What do you do when you can't sleep?
Recently I have been waking in the middle of the night and am unable to get back to sleep for hours. When I do nod off its near morning and then the alarm hits me like a truck. I'm dead tired the rest of the day but that seems to make no difference the next night. Ive passed the time in the night reading, meditating, doing relaxation exercises, watching TV and of course on SNAPZU (like now). Just wondering if anyone has tips for how to occupy the time? What's your best strategy for getting back to sleep?
8 years ago by Fooferhill
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Not sure if you are joking or not, but masturbation used to really help on nights I struggled to sleep, then at some point my body seemed to decide "Ok you have had this easy cheat long enough now, you need to truly experience this sleeplessness." So it has lost it's affect on my getting to sleep :/
Whether he's joking or not, this can actually work! If I remember right, the act of finishing releases certain chemicals and hormones, like endorphins, that will relax your body and this can help you fall asleep!
Tip: it also works as a good pain killer! ;)
That pain killer thing is no joke. As a teenager I used to get seriously bad period cramps where no amount of pills would get rid of the agony. I would just cry and masturbate until the pain went away. My electric toothbrush did more for me then ibuprofen did.
I do hope that by this point you've invested in something a little better than an electric toothbrush? More power to you, but there are some very nice toys out there... :)
Oh, I have! Thankfully it's only needed for fun now, not pain relief. And the toothbrush is solely for my teeth.
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I usually throw on some relaxing nature sounds from Spotify or something. Usually rainforest sounds or just rain sounds. It really helps me calm down and sleep. And usually I sleep better with those sounds than I do without. However, I do know listening to music isn't everyone's cup of tea when it comes to trying to sleep.
I do this with rainymood whenever I miss those proper Texas thunderstorms :)
I've also listened to Explosions in the Sky and Cinematic Orchestra to fall asleep. Combining soft songs with rainymood is probably one of my favorite things to do
Usually bitch, but get up watch TV till it's time to go to work, I average about 5-6 hours sleep for some reason
This seems to be my fate. Looking at my dad he seems to get 4-5 hours a night. I used to think it was madness but now I go through patches of sleep issues and have started to theorise that I am heading to the same situation as he is in.
Usually, because I don't sleep enough there's one night where I might get 6-7 because I'm so burned out from lack of sleep, it sucks as I try to go back to sleep but once I open my eyes I just get up as I know I'm not going back to sleep!!
I watch Eddie Izzard's Dress to Kill. It's an amazing comedy routine and all, but I've listened to it so many times and his style of comedy is so very stream-of-consciousness that I just start it at a random spot and I'm lulled to sleep in ten minutes.
Gin and tonic?
For me, the best sleep has been following a good day. It might not be the most reliable advice, but having a good day: lots of smiles, lots of smiles: has led to a good night's rest.
Suffer is my answer. I have periods where I just struggle to get to sleep. Even sleeping pill don't always work, they can even make things worse by putting me into a semi sleep state where I have very unnerving dreams. After a couple nigts like this I eventually I get exhausted enough that I'll have a full night's sleep and then things seem to go back to normal for the next couple of weeks/months till the next bout of sleeplessness. My dad has sleeping issues so I expect it'll become more regular as I get older till I, like my dad, don't sleep more than 4ish hours a night. He seems to have adapted to it so I guess I will too.
I think I read somewhere you'd better get up and do something tiring, but relax enough that it will not wake you any further, like read a book or something. You can just get up, walk a bit in the house, go get a glass of milk (or whatever you feel like drinking). This will take you some energy (to concentrate on reading or to digest) and will help you get back to sleep.
Careful though, that if you turn on something that emits light directly in your face (TV, tablet, phone, computer, etc.), you risk sending the wrong signal to your brain that it's time to wake up.
I am wondering if my iPad use before bed isn't helping. I turn down the brightness but maybe this isn't enough.
I read you shouldn't use a screen, especially a tablet/phone for about an hour before going to sleep.
Huh. I usually use my tablet for several hours before I go to sleep. Then I put it down next to my bed and drop off a few minutes later.
My fiancee hates that about me.
