PDA

View Full Version : Sleepless in Seattle??



KatieR
1st-September-2005, 01:52 PM
After yet another night of staring at the ceiling and doing SuDoku puzzles until 3am I wondered if anyone had some good advice for us Insomniacs.

I count everything from sheep to wombats and meditate which all occassionally work in the short term, but Im looking for a long term remedy. Something that will help me go to sleep when I go to bed, not lie awake counting the number of cobwebs on the ceiling.

Could really use some advice before I drown myself in the blow up wading pool out the back for some peace. :(

Robin
1st-September-2005, 02:05 PM
I suggest the not sitting down/not stopping method. Don;t stop doing stuff/being active until its bedtime . Personally I also think that its a condition thing - get out of the habit of being in bed and not being asleep. If you can;t sleep - get out of bed and go read a book or do something somewhere else - don't stay in bed. Eventually you condition your body to accept that bed is for sleeping and you'll find long term it works.

My problem now is not being able to get up !

Rebecca
1st-September-2005, 02:08 PM
After yet another night of staring at the ceiling and doing SuDoku puzzles until 3am I wondered if anyone had some good advice for us Insomniacs.
(

Luckily I've never really suffered unless there is something really playing on my mind. What I have found to help (and sometimes advise others who have also found benefit) is very simple:

When we go to bed we have often just got in from a big night out, or just turned off the tv, radio etc - our minds are very active. However, unless you've danced the night away, our bodies have often been given the opportunity to wind down gradually throughout the latter part of the evening.

As a result we haven't reached the type of homeostasis / equilibrium (whatever you want to call it) that meditation encourages.

Therefore if I'm doing the ceiling gaze and ruminating on life's events I tend to get up (or at least sit up) and work my muscles (shaking arms, legs and hands or a quick jog on the spot etc). I then tell myself that when I lay back down my body and brain are going to relax simultaneously. I take one deep breath in and slowly release the breath whilst closing my eyes gently. .

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Hope that makes sense

Feelingpink
1st-September-2005, 02:14 PM
...I count everything from sheep to wombats and meditate which all occassionally work in the short term, but Im looking for a long term remedy. ...

I did a pilates class last night (after a street dance one, so a bit of a contrast) and the teacher started with some tai chi .... it had us all yawning and relaxed, even those of us who had done the previous class. Actually, the whole class was good and used all of your muscles, so they felt relaxed as well as "worked" afterwards.

Failing that, I have two videos of photographers talking about how they work and I've not been able to go past the first 15 minutes without needing to sleep or switch them off. I'm happy to loan then to you. :hug:

KatieR
1st-September-2005, 02:15 PM
Luckily I've never really suffered unless there is something really playing on my mind. What I have found to help (and sometimes advise others who have also found benefit) is very simple:

When we go to bed we have often just got in from a big night out, or just turned off the tv, radio etc - our minds are very active. However, unless you've danced the night away, our bodies have often been given the opportunity to wind down gradually throughout the latter part of the evening.

As a result we haven't reached the type of homeostasis / equilibrium (whatever you want to call it) that meditation encourages.

Therefore if I'm doing the ceiling gaze and ruminating on life's events I tend to get up (or at least sit up) and work my muscles (shaking arms, legs and hands or a quick jog on the spot etc). I then tell myself that when I lay back down my body and brain are going to relax simultaneously. I take one deep breath in and slowly release the breath whilst closing my eyes gently. .

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Hope that makes sense

I have had lots on my mind lately but still always try to go to bed with a clear head... if that is at all possible! I know the rules about not watching tv in bed and to get up if I cant sleep, but haven't tried the slight exercise track. I think also because I do very little during the day I dont have the chance to wear myself out. I go for a jog sometimes and plenty of walks but it still isn't enough. Maybe I need a few more techniques to help clear my head.

