Help getting to sleep

stormCat99

Hi,

I'm hoping some of you will have some suggestions to help me out. I've always been a bad sleeper, tend to take a long time to get to sleep (at least an hour usually) and often wake multiple times in the night.

However recently, I seem to have been worse than ever. I've had several nights where I'm still awake at 3am or even 4am and obviously feel terrible the next day.

My bedroom is very dark, although I do sometimes use an eye mask as somehow helps me relax. I've taken to reading for a few minutes when I get into bed, but even that doesn't help. I will be so so tired, but not at all SLEEPY. Last night I read the book until I literally couldn't hold my eyes open any more, yet still couldn't sleep for ages after. Also tried having a glass of milk before bed.

Last year I reluctantly tried some herbal sleeping tablets. They actually worked brilliantly, I slept very well. However I didn't want to become dependent on them - I know they're only herbal, but didn't want to end up whereby if I didn't have any tablets to hand for whatever reason, I felt like I wouldn't be able to sleep. So I only use them occasionally when really needed. However the last couple of months, even these don't work. If I can get to sleep, I have a GREAT night's sleep with them. But more often I cannot get to sleep and because I've taken the tablets it just makes me feel even worse.

I have no TV, computer, etc in the bedroom.

I have used pillow sprays and lavender temple rubs etc, and whilst I like the idea of them, and think the scent relaxes me, they are just not strong enough to be discernible no matter how much I put on. Recently I've actually started using Olbas Oil on a tissue, as that is a very strong scent it has worked reasonably well (not always). So in particular is there anything similar in strength to Olbas Oil, but that is more relaxing, lavender etc?

Also any other suggestions? I am already dreading going to bed tonight as I really can't stand another night of struggling to get to sleep. And I feel so tired in the day all the time.

Sorry if this is a long post

faithcecilia

The best thing I ever learnt was to rest. Sleep is, of course, the best way, but if sleep has completely abandonned me, I can now still rest. Its not easy, and there are still occasions when my insomnia upsets me, but on the whole I can lie there still and relaxed whether sleep comes or not. I also try not to oversleep - for me 5hrs a night is optimum, more than that for more than the odd night will lead to sometimes weeks of sleep problems.

I havent done it myself, but I do know someone who has benefited greatly from a sleep hygeine course, but you need to be willing to put social life etc on hold for months to do it properly.

BitterAndTwisted

Fretting about not getting to sleep is probably guaranteed to keep you awake!

Some people find that performing a night-time ritual, where you always do exactly the same things in exactly the same order, eventually trains the mind and body to expect sleep. I think that it's based on cognitive behaviour therapy or something like that.

If you're finding it hard to stop your mind racing perhaps consider a course of transcendental meditation s I've heard that that can help, too.

Sometimes I just imagine a happy peaceful time in my life or a pleasant, calm experience I've had and I find that can help a mind wandering all over the place.

stormCat99

Most often, if I am struggling to sleep, I do end up telling myself 'oh well, I'll just have to lie here then'. And end up lying still and not fidgeting. But still not sleeping. I guess this is like faithcecilia's idea of 'resting' instead of sleeping. But even so, it feels like no replacement for actual sleep and I'll be exhausted the next day.

I had never heard of sleep hygiene so have been googling, thanks. Don't think I'm quite at the point of going on a course about it, but I will put it at the back of my mind in case I get to that point later. However, I read through an interesting list of suggestions on one webpage on this subject, but I already do almost all of these:

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

I do pretty much already have the same routine each night already. I have tried thinking of nice things, like upcoming holiday etc. I've tried thinking of nothing. I've tried counting sheep.

Something I can be feeling relaxed, and still not sleep. Other times I end up feeling anything but relaxed, simply because I cannot sleep - that is more how I've felt recently. I keep telling myself not to think about it, just relax, read my book to distract me, but to no avail.

I've been looking for some kind of relaxing spray or roll-on product which is as strong as Olbas Oil, but can't seem to find anything.

dreamyd

I have gone through periods of poor sleep, especially when school has been very stressful.If I just lie there, my brain goes on a downward spiral which is very scary in the small hours.
If I can't sleep, I plug in my iPod, and put in one headphone, to listen to an audiobook or a set of podcasts. I don't know why this works, but it does. I am generally asleep after about 15 minutes, and the fact that I'm listening to someone burbling along seems to help me by distracting my brain. I'm still fairly tried in the morning, but at least I've had some sleep. If it happens on a weekend or a non-working day. I have been known to get up, come downstairs and watch some cr*p tv, or go online and catch up with my internet reading. When I start to feel tired, I just drift back upstairs.

