Trouble falling/staying asleep.

[finallykrisb]

Right now I can't shut my brain off to fall asleep and if I wake up in the middle of the night I can't go back to sleep. I tried melatonin but right now the vivid dreams it causes are nightmares. No Bueno.

My doctor told me to stop taking OTC sleep aids but won't prescribe anything. I'm terrified of laying there for hours thinking. She also pointed out that suddenly quitting working out has probably made it worse. Extra guilt there.

So how to i shut my brain off and fall asleep unmedicated? Any tips?

[breezy8407]

I have had this problem in the past week to 10 days. I will be following along!

[lb2006]

I am sorry to hear this. I find it easier if I purposefully unwind. Shut off electronics, run a bath in dim/dark bathroom and then straight to bed to either read in dim light or straight to sleep. I do this when spending the night in a new place, shower in dim/dark and then to bed. I have a hard time sleeping in new places.

I hope you get quality sleep soon

[sitnspin]

I try not to watch anything crazy on TV and I also don't touch my phone about an hour before bed.  This might sound crazy, but sometimes I just literally envision a blank, white wall and it helps me to shut down.

[sadlebred]

Have you tried relaxing, doing yoga, drinking herbal tea? I also have to avoid Diet Sodas and caffeine after 6 pm, or I can stay awake late at night.

[thom]

I have no ideas, but I'm sorry to hear this. I sincerely hope you can find a way to get some restful sleep.

I like the herbal tea idea, but don't drink it too close to bed so you (hopefully) won't wake up having to pee at night.

[chw57]

The less I look at my phone at night, it seems the easier I can fall asleep. I do make an exception for turning on relaxing sounds/music because sometimes that really helps.

[emilyj]

I am going through the same thing. I have always had a problem falling asleep - like it takes me at least 30-45 minutes. I'm trying to stop taking OTC stuff, because I feel like I've become dependent on them. 

Things that I've tried that seem to work most of the time (not every night, sadly): My room being completely dark (I have a sleep mask), misting my pillow with lavender (I know, I know, but I'd rather do that than keep taking stuff) or taking a bath in a dim room with lavender scents, and a white noise app.

It is so frustrating.  

 

[labbie]

I agree re. the electronics (TV, phone, etc.) before bed. A warm bath and any other relaxation techniques might help. I'm sorry the melatonin isn't working for you. I hope you get some rest soon.

[cinco]

I switched from nighttime Ibuprofen to tart cherry juice. I can't guarantee it isn't placebo effect. I also love my white noise machine.

[shelbyann]

Not being able to sleep because your mind is racing really is maddening. Sorry. I spend so many nights lying there doing stupid stuff like composing emails that I need to send out in my head…so pointless.

I haven't found a foolproof solution but like others have mentioned I seem to do better when I stay away from my phone and TV for about 30 min before bedtime…I need to do SOMETHING to wind down so I try to read something easy like fun fiction instead. A nice glass of wine also helps, but uh, that's not entirely H&F I guess.

It's tough when I wake in the middle of the night (or when the baby wakes up and I'm trying to get back to sleep) because it's not like I'm gonna just turn all the lights on and whip out my novel. Sometimes putting music on very quietly (sleep station on Pandora with a timer) helps me zone out.

[Brit]

I have this happen to me quite a bit, it totally sucks. I have had a lot if success with guided meditation. I have downloaded a few apps for it, the most effective one for me is the guided meditation in the Yoga Studio app - only the longest version (20 mins) works for me.

[Deleted]

I have pretty bad insomnia as well. After I had the kid I thought I was cured but when she was 6 weeks old, it came back. My doc prescribes trazodone, which is a really old antidepressant but doesn't seem to do much for depression - but it's a good sleep aid. Helps me calm myself down and fall asleep. I only take a half a dose of it at night, and between that and a white noise machine I sleep decently.

[Deleted]

Warm bubble bath, gentle night time yoga/breathing routines, avoid a computer/cell phone screen, lighthearted tv is okay, and a lighthearted book (on Kindle with e-ink screen) is better. Are you dealing with a lot of anxiety? I used to wake up in the middle of the night and my mind would cycle through all sorts of issues for 1-2 hours no matter what I tried to do to shut it down; I'm now on 50mg of Zoloft and it makes a world of difference.

[Wines Not Whines]

I have the same problem. Other than medication, two things have helped me. First, keep a note pad and pen by your bed. If you find your mind racing or you're having anxiety about various things, write them down and tell yourself you'll deal with it when you wake up. Sometimes that helps me. The other thing that helps is reading fiction before I go to sleep. It gets my mind into the story and off of whatever had been bothering me.

If you need medication, I've had much better experiences with the Rx ones, like Ambien. The OTC meds leave me feeling groggy in the morning. It's weird that your doc won't prescribe something. If the problem persists, can you switch docs?

[wambam]

Do you have a sleep routine? Are you dimming the lights an hour before bed and avoiding screens? Is your room completely dark?

[al320]

Workout a ton and exhaust yourself. Its the only thing that works for me.

