What do you do when you can't sleep!

**eriedearie** · September-24-09, 03:48 AM

I was so tired yesterday I had a little nap in the afternoon, but I didn't feel rested. I was still tired after supper. I fell asleep in my recliner about 8:30 last night. Woke up at 11:30 and have not had the pleasure of my eyes slamming shut since! I've tried reading, playing around on the Internet, playing solitaire, lying in bed; nothing is working.

I realize the rest of this community is asleep right now, and I won't get any answers to this question in the next couple of hours or so; but for future reference - what do you do when you can't sleep...but want to?

**Gannon** · September-24-09, 03:57 AM

Have you ever tried meditation, Erie?

You can basically tell your body to shut down, from the extremes inward.

I've never had trouble getting to sleep.

STAYING asleep, sometimes.

Like now...but I'm in a tent outside for one of the last warm nights of this year.

Traffic woke me, so I went on-line!

**eriedearie** · September-24-09, 04:01 AM

WOW Gannon, I never expected a reply this soon! So there is someone else awake at this ungodly hour.

No I've never tried meditation. Don't know if my mind would let me do it??

**gazhekwe** · September-24-09, 07:25 AM

I used to furnish houses. I used to love to look at house plans and imagine my dream house, and of course all the furniture and accessories to go with. I would lie in bed and dream about a particular plan that I liked at the time, and furnish each room, one by one. The downside of that was that I wouldn't fall asleep til I finished the master bedroom.

Now I plan RV trips, and what to pack for them.

**rajdet** · September-24-09, 07:39 AM

Reading in bed usually does it for me, but I see you have tried that. When ever I have had to get up early I try turning off all electronics no, lights. no radio, tv, nothing.

**Pam** · September-24-09, 08:05 AM

Drink some chamomile tea.

**Sstashmoo** · September-24-09, 08:15 AM

No naps and get plenty of exercise. No caffeine in the evening.

**elganned** · September-24-09, 08:46 AM

A glass of milk just before bed. Try to recapture a pleasant memory.

Try Gannon's meditation trick; concentrate on your toes, and make them relax. When they are, concentrate on your calves, then your thighs, etc. Work from your fingers and toes in towards your trunk, concentrating on relaxing each muscle group in turn. Don't forget your head, face, shoulders, and neck.
It usually works.

**Pam** · September-24-09, 09:02 AM

Another one that is supposed to work-if you are having some stressful thoughts, write them down.

**Maof** · September-24-09, 09:08 AM

ugh, i hate when i'm up in the middle of the night, tossin' and turnin'! maybe its a hormonal thing? i don't know but i usually just get up flip on the t.v.[[i know, not a good idea) and then toss and turn on the couch! i end of falling asleep there after a few hours. i have heard the tea thing is good, maybe sleepy time tea.

**Gannon** · September-24-09, 10:09 AM

Yeah, and don't put ANY quantity caffeine into your body after noon, especially if you are sensitive to it...or have trouble sleeping.

Latest research shows that the neuro network has caffeine-specific receptors that latch onto the molecules and hold them from 6 to 8 hours.

Funny, after I typed that first post, I zonked out praying that you'd have better luck sleeping Erie, so add meditation AND prayer to the list of things to do.

Trouble was the temperature dropped between four and seven and I awoke with a chill...came inside and slept for another three hours...but now I'm stiff and sore.

So I need help waking...heh.

**Gannon** · September-24-09, 10:15 AM

Oh and Erie, EVERYONE can learn to meditate...it is just more frustrating for some.

Turn off the damn TV, too. That thing puts the mind into a weird receptive-only holding pattern. Mesmerizing, and every time you switch the channel there is usually just enough novelty to keep you just this side of falling sleep. For those who've trained themselves to ONLY sleep with the TV on...whoa. Scary. TV shouldn't be in the bedroom...

**MikeM** · September-24-09, 11:26 AM

This works great for me:

http://www.detour23.com/healthydrops/#sw

Next best is melatonin tea. My local Kroger used to sell this brand, but I can't find it any store near me anymore:

http://www.seelecttea.com/product_in...products_id=65

**eriedearie** · September-24-09, 12:07 PM

Hey gang - all good ideas, but you know what? Shortly after I finished reading the posts here that interested me...I went back to bed and thought about the meditation thingy. I did concentrate on my toes falling asleep, my ankles, never did get to the calves! I fell asleep within seconds!!! It worked. I had a very restful sleep till 9 am. And I feel good today! I had heard of that before, but didn't think about it last night till Gannon posted the suggestion. I will remember meditation for the next time I have trouble falling asleep.

Thanks Gannon! And thanks for the prayers too.

**Ray1936** · September-24-09, 12:09 PM

Wish I could chime in with some help, but I'm one of those enviable folks who sleeps soundly all night without exception. Even when I worked the graveyard shift, I'd get home around 8:30 a.m., hit the sack, and sleep solidly until 4 or 4:30 p.m. It's really a blessing.

**oladub** · September-24-09, 12:28 PM

Sudoku , at a challenging level, cuts off the mind chatter.

My wife keeps some melatonin pills on hand. They are available at vitamin stores or wal-mart. Dosage is variable depending on the person, my wife says, and sometimes taking less, works better. Light eliminates its effects.

I don't have difficulty getting to sleep and have never been desperate enough to try #3 - reading insurance company literature.

Alcohol causes shallow sleep with a lot of waking up.

**Boo Stinking Boo** · September-24-09, 01:39 PM

Melatonin pills turned me into a monster while taking them in college

**Kevgoblue** · September-24-09, 01:53 PM

Whenever I ask my wife for sex....that usaually does it for her!

**Maof** · September-24-09, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Kevgoblue

Whenever I ask my wife for sex....that usaually does it for her!

i think that's called fake sleeping

**Jimaz** · September-24-09, 03:17 PM

I always wanted to try valerian root tea but could never find it. Does anyone know someone who sells it?

It's odd that one way to not fall asleep is to try to fall asleep. [[At least it seems that way to me.)

**oladub** · September-24-09, 03:32 PM

[quote=Jimaz;72312]I always wanted to try valerian root tea but could never find it. Does anyone know someone who sells it?
quote]

My wife has it in the garden but, she says, it is availble in capsules at your local vitamin store. The tea might be also available there but, if not, it is online.

Boo, The only thing I've noticed about melatonin is vivid dreams.

**eriedearie** · September-24-09, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Kevgoblue

Whenever I ask my wife for sex....that usaually does it for her!

Got a good laugh outta that one!
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ccbatson · September-24-09, 04:01 PM

Go on Dyes? ....kidding. With my kids, a useful coaching technique has been to tell them to try NOT to fall asleep for 20 minutes. Only once did they have to try for a second 10 minute challenge. The rationale being that worrying about not sleeping is a viscous cycle that causes escalating anxiety and insomnia, so, eliminate the dilemma by trying not to sleep.

**Sstashmoo** · September-24-09, 05:01 PM

Quote: "so, eliminate the dilemma by trying not to sleep."

That would never work for me. I fight sleep now during the day sometimes, so I can make sure I'll fall asleep at bed time. I think if I tried to stay awake, Id be awake for days. I'll never understand it, some days I'll be tired all day, could lay down and sleep instantly. 10 er 11 o'clock roll around and I start feeling awake and not sleepy at all. I theorize that when we are like that during the day, we are actually getting some sort of rest. Enough so that in the evening, sleep isn't as necessary. Who knows..