McKneff

Lie on your back and completely relax, start with your feet and talk to them, feet, now feet, just go to sleep, ankles (think ak about your ankles, now ankles, just go to sellp, calves, knees, thighs, work your way up, till you get to your brain, the last thing you are using.
Think about your brain, fill it up with warm soapy water, swish it, its quite thick, pull a plug at the bottom of your brain slowly and let it all
(you have to have an imagination for this) let it flow down your brain stem and then down through all your body , your arms, torso, legs,
Works for me when I need it...............

When I say, talk to your feet, I dont mean 'out loud':rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

stormCat99

McKneff wrote: »

Lie on your back and completely relax, start with your feet and talk to them, feet, now feet, just go to sleep, ankles (think ak about your ankles, now ankles, just go to sellp, calves, knees, thighs, work your way up, till you get to your brain, the last thing you are using.
Think about your brain, fill it up with warm soapy water, swish it, its quite thick, pull a plug at the bottom of your brain slowly and let it all
(you have to have an imagination for this) let it flow down your brain stem and then down through all your body , your arms, torso, legs,
Works for me when I need it...............

When I say, talk to your feet, I dont mean 'out loud':rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Reading your post, it sounded really funny. But I actually did this last night, feeling silly even as I was doing it. And although it didn't make me go to sleep, I DID feel pretty relaxed afterwards. I was really surprised actually.

Maybe if I practice this a bit more I might be able to talk myself to sleep

maman

dreamyd wrote: »

If I can't sleep, I plug in my iPod, and put in one headphone, to listen to an audiobook or a set of podcasts. I don't know why this works, but it does. I am generally asleep after about 15 minutes, and the fact that I'm listening to someone burbling along seems to help me by distracting my brain.

I have very similar problems. I think it started with a mixture of stressful job & hormones and I can't get out of it. I have a bedside radio that I can set to turn itself off after a certain time. Generally I set it for 40/50 minutes and I usually drift off before it switches off. I prefer voices to music. Unfortunately I wake again every 2/3 hours but I do usually get back to sleep relatively easily (again using the radio). Drinking helps me to get off much more quickly but I still wake up and it's not something I'd recommend.

charlysez

i use the johnsons baby lotion in the purple bottle. sorry cant recall its name but its made for bedtime/sleep..

its fantastic, i just put some on my neck chest and arms before getting into bed and in no time i am asleep.

ailuro2

You need to get the basics right and get yourself into a good bedtime routine -

1/ no caffeine after 6pm, or even earlier if you can ( buy decaff tea if you're a tea addict)
2/ no watching anything exciting on TV before going to bed
3/ brush your teeth 20 minutes before you go to bed ( I always find the minty toothpaste so refreshing I feel like it wakes me up a bit)
4/ This is the hardest one to do.... Go to bed at the same time EVERY night. Set your alarm to get up at the same time every day.
5/ No napping during the day, unless you need to drive somewhere and not napping would be detrimental to your driving ability
6/ Keep the bedroom cool
7/ Make sure all the windows and doors are locked before you go to bed
8/ Keep a travel book or something non-adventure by your bed to read.
aim to be in bed for 8 hours total.
9/ Work out your worries during the day, if there's something needing done write it down on a list so you won't forget it.
10/ Feed the cat before you go to bed otherwise she'll snuffle you awake at 3am ( our cat does this, very annoying!)

Try this for a couple of weeks. If you can't get to sleep straight away then tell yourself at least you are resting. Keep trying, it might take a week or two to for your new good habits to kick in.

If you're managing to sleep but waking up in the small hours or still struggling to get off to sleep go to bed half an hour later or set the alarm to get up half an hour earlier. You'll soon find out how much sleep you really need.

You WILL get a good night's sleep once you follow all the right methods. ( I too had problems sleeping a few years back, caused by stress at work, it was terrible, I did take Nytol for about a week, just to help me get back in the pattern of sleeping well)

One thing to remember - in sleep studies it is always shown that people who have trouble sleeeping soundly underestimate the amount of sleep they got - when they have been filmed and the amount of sleep they got counted up, they always got more sleep than the sleeper estimated. Which means you might think you've been awake most of the night but in reality you probably did manage to get a bit of sleep.


sorry this post has gone on so long....... you still awake, or did you fall asleep half way through?:)

Good Luck, hope you get it sorted soon.:D

ailuro2

btw, my favourite technique for relaxation was suggested by someone at antenatal class.....

lie in bed in a nice relaxed position, then imagine your body shape made out of glass - make a tap in your head and watch the lovely blue water slowly fill your empty body, then make a drain tap in your heel/toe whichever is touching the bed, and imagine the water slowly draining away. It's even nicer if you imagine your glass body is lying on a nice warm sandy beach somewhere, or lying on a picnic rug in the park on a nice sunny day with the birds twittering away etc.

It sounds stupid and takes a bit of practice not to feel daft when doing it, but it does work - and of course concentrating on doing something relaxing takes your mind off of what to make for dinner tomorrow.