Thu Jan 11, 2007 7:14 pm
I have horrendous insomnia. I can go a few days with no sleep sometimes.
That being said:
-Avoid your bed. Better yet, stay out of your bedroom as much as possible until bedtime
-Do something relaxing for an hour or two before bed: Read, take a bath, etc.
-Exercise in the afternoon
-Avoid TV, the internet, video games, etc. for a few hours before bed
-Don't have caffeine after 1 PM
-Don't eat within a couple hours before going to bed
-If you are not asleep within half an hour, don't stay in bed. Get up, read a book, just do something relaxing until you start feeling sleepy
-Don't watch the clock when trying to sleep
-Try to concentrate on your breathing when trying to sleep
-Take a gravol if all that fails
And if all of that fails, see your doctor. And yell at him when he gives you quack 'advice'.
(Yeah, I've tried everything.)
That being said:
-Avoid your bed. Better yet, stay out of your bedroom as much as possible until bedtime
-Do something relaxing for an hour or two before bed: Read, take a bath, etc.
-Exercise in the afternoon
-Avoid TV, the internet, video games, etc. for a few hours before bed
-Don't have caffeine after 1 PM
-Don't eat within a couple hours before going to bed
-If you are not asleep within half an hour, don't stay in bed. Get up, read a book, just do something relaxing until you start feeling sleepy
-Don't watch the clock when trying to sleep
-Try to concentrate on your breathing when trying to sleep
-Take a gravol if all that fails
And if all of that fails, see your doctor. And yell at him when he gives you quack 'advice'.
(Yeah, I've tried everything.)
Thu Jan 11, 2007 8:02 pm
Moongewl wrote:I got out my Psychology book, and here are the steps it gives for establishing an optimal sleep pattern--
1. Go to bed only when you are sleepy, not by convention or habit.
2. Put the light out immediately when you get into bed.
3. If you are still wakeful after 20 minutes, get out of bed and sit and relax in another room until you are tired again. Relaxation can include tensing and relaxing your muscles or using visual imagery, which involves closing your eyes concentrating on some calm image or scene for several minutes.
5. Repeat step 4 as often as required, and also if you wake up for any long periods of time.
6. Set the alarm to the same time each morning, so that your time of waking is always the same. Oversleeping/sleeping in is one of the primary causes of insomnia the next night.
7. Do not nap during the day because it will throw off your sleep schedule the next night.
8. Follow this program rigidly for several weeks to establish an efficient and regular pattern of sleep.
Which one is step 4 again?
It always takes me a long time to fall asleep too.. I know a stable sleeping pattern is the best thing to do, but I've got a pretty varying schedule, so I'll just have to manage the best way I can.
Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:27 pm
Some general things I've heard:
Set an alarm before you go to sleep, even if it's just a nap. Otherwise, you'll be worrying about when to wake up and you'll be focusing on that and not sleep.
Use your bed for sleep, and not homework or watching TV or anything of the sort. In fact, I've even heard some people say to only use your room to sleep, but I won't go that far. =P
Keep a pad of paper and a writing utensil near your bed so if you wake up thinking about something you can just jot it down and go back to sleep.
If you can't get to sleep, or wake up and can't get back to sleep, go into another room and do something else for about 30 minutes then try and go back to sleep.
My Chemistry teacher is always saying how he can fall asleep in under fifteen seconds... We kept bugging him about it so he handed us this handout on what he calls "Power Napping." Only, it's not really napping... o_o;; But here are the steps. I've tried it out and it seems to be working for me.
It's self-hypnosis, so it will probably take you many months for it to really begin working... and you have to do it every night, not just when you're tired (that is, if you are even going to try it.) Also, if you are distracted in anyway, you have to start again at the beginning, otherwise it won't work.
1) Get into a comfortable position in bed (Laying on your back with your arms at your sides and not touching your body) and relax.
