Sleep Aids

[The Kizzy]

I hate taking pills, even aspirin unless my doctor prescribes it.

I was thinking about taking some of those pills that are supposed to help you sleep, because I toss and turn (last night until at least 3:30) and when I finally do fall asleep, it is a very light sleep, and the smallest sound wakes me up. I am exhausted all day because I am not sleeping well at night.

So anyone have any experience with those sleep aides?

[Martrae]

Get some melatonin.

[The Kizzy]

sun?

[Trielelvan]

No.

Melatonin - natural sleep aid

Take it every night before going to bed around the time you want to start feeling tired. It takes a couple weeks, but it helps regulate your body's internal clock.

[liquidstayce]

or instead of taking pills figure out what is causing you not to be able to get to sleep and change it..

No reading or watching TV in bed. These are waking activities. If your insomnia is chronic, it is not a good thing to do, says Dr. Alex Clerk, head of Stanford Sleep Disorder Clinic in Palo Alto.

Go to bed when you're sleepy-tired, not when it's time to go to bed by habit.

Wind down during the second half of the evening before bedtime. 90 minutes before bed, don't get involved in any kind of anxiety provoking activities or thoughts.

Do some breathing exercises or try to relax major muscle groups, starting with the toes and ending with your forehead.

Your bed is for sleeping, if you can't sleep after 15-20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing.

Have your room cool rather than warm.

Don't count sheep, counting is stimulating.

Exercise in the afternoon or early evening, but no later than 3 hours before bedtime.

Don't over-eat, and eat 2-3 hours before bedtime.

Don't nap during the day.

If you awake in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep within 30 minutes, get up and do something else.

Have No coffee, alcohol or cigarettes two to three hours before bedtime.

If you have disturbing dreams or nightmares add an ending that you want.

Schedule a half-hour writing about your concerns and hopes in a journal every night to free up your sleep from processing your dilemmas as much.

Listen to calming music or a self-hypnosis tape for sleep.

If sleep problems persist, contact your physician or mental health professional. Let them know what is happening in your life. Your problem may have either organic or psychological contributors. Sleep disorders are classified as chronic if they persist more than one month. There are of two major categories of sleep disorders. They are Dyssomnias -- when there are problems with the amount, quality or timing of sleep and Parasomnias -- when there are abnormal events occurring during sleep stages.

Sleep difficulties can mean that their is an underlying problem that needs treatment. J. Christain Gillin, M.D. states that most patients that have a sleep disorder have an underlying psychiatric disorder. The different kind of sleep disorders include insomnia, hypersonmia-excessive daytime sleeping, Nightmare Disorder, Narcolepsy-irresistible attacks of sleep, Sleep-apnea and Sleepwalking. Let us know if these tips help you and also if you have one that works for you and is not listed here.

References:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition.

Trauma and Recovery by Judith Lewis Herman, M.D. Ted Rynearson, M.D., Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.

[Trielelvan]

Wind down during the second half of the evening before bedtime. 90 minutes before bed, don't get involved in any kind of anxiety provoking activities or thoughts

Or, stop playing WoW right up until you go to bed

[The Kizzy]

I rarely play WoW honestly. I just got out of classes last week, and I have played a total of 4 hours since I have finished classes. Too much RL stuff to do, although I do like to jump on and chit chat every once in a while, catch up, and just hang out. Better than going to the bar and drinking I suppose. *Shrug*

[Darcler]

What helps me is taking all the thoughts in my head I have when I am in bed and turning them into pictures or movies in my head. I think my brain thinks that it is like dreaming and I drift right to sleep.

[liquidstayce]

I rarely play WoW honestly. I just got out of classes last week, and I have played a total of 4 hours since I have finished classes. Too much RL stuff to do, although I do like to jump on and chit chat every once in a while, catch up, and just hang out. Better than going to the bar and drinking I suppose. *Shrug*

Or you could get drunk and pass out.. np

Actually, when I did drink heavy during college I always found that I woke up super early or sleep was interrupted. Dana says it was because I was out whoring so much and getting all that extra protein.

[Harrison]

That sounds like something I would say to my female friends...wow

[10sun]

I rarely play WoW honestly. I just got out of classes last week, and I have played a total of 4 hours since I have finished classes. Too much RL stuff to do, although I do like to jump on and chit chat every once in a while, catch up, and just hang out. Better than going to the bar and drinking I suppose. *Shrug*

Or you could get drunk and pass out.. np

Actually, when I did drink heavy during college I always found that I woke up super early or sleep was interrupted. Dana says it was because I was out whoring so much and getting all that extra protein.

Yeah, what is it about getting trashed that makes you sleep so well that you can wake up after 4 hours of sleep and be perfectly chipper and ready for the next day?