I need help breaking this cycle.

Each night I am going to bed later and later. Today I went to bed at 4:30 am & I wasn't that tired. I have tried cleaning my heart out to tire me out. I not one for sleeping pills or warm milk. Any suggestions?

Have you tried a hot bath at night? Works for me!

Seek a doctors advise to make sure it isnt a physical situation or seek counseling to find natural ways to cope with insominia disorder! Don't take naps during the day, warm baths before bed, complete darkness, no sound, meditate, etc! There are many different suggestions for sleep problems! I myself have sleep issues that are unresolved that I do not medicate for! You could check into massage or acupunture if it a stress related senario... One more thing... Avoid eating or drinking any caffinated items at least 3 hours before bed!

http://health.ivillage.com/sleep/sli...,,4vkq,00.html

Here are some insomnia related links!


Take this sleep community challenge!!!!!!!!!
http://health.ivillage.com/sleep/sli...80vhdz,00.html

Originally Posted by Crazyforinfo

I have tried cleaning my heart out to tire me out.

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Would you like to come over to my place?

But seriously... I have the same problem. The past few nights, it's been 3:00 or 3:30 before I got to bed! And the next day, of course, I'm worthless. So I know whereof you speak.

Trixie's right that you should let a doctor rule out physical causes. You could have a thyroid condition or any number of other issues going on. But if it turns out you're okay (and I certainly hope it does!), the only thing that helps me get back on schedule, at least for awhile, is forcing myself to get up earlier. It takes a few days, but if you set an alarm and go ahead and get up earlier than you have to, your body realizes it had better get some sleep earlier in the night, if you're going to drag it out of bed at the crack of dawn!

Of course, you have to be in bed at a reasonable hour, even if you're still awake. Reading really helps me fall asleep, and keeps the trying-to-go-to-sleep time from being a waste. I prefer paperbacks for reading in bed -- lighter weight, easier to hold open while lying down.

Also, I went to Ikea and bought a $7 dimmer cord for my bedside lamp. That allows me to set the light just bright enough to read by, but dim enough that I can simply fall asleep and not feel like I have to reach over and turn off the light first. That makes a big difference for me.

One other thing: if worries are any part of what's keeping you awake, try writing down everything you're concerned about, everything you have to do tomorrow or this week... and put it in your purse. That way you know you won't forget any of them -- and you're free to let go and let your mind relax. Good luck!

It's definately from stress and it will be around for at least 3 more months. Warm baths actually wake me up or I get over heated. I am hoping since i was up to 4:30am I will be overly tired and get to bed earlier. The alarm won't work for me cause it goes off at 9am everyday and I keep hitting snooze. If it was across the room, I would throw pillows at the darn thing and eventually crawl under the covers to sleep threw it. LoL

Check out those links I sent you. Stress is a huge factor in our sleep patterns!

Originally Posted by Crazyforinfo

Each night I am going to bed later and later. Today I went to bed at 4:30 am & I wasn't that tired. I have tried cleaning my heart out to tire me out. I not one for sleeping pills or warm milk. Any suggestions?

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Take 100 mg of Benadryl or 50 mg of Gravol around 10pm tonight. Neither are sleeping pills, but both will make you drowsey and you will fall asleep in an hour or 2 after taking it.

I am a pill popper myself! I take tylenol pm's probably 1-2 times a week....on days that I can sleep in.... if it's a week night and I'm struggling to fall asleep with alot on my mind, I'll take 1/2 a dose of tylenol pm....

I know you said you don't like taking pills but my psychologist recommended these to me because I wasn't getting sleep. He told me to take melatonin...you can find them at mostly any drug/grocery store. They arn't as bad as taking tylenol PM or anything because they are a dietary supplement. They do help...worth a try. I hope you can get some sleep soon!

I don't sleep that well either - and I don't like sleeping pills. But if you go to your local herbalist/health food store, they will be able to give you valarian root. It's a natural herb used against sleeping problems and anxiety. It's like a natural sedative, almost. 5-6 pills an hour before bed, and I can guarantee you'll be out like a light within about 15 minutes. They also have the bonus of not making you groggy the day after. You can get up fresh and a daisy. If you don't have trouble sleeping every night, then this would be a perfect solution. Hot drink with no sugar, bath, valarian root. Usualy for me that combination will result in a goot 8 hours of completely undisturbed sleep.

