Alright, so I have trouble sleeping. I've tried a whole bunch of stuff from drinking warm milk to stretching while listening to calming music.NOTHING. WORKS. My brain doesn't want to stop thinking it's just a never-ending stream of useless thoughts. I've talked to my mom about it, but she says it's just my ADHD and I'll eventually fall asleep due to exhaustion. Which is what usually happens but then I don't wake up until 4 in the afternoon which I might add is extremely unsettling.
So uh yeah I need some tips on how to sleep.
Alright, so I have trouble sleeping. I've tried a whole bunch of stuff from drinking warm milk to stretching while listening to calming music.NOTHING. WORKS. My brain doesn't want to stop thinking it's just a never-ending stream of useless thoughts. I've talked to my mom about it, but she says it's just my ADHD and I'll eventually fall asleep due to exhaustion. Which is what usually happens but then I don't wake up until 4 in the afternoon which I might add is extremely unsettling.
So uh yeah I need some tips on how to sleep.
Chamomile tea might help! :)
Chamomile tea might help! :)
Well the only thing that has worked for me is getting up early in the morning. Like rather than 4pm, try 8am? It'll be terribly hard at first but you're better off correcting your sleeping habits before it bites you more in the butt than it already has
Well the only thing that has worked for me is getting up early in the morning. Like rather than 4pm, try 8am? It'll be terribly hard at first but you're better off correcting your sleeping habits before it bites you more in the butt than it already has
First off: no screens for at least a half-hour, preferably several hours. I don't usually follow this advice, but when I do, it definitely helps.
Be sure to get some physical activity in during the day well before bedtime. At least go for a walk, though when I'm really struggling with insomnia I aim for muscle-trembling exhaustion.
Once snuggled up in bed, find a book in a language you know only moderately well. Don't stop to look up words--just bull along as best you can until you can barely see straight. Alternatively, read a complicated scientific or otherwise dry academic text. High-level and abstract physics are my favorite: fascinating, but really heavy reading.
Sometimes it helps me to listen to music or atmospheric sound-tracks while I fall asleep--something just engaging enough to distract my brain, but without any intelligible lyrics that might peak my interest (or get on my nerves).
If you're thoroughly mentally exhausted and listening to soothing music and you still can't sleep, try retracing your day step by step, starting the moment you woke up (assuming you had an ok day). Do not skip the part where you couldn't decide which shirt to wear and sat aimlessly staring at the wall. Don't rush through your morning commute. Relive every second as clearly as you can. It's like thinking of nothing for people who can't think of nothing.
First off: no screens for at least a half-hour, preferably several hours. I don't usually follow this advice, but when I do, it definitely helps.
Be sure to get some physical activity in during the day well before bedtime. At least go for a walk, though when I'm really struggling with insomnia I aim for muscle-trembling exhaustion.
Once snuggled up in bed, find a book in a language you know only moderately well. Don't stop to look up words--just bull along as best you can until you can barely see straight. Alternatively, read a complicated scientific or otherwise dry academic text. High-level and abstract physics are my favorite: fascinating, but really heavy reading.
Sometimes it helps me to listen to music or atmospheric sound-tracks while I fall asleep--something just engaging enough to distract my brain, but without any intelligible lyrics that might peak my interest (or get on my nerves).
If you're thoroughly mentally exhausted and listening to soothing music and you still can't sleep, try retracing your day step by step, starting the moment you woke up (assuming you had an ok day). Do not skip the part where you couldn't decide which shirt to wear and sat aimlessly staring at the wall. Don't rush through your morning commute. Relive every second as clearly as you can. It's like thinking of nothing for people who can't think of nothing.
Rain noises help, especially thunderstorms. it's a good idea to just lie down even if you don't think you'll sleep. I make up stories in my head to help get to sleep (though this can backfire pretty easily)
Also if you use the computer before bed there is a program called f.lux that adjusts your sceen to dim at night which can helps me go to sleep faster.
Rain noises help, especially thunderstorms. it's a good idea to just lie down even if you don't think you'll sleep. I make up stories in my head to help get to sleep (though this can backfire pretty easily)
Also if you use the computer before bed there is a program called f.lux that adjusts your sceen to dim at night which can helps me go to sleep faster.
