insomnia


Backroads
 Share

Recommended Posts

I have spells of insomnia, too.  They are usually connected to stress in my life.  I exercise after dinner, even if it's a fast walk around the neighborhood for 30 minutes.  Then right before bed I take a hot shower or bath and consume protein, usually warm milk.  That helps a lot.

 

Also get into a regular sleeping rhythm.  Whenever I sleep late in the morning, I have trouble getting to sleep that night.

 

Finally... and this only works for some people... there is a thing called ASMR, which was really publicized only in the last few years.  People have discovered that certain sounds can trigger a tingling and calming reaction in some people.  Typical sounds are whispering, writing on paper or a blackboard, tapping, etc.  YouTube has a lot of ASMR and sleep videos that you could check out.  I know this sounds strange, but YouTube has some videos of the O.J. Simpson trial, which I find incredibly boring.  If I can't sleep, I pull up one of those trial videos on my iPad, connect my earphones, and within 5 minutes I am in deep sleep.  Or a recorded book with a really boring book and a monotonous reader might help... I've accidentally bought tons of these.

 

Happy dozing...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Melatonin tablets .03-3mg, 30 minutes before desired sleep time, when needed. You can buy this at stores like RiteAid. This in conjunction with a stable sleep schedule throughout the week. (split commercial pills which are generally 5mg-10mg) It's non-prescription.

 

 

Stay away from bright lights 30 minutes before sleep, light can interfere with Melatonin which signals your body that it is time to sleep. It's naturally produced in your body, and has few side effects compared to prescription sleep medication and is more effective than many home remedies.

 

It has some potential to interact with certain medications:

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-940-melatonin.aspx?activeingredientid=940&activeingredientname=melatonin

Consult a doctor if you have any of these problems:

(are a child)
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Depression
Seizure disorders

 
 
Might be worth talking to a doctor about.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Consult a doctor if you have any of these problems:

(are a child)
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Depression
Seizure disorders
 
Might be worth talking to a doctor about.

 

Was just going to suggest you see a Dr to rule out HBP and Diabetes.

 

I was plagued with insomnia in my adult years - starting when I was around 17. Once I married hubby #2 and started seeing a Dr on a regular basis and was diagnosed with: High Blood Pressure and Diabetes - the insomnia ended.

 

Coincidence?? Don't believe in coincidence. When I forget to take my HBP meds I also forget to take my Diabetes meds and evening insulin injection - I get sleepy around 6 pm (which is just before dinner) and then cannot sleep at all. 

 

Husband has programmed my cell phone with alarms during the day for me to take my pills, and he also programmed my computer to alert me to take my pills, AND insulin. I do wake up during the night - have to make at least one bathroom trip and I have neuropathy in my feet and the stinging pain wakes me enough that I sit up and rub lotion unto my feet - the rubbing eases the pain. I never really wake up enough to keep me up. 

 

Also, in the last two years I need to have the bedroom temp below 60 AND with a fan (on low) blowing across the bed for me to sleep comfortably. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

Ofcourse you should consult a doctor. It always helps.
Meanwhile, you should try to stay as natural as you can.

* Avoid using laptops, mobile phones, tablets etc.
* Avoid bathing with cold water at nights.
* Do not over-eat at nights.
* If you exercise in the late evenings, please stop it. Exercise in the mornings.
* Do not have energizing health supplements at night.
* Use ayurvedic medicines like Epic Jatamansi or Prabidhini by Prakruti JiyoFresh.
* Limit smoking and alcohol intake.

Try these tips and keep us posted
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I have also been an insomnia sufferer for much of my life. In fact I remember having discussions with my mom as a young child where I thought i needed her to teach me how to fall asleep because I couldn't figure out how anymore. Any way I'll often go through periods where I do fairly well and periods where it is really rocky. 

 

I find that melatonin can work as others have suggested, but not always - and I wouldn't suggest it as a long-term or frequent solution as supplementing can possibly decrease your own production and release of it further exacerbating the problem.

 

I find that putting a pillow in the freezer for a while before bed can be helpful, especially in the summer. I find cool pillows are more likely to help me fall asleep faster.

 

Sometimes taking a warm bath about an hour or two before bed can also help... I know what a luxury - who can pull that off.

 

I've recently found that taking extra magnesium is very helpful. After starting to take some about a month ago I have improved my latest rough patch of sleepless nights from about 3-4x/week to once every 1-2 weeks. What's more I feel more rested and alive in the morning... even on the nights I only get 3 hours of sleep compared to how I felt before. It is as though my body had stopped actually getting the restful benefits of sleep and magnesium citrate powder in water daily has made a huge difference in helping me get to sleep, stay asleep and feel rested from sleep.

 

Try it. The product I use is natural calm, but others should be fine too. Because calcium and magnesium are antagonist in effect in the body (calcium causes muscle contraction and magnesium causes muscle relaxation) taking a calcium/magnesium supplement together may well diminish the effect of the magnesium on sleep quality.

 

This may be an interesting read for some:

 

Huffington Post article on magnesium

 

Carolyn Dean is quite outspoken about magnesium and has some interesting information as well. Anyone interested can google her and read some of her articles, books, and other resources such as podcasts and interviews available on the web.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, in the last two years I need to have the bedroom temp below 60 AND with a fan (on low) blowing across the bed for me to sleep comfortably. 

 

Holy cow. My wife would die and then kill me if I tried to have it that cold in our bedroom at night!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share