KatieR
1st-September-2005, 02:18 PM
I did a pilates class last night (after a street dance one, so a bit of a contrast) and the teacher started with some tai chi .... it had us all yawning and relaxed, even those of us who had done the previous class. Actually, the whole class was good and used all of your muscles, so they felt relaxed as well as "worked" afterwards.

Failing that, I have two videos of photographers talking about how they work and I've not been able to go past the first 15 minutes without needing to sleep or switch them off. I'm happy to loan then to you. :hug:

I have heard pilates is great and when Im back in London I was planning on trying a few classes. Just up here its too hard to get to anywhere that has anything on.

Bring on the videos... I'll give anything a try!

Tessalicious
1st-September-2005, 02:25 PM
After yet another night of staring at the ceiling and doing SuDoku puzzles until 3am I wondered if anyone had some good advice for us Insomniacs.

I count everything from sheep to wombats and meditate which all occassionally work in the short term, but Im looking for a long term remedy. Something that will help me go to sleep when I go to bed, not lie awake counting the number of cobwebs on the ceiling.

Could really use some advice before I drown myself in the blow up wading pool out the back for some peace. :(Oh I could go on forever - I have suffered most of my life and have tried pretty much every therapy going - but what you try depends on how severe your insomnia is, particularly its effect on your everyday life, what the root cause behind it is, and of course how much you are willing to spend.

Treatments that helped me in the medium term include hypnotherapy, massage and homeopathy, but more recently I have had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which basically is a strict enforcement of all the sleep hygiene techniques plus a few other principles. PM or chat to me some time if you want more info.

Sparkles
1st-September-2005, 02:29 PM
I rarely suffer with insomnia, but my Mum does and she swears by lavender oil - I didn't believe it myself till I tried it. :flower:

KatieR
1st-September-2005, 02:29 PM
Oh I could go on forever - I have suffered most of my life and have tried pretty much every therapy going - but what you try depends on how severe your insomnia is, particularly its effect on your everyday life, what the root cause behind it is, and of course how much you are willing to spend.

Treatments that helped me in the medium term include hypnotherapy, massage and homeopathy, but more recently I have had Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which basically is a strict enforcement of all the sleep hygiene techniques plus a few other principles. PM or chat to me some time if you want more info.

Im alright for about a few days then I fall in a heap (unfortunately not a sleeping one) and get really annoyed with everything. Then Im okay for a bit. Its like having pms once a week.

Sparkles
1st-September-2005, 02:33 PM
Valerina has also just been recommended by a work colleague - you take it in capsules, it's homeopathic and apparently works really well.

Feelingpink
1st-September-2005, 02:35 PM
I have heard pilates is great and when Im back in London I was planning on trying a few classes. Just up here its too hard to get to anywhere that has anything on.

Bring on the videos... I'll give anything a try!

Classes are probably the best for starting pilates - to make sure that you're doing things the right way and working the areas you should be, but after that, there are videos/DVDs to do on your own - wherever ... (and whatever time) you want to use them! Will try to get videos to you at Jango on Monday? And if you get to stay awake through them, you could always tell me if there's anything useful on them :devil:

On the aromatherapy road as others have mentioned, lavender is good, as is vetivert - a really woody, dark one - in a hot bath just before you go to sleep. That said, last night was an exceptionally hot and humid night, so jumping in the paddling pool could be the way to go!

Donna
1st-September-2005, 02:49 PM
After yet another night of staring at the ceiling and doing SuDoku puzzles until 3am I wondered if anyone had some good advice for us Insomniacs.

I count everything from sheep to wombats and meditate which all occassionally work in the short term, but Im looking for a long term remedy. Something that will help me go to sleep when I go to bed, not lie awake counting the number of cobwebs on the ceiling.

Could really use some advice before I drown myself in the blow up wading pool out the back for some peace. :(

I programme my favourite tracks which I consider to be relaxing and now after it normally taking me over half an hour to drop off, I must be out like a light in about 10/15 minutes at least!!

