insomnia

[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.

[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.

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.

[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 ). 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!

[snapdragen]

Ex-insomniac here. Valerian works pretty well, once you get past the old socks smell . 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.