I'm a lot like you. I usually go to sleep quite early in the morning. Most times anywhere from about 3:30 to 7:00 am. But fortunately for me, I seem to be able to fall asleep even if I'm not tired. One thing I find helps if I need to get up early in the morning and I still want 8 hours of sleep is to watch some TV - like a series that you have seen before so you don't have to concentrate on it - at really low volume. Within 20 minutes I'm usually sleeping. I just set the timer on the TV for about 30-45 minutes and then just lay there for a while until I fall asleep and then I don't have to worry about shutting the TV off or anything like that and I can concentrat on nothing.

Originally Posted by LuckyGirl

I am a pill popper myself!

I take tylenol pm's probably 1-2 times a week....on days that I can sleep in.... if it's a week night and I'm struggling to fall asleep with alot on my mind, I'll take 1/2 a dose of tylenol pm....

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Watch the Tylenol--I think tat long-term use can cause liver or kidney problems. (Hubby used to swear by Tylenol PM, until his nurse Mom told him this.)

MargeCat

i also have this problem and i dont want to take pills either-its now 3.30am.But i put lavender oil on my pillow,try bachs remedies or their calm oil it 100%natural or try Valerian-you can get in any health food store in powder or pill-its a natural herb.
you said yr not into milk,however my russian friend said to try this-heat milk and honey and it has some efect on making you sleepy.
Finally there is a natural chemical in turkey that makes you sleepy-which is prob why everyone gets sleepy after chrismas dinner

Essential oils are very bad of the kittens get into them, their bodies are totally unable to process the chemicals. Be very very very careful if you must use them at all.

You need to reset your clock... try lying down at the time you would normally want to go to bed, and just relax, don't try to sleep. If you don't fall asleep and start tossing and turning, get up and do something passive like TCS or television or a book-- cleaning or other things that "tire you out" are actually making you more awake! And most importantly don't get up later. Wake up when you usually do no matter when you went to bed. You might be exhausted for a day but you'll be more ready to sleep by that night!

And don't fret, sometimes, we just aren't tired. If you are already stressed worrying about sleep will make you more stressed and less sleeping. And it's always true the more we try to fall to sleep the less we fall to sleep

Originally Posted by Kaylacat

I know you said you don't like taking pills but my psychologist recommended these to me because I wasn't getting sleep. He told me to take melatonin...you can find them at mostly any drug/grocery store. They arn't as bad as taking tylenol PM or anything because they are a dietary supplement. They do help...worth a try.

I hope you can get some sleep soon!

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Melatonin will really help! It's actually the enzyme in the brain the triggers you to sleep. Its not a sleeping pill, it is natural. Certain factors, stress especially, can reduce the amount of melatonin your brain produces so taking it just helps the brain realize its time to sleep. My doctor suggested them to me when I was taking care of my mom full time. I didn't want anything that would make me groggy or become addicted to. Check with your doctor or pharmacist and get their opinion, but it definitely helped me.

Good luck!

the bachs oils are to be eaten and as for oils themselvs i guess it depends whether you have the cats in yr room.As we do,lavender oil is placed on tissues inserted into the pillows and has caused no harm in all these yrs

Come to think of it, Zissou's Mom is absolutely right -- physical activity is undoubtedly keeping you awake longer! They say it's great to exercise and get physically tired, but it has to be at least a few hours before bedtime... so your body can settle down again in time to fall asleep.

Hmm... how old are you?

I'm pretty young, so if I get into that cycle I wait for the weekend, just stay up for a day and go to sleep early. That usually kicks it back in to gear for me, but after a few weeks it gets kicked out again and I just do it again.

Different people also have different active hours (which also change as they age). My grand parents on my dad's side are vampires (sleep all day, rummage around all night) and I think I get my sleep habits from them. I used to have serious trouble during junior high and high school staying awake in the morning, and it wasn't until my first summer vacation in college that I found out that I naturally fall asleep at around 6-7 am and naturally wake at around 4-5pm. Although I was a complete deadbeat and did absolutely nothing for 2 months, I got to figure out some interesting things by doing so.

I am 29. Well I got to bed at 1am but I didn't get up until noon. I set my alarm & made it louder but I still didn't get up. I don't remember it going off either. I didn't take anything last night. When I doing heavy cleaning it was during the afternoon and early evening. I wish I could sleep with a tv but that isn't an option right now. I might be able to do that (my old routine) once we move and I convince DH.

I have never understood why people can't just GO to bed at a time. Why can't you just get ready for bed at 10pm, and climb into bed and shut your eyes? Won't you fall asleep eventually?