Avoid watching TV or using laptop computers. Know that reading in bed can be a problem if the material is very stimulation and you read with a bright light. If it helps to read before sleep make sure you use a very small wattage bulb to read. A 15 watt bulb should be enough. Bright light from these activities may inhibit sleep.

Don't stress if you feel you are not getting enough sleep. It will just make matters worse. Know you will sleep eventually.

Avoid exercise near bedtime. No exercise at least 3 hours before bed. (Even though we can't help that seeing will all addicted to dancing) :wink:

Don't go to bed hungry. Have a light snack, avoid a heavy meal before bed.

Avoid looking at the clock if you wake up in the middle of the night. Turn the clock away from your eyes so you would have to turn it to see the time. You may decide not to make the effort and go right back to sleep.

I reckon if you can't get to sleep for over 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring in dim light till you are sleepy. (Any ideas???)

Keep your bedroom at comfortable temperature. Not too warm and not too cold. I think cooler is better than warmer.


sweet dreams!!

Lynn
1st-September-2005, 02:55 PM
I occasionally can't sleep - usually because my mind is still too active. The night before exams, after revising all day - and being stressed because I knew I needed a good nights sleep - I always listened to relaxing music while in the bath before going to bed. That worked for me. The other thing that keeps me awake is being hungry, so if I feel hungry I eat something light. Make sure your room is dark enough too - there is a lot of 'light pollution' at night, esp in built up areas, that disturbs our sleep.

And I agree with all the rest - don't lie in bed awake worrying about not being asleep - often easier said than done though!

Dizzy
1st-September-2005, 02:59 PM
After yet another night of staring at the ceiling and doing SuDoku puzzles until 3am I wondered if anyone had some good advice for us Insomniacs.

I count everything from sheep to wombats and meditate which all occassionally work in the short term, but Im looking for a long term remedy. Something that will help me go to sleep when I go to bed, not lie awake counting the number of cobwebs on the ceiling.

Could really use some advice before I drown myself in the blow up wading pool out the back for some peace. :(

When you are next in London, give this place a try - it worked wonders for my friend and it is just nice to relax.

http://www.floatworks.com/float.htm

David Bailey
1st-September-2005, 04:25 PM
After yet another night of staring at the ceiling and doing SuDoku puzzles until 3am I wondered if anyone had some good advice for us Insomniacs.(
I totally feel for you - I used to have this, especially on warm nights. :hug:

I tried a few methods and pills - the methods generally meant I couldn't sleep because I was worrying about whether they worked, and the pills just made me feel bad. Eventually, I gave up and read a book / watched TV for a couple of hours, then tried again - if it didn't work then, I'd read more etc.

The hardest bit was learning to relax, and I found most "relaxation therapies" simply focussed my mind on my inability to relax :rolleyes:

Strangely enough, I found that having a baby is good for ensuring you never worry about not being able to fall asleep again. But maybe that's an extreme measure...

Aleks
1st-September-2005, 04:30 PM
I rarely suffer with insomnia, but my Mum does and she swears by lavender oil - I didn't believe it myself till I tried it. :flower:

You could also try using amethyst crystals placed around your bed/under your pillow.

Donna
1st-September-2005, 04:38 PM
When you are next in London, give this place a try - it worked wonders for my friend and it is just nice to relax.

http://www.floatworks.com/float.htm

This looks brill.

Sheepman
1st-September-2005, 04:54 PM
I count everything from sheep to wombats Doesn't work for me either :sad: I used to have a technique which normally cleared my head, and got me off to sleep within minutes, it doesn't seem to work anymore :tears:

What you describe sounds very typical of insomnia, several bad days, followed by a couple of good ones, once you're too exhausted to do anything but sleep.
I agree with the advice of not staying in bed if you can't sleep, though if I do ever get up (which is rare) it would mostly be to read, maybe with a warm drink. It's never occurred to me to get the muscles working, I always thought it would be a bad idea to get the adrenalin going if you want to get back to sleep. (OK there is one thing which usually works pretty well, but it's best if you have a willing partner to help with that. :whistle: )
The first time I did any Pilates, I practically fell asleep standing up.