This sounds drastic, but perhaps physically/mentally exhausting yourself might help (not to the point you want to cry tears of stress/frustration or anything, heh).
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Ever since I started exercising + paired with new (slightly stressful) job, there's nothing I can do once my head hits the pillow. I'm out cold.
Before my job (that made a huge difference in sleep), and occasionally today, I journal (my thoughts run wild, and getting them laid out on paper soothes me), and play cards (mental stimulation). Meditation is pretty wicked (I...unfortunately don't have enough patience to do that daily, but perhaps I'll try again).
This sounds drastic, but perhaps physically/mentally exhausting yourself might help (not to the point you want to cry tears of stress/frustration or anything, heh).
-
Ever since I started exercising + paired with new (slightly stressful) job, there's nothing I can do once my head hits the pillow. I'm out cold.
Before my job (that made a huge difference in sleep), and occasionally today, I journal (my thoughts run wild, and getting them laid out on paper soothes me), and play cards (mental stimulation). Meditation is pretty wicked (I...unfortunately don't have enough patience to do that daily, but perhaps I'll try again).
My anxiety has been acting up lately and my brain will not. shut. up. One thing that's kind of helping is to focus on something mindless, like my breathing... I know a little bit of meditation and breathing techniques, so I focus on doing that. Helps me calm down and slows my brain at the same time.
Another thing that helps me out is not taking any naps during the day. Even if I love naps.
My anxiety has been acting up lately and my brain will not. shut. up. One thing that's kind of helping is to focus on something mindless, like my breathing... I know a little bit of meditation and breathing techniques, so I focus on doing that. Helps me calm down and slows my brain at the same time.
Another thing that helps me out is not taking any naps during the day. Even if I love naps.
Anxiety and depression are major causes for insomnia but I'm lucky enough to find remedy in melatonin when nothing else works. However, using it every night for even a week is sort of like abuse and will make your body grow immune to it. The only downside is that it doesn't work on everyone to begin with, so you would have to try it out to see.
When I'm not relying on melatonin, I try to wear my mind out by playing games or watching videos from my tablet while lying down on the bed. Normally the activities don't make me sleepy but whenever I'm lying down, it works like magic and will eventually make me grow tired, even if not as early as I would like.
I hope you will find a working remedy, @
Queencryogen!
Anxiety and depression are major causes for insomnia but I'm lucky enough to find remedy in melatonin when nothing else works. However, using it every night for even a week is sort of like abuse and will make your body grow immune to it. The only downside is that it doesn't work on everyone to begin with, so you would have to try it out to see.
When I'm not relying on melatonin, I try to wear my mind out by playing games or watching videos from my tablet while lying down on the bed. Normally the activities don't make me sleepy but whenever I'm lying down, it works like magic and will eventually make me grow tired, even if not as early as I would like.
I hope you will find a working remedy, @
Queencryogen!
If it gets really bad, you could try asking your doctor for sleep medication. Like benzodiazepenes. However, you can't use these for a long period of time due to the addiction risk and it losing effect over time, but you can use these for a shorter period to try to sort out the underlying issues. If you have the chance, get additional health check ups, because there are disorders which partially manifest as insomnia - in my case, that's how I got diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.
Melatonin doesn't really work on me, so while I occasionally take it, it's more like a placebo. I also still have benzodiazepenes at home, because my doctor trusts me that I'm not a drug addict, but the downside to actual sleeping ***** is that I can't take them when I've already been tossing in bed for a while - I kinda have to plan their intake in advance, whenever I feel beforehand that I'll have insomnia otherwise.
As for specific tips:
- Abstain from using electronic devices for several hours before your planned bedtime;
- Abstain from caffeinated drinks in the latter half of the day - this will vary depending on how sensitive you are to caffeine;
- Keep a routine - try to get up at the same time every day, even if you don't have things planned in the morning. While my daily routine isn't perfect, I've noticed that my sleep issues are exacerbated, if I get up much later during holidays than work days. So, if I get up a 7:30am for work, I try to not sleep past 9am on holidays, so that I would still be reasonably tired at bedtime before a work day;
- Pick up exercise. While this won't be an immediate cure, studies show that insomniacs who regularly exercise tend to improve their sleep-onset time. However, don't exercise later than a few hours before your planned bedtime. On the plus side, exercise is also said to help with depression and ADHD symptoms;
- Try to not spend time in your bed outside of sleeping and sexy stuff. If you can't sleep, get up. Don't associate your bed with the stressful place where you can't sleep;
- I agree on the reading thing - even if it doesn't make you sleepy, reading is relaxing.
- And lasty, when nothing else works - learn to uncouple insomnia from the stress of knowing how exhausted you'll be in the morning. You've lived so far. You've probably already functioned on low sleep beforehand. So you can't sleep. OK. Carry on anyway. /unless you drive a car or something
If it gets really bad, you could try asking your doctor for sleep medication. Like benzodiazepenes. However, you can't use these for a long period of time due to the addiction risk and it losing effect over time, but you can use these for a shorter period to try to sort out the underlying issues. If you have the chance, get additional health check ups, because there are disorders which partially manifest as insomnia - in my case, that's how I got diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.
Melatonin doesn't really work on me, so while I occasionally take it, it's more like a placebo. I also still have benzodiazepenes at home, because my doctor trusts me that I'm not a drug addict, but the downside to actual sleeping ***** is that I can't take them when I've already been tossing in bed for a while - I kinda have to plan their intake in advance, whenever I feel beforehand that I'll have insomnia otherwise.
As for specific tips:
- Abstain from using electronic devices for several hours before your planned bedtime;
- Abstain from caffeinated drinks in the latter half of the day - this will vary depending on how sensitive you are to caffeine;
- Keep a routine - try to get up at the same time every day, even if you don't have things planned in the morning. While my daily routine isn't perfect, I've noticed that my sleep issues are exacerbated, if I get up much later during holidays than work days. So, if I get up a 7:30am for work, I try to not sleep past 9am on holidays, so that I would still be reasonably tired at bedtime before a work day;
- Pick up exercise. While this won't be an immediate cure, studies show that insomniacs who regularly exercise tend to improve their sleep-onset time. However, don't exercise later than a few hours before your planned bedtime. On the plus side, exercise is also said to help with depression and ADHD symptoms;
- Try to not spend time in your bed outside of sleeping and sexy stuff. If you can't sleep, get up. Don't associate your bed with the stressful place where you can't sleep;
- I agree on the reading thing - even if it doesn't make you sleepy, reading is relaxing.
- And lasty, when nothing else works - learn to uncouple insomnia from the stress of knowing how exhausted you'll be in the morning. You've lived so far. You've probably already functioned on low sleep beforehand. So you can't sleep. OK. Carry on anyway. /unless you drive a car or something
Things I find helpful:
* sleeping somewhere other than my bed ( I used to sleep outside on the floor on really drastic days)
* sleeping a different way round in bed and / or moving the bed
* exercising a lot during the day, and / or spending much of the day outdoors
* spending the evening/night in a dimly lit room with no bright lights/screens
* having background noise, specifically people talking quietly
* having a person I trust nearby and awake
My most usual and easiest falling asleep place happens to be on the couch (or sometimes the floor), in the lounge with other people there and / or the tv on (which isn't overly bright from a distance in a lit room). Which fills those criteria as you can see haha.
Though this might specifically only work for me, as these were my regular sleeping conditions as a kid, it's still worth a shot. S:
OH YEAH and having the thought that I really need to NOT sleep almost always seems to make me pass out haha. Like "I need to stay up till midnight tonight" *falling asleep at 8pm*
Things I find helpful:
* sleeping somewhere other than my bed ( I used to sleep outside on the floor on really drastic days)
* sleeping a different way round in bed and / or moving the bed
* exercising a lot during the day, and / or spending much of the day outdoors
* spending the evening/night in a dimly lit room with no bright lights/screens
* having background noise, specifically people talking quietly
* having a person I trust nearby and awake
My most usual and easiest falling asleep place happens to be on the couch (or sometimes the floor), in the lounge with other people there and / or the tv on (which isn't overly bright from a distance in a lit room). Which fills those criteria as you can see haha.
Though this might specifically only work for me, as these were my regular sleeping conditions as a kid, it's still worth a shot. S:
OH YEAH and having the thought that I really need to NOT sleep almost always seems to make me pass out haha. Like "I need to stay up till midnight tonight" *falling asleep at 8pm*
