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TheMatador
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18 Aug 2010, 8:23 pm

Mostly since coming back home from the academic year, I've had trouble sleeping at night and often don't get to sleep until around 2 or 3 in the morning. In addition, sleeping pills etc haven't helped me and I would like to get a week or so of good rest before starting the semester at school again in less then a couple of weeks.

So does anyone have any suggestions?



StevieC
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18 Aug 2010, 9:12 pm

this is me to a t. people say im on a different timezone.

i could suggest dont sleep at night sleep when it feels right.

failing that, you could try:

chilling out, empty ur mind of all thoughts before trying to get to sleepy

staying up for 24 hrs then going to bed at the "right" time - cos u'll be so knackered u'll have to.

2 things i've tried are booze (not a lot) & exercise (a lot) (not at the same time tho)



TheMatador
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18 Aug 2010, 9:19 pm

StevieC wrote:
this is me to a t. people say im on a different timezone.

i could suggest dont sleep at night sleep when it feels right.

failing that, you could try:

chilling out, empty ur mind of all thoughts before trying to get to sleepy

staying up for 24 hrs then going to bed at the "right" time - cos u'll be so knackered u'll have to.

2 things i've tried are booze (not a lot) & exercise (a lot) (not at the same time tho)


I've thought about option 2, but after a an all-nighter when the right time comes I'm not able to fall asleep because after being up so long my energy and alertness sparks in the evening from it's low in the afternoon.



danieltaiwan
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18 Aug 2010, 11:22 pm

Exercise. I run at about 6:00pm usually a 5k run. It will help you get to sleep after your very exhausted. Added benefit you actually feel really good after running.



Guitar_Girl
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19 Aug 2010, 7:04 am

Reading before bed helps me sleep.



conan
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19 Aug 2010, 10:43 am

you could try counting your breaths, i find that helps empty my mind unless i am really racing. It does not help if i am just restless though



Integralist
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20 Aug 2010, 7:27 pm

Here are some suggestions:
1.) Maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time, including on weekends
2.) Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine
3.) Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable, and cool
4.) Sleep using a comfortable and supportive mattress and pillow
5.) Use your bed/bedroom only for sleep and lovemaking.
6.) Finish eating at least two to three hours before your regular bedtime
7.) Exercise regularly, but complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime
8.) Avoid consuming caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to bedtime
9.) Avoid watching TV (or any other strong visual stimulus) immediately before going to bed

It should be stressed that, for the most part, these suggestions are exterior/environmental changes. On the flip side, your interior states are likely to influence your sleeping ability just as much as your environment. That being said, it may help to do some sort of breathing exercises right before bed. While I don't know how busy your thoughts and emotions are at bedtime, it may help to focus on your breathing at this time, to help draw energy away from your thoughts and hence allow your mind to relax better.



techstepgenr8tion
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26 Aug 2010, 8:41 pm

Its been terrible for me too lately. I've never in my life been able to decide when I fall asleep, I have an 8 to 5 job with physical activity after work. All the same I typically average 5 to 5 1/2 hours of sleep per night on weekdays, in the past few weeks its been almost going under 5 and the weekend for whatever odd reason didn't afford me much more than that either. I have to laugh, sometimes I'd swear my body's trying to kill me with things like that. I can feel extremely tired around 9 or 10 PM, almost fall asleep, and that 'almost' causes wakefulness until 2 or 3 AM.

I can give this advice. I know what I'm dealing with - I might be taxing my adrenal glands a bit too much lately, that sort of cyclical but non-sleep enducing drowsiness is a big sign. Once I can get back on a more normal schedule I'll be aiming to go on a hiatus from the caffein again for a while, also making sure you eat healthy and eat often is paramount when it comes to damage control. As for sleep meds - can't touch them, either I end up with sleep that's worse than nothing or they make me drowsy but keep me awake longer than I would have been had I taken nothing.



kenny09
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03 Sep 2010, 2:09 am

You muxt have to go with "Yoga" It is a Indian style to take a rest.....



BillyJoe
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04 Sep 2010, 12:11 am

I find drinking only to be effective if you really go for it. if i just have 5 or 6 beers, it actually makes it worse. so i wouldn't recommend booze, getting to sleep and passing out are 2 different things lol. exercise works the best. I weight lift at night, it makes a difference for sure.



introversal
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04 Sep 2010, 7:40 pm

Even though it's a depressant, alcohol actually excites the brain and disrupts sleep.

I used to have glasses of milk, but that actually made it harder for me to sleep because I think I have a sensitivity (seems to be commonly linked with autism). These days I have Crispix (rice and corn) with soy milk. I also take something called Theanine Serene from some natural food company. It's the calming ingredient in green tea. The taurine also neutralizes the effects of glutamate (MSG), which is common in processed foods. Aspartame is an excitotoxin as well, so avoid diet soft drinks.

In general, watch what you eat and see how it makes you feel. The stuff that makes you feel better will help you sleep. :)

Speaking of which, herbal teas are awesome! Rooibos, peppermint and chamomile especially.



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06 Sep 2010, 3:58 am

Move a television in front of your bed and turn it on at night until you fall asleep. If you wake up as a result of the sound, then turn the television off, and you should fall back asleep as you will have been in REM sleep already. If you do not have a small television, I recommend reading a non Fiction book.


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yellowLedbetter
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17 Sep 2010, 1:17 pm

Well exercise is THE BEST option - I have major sleeping problems and when I worked out it helped me a lot. I haven't worked out in a while, however, because my foot is broken : (

Another thing I do is drive around. When I was little my mom would drive me around in the car when I couldn't sleep, and it helped! It's just relaxing. Just make sure you don't get stuck in traffic 'cause that's SUPER stressful.



sluice
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24 Sep 2010, 5:13 am

A big issue for me. I think I must be on a 36 hr sleep cycle by periods when I get tired. Never seem to sleep the same hours night after night even if I force myself. Sleeping pills don't seem to help, except in preventing me from waking when I need to. I have worked nights at different points in my life, so I have grown accustomed to being wide awake at the time. I get plenty of exercise usually, though I have a nice caffeine addiction that doesn't help.



pumibel
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25 Sep 2010, 2:31 pm

Integralist wrote:
Here are some suggestions:
1.) Maintain a regular bedtime and wake-up time, including on weekends
2.) Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine
3.) Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable, and cool
4.) Sleep using a comfortable and supportive mattress and pillow
5.) Use your bed/bedroom only for sleep and lovemaking.
6.) Finish eating at least two to three hours before your regular bedtime
7.) Exercise regularly, but complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime
8.) Avoid consuming caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to bedtime
9.) Avoid watching TV (or any other strong visual stimulus) immediately before going to bed

It should be stressed that, for the most part, these suggestions are exterior/environmental changes. On the flip side, your interior states are likely to influence your sleeping ability just as much as your environment. That being said, it may help to do some sort of breathing exercises right before bed. While I don't know how busy your thoughts and emotions are at bedtime, it may help to focus on your breathing at this time, to help draw energy away from your thoughts and hence allow your mind to relax better.


I was going to suggest most of these- it is important to wind down before bed and have a standard routine because this signals to your brain to start making melatonin. When I was in the Air Force I had to iron my uniforms every night, and usually I did it close to bed time, so I would start yawning as soon as I set up the ironing board. Think about when you were a kid- you had a very set routine more than likely. After dinner there was a little playtime or TV, a bath, brush your teeth, get your stuff together for the next morning, and then you went to bed. Do something like this for yourself, and I bet you will get back in sinc.