2) Take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then let it out slowly... as you do this, imagine yourself as a balloon being deflated and collapsing in on itself. Repeat twice more.
3) Next, relax your body with each exhale. Start with your toes, willing them to relax completely, and work your way up... when you are completely finished you should not be aware of anything touching your body.
4) Next, with each exhale or every other exhale of your breathing, count down from 100 to one. As you exhale and count, picture in your mind the number (just the number!) you are on. You start with 100, seeing that number, then 99... so on and so forth. If you get down all the way to 0 (or 1) and still have not fallen asleep, then start over again at 100.
When you first start out, your countdowns will probably be in the 30-40 range but as you practice you will fall asleep faster and faster.
Set an alarm before you go to sleep, even if it's just a nap. Otherwise, you'll be worrying about when to wake up and you'll be focusing on that and not sleep.
Use your bed for sleep, and not homework or watching TV or anything of the sort. In fact, I've even heard some people say to only use your room to sleep, but I won't go that far. =P
Keep a pad of paper and a writing utensil near your bed so if you wake up thinking about something you can just jot it down and go back to sleep.
If you can't get to sleep, or wake up and can't get back to sleep, go into another room and do something else for about 30 minutes then try and go back to sleep.
My Chemistry teacher is always saying how he can fall asleep in under fifteen seconds... We kept bugging him about it so he handed us this handout on what he calls "Power Napping." Only, it's not really napping... o_o;; But here are the steps. I've tried it out and it seems to be working for me.
It's self-hypnosis, so it will probably take you many months for it to really begin working... and you have to do it every night, not just when you're tired (that is, if you are even going to try it.) Also, if you are distracted in anyway, you have to start again at the beginning, otherwise it won't work.
1) Get into a comfortable position in bed (Laying on your back with your arms at your sides and not touching your body) and relax.
2) Take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then let it out slowly... as you do this, imagine yourself as a balloon being deflated and collapsing in on itself. Repeat twice more.
3) Next, relax your body with each exhale. Start with your toes, willing them to relax completely, and work your way up... when you are completely finished you should not be aware of anything touching your body.
4) Next, with each exhale or every other exhale of your breathing, count down from 100 to one. As you exhale and count, picture in your mind the number (just the number!) you are on. You start with 100, seeing that number, then 99... so on and so forth. If you get down all the way to 0 (or 1) and still have not fallen asleep, then start over again at 100.
When you first start out, your countdowns will probably be in the 30-40 range but as you practice you will fall asleep faster and faster.
Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:53 pm
A lot of people have said stay away from computer before you go to bed, and it makes sense, but I'm going to go and suggest the opposite as a possiblity. A lot of times if I'm using the computer at night I'll get really tired and feel like I could just close my eyes and fall asleep. Getting ready for bed always wakes me up, but possibly if you got ready for bed before getting on the computer and could kinda half sleepwalk from your computer to your bed, it might work. I don't know.
Reading before bed doesn't really work for me, because I always get too engrossed in the book and end up staying up til, like, 3 in the morning reading. Although maybe if you found a boring enough book?
Reading before bed doesn't really work for me, because I always get too engrossed in the book and end up staying up til, like, 3 in the morning reading. Although maybe if you found a boring enough book?
Fri Jan 12, 2007 12:08 am
Kenjiro wrote:Which one is step 4 again?
Oops
I skipped step 3, which is "Do not read or watch television in bed, because those are activities you do when you want to be awake." The one listed as step 3 is actually step 4.
Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:27 am
When it's time for you to get up in the morning, but you really dont want to because you are SO GOSH DARN COMFORTABLE..... you need to find out what those elements are, and greaten them for bed time.
For example, I always feel best when I am warm and toasty, but it is gold and windy and gross around me. I love sitting under a porch during a storm, wrapped up in a blanket. I LOVE getting out of the cold shower, wrapping up in a robe and towels, and using the blowdryer on my hair.