One of the most important things is said to be, have a regular bedtime and sleeping habit. But I've also heard advice that you shouldn't go to bed when you're not tired, how can you win?

Greg

Feelingpink
1st-September-2005, 05:20 PM
... (OK there is one thing which usually works pretty well, but it's best if you have a willing partner to help with that. :whistle: )
... Oh, I don't know about that! :wink:

Tessalicious
1st-September-2005, 05:38 PM
One of the most important things is said to be, have a regular bedtime and sleeping habit. But I've also heard advice that you shouldn't go to bed when you're not tired, how can you win?If you really want to know, I can tell you the answer to this one. But if you have a nervous disposition, look away now, its not pretty.

What you have to do is look at what time you have to get up, then count back the number of hours you would normally sleep for to find your ideal bedtime. Then make yourself go to bed at least an hour later than this (and still get up at the right time, no lie-ins, ever, not even after dancing til 5am) for three months. Eg, you have to get up at 7, and you need 8 hours sleep, so you can't go to bed until 12. That way, you're always tired when you go to bed, and your body pretty quickly learns to go to sleep as soon as you get into bed.

Thats right, its hell. But it works. And its the reason why anyone who knew me in April and May this year would have thought that a yawn was my permanent expression. But it has also pretty much freed me of the nagging feeling of 'will I sleep or won't I' that I have experienced at bedtime every night since I was 3.


OK there is one thing which usually works pretty well, but it's best if you have a willing partner to help with that
Oh, I don't know about that! I can't imagine what you people are talking about :innocent:

foxylady
1st-September-2005, 05:38 PM
Try cutting out all coffee and chocolate....

The older I get the more these two substances seem to effect my ability to sleep - had one cup of coffee at a friends yesterday at around 3pm (no idea what brand), but I wasn't able to fall asleep until 5am... (and am now knackered !!)

And I agree with all the above - exercise (I do sit ups but you'd never guess), lavender, reading....... drugs....(joke)

Foxy

KatieR
1st-September-2005, 08:22 PM
I agree with the advice of not staying in bed if you can't sleep, though if I do ever get up (which is rare) it would mostly be to read, maybe with a warm drink. It's never occurred to me to get the muscles working, I always thought it would be a bad idea to get the adrenalin going if you want to get back to sleep. (OK there is one thing which usually works pretty well, but it's best if you have a willing partner to help with that. :whistle: )


Greg

Oh to have a regular and willing partner.... :(

Lots of great advice tho.... I have the amethyst crystal, its one my brother gave me ages ago when things werent so rosy, I never leave home without it.

I would rather try something completely natural as apposed to taking a tablet of some kind.

Will be at Jango Monday FP so bring on the videos.. Im quite interested in photography so they will be good to watch. I think I am liking the pilates idea more and more.

Oh yeah, and where do I get one of those floatation tank thingys??

LMC
1st-September-2005, 08:40 PM
I would rather try something completely natural as apposed to taking a tablet of some kind.
I go through fits and starts of insomnia, although mine is normally of the 'wake up can't get back to sleep' variety rather than the 'can't get to sleep at all' variety. So from that experience, know that you will have tried so many things and don't know whether these will help:

Nytol - herbal sleeping pills. I only take in case of 'desperation' because I don't want to build a resistance to even something natural.
Dr Stuart's Tranquillity tea - available from Holland & Barrett

both really only work if you're relaxed rather than 'pumping' from exercise/other stimulation.

Avoiding caffeine after about 3 pm makes a real difference to me too.

Gojive
1st-September-2005, 08:46 PM
A good dose of alcohol usually does the trick for me!......but if you're more liver friendly, then my partner swears by the hot bath method. Basically, the idea is that the temp drop of 2?c your body undergoes when getting out of a hot bath, induces sleep. Seems to work for her anyway! :cheers:

KatieR
1st-September-2005, 08:49 PM
Nytol - herbal sleeping pills. I only take in case of 'desperation' because I don't want to build a resistance to even something natural.
Dr Stuart's Tranquillity tea - available from Holland & Barrett

Avoiding caffeine after about 3 pm makes a real difference to me too.

