What do you do to make yourself sleepy?

[notsogooduk]

I am really struggling to find ways to make myself sleepy, I just can't stop worrying and my mind never switches off.

I have resorted to making camomile tea, painkillers, cold and flu tablets, kalms and all sorts just to make myself sleepy so I can go to bed

I have been to the docs for sleeping tablets, they refused to give me anything and just said that seeing the therapist would sort things.

I have tried breathing exercises, I have tried attention "switching" techniques.

Ever since I was young I have had to have the TV on to help me sleep, I have to fall asleep with something going on. Now I have moved out, got married my other half doesn't allow a TV in the room so I lie there in a dark room, in complete silence so that doesn't help at all.

So now after a huge cup of camomile tea, painkillers, cold and flu tablets I am just trying to be able to relax to go to sleep, with no luck :(

[Annie0904]

Bach rescue night and a cup of camomile tea

[Elle-Kay]

I was going to say that I have the TV on, but see you mentioned that. I don't actually have the picture on the TV though - we have speakers plugged into the DVD player in our bedroom so that I can have a DVD/CD on without having to have the TV itself on. This way (and perhaps your partner would allow this if they knew it would help you?) I can still have the audio to distract me, but without the distracting light. I often put mp3 or CD audiobooks in the DVD player and listen to them this way, too.

Other things I do/have done are chamomile tea, lavender pillow spray, hypnosis CDs before bed and reading until I'm nodding off.

[notsogooduk]

I might try the pillow spray / bach.

Do the hypnosis cd's work?

I might try some headphones and an audio story of some sort. I will have to check for some good ones!

[Elle-Kay]

I find that the hypnosis CDs help me to relax and get into "sleep mode", as they encourage relaxed breating as part of the hypnosis technique.

If you don't want to shell out for some audiobooks to start with, your library probably carries some, or Audible often have an introductory free offer. I have lots, but the ones I've listened to most are the Harry Potter books, which we have unabridged & are read by Stephen Fry

[notsogooduk]

I have always found reading helps but I tend to read on my phone, but then I drift away from reading and get distracted and then panic again so I leave my phone downstairs.

I might try and buy a cheap mp3 player to put them on to keep my mind occupied.

Has to be better than whale music

[fozzy is crying]

I have always found reading helps but I tend to read on my phone, but then I drift away from reading and get distracted and then panic again so I leave my phone downstairs.

I might try and buy a cheap mp3 player to put them on to keep my mind occupied.

Has to be better than whale music

Hi,

How are you tonight?

Gordon