I can't sleep!?!
Question: I usually go to bed between 8-9pm. Over the last few weeks or so, I will get really, really tired when I stay up "late"...but then when I get into bed, I can't sleep. Right now, it's 1am my time, I'm exhausted, and I can't sleep. WTH? Of course, in the morning, I can't get up until I've had at least 7 hours of sleep (usually 8), so this is totally throwing off my schedule. I hate taking sleeping meds, but I've ended up doing just that. Problem is, it creates this whole downward spiral where I can't wake up the next morning, so I end up drinking coffee, which I get easily addicted to, and then at night, I can't get to sleep...again...so I end up taking something...again...to make me sleep...
You see where that's going. It's driving me nuts! What can I do?
Answers: I usually go to bed between 8-9pm. Over the last few weeks or so, I will get really, really tired when I stay up "late"...but then when I get into bed, I can't sleep. Right now, it's 1am my time, I'm exhausted, and I can't sleep. WTH? Of course, in the morning, I can't get up until I've had at least 7 hours of sleep (usually 8), so this is totally throwing off my schedule. I hate taking sleeping meds, but I've ended up doing just that. Problem is, it creates this whole downward spiral where I can't wake up the next morning, so I end up drinking coffee, which I get easily addicted to, and then at night, I can't get to sleep...again...so I end up taking something...again...to make me sleep...
You see where that's going. It's driving me nuts! What can I do?
Here's a trick that I learned camping with a buddy. It was damp, we were in a tent, nothing underneath (in the sand) on a lake that had many mosquitoes and this guy was snoring then entire time. I was swatting the mosquitoes and accidentally hit the tent, causing dew to fall. He got pissed off and asked my what the hell was wrong. I asked him how he could sleep with such miserable circumstances. He said that every night, he would begin to daydream about the most ridiculous things, for instance that he was walking through a forest, peeling the bark from trees and eating it because it was beef jerky and peeling it further and there's a bike inside and he rides it and so on. Just random, strange thoughts that snowballed into another strange thought. I think that this is stream of conciousness or something. Anyhow, I gave it a try and it worked! I do this every night I have problems falling asleep. Another thing, you probably have stress either knowingly or unknowingly, a change in your lifestyle, diet or other. Exercise, eating right, and taking vitamins will help this. And LOTS of water throughout the day!
Relax.
Firstly, you need to get into bed half an hour before bed time.
This is prepare yourself mentally to rest.
Of course you should not take brain stimulant like coffee. If you got to drink coffee to keep yourself awake, your job must be boring. Find out why and change the routine or environment and you would find that you needed no coffee.
You should not watch adventurous or horrific movies. No strenuous exercise within 2 hours before sleep. You should not have an empty stomach to go to sleep. Sometimes a glass of warm milk helps if you do not have lactose intolerance. Or a glass of red wine and I am serious, just ONE glass would do.
Secondly, create a conducive environment: Dim or dark bedroom, quite with soft or no music. Wear comfortable pyjamas, appropriate room temperature.
Thirdly, you must have regular physical activity but not just before bed time. You can be involved in single-person activity like jogging, swimming or even roller-blading. The aim is to get yourself physically tired so that you fall asleep easily without medication.
Anyway, the medication has a lot of side effects. It affects your memory. You would find yourself absent minded. It would affect your performance, I mean, you may not be able to control your car and easily get involved in accident. Your fine skills like sewing and cooking could also be affected.
You already know that it affects your day-night rhythm. You may even suffer from depression because of this vicious cycle.
Fourthly, do not force yourself to stay late for whatever reason. Plan your schedule carefully.
For example, plan to complete your task over 4 days (Mon, Tue, Wed and Thursday). You keep Friday to cover the left-over from previous 4 days. A free Friday is an incentive for you to be more time-efficient to complete your scheduled work.
I probably could give you more advise or encouragement if I know who you are and what is your job?
Anyway hope the above helps.
a doctor can help sweetie
Go for Meditation. For details visit http://www.quanfey.org/
hi! i can see that you had a hard time sleeping. you see drinking too much coffee causes you staying late at night that's why it keeps you awake. my advice... before going to sleep try to take a very warm bath it will relieve your stress...much better if you have any body wash with aromatherapy (try Bath & Body works aromatherapy: sleep soothing milk soak) , its nice if you lit some aromatic candles.... it would really feel you relax and sooths your body... and drink warm glass of milk (if your not a lactose intolerance) or green tea mint..... maybe it will help, if you position your self in the bed in a comfortable position, then inhale and exhale 3x with deep breathing.... close your eyes, then clear out your thoughts making you stress free.... focus to the silence....then few minutes you'll fall asleep..... If your taking some medications or something for your health or maintenance try to discuss this with your physician.....some medications causes insomnia :)
First watch the coffee intake carefully... its effects can stay with you longer than you might want. Give yourself an early cut off time.
For sleep aides, if you're still having trouble, try low dose Benadryl, (diphenhydramine) -12.5mg, 30 min before bed.
Still having trouble...? See a psychitrist.
[][][] r u randy [][][]
.