That was an advice for someone who has trouble sleeping. If you don't, then don't bother with it. Maybe it has an impact on the quality of your sleep though. But I believe the scientific knowledge on sleep and all that surrounds it is still not much.
True, I know they've been studying sleep for a long, long time now. They're still befuddled by common sleep problems, because the symptoms don't typically stem from the same causes. Thus: what works for me won't necessarily work for you.
When I had my last child I did a hypnobirthing course, part of that course was listening to a relaxation/self hypnosis CD, which, once I had done it a few times if I had trouble falling asleep all I has to do was count backwards from five down to zero a couple of times and I would fall asleep. 3 1/2 years later thats still all I need to do. So maybe a self hypnosis CD (........god, does anybody use CDs anymore?) It sounds like you are already doing the things that are suggested by sleep hygiene counsellors. They say the worst thing to do is to lie in bed and TRY to sleep.
I read this as I am lying in bed trying to sleep! Whoops.
LOL. The blue light from tablet screens can really stuff up sleeping patterns
Do you know if there is anything that can limit this (other than obviously turning the thing off). I love using my tablet when bored-makes time pass easily.
So I left a more detailed answer, but I would say try to find other things to do that don't require a screen at night. Yes, a tablet can make time pass easily, but so can lots of other things as long as you enjoy them. Read a book, maybe try drawing something. Sudoku or crosswords can be good as well. I like having things to do with my hands, so I've gotten into card magic and origami recently.
I know what you mean, I'm not sure if night view or lowering the brightness makes any difference. Theres a few articles online re blue light from tablets and the effect on melatonin in the body.You can read them on your tablet in bed :)
So, first things first: lying in bed awake is the worst thing to do if you're having trouble falling asleep. Only use your bed for sleep (and sex). If you lie awake for more than 20 or 30 minutes, you should get up out of bed. Do someone not terribly active, like read a book or something. Your body relies on patterns and habits. If you lie awake in bed a lot, your body gets used to being awake while lying in bed. You need to retrain your body to fall asleep within a few minutes of lying down, and the best way to do that is to not let yourself lie awake for hours.
Second, get a rhythm of going to bed and waking up. Again, your body likes habits. Go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every day. You can of course adjust it depending on the day (though sleeping in too much on weekends can be bad). But the important thing is to train your body to think, "alright 10 o'clock, time to go to bed" and "it's 6am, I need to get up now." Reinforce good habits and try to break bad ones, like what I mentioned in the first paragraph.
Third, some studies have shown that blue light, such as the light from a screen, prevents falling asleep. The general science behind this is that during the day, sunlight has a lot of blue light in it (hence the blue sky); therefore, when your eyes see blue light they tend to activate the wakefulness systems in your brain. Most recommendations I've read say you should avoid blue light up to about an hour before bed. I use f.lux on my computer and Twilight on my Android phone--I'm not sure if iOS has a similar app, but look into it. I also got an e-reader without a backlight to help pass the time at night. You can also try other activities that don't require screens--I picked up a card magic book and have been practicing that :)
And finally, avoid using the planing/decision-making part of your brain as you try to fall asleep. Don't use the time in bed to try to plan your next day, or figure out some problem you've been thinking about. If you catch yourself doing it (I find myself doing it way too often), but try to think of something else. The common trick, of course, is counting sheep! But one I like to do is count my breaths. Take slow, deep breaths, and try to focus on only that. Feel the sensation of your lungs filling up, and the rush of air through your mouth or nose. Also try different things, and see what works for turning your brain off. And again, if you're relaxing for a while and still haven't fallen asleep, get out of bed.
I'm not a sleep expert, but I have read quite a lot of literature (both academic and popular works). The most important thing to take away is that it's your body, find what (doesn't) work for you and go with that. I sleep for almost 9 hours every day, while my father only needs about 6. That's just how our bodies are. Healthy sleep is incredibly important, and something you should never take for granted. Happy Snoozing!