I found my perfect sleep method because of this.... I have my main blanket on my bed, but I added an extra blanket, more like a light quilt, to the top, simply to snuggle with. I then bought a nice little fan to put on the bedstand next to where I sleep. Now Im in a nice warm bed, I have a breeze blowing on the ONLY uncovered part of me, my face, but i can snuggle up, or cover any breeze I dont want with my big fluffly quilt/blanket. Its PERFECT. Extra comfort, perfect conditions.
Now you just need to find your perfect conditions. Do you like being snuggly warm with it cold around you? Do you simply like to feel toasty, so you might want to wrap up in a true blanket, and THEN slide under some sheets? Perhaps you really like the security of having it 100% dark in your room. Figure out your most comfortable feelings, and put them to work in your most important area for feeling comfortable... your bed.
For example, I always feel best when I am warm and toasty, but it is gold and windy and gross around me. I love sitting under a porch during a storm, wrapped up in a blanket. I LOVE getting out of the cold shower, wrapping up in a robe and towels, and using the blowdryer on my hair.
I found my perfect sleep method because of this.... I have my main blanket on my bed, but I added an extra blanket, more like a light quilt, to the top, simply to snuggle with. I then bought a nice little fan to put on the bedstand next to where I sleep. Now Im in a nice warm bed, I have a breeze blowing on the ONLY uncovered part of me, my face, but i can snuggle up, or cover any breeze I dont want with my big fluffly quilt/blanket. Its PERFECT. Extra comfort, perfect conditions.
Now you just need to find your perfect conditions. Do you like being snuggly warm with it cold around you? Do you simply like to feel toasty, so you might want to wrap up in a true blanket, and THEN slide under some sheets? Perhaps you really like the security of having it 100% dark in your room. Figure out your most comfortable feelings, and put them to work in your most important area for feeling comfortable... your bed.
Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:08 am
When I was in law school, I would take a law book into the bedroom, lay on the bed, and minutes later, lights blazing, be out cold. My suggestion is to read something sooooo boring that you would rather sleep than try to make sense of another sentence. It does work. I have done it many a time since my law school days. I find something that confuses the hell out of me, start reading it, and wham, I am asleep before you know it.
But, hey, that's just my way of falling asleep. It might not work for you.
Though what Wonder Weezel says does make sense. I suggest going with that--unless you have a law book that discusses tort law in the middle ages. I feel a yawn coming on just thinking of it.
But, hey, that's just my way of falling asleep. It might not work for you.
Though what Wonder Weezel says does make sense. I suggest going with that--unless you have a law book that discusses tort law in the middle ages. I feel a yawn coming on just thinking of it.
Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:52 pm
Morningstar wrote:When I was in law school, I would take a law book into the bedroom, lay on the bed, and minutes later, lights blazing, be out cold. My suggestion is to read something sooooo boring that you would rather sleep than try to make sense of another sentence. It does work. I have done it many a time since my law school days. I find something that confuses the hell out of me, start reading it, and wham, I am asleep before you know it.
But, hey, that's just my way of falling asleep. It might not work for you.
Though what Wonder Weezel says does make sense. I suggest going with that--unless you have a law book that discusses tort law in the middle ages. I feel a yawn coming on just thinking of it.
But what are you supposed to do when you're actually trying to READ?! I practically have narcolepsy when it comes to law textbooks.
Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:01 am
Bambam wrote:But what are you supposed to do when you're actually trying to READ?! I practically have narcolepsy when it comes to law textbooks.
Good question, Nick. Perhaps that is why I never bothered to finish getting my law degree. Once the baby came along (AKA Nat AKA Baby Poogle Easter), I knew I didn't have a chance finishing that last year. Hhhhmmmm, I suggest reading it someplace where you cannot get comfortable at all. Like a high school cafeteria with those horrible fluorescent lights and metal benches that butt up next to the metal table. So, the metal in the table is biting into your elbow while you are holding up the book. And the metal in the bench is biting into your butt so there is no way to get comfortable.