Alternative to sleeping tablets

dippydan

hi everyone

I'm really struggling getting off to sleep but i don't want to spend £8 on sleeping aids - any ideas for an alternative?

Skint_Catt

Hot milky drink (Horlicks or similar), low level lighting in the bedroom, hot bath, no caffine or food for 3 hours before bed, no TV in bedroom.

C xx

alocin

Maybe not what you want to hear but there's no "magic bullet" for curing sleep problems. Even prescribed sleeping pills have numerous side effects and only really mask the underlying problem.

If your problems sleeping don't have a medical cause (eg. depression or some other illness which leads to insomnia) then the best thing you can do is try to develop good sleep hygiene.

http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm

tori.k

Valerian tea is good but it smells like old rugby socks you can get it in any health food shop,

Pink.

Please can I ask everyone to refrain from giving medical advice or recommending sleeping tablets (or herbal remedies) in this thread, as it is against MSE rules.

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this: Sorry, giving or asking for medical advice is not permitted on this forum as it’s not what this site is about. While discussing medical insurance policies, cheaper ways to see consultants, cashback for alternative health treatments and how to get specific medication cheaper (legally) are all perfectly acceptable we ask you specifically not to discuss what to do in the event of certain medical problems (please see this rule on the Health Board). If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].


Thanks,

Pink

*niptuckfan*

a bath and hour before you want to sleep has been scientifcly proven to help (something about your temperature increasing then decreasing) i swear by lavendar - i use it in the shower and burn in a burner in bedroom - im not really a fan of its smell but i t does have a calming quality

im suffering quite a lot lately with sleep probs but for me its wakening in the night - i find if i try and concentrate on my breath only (ie clear your mind) that sometimes i can get back to sleep

Penny-Pincher!!

dippydan wrote: »

hi everyone

I'm really struggling getting off to sleep but i don't want to spend £8 on sleeping aids - any ideas for an alternative?

An orgasm....OS and FREE

Think this is on the wrong board:rotfl::D

PP
xx

tsimehC

Skint_Catt wrote: »

Hot milky drink (Horlicks or similar), low level lighting in the bedroom, hot bath, no caffine or food for 3 hours before bed, no TV in bedroom.

C xx

I find most of those things actually help me stay awake! No food 3 hours before bed makes me peckish so I have to have a snack! I have a TV but that's not the problem, my PC is!

Well to dippydan, how is your daily routine like? Do you do a lot of physical exercises during the day? I found that helps me sleep better at night.

System

Why was my post removed???

I could just have removed the bit about sleeping tablets, the rest was useful advice!!!

Bitsy_Beans

Can you work out why you have problems dropping off. Can you not switch your head off? Overtired? No wind down? Bedroom not feeling like a retreat but an extension of your office/work etc.
The bath thing works because it's the decrease in your core temperature that causes you to feel sleepy. I like to lie and listen to some chill out music or hypnosis stuff on my iPod if I am having issues dropping off (which doesn't happen very often!).

greenbee

Remove clutter and electrical items from the bedroom.

Stop watching TV or using the PC at least an hour before bed.

Don't drink alcohol or caffeine in the evening. Or eat chocolate (caffeine content). Don't drink so much of anything just before bed that you're likely to need to get up to go to the loo.

Make sure you're getting plenty of exercise. A brisk walk in the early evening can help.

Make sure that you go to bed at the same time every day, so your body gets into a routine.

Try just to use the bedroom for sleeping, so that you associate it with rest - don't sit in there and work/watch TV etc. If you wake up during the night and can't get back to sleep, go into another room to do something while you're awake (try not to do something that will stimulate you like using a PC or TV, but a little potter round might help).

If you're worrying about things and that's keeping you awake, keep a notebook by your bed, write things down when you think of them, and promise yourself you'll deal with it in the morning. If you keep your promise to yourself, your brain will learn to trust you.

Bath before bed works. Epsom salts in it make it work better (with a few drops of lavendar oil in a teaspoon of milk if you like) - but build up the concentration slowly as it can make you feel a bit dopey! I think part of what works is the fact that you have to lie in the bath and relax for 15 minutes before you wash/get out, which means that you've had time to calm down mentally and physically.