Insomnia

[Number 81]

I can't get to sleep. When I was going to school I could go to bed at midnight and fall asleep in less than 15 minutes. Now I just can't seem to fall asleep.
11 P.M.-2 A.M. I am normally lying in bed watching TV, does that make a differance? I didn't do that during school. I also start exercising at 3 P.M. Instead of 10 P.M.
Are there any foods that I can eat to help? I know that warm milk is supposed to make you sleepy, but can cold milk have the same effect.

 

[Salsa_1960]

I take Melatonin to help me sleep at night......though it doesn't always work (it's after 2AM right now). It also helps me to turn off the computer in the evening (which I obviously haven't done). Helps also not to do anything stimulating late in the evening (like playing my banjo or guitar). I did that late tonight too. Last night I turned those things off early and got to sleep early.

Seems I've read many times that it helps not to eat too late also.

 

[Tuffguy]

First off,, unplug that TV in your bedroom. People always watch more tv when it is so convient to do so. Try eating some turkey before bed. This is high quality protien and its good for falling asleep.
Make sure you're getting good workouts in and you are on a regular sleeping schedule.

 

[Triscuit]

I've heard that studies show that watching lots of TV at one time makes falling asleep much more difficult. I'd suggest not watching so much TV.

 

[2Bhumble]

My sleeping potion:

Put some oatmeal in a bowl, add water and microwave. Take the cooked oatmeal out then put a cup of milk into the microwave and warm it up for a minute so it's between warm and hot. While the milk's cooking, slice a half banana into the oatmeal. Now, stir in enough of the warmed milk into the oatmeal to thin it out to your liking. Eat this 20 minutes before bed. This keeps your stomach busy and helps you sleep. Obviously if you don't like oatmeal, this won't be an option Turn off the TV. Oh ya, I've fallen asleep many times while praying.

 

[brokenbananas]

I'm going to take a different approach to your insomnia and try to work on the root cause. Yeah, it could be turning the TV on. If you can identify the root cause and eliminate that, then you should be able to sleep. Here are some areas to look:

1. Stress/Worry: Is anything stressing you out or are you worried about something? I've found that when this is the case for me, it's difficult for me to go to sleep. Stress & worry can be over a number of things. I use prayer, God's Word, and an energy psychology method called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to help me properly deal with worry & stress in my mind, spirit, & body. It says in Phil 4:6-7 says, "6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

2. Relationships: How are your relationships with others, with God? Is everything right in your relationships? When I have held grudges or been angry against people, this has caused me to have some sleepless or at least very restless nights. Romans 12:18 says, "18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

3. Diet/Exercise: Have you been getting enough exercise and eating healthy for your body? Has anything changed in your diet, like have you been consuming caffeine, eating too many sweets, etc? These can cause disruptions and hinder sleep. Exercise in moderation helps keep the body in shape. If you give your body the foods/nutrients that it requires and keep your body in balance, you should ideally have the absence of disease and everything should be functioning well. In I Cor. 6:19, "19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; "

These are the 3 main areas that encompass so much. A lot of times we kid ourselves and say all these things are good, but in reality, they aren't. For example, a friend of mine had a similar problem. Her diet is very poor, she consumes caffeine on a regular basis, gets little to no exercise. However, she is not normally a stressed out person, doesn't worry and keeps her relationships well. The one area she didn't do so well in was #3. It does make an impact.

~Doris

 

[H2o]

I've heard that studies show that watching lots of TV at one time makes falling asleep much more difficult. I'd suggest not watching so much TV.

My doctor told me the same thing. Try reading a book or magazine before going to bed, preferably a boring one.

 

[Skymon]

Being online before bed keeps me up. I imagine TV would have the same effect.

 

[mandapanda445]

i have insomnia but a mild case. i have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, i wake up often. but when i sleep it is very good sleep. i am never tired. i don't need medication but i am diagnosed with it. i just waste time on the internet. staring at the screen for long enough makes you unbelivably sleepy. or watch some mindless tv. good luck with that!

 

[EbonNelumbo]

I am an insomniac turned narcoleptic. I nevver used to sleep, doctors put me on various drugs to help me, or rather make me, and they did work. Though nothing will work as well as earnest sleep, unaided. For those of you who currently are, or will be considering the option of medication, I want to warn against Trazodone. This is a strong medication and DOES work, teh problem is that it was orginally discovered as an anti-depressant and has bad side-effects, liek migraines and weight gain as well as slurred speech and memory loss.

I know that this sounds childish, but it works, I always drink a glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar in it. Drink it through a straw and it usually works best! I also read before bed, sometimes pray, I usually fall asleep mid prayer but at least it works. Also, talk to God about this issue. It may not be such an issue afterall and may be a sign from God that life during normal operating hours ( day) is too hectic for you to hear HIm and thus He is trying to get through to you with this. It happened to me once....meh, might be a thing like that.

Benedryl also works well, though indicated for allergies, it usually puts me to sleep. Silence is also a great tool, and animals are very calming. I have severe anxiety and constantly worry and thus I cannot sleeo from that often.

Hope these things help!

 

[Ariel]

I've had problems sleeping for years--the last symtom of the PTSD I had 15 years ago. I don't have problems falling asleep, but staying asleep.

Here are some things that help:
1) Make sure that you are getting enough calcium, at least 1,000 mg a day.
2) Magnesium also helps, up to 400 mg a day
3) 2B mentioned oatmeal, banana and milk before bedtime, a good choice. High fiber cold cereal such as bran flakes or even Cheerios also works. Even a cold glass of milk helps, although then you'll have to wait for your body to warm it up enough before you can fall asleep.
4) Read something soporific at bedtime--something you are familiar with so that you won't stay awake because of a cliff-hanger plot. Psalms and Proverbs, even some passages in the NT often help me to get to sleep, especially if I'm trying to memorize them.
5) Why this works, I don't know, but this one is good for getting BACK to sleep. Read something that encourages you to use the visual part of your brain. For more than a year now I've kept star charts beside my bed. I turn on my small reading light so as to not wake my husband, and study the charts. This has had two effects (1) I start feeling sleepy very quickly; (2) someday someone is going to gasp at my great knowledge and understanding of the heavens--if they don't fall asleep first.

I hope this helps!

 

[Joyfuldove]

Exercise has helped me a lot. I generally do really well when I exercise with people, so I enrolled myself in Pilates.

 

[brokenbananas]

These are things that work for various people for their circumstances. Yours may be different. Really, finding out why you have insomnia and dealing with what is causing it is the best thing. If you have a chemical imbalance, then need to figure out why and fix that, rather than dope yourself up with drugs only to mask the real problem.

I liken this to having your hand squashed in a door. It sure hurts a lot. You ask for people to help you deal with the pain & how to make it go away. Without anyone knowing the true situation, they give you suggestions as to how to make the pain go away without knowing anything else. No one asks, why do you have the pain or figures that has any relevance. They tell you from their experiences about when they had pain in their hands, which has little or nothing to do with you. Ice, take some pain meds, don't think about it, ignore it, etc. If they knew what the problem was, they would say, take your hand out of the door.

Just a few more thoughts,
Doris

 

[Bluelighted]

Reading a book usually puts me to sleep because it makes my eyes tired. LOL