What do you do when you can't sleep?

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by goldie

I usually read and make some chamomile tea. This tea is great if you can't sleep - very relaxing.

I've never cared much for the flavor of chamomile or any flavored tea, for that matter. Plain tea tastes justs fine to me.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by estranged4life

I play games online or read articles online until I am bored beyond consciousness...Then it's "nighty-nite".

Well, I've been known to come here.
What online games do you play?

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

I started sleeping with ear plugs in my ears because I absolutely can't sleep with noise and I have the rudest neighbors ever...so that doesn't work for me either...

My ex-bf though, he had to have a low radio on all night or he couldn't sleep well....strange...

I try not to take pills too...but once in a great while...I just resort to that..mostly because I'm no used to having problems sleeping...so I know I'll only do it every now and again...I'm lucky I guess...I've known many an insomniac over the years, but have been fortunate enough to never know insomnia

I haven't used earplugs in awhile. I sleep on my stomach, so I'd probably knock one out anyway. And if there's any noise I can hear the discomfort won't be worth wearing them. And if they do work, I'll worry all night that I won't hear my alarm. I know, sad case here.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by DeadliestPoison

If I can't sleep, I usually bust out the portable CD player (Beth Gibbons/Portishead always works, but Dido has worked recently) and after a short while I'm out. I usually end up with the headphones off and wake up not remembering taking them off.

I used to do something that I read in my Health textbook in 6th grade to "help you relax." Lie on your back with your eyes closed. Think of a pleasant place, a field, the sea, whatever. Take deep breaths, making sure the exhale is a little longer than the inhale. That used to knock me out, but not so much anymore.

I've also found that I can't fall asleep unless I'm on my side. I'm weird.

And I don't think I answered the question.

I think you answered the question. Thanks. As I've said, music doesn't help me. My sleep patterns have changed a lot in the last couple of years. All my life I never used a pillow & now I sometimes do. Also, I'm sleeping on my side occasionally, which I never used to do. When I was younger I could not fall asleep unless the back of my head was covered by the blanket (Moster protection, I suppose ), but no longer.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by golden braid

If I can't sleep I usually will either read, watch TV or go online. I find taking pills doesn't really help me.

Which reminds me, they need to start airing a new batch of infomercials already.

- Jake

[DrummerDeanna]

Yeah, my need for quiet in the night led me to go out and buy the loudest alarm clock I could find...so hearing it is not a problem..and I'm also a stomach sleeper..and do sometimes knock one out...very rarely though lol..

Most people can't sleep with them in, it really took me some getting used to but I did it...and now I enjoy the quiet I get with them in

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

Yeah, my need for quiet in the night led me to go out and buy the loudest alarm clock I could find...so hearing it is not a problem..and I'm also a stomach sleeper..and do sometimes knock one out...very rarely though lol..

Most people can't sleep with them in, it really took me some getting used to but I did it...and now I enjoy the quiet I get with them in

What kind do you use? I tried the foam kind years ago & hated them: uncomfortable & entirely ineffective. I just bought the silicone kind weeks ago but haven't used them yet.

-Jake

[Sorcerer386]

Well, I usually do one of a number of things:

1. Freak out because I can't sleep and am scared that I'll be too tired to be productive the next day (I don't recommend this, lol!).

2. Pop an additional dose of Xanax. Knocks me right out, but I doubt you have access to that, so let's move on.

3. What really works for me sometimes is deep breathing. Honestly, deep breathing is something you HAVE to practice for it to be effective, so don't expect it to be right away. But you breathe in slow and count to 7, then you exhale slow and count to 10, and repeat. Not only will it relax you, but since you are concentrating on counting the breathing seconds, your mind will go off of whatever is bothering you.

4. I do puzzles out of a book. Another good way to take your mind off other things, as well as working your mind a little so it gets too exhausted to think about things.

As an anxiety disorder case, I find one of the chief factors behind my anxiety is worrying that I won't sleep or that I will slip out of my sleeping pattern. I notice these days that any time I have to wake up before 10 AM, I have a harder time sleeping. So sleep is an act that I have been "studying" and "refining" for years. First, you have to determind what's keeping you awake. If it's something on your mind, you have to exhaust your mind. If you find it's something more physical, like you have too much energy, you need to take a walk or something about an hour before you want to go to bed. Whatever is keeping you awake you have to exhaust.