I have completely cut out caffeine, except for the occassional glass of diet coke, i discovered it was having a very adverse affect on my sleeping, so you can imagine how bad the lack of sleep was when I was indulging in vast amounts of the substance.

I did go through a period about 12 months ago where I was taking 3 and 4 nytol tablets a night but found that they didn't help on the actual evening in question, they didn't kick in until the morning so spent the whole next day wandering around like a zombie. But like you didn't want to become dependant on anything, so decided to stop using them as well.

Lynn
1st-September-2005, 09:16 PM
After yet another night of staring at the ceiling and doing SuDoku puzzles until 3am I wondered if anyone had some good advice for us Insomniacs. If you really are doing Sodoku puzzles - they might not be helping you to relax ready for sleep. (Unless you are doing really easy ones!). They would keep me awake and alert - but maybe they work for you, everyone's different. I like to read, but I tend to read books I've read before. If its a new book then I can get too engrossed and not want to stop reading - if its one where I know the basic plot then I can read just as a way of 'switching off'.

dee
1st-September-2005, 10:12 PM
I rarely suffer with insomnia, but my Mum does and she swears by lavender oil - I didn't believe it myself till I tried it. :flower:


A friend of mine a few months ago told me he swore by lavender oil never did i think it would help, but it did, he told me to put a bit at the nape of my neck and on my temples, i had a really good sleep. Its also very good, if, like me you suffer from headaches :flower:

Robin
1st-September-2005, 11:03 PM
and if all else fails, listen to the song from "Sleepless in Seattle" - one of my faves - With A Wink & A Smile. Used to send my son off to sleep pretty quick too !

Gojive
1st-September-2005, 11:05 PM
and if all else fails, listen to the song from "Sleepless in Seattle" - one of my faves - With A Wink & A Smile. Used to send my son off to sleep pretty quick too !

Yes, nothing like a good wink to get you off to sleep eh? :D

I used to lie awake at night, worrying about insomnia! :eek:

Dizzy
2nd-September-2005, 10:07 AM
Oh yeah, and where do I get one of those floatation tank thingys??

The place is just up the road from London Bridge Station. If you wanna try it out let me know.

under par
2nd-September-2005, 11:09 AM
to aid relaxation and therefore assisting trying to sleep try the following.

Lie on the bed rotate both feet(from the ankle!!!) anti-clockwise 30 times (it does involve counting but also some how forces you to breathe) then rotate 30 times clockwise.
Then point your toes and stretch out your leg for 30 seconds.
Then curl your toes to try and point them at your kneecap(impossible i know but you get my drift)hold that for 30 seconds.

By the time you finish this you will be knackered and ready for sleep. :flower:


Warning don't do this whilst driving or using machinery :rofl:

KatieR
2nd-September-2005, 12:15 PM
The place is just up the road from London Bridge Station. If you wanna try it out let me know.

Sounds like it could be great fun!! We should give it a go!

I have tried the relaxation thing where you start by relaxing your toes and work all the way up through each muscle group and you are supposed to be asleep by the time you reach your head... i can usually get through it a few times...

Aleks
4th-September-2005, 12:42 PM
If you can't sleep because your mind is racing/whirling, try drinking Lime Flower tea - it helps 'turn the tape off'. You can get it from most health food stores in t-bag form, or from a herbalist. It also comes in tincture form (drops) that you cant take in a glass of water.

Lory
4th-September-2005, 02:05 PM
Lie on the bed rotate both feet~snip~
By the time you finish this you will be knackered and ready for sleep. :flower:


Warning don't do this whilst driving or using machinery :rofl:

I suggest you lie right on the very edge of the bed and you'll soon drop off :wink:


Seriously though, I suffer from ocasional bouts of insomnia and I find reading an instruction manual for anything, really helps... :sick: Yawn!

