Ideas for getting to sleep please???

[waunder]

I have insomnia and in my quest to get better ,not sleeping is not helping . I have tried many many things. I have anxiety and just cannot let go enough to fall asleep. Does anyone have some good ways they use to get some much needed healing sleep? Anything that has worked for you I would appreciate it. Books ??? anything.:)

[MazF]

Hi, i usually try the alphabet game where i try to think of, say, birds or types of food beginning with a then b then c etc. It helps me drift off and it distracts from anxious thoughts. I think i heard or read somewhere that reading isn't always the best idea because it's stimulating for the brain and can be counter productive for inducing sleep. Honestly, there is nothing worse than lying awake or a poor nights sleep, i really hope you can work through this. Pleasant dreams!!

[Lousicle]

I have the tv on & just fall asleep watching it , can't sleep without it , always make sure it's low volume

[MrRedShirt]

One that doesn't help is lying in bed 'wrestling' with yourself trying to get to sleep. I have tinnitus, so I've tried all sorts - and when I wake in the night I find that unless I get up and mooch about - surf the net, read something - I can't get back to sleep. I know that in theory reading should be stimulating, but I always find that it helps me sleep.
Also, having some neutral sound - rain falling, the sound of the sea - played from my phone through some small speakers can help me drift off. That might help those without tinnitus too.

[Bethany-may]

Hi,
try relaxing yourself before you even get into bed, for example take a hot bath and have a cup of tea or hot chocolate this will help relax your mind.

[MrRedShirt]

Hot chocolate is a favourite of mine!

[BobbyDog]

Valarian Root, from health food store or chemist, it is herbal and non adictive. I took it for year, it worked for me and I have suffered with insomnia most of my life, worth a try.

[nantia]

Hello,

hot milk works for me usually when I am a bit anxious but when things get too bad it does nothing at all. . . I wouldn't suggest any medication cause I just avoid it, sorry. :P I've got something else though.

Yesterday I found myself starting to panic while I was trying to fall asleep. As soon as I realized it I noticed that every muscle in my body was tense so what I did was immediately force myself to let them loose and started breathing steadily and deeply. I know that might be a bit tricky but it works miracles for me. It is based on some old yoga classes I took the theory from and I developed my own mechanism of relaxation. I won't tell you to start yoga lessons if you don't want to but you have to look up breathing techniques cause they help A LOT. :) I also panic in airplanes and I do that to stop me from shaking etc, I can stop the headache and relatively every other pain as well as limit the panic attack symptoms. :) I took me some time to find out how to do it though.

[Idstain]

Magnesium! (assuming you haven't already tried it). Take it a couple of hours before you go to bed, works a treat for myself and some people I know.

[waunder]

Thank you all. They all sound great and will try each one till one works. Nantia I relate to your panic when trying to sleep. I will drift of and panic and it just gets my adrenalin going. It is like I can fall asleep but as soon as I sink under something triggers an attack, groan ,and then I am ruined for the night. Again thank you all.:)

[kwadi]

Hi, I become aware of sensations coming from my hands at the same time and I say in my head many times and very slowly a sentence 'I'mmmmmmmmmmmmmm vvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy yyyyyyyyy caaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm aaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnndddddddddddd peacccccccccccccccefffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu uulllllllllllllllllllllllll nooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww' . It usually works for me very well.

[josiejo]

I have had sleep problems since my teens and I'm now 43. Its not been constantly bad but over the past 3 years its been as near chronic as you can get. I can go 5/6 nights without any sleep at all and then sleep a full night, then return to not sleeping a further 5/6 nights. I know its anxiety related and sometimes I feel that if I could just sleep it would help my anxiety enormously as lack of sleep just makes me feel much worse. Its a vicious circle. I can't claim to have found a cure but I tried acupuncture and out of all things it has probably made the most difference. I found it extremely difficult to drop off at all. I didn't think I had the ability to fall asleep naturally but acupuncture changed that and I started falling alseep half an hour after going to bed. Sometimes I would sleep 10pm to 2am sometimes I'd get to about 4 or 5 am but not often. Still a vast improvement. I still had a week a month that I did not sleep at all, this corresponded with my menstral cycle. The acupuncturist recommended something called Jiawei Xiaoyao Wan which I tried very reluctantly because its disgusting to take but I did get some solid nights sleep. On nights that the anxiety is particularly bad its uncontrollable and I know I won't sleep whatever I try but I'm certainly better for these two treatments. I've just lost my Dad and have been very upset and its made my sleep patterns go haywire again, I will try for another week to see if my sleep settles down but i plan to return for a session of acupuncture again. Alot of these things are trial and error. I've tried passion flower, valerian, kalms, prescription sleeping pills, hot milk, bath before bed, reading, not reading...nothings has worked as well as the acupuncture and chinese medicine. It took 4 sessions of acupuncture until I saw a difference so if you try it give it time and be honest about what sleep you get because when you start to sleep it may only be a short while and you will still crave more but its an improvement your looking for. The Chinese herbs have also been a godsend and I would recommend them but google them first and see what you think. I only take them for 5 days over my menstral cycle and then on the odd days that I feel anxious before bed. Before my Dad died my sleep was 80% better and I hope to get back there one day soon. I know you're suffering and people that sleep have no idea how bad life is without sleep so you feel on you're own but do your research and try things, I never thought I would sleep again and was very low but the investment in acupuncture and the chinese medicine was worth every penny. A nights sleep is better than winning the lottery x

[scrog80]

10-30 mg of Valium knocked me out when I was having problems sleeping just very addictive it is so nice to have a good night sleep but my Valium were black market so not mane the safest way to get a good night sleep worked for me I will have the odd night on them from time to time

[Pacific]

i listen to relaxing music before sleeping, it really helps me. Makes me so tired i just fall asleep. Also tea might help (without caffeine). Dont go to sleep when not tired