Quote:
Originally Posted by thinkfloyd14
Once again im up at 3 in the morning because I just cant fall asleep. It happens pretty intermittently, sometimes I just cant stop thinking randomness which leads to my problem. I get songs stuck in my head too which doesnt help at all. I dont want to revert to sleeping pills, any tips??????
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You are probably my long lost brother. Wow.
Ok- tips from a lifelong insomiac who has acheived a reasonable control of it:
1. Some kind of physical exercise every day. Even if I am totally zonked from a hard day of mathematics or whatever, my body needs physical motion. You don't have to go lift weights or run a marathon, but go for a decent walk after work. This is non-negotiable.
2. No caffeine or chocolate or heavy sugar anywhere NEAR bedtime. A good before bed meal is something like cereal or oatmeal.
3. If time permits, and if you are in a bad stretch, try a hot shower about 30 minutes before bed. As your body cools, it naturally wants sleep.
4. The melatonin comments are right on- I take it every night. You don't really feel anything from it, and its nothing like a sleeping pill. I think it may help with STAYING asleep. It also has been shown to help with reducing the occurrances of migraines. Another problem for me.
5. Turn your clock around. No looking at what time it is, or how long you've been up. This is information that will only serve to piss you off, which will send your brain up.
6. Kind of random here, but stay the HELL away from decongestants at night (other than anti-histimines). Frickin sudafed makes my brain run through scenerios all night, and until I learned this I thought I was crazy one time.
7. If you lay down to go to sleep and it takes too long and frustration is creeping in, get out of bed and leave the bedroom. Put the TV on something, get a bowl of something or a banana and burn an hour. Then try to sleep. Repeat this until it works. Tell yourself that you are going to stay up all night, so you don't get disappointed if it doesn't work each time. Apply these rules to if you wake up at 3 also.
Sometimes though, it just won't work. Generally, I think for me about half of the time that I have problems its stress related. The other half are seemingly out of nowhere. An all nighter isn't the end of the world, but once you get like 3 sleepness nights deep, its doctor time. And have someone drive you, you'll be an animal at that point.