Help sleeping

For the last month or so I have had some incredible stress on me (ok, let's call a spade a spade here for the last three years I have, but the last month it's been really rough). Over the last week to ten days, I keep waking up in the middle of the night for an hour or two. This means that by the time I get home from work (I start early and end fairly late) I'm utterly exhausted and just collapse on the couch.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a non-addictive sleep aid that I could try?

I had the same problem and have found that deep breathing exercises help as well as training myself to completely empty my thoughts. When I realize a thought arises, being aware of it, I tell myself again to stop thinking, empty my mind and start the deep breathing again. The deep breathing causes you to concentrate on that, rather than the thoughts that ravage your mind from stress.

I don't know your religious beliefs, but I also pray when I first go to bed and sometimes that relaxes me enough to go to sleep. There is certainly nothing wrong with praying for yourself and asking for help with your situation. If not, I try the aforementioned exercise.

Hope that helps. I know what stress can do to you both physically and mentally. I hope you are working to eliminate the cause of your stress as well.

i can think of two things...one is addictive though.
Have you heard of valerian?. you can get it from health food stores here in Australia. its a very good natural relaxant. Its also called allheal, a medicinal root. Try your health food distributor in the US.
Hoping this might help, but if all else fails, ...There is the second option.
But like i said... addictive...lol, not illegal though. see ya nuts

I recommend regular exercise and getting up even earlier than you do currently, though you should never exercise just before bed as thats likely to keep you awake.

I agree with UK Wizard's idea. I've always had trouble sleeping...or trouble staying asleep to be specific. I would wake 10 times in the night and be wide awake each time staring at the ceiling unable to fall back asleep. I was afraid of getting into taking sleeping aids because I'm just too addictive of a personality LOL

A few years back I decided to start exercising and just getting myself healthier. It wasn't particularly due to my sleeping issues, just to be overall healthier. I would get up an hour early and go walk or jog for about 40 minutes each morning. It was incredibly hard to get a routine started and I wanted to die every morning when that alarm went off. But after the first week or two, I actually craved the exercise and would wake a few minutes before the alarm. What I noticed was that I had tons more energy through the day and would feel great at work all day. When it came to bedtime I would be sufficiently tired. Not exhausted, just pleasantly sleepy.

After about 3 weeks of this routine I noticed that my nighttime wakings had stopped and I was actually sleeping straight through the night which I hadn't done in years!!

Recently I stopped this morning routine and besides the fact that I've put back on some pounds, I've also started the stupid night wakings again I feel terrible and I'm getting myself back on the wagon darn it!

I hope you can find something to help you, there's nothing worse than being unable to fall or stay asleep. It ruins your whole day. Try some exercise, but make sure as UK said not to do it before bed. I would be totally wired for sound if I went to the gym after dinner and it was hard to fall asleep

Michelle

due to the longer term you have been feeling these effects you brain chemistry is probably a bit off due to stress

i would HIghly recommend taking saint johns wort (for worry's !) and 5htp for increasing seratonin which will be depleted after long term period's of stress


find a SJW standardized for hypoferin's not just hypercerin's

i would take one SJW and two 5 htps with perhaps some thing like a valerian to boot valerian increases gaba and slows brain activity and so does L-theanine (amino acid)

i would go with SJW and then 5htp and possibly valerian You will soon be sleeping much better and going back to bed much easier and probably sleeping thru the nite. plus you will only be out like 30 bucks, and your sleep is worth it.......enjoy plus they are natural

even my Gf who was "addicted" to tylenol pm's loves this combo

exercise "cardio" is also very helpful like the other poster's said and the Saint johns wort is very strong in conjunction

[edit on 1-3-2008 by cpdaman]

Thanks for all the great replies everyone. Sorry I didn't respond sooner, been laid up with the flu. Oddly the most rested I've been in awhile.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Of course the ususal suggestions of : darken room, no caffeine before bed, no tv should be on, ect. But I would like to add that self hypnosis works well for me, I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder a couple of years back, and sleeping was one of my many symptoms, sleep aids were not an option for me ( I just don't want to take them) so a more holistic approach included self hypnosis. Here is a simple beginner's exercise to try:

Lie down and make sure you are not hearing sounds or seeing light, get in your most comfortable position, when you are ready take a deep breath, and in your mind visualize the numbers 1-10 as you let the air back out. When you reach ten, with your eyes closed and not speaking outloud, think of your toes , say to yourself 'my toes are relaxing, they are so relaxed, my ankles are relaxing, spreading up my calves to my knees, now I feel my leg muscles relaxing, relaxing........keep doing this and repeating the word 'relax' over and over, as you imagine the sensation spread up your legs to your abdomen, into the rib area, and so on. I am usually asleep by the time I get to the ribs(LOL) but if you ever make it all the way to the top of your head you are supposed to begin again with the breathing out and counting to 10. So far I have never had to do it again, and I wind up sleeping a refreshing 6 or more hours before I wake again. Hope this helps you.

Edit: spelling errors

[edit on 9-3-2008 by space cadet]

[edit on 9-3-2008 by space cadet]

Your body is telling you it's in pain by not allowing you to sleep.

The stress is destroying your mind and you will eventually start to hallucinate and become psychotic.

Remove the stress. Taking drugs will mask the problem and make it worse. Alleviate the stress, nothing else will work. Good Luck :w:

reply to post by space cadet


Thanks Cadet I almost fell asleep reading your post!
I'll try it, it's almost 7:00 am here since the time change!
I guess I'll have to put on my satin blindfold! lol

If I go for a hard ride at about 6pm, or do a hard trainer ride up to 7pm, it helps sleeping, but I'm not that big on sleeping sometimes.

I'd also echo some of the tips above.

1. very dark room;
2. white noise generator;
3. have a bed where you can sleep alone;
4. comfortable mattress;
5. body pillow (this is a 5ft long pillow that you can thr
ow a leg over and sleep on your side clutching it like hugging a tree).

Incidently if you haven't changed your mattress in 5-7 years, you should strongly consider it.

Google on the inhibitor amino acid Taurine. Caution, there's some danger in higher doses, its alleged. I haven't looked into it so read up on it.

When I have incidents when I wake up in the middle of the night like that, I don't just lie there, I get up, take a hot shower and go do something. Depending on your work cycle, you may be able to get another hour before work, but IMO, it's better to get up and not lie there and be miserable. YMMV.

Good luck!

Edit: Oh, yeah, I also do what space cadet suggests, only slightly differently. I mentally strongly focus on the hill climbs I've done in the morning's bike ride. I visualize standing to start the climb and -see- myself, getting inside my body, see the road and just replay the ride like I'm watching a video.

If I get distracted into the ride, I start over at the initial climb and go again.

I believe this not onlly helps me get to sleep, but it also helps me improve my exercise form. I have some theories it provokes growth hormone production (which happens during certain phases of sleep).



[edit on 9-3-2008 by Badge01]