Recently it has been taking me about 2 and a half hours to fall asleep at night. I realize that I am a light sleeper but this insomnia is just nuts. Sometimes I feel close, but I never seem to drift off until much later; I maintain total consiousness for hours.
Perhaps this is because I am trying to adjust my sleep period to a stable schedule (In this case earlier than I have been getting to sleep at normally during the summer). My body just doesnt seem to get the picture that I want to fall asleep.
Any help would be appreciated - Such as what works well for you, open or closed eyes, etc. Like I said, the frustration is killing me!
that used to happen to me a lot last year
try this:
while your trying to get to sleep, just lie there with your eyes shut and replay in your mind all the things that happened that day (or something else that’s detailed). Your mind will get really involved in this and soon your thoughts will just turn into a dream.
It works for me
I have the same problem when adjusting to a stable biorythm after screwin up my sleep patterns for some time. The only thing that really works is keeping a consistent sleep pattern, i.e. going to bed at the same time every night EVEN in the weekend. After a while, you brain will get the picture. You could also try melatonin, take it 1 hr before bedtime. Melatonin is used for jet lag and sleep problems, and it is healthier (less addictive, doesn’t disturb your sleep cycles) than sleeping pills.
Last night I tried going over the day in my mind but that didn’t help. I think Brainhacker is right in that my sleep pattern is what is messing me up. So I guess it is mainly time and determination until I can get in my optimum sleep pattern. (Just last week I wouldn’t get to bed until after 12:00 usually…now I am trying to sleep at 9:30, so it’s quite a change)
I read somewhere about another thing you can try. It works for me sometimes:
If you’ve been in bed for half an hour and still aren’t close to falling asleep; get up, have a glass of water, repeat all your pre-bedtime rituals (eg brushing your teeth, etc) and go back to bed.
Heh, for me I would be brushing my teeth about five times a night using that method. Tonight I think I might try the warm liquid and see if that helps.
Well, last night I drank some warm milk after not being able to get to sleep for about an hour. That seemed to help, like I could amost feel it working. I feel alseep soon afterwards. Thanks for the tip Willows_Wicca and Hypnodude!
You might be trying to hard or wanting it too much. If you go to bed thinking, oh no, its going to take me ages to get to sleep again, or whatever, like thinking about how you find to hard to get to sleep, then that will make it harder. And also if you’re trying to get to sleep, that will make it harder aswell. So just try to relax and let it happen without thinking about it. But of course the things that other people have mentioned will help alot aswell.
I went through similar problems a while ago.
I took 2 advices
1.bed is for sleeping-dont do anything else(sure sex is excluded) than sleep there.If you cant fall asleep get up and wait till u feel sleepy and go to bed again.So on,so on.
2.sleeping times-usually here lies the problem.You need to sleep 8 hours(or whats right in your case)-but in the same schedule.Dont let yourself to sleep longer,get up even if u slept only an hour.Slowly you will adapt.
The best times for sleeping are 10-11pm-6-7am.
good luck.
I will have to double check, but I am pretty sure from the ages of about 13-18 the best sleeping time is longer and slightly different, 11-Midnight to 9-11 AM.
I read somewhere that the optimal sleeping time is 7-8 hours. If you sleep less or more then that you will live less. Duh.
I would also agree with Jack’s 10-11pm-6-7am. Waking early in the morning makes the day seem much longer (at least for me). And going to bed at those times, you do sleep the needed 7-8 hours.
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