Insomnia

[Undomiel]

I've been a chronic insomniac for about 3 years and it's driving me crazy. I can only properly sleep when I'm at home (I only go there about once a month for one of two nights) because its really quiet, dark and comfortable. Whenever I look up "cures" online they tell me sleep somewhere quiet and dark. I don't have that option! I live in a city. I've tried using eye masks but they're uncomfortable. I also use mild sleeping pills about once a week when I get really tired and need to sleep (stillnoct). There has to be some natural cure or something I haven't tried yet. I need to sleep dammit! I worry too much which doesn't help. Oh and I've tried lavender oil on my pillow too. Any ideas?

 

[oddity83]

Heavy drapes over the window to block the light, as for the noise you might try going to a music supply shop and asking about sound damping foam they use in music studios. Good luck.

 

[FloatingCircus]

Hmm, a few thought:

try something physically exhausting (esp. if you're having a desk job)
read a very boring book

The most important thing is probably finding out about the cause of your insomnia and start working on that. --> Find a god doctor

 

[Ezzy]

I've been a chronic insomniac for about 3 years and it's driving me crazy. I can only properly sleep when I'm at home (I only go there about once a month for one of two nights) because its really quiet, dark and comfortable. Whenever I look up "cures" online they tell me sleep somewhere quiet and dark. I don't have that option! I live in a city. I've tried using eye masks but they're uncomfortable. I also use mild sleeping pills about once a week when I get really tired and need to sleep (stillnoct). There has to be some natural cure or something I haven't tried yet. I need to sleep dammit! I worry too much which doesn't help. Oh and I've tried lavender oil on my pillow too. Any ideas?

You could look at Varillium (sp) a plant that helps sleep.

The heavy drapes are a good idea, I used to live in London (UK) right next to a main road, and I had a large walk in closet that I put my bed in, when the doors to the closet were closed it was a very womblike space, I put heavy drapes on the bedroom window as they help some with sound deadening, I also covered the closet doors with heavy drapes too, there was almost no naise but the building did shake when heavy trucks and busses went by.

I also used a sound generator to give me a white noise background as well.

 

[pupper]

Have you been checked for sleep apnea?I sleep with a cpap,and I have to use Lunestra,a new form of sleeping pill non-narotic

 

[fgarvb1]

Undomiel,

Did anything change in your life three years ago?

Are you single?

I, since hitting puberty many years ago, sleep less than normal people.

I sleep from four to six hours a night. When I get insomnia it really sucks and I feel for anyone who suffers from it.

Back in the eighties I had some big time trouble with stress and and almost could not sleep at all. Try this...Pick the latest time you want to go to sleep every night. Make sure you are damned tired by that time, preferably by some kind of social exercise, but whatever it takes.

Slack off on sugar and caffeine. If you don't know how then learn to relax. I didn't know how, come to find out I never learned.

Romantic Emotions and worries of the world can play hell with your sleeping habits take a look at them.

One of the tools that helped me the most was a self hypnotic relaxation tape.

It had hypnotic stuff on one side mixed with subliminal things and on the other side, relaxation music with more subliminal stuff.

After three weeks I could put myself to sleep by counting back-wards from one hundred with out hardly ever getting to fifty.

All of that information cost me several thousand dollars and very many hours of time to learn.

Good luck . I hope things work out for you.

 

[NaughtyLil1]

I have been an insomniac for about 16 years. For the most part I have adjusted, but at times it sucks.

It's funny that you mentioned going home. I recently visited my parents and that was the best sleep I've had in a very long time. Since coming home my sleep pattern has been better (sleeping about 6 hours instead of my usual 2-3).

I tried medications, but they only made me feel worse.

Good luck to you. I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[Exciteher]

In addition to all that has already been suggested, try calcium with magnesium. Google "calcium+sleep".

 

[dollface007]

I sold blinds and draperies when I was a teenager, so I'm a bit of an authority

There are drapes that have insulation backing. They will block a lot of the light out of a room. Just make sure the rest of the material is heavy. Unfortunately, drapes can be a little expensive, but you can get insulated drapes ready made (try J.C. Penney, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc).

Aluminum blinds will also work, but you know how blinds are....they always let little cracks of light in. There are also solid cellular shades with metallic backing. Those can be expensive too.

I used to have a bedroom with windows that faced due east and let lots of the hot morning sunlight in. It was very hard to sleep. When I hung up heavy drapes it made a huge difference.

Also, I find that I fall asleep so much faster when I get a good hard cardio workout.

Another thing I did was put a tv and vcr in my bedroom. I can pop in a movie that I've watched about 100 times, put the sleep timer on the tv, and I usually fall asleep within a half hour.

 

[Private_Label]

Have you been checked for sleep apnea?I sleep with a cpap,and I have to use Lunestra,a new form of sleeping pill non-narotic

I like to direct people to the Usenet group: alt.support.sleep-disorder When I was first diagnosed with Sleep Apnea this group was very very helpful to me.

It covers all varieties of sleep related disorders, and if you have specific questions someone is sure to have an answer for you. Kinda like Lit that way

 

[JustSkye]

Do as the others have suggested and use the drapes to diminish the light. And I would suggest a light natural sound playing very lightly as background. For instance, rain, a small stream, light winds. If you can relax listenting to those. I need to heed my own advice and do all this! I suffer from not sleeping too well.
Also have you tried taking a naturally occuring substance we all have inside of us? Melatonin? Sometimes there isn't enough and taking a lose dose pill truly helps. You can get this in the vitamin section. I highly recommend it.

Kill any caffeine, sugar. And try not to eat too close to bed time. And drink lots of water throughout the day. Good luck to you!

 

[naughtygirl69s]

I agree about the melatonin. It's helped me out quite often, and it's CHEAP

 

[Scrofulus Scriv]

Antihistamines (Benadryl et al) work fairly well. That's probably not the healthiest thing to do on a regular basis, but they're safer than sleeping pills and they don't turn you into a zombie the following morning

 

[therockap1]

Have you tried listening to some music. You can listen to soft music like R&B or soft rock, maybe even jazz. Don't have the volume knob on too loud, mayber a 7 or 8. Just close your eyes and you'll fall asleep. Try those nature sounding music. Like ocean waves or jungle sounds. Try soothing things like that to help you fall asleep.

 

[Undomiel]

Thanks everyone. I don't think the heavy blinds thing is going to work for the moment. I tend to move house every few months. Damn student life! I could try the relaxing music thing though. And I do often eat before going to bed....

fgarvb1, yeah 3 years ago was when I started getting majorly stressed and I was suicidal at that time too. Since then I'm always worried or stressed about something or other.

I have been trying to stay up as late as I can to make myself tired, I usually watch an episode of something on dvd while in bed to make me sleepy. It helps a little I guess.

 

[pupper]

Antihistamines (Benadryl et al) work fairly well. That's probably not the healthiest thing to do on a regular basis, but they're safer than sleeping pills and they don't turn you into a zombie the following morning

I used antihistamines for years,keep in mind that they wil affect sexual function,especially those worried about penis size,they will effect flacid length as well as erection quality.I used benadryl and nyquil for years.The lunestra does not effect my sexual function.Xanax will work good too at low dosages,and it metabolizes quicker than valium,or ativan.