A good nights sleep?

[Quoll]

A question posed by a fellow HTer.

How to get some quality sleep without using medications or the help of another person?

I think a lot of us underestimate the importance of a good sleep, just how relaxing and rejuvinating it can be, not to mention how vital it is to our health and wellbeing, both physical and mental.

What do you do to get yourself a quality rest?

 

[silverwhisper]

me personally, i favor earplugs. i didn't realize to what extent my sleep was being interrupted by random, background sounds (or my own or my wife's snoring) until i began using the earplugs.

and of course, there's the whole thing of making sure one goes to the bathroom before settling in for the night... :>

ed

 

[Saucyminx]

zzzzzzzzzz

Yoga really seems to help. Just a few relaxing poses before bedtime helps me go to sleep.

I tend to wake up at 4 in the morning, if i'm going to wake up, and then I can't go back to sleep. A couple minutes in child's pose usually puts me back out.

(Are the dust bunnies clamoring and keeping you up dear?)

 

[Quoll]

Yoga really seems to help. Just a few relaxing poses before bedtime helps me go to sleep.

I tend to wake up at 4 in the morning, if i'm going to wake up, and then I can't go back to sleep. A couple minutes in child's pose usually puts me back out.

(Are the dust bunnies clamoring and keeping you up dear?)

I've had responsibility thrust upon me, I'm home alone with big Q and littlest Q, I'm doing well in this dept, little Q is watching telly and big Q is making a slingshot, (kids these days, he has no idea, too bulky and underpowered probably couldn't even break a window) what could go wrong.

 

[Quoll]

I would try to make going to sleep your refuge from life, maybe some candles, scented oils, favourite music, develop a pattern where going to bed is a pleasure, the body and mind love patterns, replacing bad with good is tricky, but not impossible.

 

[PertPerth]

I'm a huge fan of ear plugs too.
Apart from the obvious (no caffiene near bed time, eat right, get enough excercise, don't stress about things) routine is very important. Get up and go to bed at the same time every day. (And that includes weekends until you're sleeping well!)
I've just got a new cat who I let sleep with me. I'm considering banning him from the bedroom as he's been really disturbing my sleep.

 

[wicked woman]

I was surprised how much better I slept when I put room darkening blinds on my windows.


I haven't tried it, but I know people who have had luck with meditation when trying to go to sleep or when they wake up in the middle of the night.

 

[bobsgirl]

Q-ey honey, when I first read the title, I thought it said,

A Good Night's Sheep?

which, considering where we are, and the fact that I have a dirty mind, puts a whole new spin on the question.

You can keep sheep in line with a good herding dog.

As for sleep, I'm all ears, because insomnia and I are old friends. Here is something that works wonders, and I don't do often enough. Turn off the computer and go to bed.

 

[Quoll]

Q-ey honey, when I first read the title, I thought it said,

A Good Night's Sheep?

which, considering where we are, and the fact that I have a dirty mind, puts a whole new spin on the question.

You can keep sheep in line with a good herding dog.

I never know wether ewe are trying to pull the wool over my eyes or not, and I don't mean to ram this down your throat, butt I think out of shear commonsense this belongs in the "You know you spend too much time at Lit" thread ewe baaaad girl.

As for sleep, I'm all ears, because insomnia and I are old friends. Here is something that works wonders, and I don't do often enough. Turn off the computer and go to bed.

I think we're looking for realistic solutions here BeeG.

 

[shiny5437]

I agree with having a really dark room. When I used to work nights I used to stick aluminium foil over the windows - pitch black. Although it does look like you're growing cannabis in your bedroom.

For me exhaustion works pretty well. I sleep worse if i've not done anything physical all day - eg stayed in all day or only gone out in the car and not walked much. I also find that you need to give the brain bit of a stretch as well - reading a book that takes a bit to get your head around for example.

And if I wake too early a quick Tom Tank can sometimes help things along.

 

[Svejk]

I find a little bit of yoga helps, a few gentle twists lying on the bed can really relaw you.

 

[Eilan]

I went through a period a few years ago (I think I even started a thread about it when I was still a n00b) where I was having trouble sleeping because it was tough for me to shut my mind off. That improved for a while, but when my grandma was going through the final stages of her illness last year, things got even worse. For months after her death, every time I'd go to bed at night, I couldn't stop myself from reliving those last several days of her life. I haven't been doing that for the past couple of months, and I think some of the stuff below has helped.

Another vote for yoga, though the regular yoga class I've been attending recently is way too vigorous to promote rest for me. My studio offers restorative yoga classes on occasion, and I've become a fan. In restorative yoga, it's all about relaxing into the pose using lots of props--there shouldn't be any stretching or effort put into it. I went to a class yesterday evening, and when I got to bed last night, I slept wonderfully.

I've also found that doing heavy (for me, anyway!) squats and deadlifts helps me sleep well on workout days.

And I do take melatonin. Not sure I should mention this since some folks might consider it a medicine, but it does work very well for me.

 

[fire_breeze]

As an an old sufferer of insomnia, I learned the value of learning to switch my brain off. For an hour before heading off to bed, I'll relax, whether it's reading something light, doing light yoga, playing with my cat, shower, whatever, so I can relax. I might even put the fan on for ambient noise. If I had a horrible night, I still get up at my usual time.

