works.

Karen

[chickwhorips]

i know if you take tylenol pm or benadryl a lot, your body gets use to it and you either a) can't sleep without it or b) doesn't work anymore or c) all the above.

this happened to me a while back when i had bad insomnia. i wound up getting a Rx for something. don't remember what, but it worked great and was a little pink pill.

bf has lunesta. tried it one night but i got the zaklies really bad.

[applegum]

Yeah I'm trying to avoid taking any medicines, although I do have Melatonin. I save that for during school though when it's actually necessary for me to get to sleep early and during the summer I lay off it. All the PM kind of medicines mess with my prescribed medicine (just stuff for acne) and make me sick, so that's out. The valerian sounds like it could work though. I'm so tired tonight from not getting any sleep last night and planning/throwing a party, maybe I'll be able to get to sleep on my own. Thanks all you guys for the suggestions :) .

[Kitsune06]

Valerian works differently for different people. I have really bizarre, trippy dreams on it, so don't try it some night when you *really* need to sleep.

[chickwhorips]

good luck with the party. and have a good night.

sleep good, don't let the bed bugs bite. ;)

[snapdragen]

Ex-insomniac here. Valerian works pretty well, once you get past the old socks smell :eek: . I've also used Benedryl, at my then doctor's suggestion.

Late night news on ABC usually puts me out if I wake up in the wee hours of the morning. Otherwise I just watch TV until it's time to get up, and play zombie for the day.

[Lise]

Benedryl works pretty well for about 3 nights. Then it doesn't help with the sleeping any more, but leaves me incredibly groggy the next day. I went through a time when I was having to get up way too early three times a week, and not able to get to bed on time. The more tired I am, the harder it is to sleep. So I used Benedryl. I could NOT wake up in the morning at work (bad thing in a health care provider :eek: ). Finally stopped taking it at night, slept about the same, but I could think in the AM. Now I take it rarely. Taken that way, it's effective for helping me sleep, and doesn't leave me too out of it.

Like Nanci, I cannot sleep without reading first. One time I was so tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open to read, so I lay there and thought about what I'd read the night before so that I could fall asleep!

Reading a great book right now, The Hummingbird's Daughter. Off to read...I mean...to bed! :p

[Denise223]

Hi again!

I read through all the posts here, and since I didn't see it mentioned....I was wondering, (actually, my husband thought of it), do you drink coffee, coke or pepsi WITH caffeine?? Some teas can have caffeine, as well as chocolate.

How about yoga, meditation, etc...?

Hopefully you will find what works for you....

Off to bed now...

Have a great sleep!!

Denise

[applegum]

Got to sleep around 1 AM, way better than I've been doing lately. Now I can actually go on my morning bike ride instead of the gym (which I hate) :D . I read every night too. And most days. Especially during the summer when I have a ton of time to waste I end up going through a few books a week.

And to answer your question Denise, I avoid drinking soda and I quit drinking coffee after I got addicted to caffeine a couple years ago (pretty sad for someone my age). I eat chocolate rarely and have some bottled snapple tea, but I noticed it kept me up so I stopped drinking it anytime in the afternoon/night. I don't do yoga since I don't have the patience for it most of the time, but I do meditate sometimes and it comes in handy on really late nights.

Hope you guys all got a good nights sleep too, I'm off to ride! :D

[Nanci]

Ooh, valerian! I tried that when a friend swore by it. I got the bizarre dreams. I don't remember sleeping much better, though.

[margo49]

Sometimes there is a hormonal explanation
But to do anything about it is usually a case of the cure is worse than the disease.
Hormones are in a constant state of change anyway and therefore so are the problems they cause. LOL. Still, it would be worse to be a man and not have any hormones to rage

Personally I think if you can keep your life in time with the sun and the birdies chirping (or stopping) you get on better in total general health

[Kano]

The Weather Channel.

MP3 player with quiet music -- nothing that makes me want to dance!
(nice choices -- James Asher, the Great Wheel -- Jerry Garcia, Blues from the Rainforest, and I've even got a stash of baby lullabies in there! No Aerosmith though -- that's road music!)

Karen in Boise