I got hooked on otc stuff in grad school and went cold turkey one spring break. I didnt sleep for two nights.

[wambam]

Mar 30, 2015 14:51:27 GMT -5 al320 said:

Workout a ton and exhaust yourself. 

This may be counterproductive, though if you get wired from exercise. At least it is in my case.

[al320]

Mar 30, 2015 14:53:02 GMT -5 wambam said:

Mar 30, 2015 14:51:27 GMT -5 al320 said:

Workout a ton and exhaust yourself. 

This may be counterproductive, though if you get wired from exercise. At least it is in my case.

Thats fair. Then dont do it at night lol i kid, i kid.

[katinthehat]

Lavender & cedarwood oil knock me out cold

[Susie]

I have to do something to relax my mind. If I try to go to bed immediately after working in the evening I'll lay awake and stress about work stuff for hours. 30-60 minutes of anything that isn't work is necessary. That thing can be something wholesome (working out) or lazy (TV) but it can't be on the computer (because work email is there).

[finallykrisb]

Mar 30, 2015 14:20:56 GMT -5 @historychick79 said:

Warm bubble bath, gentle night time yoga/breathing routines, avoid a computer/cell phone screen, lighthearted tv is okay, and a lighthearted book (on Kindle with e-ink screen) is better. Are you dealing with a lot of anxiety? I used to wake up in the middle of the night and my mind would cycle through all sorts of issues for 1-2 hours no matter what I tried to do to shut it down; I'm now on 50mg of Zoloft and it makes a world of difference.

Anxiety over a major life issue is the problem. And there are extenuating circumstances that prohibit some of the excellent advice I'm reading. But I'm definitely going to make improvements to my bedtime routine.

I'll be picking up my RX for 50 mg of Zoloft on the way home. Daytime anxiety is also sometimes overwhelming. right now so getting back on medication is the right thing for me.

[finallykrisb]

Mar 30, 2015 15:05:53 GMT -5 @vtcupcake said:

I'm very team prescription and question your doctor's motives if no other medication was offered in lieu of the OTC stuff. If there is an underlying cause to your sleep issues, such as anxiety, PTSD, etc, a mild sedative can go a long, long way. The nice thing about meds like ativan etc are that you can go on/off them as you please, no side effects or withdrawl symptoms included. I've had to go that route three times in my life (family emergency that caused me nightmares for weeks, Mr. Cupcake almost dying, and dissertation if anyone was keeping track). Every time it's helped tremendously and the first night not taking it (or skipping a night) didn't give me any ill effects.

It is absolutely anxiety related. And if the Zoloft doesn't help I will push for something else. They just require a sleep study first and that's not something I can fit in my schedule right now.

[finallykrisb]

Mar 30, 2015 14:49:59 GMT -5 wambam said:

Do you have a sleep routine? Are you dimming the lights an hour before bed and avoiding screens? Is your room completely dark?

I do not. And I'm currently sleeping in a new place with all the kids in close quarters. So quiet time is hard to come by.

[doglove]

Sometimes I rub a few drops of lavender essential oil on my scalp. The smell is soothing, but just a few drops is enough and not overpowering. I also echo some of the other suggestions - warm bath, book, using essential oils and meditation and maybe even writing in a journal before bed or your bedtime routine to get your thoughts out.

Andrew Johnson has some really great guided meditation apps as well. You can just wear headphones and even during some of my hardest nights, I would just keep listening to them over and over until I was able to fall asleep.

[lifetaketwo]

This is the worst. Do you also start to get anxious about the fact that you aren't sleeping? This is my biggest problem. I found that one of my best fixes is to get out of bed and try to sleep somewhere else. The couch, a guest bed, once in a hotel I made a blanket bed on the floor and slept there. I have no idea why it works, but it usually does. It's almost like a reset where I get to try and fall asleep again

[1confused1]

Mar 30, 2015 15:08:34 GMT -5 finallykrisb said:

Mar 30, 2015 14:20:56 GMT -5 @historychick79 said:

Warm bubble bath, gentle night time yoga/breathing routines, avoid a computer/cell phone screen, lighthearted tv is okay, and a lighthearted book (on Kindle with e-ink screen) is better. Are you dealing with a lot of anxiety? I used to wake up in the middle of the night and my mind would cycle through all sorts of issues for 1-2 hours no matter what I tried to do to shut it down; I'm now on 50mg of Zoloft and it makes a world of difference.

Anxiety over a major life issue is the problem. And there are extenuating circumstances that prohibit some of the excellent advice I'm reading. But I'm definitely going to make improvements to my bedtime routine.

I'll be picking up my RX for 50 mg of Zoloft on the way home. Daytime anxiety is also sometimes overwhelming. right now so getting back on medication is the right thing for me.

Zoloft and therapy was a miracle for me when I was going through a really rough time in my life (my divorce).  It wasn't a magic pill, but it helped calm me down enough that I could deal with things and it did help me sleep.

I hope you find something that works for you, I struggled with the same and it was horrible.