A complicated footwork class, earlier in the day is just about the worst thing though! :blush:

jivecat
4th-September-2005, 03:15 PM
If you can't sleep because your mind is racing/whirling, try drinking Lime Flower tea - it helps 'turn the tape off'. You can get it from most health food stores in t-bag form, or from a herbalist. It also comes in tincture form (drops) that you cant take in a glass of water.

This sounds like me - I get exhausted lying there listening to my mind whizzing away relentlessly about nothing. Do you have to drink the tea regularly during the day or do you just have some in the middle of the night as necessary? If all else fails, I get up and fetch a glass of red wine to drink. How degenerate is that? Seems to help, though.

Having suffered from periodic bouts of sleeplessness over the years I've given up worrying about it. As long as I've been able to get up and function at work the next day, and I always have, the amount of sleep I've had doesn't seem to make much difference. It's just unpleasant at the time.

Hmm. Maybe I could add the tincture to the glass of wine. That's bound to do the trick.

Clive Long
4th-September-2005, 06:17 PM
Fortunately, I usually get to sleep easily, so my sympathies are with you.

I didn't write that to make you feel bad KatieR !

The few times I have had problems getitng to sleep its usually because I am thinking about to many things, "issues", things to do etc. All I do is just write everything down on a sheet of paper. And keep on writing until its all "out". That has done the trick for me.

Good luck.

Clive

KatieR
5th-September-2005, 11:33 AM
Fortunately, I usually get to sleep easily, so my sympathies are with you.

I didn't write that to make you feel bad KatieR !

The few times I have had problems getitng to sleep its usually because I am thinking about to many things, "issues", things to do etc. All I do is just write everything down on a sheet of paper. And keep on writing until its all "out". That has done the trick for me.

Good luck.

Clive

No, not feeling bad.. just jealous!!

This is a big problem for me... my mind is constantly whizzing away thinking of anything and everything. I do use the notepad and paper trick but what I find happening is that I will think of something, switch on the light, write it down, switch light off.... think of something else... switch light on, write it down, switch light off... and it can go on for hours! :mad:

under par
5th-September-2005, 11:58 AM
No, not feeling bad.. just jealous!!

:mad:


Katie you ought to try each and all of the suggestions in turn for one night and give marks out of 10 to each.

As the experiment ends you take the top 3 say, and repeat those for a week at a time to give us you NUMBER ONE.

:whistle: :whistle: :whistle:

You will get so tired trying all these experiments out and marking them YOU WILL FALL ASLeepp.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

KatieR
5th-September-2005, 12:05 PM
Katie you ought to try each and all of the suggestions in turn for one night and give marks out of 10 to each.

As the experiment ends you take the top 3 say, and repeat those for a week at a time to give us you NUMBER ONE.

:whistle: :whistle: :whistle:

You will get so tired trying all these experiments out and marking them YOU WILL FALL ASLeepp.zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I like that idea!! Maybe I could post my findings! Then everyone would fall asleep!!

LMC
5th-September-2005, 12:06 PM
This is a big problem for me... my mind is constantly whizzing away thinking of anything and everything.
Having read everyone's responses on here, it strikes me that the issue for you here is not insomnia but an inability to relax generally - insomnia being a symptom of this as well as possibly a cause. Maybe finding something that makes you 'calm', even if only for 10-20 minutes a day, will help you find the 'quiet zone' you need to be able to sleep.

As it 'appens, meditation doesn't work for me particularly, but yoga does, as does reading something I enjoy that is 'familiar' (so I don't need to page-turn).

UP's idea of trying anything/everything isn't a bad one - which makes you *relax* most? - even if it isn't helping with the insomnia, once you're generally able to relax better, your quality of sleep should hopefully improve :flower: :hug:

dee
5th-September-2005, 12:58 PM
I suggest you lie right on the very edge of the bed and you'll soon drop off :wink:
:blush:

:rofl: :rofl: