Getting a good night's sleep tips

I'm going away for my birthday to Edinburgh on Sat, and each time I've been away on a trip since my health anxiety was bad I've had a terrible night's sleep the night before, a mixture of nerves - will I be ok when I'm away - and excitement. My trip to Buxton a fortnight ago, the night before was awful, I honestly barely slept. I get frustrated and angry, I try lying still like Stevie tells me but when nothing happens the anxiety builds. I sleep on my front and when I'm anxious you can hear your heart hammering.
Does anyone have any tips? I've tried tiring myself out out but that didn't work, or at least the second night of the Buxton trip I slept badly too when I should have been exhausted after the previous night. I keep hearing conflicting advice like, 'don't read it stimulates your brain' and then someone else says 'if you can't sleep get up and read'. I just hate it when I'm lying there thinking, oh god the hours are ticking away, the longer I don't sleep the more tired I'll be tomorrow

Happens to me too. I have never done anything about it though... I know it happens but one can rest in the grave. 8) One night is different than few nights though, when you don't get enough sleep.. anger and irritation comes with it.

But advices.. well, my workmate stressed over his new house and could not sleep. He went to the doctor and asked for sleeping pills. Those kind that help you fall asleep, not the kind that help you sleep. The latter are worse and don't provide good sleep. He is very happy with them.

But if you want more natural treatment, which I would consider, then buy yourself pillls/tea that has valerian or melatonin in it. You get these from the pharmacies or health stores. Well in Finland anyways. Good night!

try kalms nicky. all natural ingredients, they just help you relax and switch off

unfortunately since my illness I won't take anything pill-wise, natural remedy or not. I'm completely reliant on advice her folks, and any good old-fashioned wives' tales. It's more of a case of what do I do come 2am when I haven't slept and the frustration is building...

Illness?

Hmm.. so no pills. How about some chamomile or lavender tea before bed? Or warm glass of milk. Make sure room temp is nice and bed is comfortable. Also sometimes it helps to change your sleeping place. Sometimes when I have probs, I'll go and sleep on the sofa. Reading a slow moving book that takes your thoughts away from "I need to fall asleep". Sometimes you just need to get up and do something for a little awhile and then try again. Oh and if you have a bath, it might help to take a relaxing bath and then go to bed. No exciting movies, tv-series or anything to make that mind race. Physical excercise during the day. If you body is physically tired, you tend to fall asleep quicker.

my blood disorder, the one I was on steroids for. Since then no medicines, pills, nothing.

Oh yes, I remembered you took that awful drug for something but could not remember what it was!

yah so since then no pills, natural or otherwise - only my daily Vitamin C. Tomorrow night is the 'big' night, I'm trying not to make a big deal of it and I don't want to do anything too different because I'm scared that will just send the message to my brain that something is 'up'

My friend Conrad recommended propofol.

Omega oils are great to help your brain sleep. Start taking a good fish oil everyday, it may help

When I cant sleep I try meditating, but sometimes I just cant get myself to focus on meditating. Reading does make me fall asleep sometimes. Sometimes watching tv puts me to sleep, sometimes it doesn't. The thing that worked last time doesn't always work for me the next time. Maybe it depends each time specifically what is keeping you up

Quote :

My friend Conrad recommended propofol.

Daniel! That is NOT funny!

I had to google it!

Sorry, it was too good to pass up.

Quote :

Sorry, it was too good to pass up.

I'm glad you did'nt!:)

I recommend excrecize. doesn't have to be rigorous at all. But, when you make it a routine to get your heart-rate up, do some sit-ups or push-ups 30 min. before you wanna go to bed; it works. But you HAVE to stick with it! it'll be a matter of days and before you know it; you'd rather jump straight into bed than doing even light excercizes. It's a psycological thing; once you have to make an effort to "relax"; you'll get tired just at the mere thought of it. So; do some quick exercizes, once your hear-rate is back to normal;go about your regular "go-to-sleep-routine". But do make sure you cut out all the stimulants(tv, coffee, tea,) and relax. Meditation could work. It doesn't work for me, though. Meditating is all about clearing my head and it leaves me quite refreshed and re-energized:P we're all different tho.

just swallowed two melatonin pills with some wine, I pray it works, I need the sleep

be carefull with alcohol. You might fall asleep, easily. But, as soon as the effects wear off(whils your sleeping); your brain gets the "I'm sober!" signal. Resulting in never really achieving "deep sleep" but, slipping in and out of REM. You'll wake up exhausted.

Don't know what the combination with melatonin will achieve, though. It is supposed to ease the "slide " from REM into deep sleep.

I was going to say the same about alcohol, Rodney!

A stiff drink and some good lovins, knock me out every time.

after snuggle mode equals....

Jane and I know what the deal is!
a stiff drink can knock me out, cold. And i might wake up without a hangover but, not as rested.

That is true. The sleep is never as good when you are drunk. I have used it sometimes to block out the mind, when absolutely nothing helps. But that's when I have had some serious issues I haven't had the tools to deal with. I am usually quick to recover and tend to land on my feet but there has been couple of times when I have almost jumped out of the window and had to take few shots to calm down. To sleep it off.

oh I will also masturbate to get myself to fall asleep if it seems like I am too wired to go to sleep quickly. Works every time!

darkeyes80 wrote:

be carefull with alcohol. You might fall asleep, easily. But, as soon as the effects wear off(whils your sleeping); your brain gets the "I'm sober!" signal. Resulting in never really achieving "deep sleep" but, slipping in and out of REM. You'll wake up exhausted.

Don't know what the combination with melatonin will achieve, though. It is supposed to ease the "slide " from REM into deep sleep.

huh, learn something new everyday!

I see on Facebook my lovah Jesse is having trouble sleeping; I'm not so good at the moment; my health anxiety is flaring up a bit because it's coming up to Christmas and I want it all to go well. I find you have to try as hard as possible to stay calm and still, I've been down the route of getting upset and frustrated and it doesn't work, and actually creates even more adrenaline

Someone told me maybe phases of the moon affect sleep? It was a full moon recently, I'm curious, its been almost a month since I've had insomnia and it hit me the past two nights.

I can't calm my mind down Nicky, so I try to visualize things which help to drift me off to sleep.

Thank goodness its friday though, rather this happen toward the end of the work week then the beginning.

what's the anxiety over xmas for lovah?