This might sound stupid, I also have a couple of placebo pills (sugar pills) that I will use if I can't sleep. The whole motion of taking something in if I can't sleep sort of tricks my mind that I'm taking a sleeping pill, even though I know I'm not. Weird, I know, but it does the trick.

 

[Saucyminx]

BG, While the pin-up was cute, I missed your boobs.

One thing I have found NOT to be conducive to a good night's sleep is two 13 year old boys, and one 11 year old girl playing Play Station 3 until 2 a.m. in the living room. I was heartily wishing for some of those ear plugs--and I couldn't get the dang kids to try the yoga. . .

 

[DarkBee]

I'm gonna have one right now.

 

[KokopelliRises]

Most days I have trouble sleeping, I cheat and take some sleeping pills that I keep by the bed. But when I don't have them (like now because they're packed away somewhere) I try meditation or a sleeping mask (which I don't have now, damn it, because it too is packed away). Also a tip I learned a long time ago was to put a warm washcloth over your eyes for a few minutes. It makes your eyes relax and it usually does help me when I do it.

 

[chelleb]

Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort. I swear by it!

 

[KarennaC]

I've found meditation very helpful. It usually shuts my brain off enough to sleep.

For me, yoga has the opposite effect; it energizes me so I can't sleep. I used to take a yoga class that got over at 9, and on those nights I usually couldn't settle down enough to sleep till well after 11. (I have kids and have always worked in public schools; I usually go to bed between 9 and 10 and get up before 6.)

Masturbation is useful for relaxing me enough to fall asleep, too.

My biggest problem isn't usually falling asleep, though; it's staying that way long enough to get a decent amount of sleep. Some mornings I wake between 3:30 and 4 and my brain says, "Oh, we're awake" and just starts running. I live in fear that I'll turn out like the guy in Stephen King's Insomnia and just keep waking earlier and earlier till I get no sleep at all... As long as I don't see little bald men with rusty scissors, I guess it's all good.

 

[MisterSir]

I used to need earplugs when I was back in halls - the concept of shutting one's door if one's going to listen to loud music seems to be lost on my flatmates - and I'll use over-the-counter sleeping tablets if I really need to be up early and can't get to sleep naturally, but normally I don't have any problems. Jerking off...that actually does tend to help, I'll admit, but I try to enjoy it when I masturbate and sometimes it's quicker to just try to sleep.

 

[manofsteel52]

Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort. I swear by it!

The most comfortable bed I've slept on! Thinking of buying one for the guest room.

I also have a white noise machine, which helps enormously.

 

[harrlequin]

My first big battle was to get the idiot-box out of the bedroom. Took me years of nagging/bitching/whining.

*sigh* I don't have any problems getting to sleep, usually, but my subconscious is a real trial.

Vivid dreams, nightmares, "movie dreams" (long ones - make you feel you've already been awake a whole day). I talk, have conversations, yell or scream myself awake sometimes.

I do take A/D's - a mild dose, I have finally admitted to myself that I am better on them than off, and they are taken at bed-time, theoretically with the intent to promote quieter sleep.

I have just started with some melatonin as well, and this seems to have put a damper on things.

But I wish I could have just one or two nights a week where I don't dream at all.

 

[NippleMuncher]

BG, While the pin-up was cute, I missed your boobs.

I still miss the red and green flashy lights!

 

[Cattypuss]

I'm in the process of coming off what was a long-term, very high dose of nightly Trazodone and consequently getting to sleep is very very VERY VERY difficult, goddammit!

Something that has seemed to help the last couple of nights has been:

• Eating dinner much earlier than I would normally (i.e. 7 pm-ish instead of 9-10pm-ish)
• Getting off the internet at least an hour before bed-time
• Having a gratuitous pre-bed shower with a shower gel with lavender essential oil in it, having put some lavender essential oil on to burn in my bedroom just before getting in the shower, and going to bed IMMEDIATELY after the shower

 

[cromsgirl]

I'm sure a lot of people will have an issue with this, but I have found that I will start to have insomnia problems if I don't get enough sun exposure. For a few years I wondered if there was a reverse seasonal depression because I had many more insomnia episodes in the summer than during the rest of the year. I discovered that it was actually sun exposure one spring when we had two strait weeks of rain and I started having problems sleeping. I then realized that I didn't spend any time in the sun in the summer because it was too hot. Now I make sure to spend 5-10 minutes a few times a week in the sun and I have almost no problems sleeping. Just my 2 cents.

 

[fire_breeze]

I'm sure a lot of people will have an issue with this, but I have found that I will start to have insomnia problems if I don't get enough sun exposure. For a few years I wondered if there was a reverse seasonal depression because I had many more insomnia episodes in the summer than during the rest of the year. I discovered that it was actually sun exposure one spring when we had two strait weeks of rain and I started having problems sleeping. I then realized that I didn't spend any time in the sun in the summer because it was too hot. Now I make sure to spend 5-10 minutes a few times a week in the sun and I have almost no problems sleeping. Just my 2 cents.

Actually, there is some evidence that low levels of vitamin D can help cause poor sleep/fatigue. Some doctors recommend up to 15 minutes of mild sun exposure per week to help with proper sleep.

So it does seem to be very beneficial. In small amounts. *sigh*