I have often read that using your bed for things other than sleep causes issues. The problem with this is it is not always practical. I live in a digs with 4 other people and the only place to escape and be on your own is your room. In my room the two places for me to not be standing is my desk (incredibly uncomfortable chair to relax at) and my bed. So although I can go to the tv room and read at 2 in the morning when I can't sleep, during usual times of day and night, if I want to be alone, then my room/bed it has to be.
I'm not sure of your finances, but maybe try getting a more comfortable chair? I use a bean bag chair in my room for that late night relaxing...
Also, I think the main thing to avoid is lying down in your bed when not going to sleep. I sometimes sit up on my bed against a wall (with a pillow to help) when reading. It's not so much to avoid being on the bed, but to teach your body, "when I am lying down in this place, we should sleep."
These are some good points. I'll definitely give it some tbought, thanks :)
I actually have no problem falling asleep when I first go to bed. It's just that I wake through the night and then can't get back to sleep for hours as I feel wide awake.
Well, I think most of the points still stand if you're trying to fall asleep in the middle of the night. Don't just lie in bed awake, don't use screens, etc. If you do feel wide awake in the middle of the night, you don't necessarily have to fight it. Get up for a bit. Maybe grab some food. Listen to some music. Oh, and definitely avoid stressing about the next day by just not thinking about it. For some people, breaking up their sleep schedule is just normal for them. Now you did mention you're tired all the next day, so being up for too long in the middle of the night might not be best.
However, sometimes I've found it helpful to try to 'reset' your sleep patterns. Like, try staying up really late on a night you don't have work/obligations the next day. Once you stay up late, don't sleep in. Get up early, and force yourself to keep moving around and avoid taking any naps. By the time the next night hits, you should be tired enough to sleep through the night. This can help break the old pattern and allow you to establish healthy habits.
Try taking some melatonin before you go to sleep! It's worked wonders for me in the past.
Sometimes taking a walk works for me, or turning on the fan. The background noise typically helps phase out anything else and I can get to sleep.
Put on a podcast, usually MBMBaM.
Depends on what's keeping me up.
General worries(Death, bills, etc): Spin around/toss and turn in my bed till I get bored/tired. Come up with stories in my head till I fall asleep.
Specific worries(Did I forget to do ----?): Get up and do it cause I won't be asleep till I'm sure and I sleep better after knowing.
Thought up possible solution to a problem: Get up and test it. Normally this happens when I have been having writers block for a story or have hit a wall in a program/script I was working on.
I got the toss and turn moves sorted-expert bed wrecker! Never thought about thinking up stories though. I'm awake again now-will give it a go.
Been doing that since I've been in middle school. Helps me plan out stories that I want to write... If I can remember them in the morning. It's also the reason I keep a notebook within reach while in bed. Just for those moments where I feel I have a great idea or passage and I need to get it down. Though I'm usually writing in the dark which leads to me needing to translate chicken scratch.
Shoulda been a doctor. Coulda got more practice with that sort of thing.
Side note: "What if" statements are your friend if you wanna do the whole making up stories thing. If you can't think of a basis for a story just go, "What if..... my computer suddenly became sentient and started to talk to me." Something like that.
Best thing to do is masturbate. There's a reason you're tired afterwards :)
I've heard that if you have trouble falling asleep it points to anxiety issues but if you have trouble staying asleep it can be due to depression. Sometimes I stay up at night thinking about all the things I have to do or the requirements I feel like I am falling behind on. It helps me to write them down on a piece of paper. This way I know I'll read the paper in the morning and remember to do the things listed. Oh and I take some valerian root and that seems to help a lot!
Take ambien
Which is what?
A medication prescribed for short-term relief of sleeping difficulty, specifically sleep onset (over sleep maintenance). It should only be taken under medical supervision.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zolpidem
Ah-zolpidem. Different brand name I was not familiar with.
I listen to some relaxing rain @ http://www.rainymood.com/ :)
Awesome suggestion. Thanks for the link.
Down a glass of pure orange juice warmed with added sugar, go to bed, await sugar crash, fall asleep
Pour a glass of a little good single-malt and surf the internet
A hefty trench of fine cannabis, and undersea documentaries with British narrators.
I won't use cannabis. Cricket commentary has the same effect on me during the day.