[laurie816]

Originally Posted by goldie

I usually read and make some chamomile tea. This tea is great if you can't sleep - very relaxing.

This is my remedy...Chamomile tea may not sound tasty, but there is a tea that Celestial Seasonings puts out "Honey Vanilla Chamomile"...sweeten it to your liking and it really is very sweet tasting and veeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrry soothing...this works like a charm for me. Half an hour later, i'm back in dreamland.

I found that the worst thing you could do when you have trouble sleeping is TRYING to hard to go back to sleep...it never works. What you can try, if you need to clear your mind a bit (and I've done this exercise a few times on the suggestion of a friend) is go through the alphabet...pick a subject (movie titles, famous musicans, places to visit...you get the idea) and name as many as you can while doing deep breathing exercises...the breathing relaxes you and the 'task' at hand keeps your mind off whatever go it all wound up.

Good luck and sweet dreams, Jake.

[DeadliestPoison]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

Which reminds me, they need to start airing a new batch of infomercials already.

- Jake

Heh. If there's an infomerical on that I know has a FM clip in it, I have to watch it until I see the clip. Then I can go to bed. So far I've seen one with Dreams and another with Don't Stop, both from Rosebud (at least I think it's Rosebud, I've never seen the whole thing aside from Rhiannon).

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

umm geesh should I say this. Umm when I can't sleep I usually do something that um well... The Rattlesnake Shake.

Yeah, I wanted to suggest this but couldn't find a polite way (see my boy/girls thread). BUT... How could I forget this expression? Now I think I'm not a true mac fan!!!

By the way, I wanted to suggest it because I always heard it's a good idea, but it doesn't work on me. No regrets because at the end is a pleasant way to spend time when you can't sleep (and you are alone, of course..)

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

1) I don't smoke.
2) Drinking anything will make me get up to pee before long.
3) I have no cable & don't even keep a TV in my bedroom.

Thanks for the suugestions, though.

- Jake

These three things are probably why you can't sleep....

[Johnny Stew]

Another "anxiety-case" here.
Unfortunately though, none of my "remedies" will work for you, Jake, as you've already stated.
Putzing on the internet is one. Watching HGTV, Food Network, TV Land, or Nick-At-Nite is another. Reading is still another. And putting on my headphones and listening to "comfort" music is yet another.

Everyone's going to laugh at what a dork I am, but when I was a teenager, one of the things I used to do when I couldn't sleep... in the same vein as counting sheep... was to lay in bed and list in my head, every single Stevie Nicks song released up until that time, in chronological order. If I made a mistake, I'd start over.
I know it sounds very obsessive-compulsive, but it helped me relax, and took my mind off of the things that were keeping me awake. So for that, it was very effective.

[sparky]

Well, Jake....these are the things that I do.

(I am a world league insomniac and nightowl. And I have to do almost all of these things every night to go to sleep.)


1. Hot Bath

2. Double Dose (2 bags) of Sleepytime Tea

3. Eat a chunk of turkey (tryptophan)

4. The 'Hawkeye' Shake always helps. Ask any straight woman. Nothing like an orgasm to make a guy instantly pass out.

5. I always sleep with earplugs. The 35 decibel foam jobbies. I usually put em through the washer and dryer once first to break them in - otherwise they hurt my ears.

6. Also, swimming or a good workout everyday does wonders to exhaust me, and that is part of almost every day too.

Sounds like these things won't work for ya. But they work for me.

I used to take these organic sleeping pills called Calms Forte - and they worked great with no hangover (unlike cold medicine or wine).

That's the sparky sleep guide !

[Livia]

Jake, have you tried counting your signature thingie? LOL

I rarely have problems sleeping - only when I'm extremely stressed out over something. I'm one of those people who can NOT sleep in total silence. I habitually fall asleep on the couch while watching TV; and always have to have the radio on low in the bedroom.