Sleep Hygiene! Tips to help with insomnia.

I'm no expert in this, but my friend in northern Germany swears by teas that have valerium and lavendar in them. Does your sleepytime tea have these in it? If not, you may just be drinking the wrong tea. I don't know how the two herbs work, exactly, but I know the smell of lavendar makes me sleepy (not soap, though) and valerium puts my friend to sleep within an hour.

If you're interested, I can do research on these two herbs and see what I find. I love research, especailly in the wee hours when I can't sleep XD

I have been using sleepy time tea..Some times it works some times it does not. I'm going to try the milk.

Warm milk helps. I use Tryptophan, the substance in milk and turkey that makes you sleepy. I have a prescription dosage. About 20 minutes to 1 hour after taking it, I start to yawn and feel sleepy.

I am wondering has anyone tried any warm milk combinations? I am currently trying one that is 1 cup milk, 2 teaspoons of honey, and a few drops of vanilla extract. I usually just microwave mine for a minute and half and drink it a half hour before bed. It seems to be working.

I bought the Beethoven forever by the sea thru ITunes and it worked...thank u for the tip😊

Thank u for all the great tips

I slept well last night. I bought a cd from Amazon. Beethoven forever by the sea. Peaceful music with the sound of the sea in the background... It worked. I heard the first 2 and nothing else. I went to bet at 11.50 pm. and woke up at 8.30. this morning.


Edited by: MAGGIE208 at: 8/21/2017 (19:10)

I just joined the team. Thanks for all the tips listed here. I have heard of most of them too but you never know what might help.

I just scrolled through some tips. I'm going to implement some. I've been getting only about 4 hours sleep a night for weeks. So, before I go to my MD, I'll try some of these. Thanks. I'm so glad I found this forum.

no meds- try the holistic approach

I'd love to sleep with a sleep mask but get headaches from anything on my head for extended periods of time. 😑 I bought two different kinds because my son has insomnia but never really used one for me. I just don't like something only head. Lol

That's great advice about dealing with (or moving on from) the stress of the day. I do the tea sometimes, a sleepy time or chamomile. I need white noise and some air: so run an oscillating fan. Now with boyfriend living with me again, we have two. 😜 I also need dark or low light. Staying off my iPhone or the computer before bed would be more at helpful too. I usually do most of my tracking and social things on SP at night though to make sure I've gotten "everything done". Lol

Gonna use this in my therapy practice. Thanks for this.

I went all day yesterday on two hours of sleep so I was really glad to get more last night


Edited by: NANALYNN24 at: 4/27/2016 (14:06)

That is so awesome you lost 90 lbs. I am 191 now and 4'11" short, so I need to lose quite a bit. I've just really gotten serious about it though. Try to exercise everyday now, and never exercised in a couple of years, I bet.

Karen

this sounds like really good advice. I am going to try this too if its ok with you!

(this was intended for Aileen, about the last half hour of the day thinking about the day, recapping, taking notes. I am not sure how it ended up way up here, sorry!!)

Edited by: MEECE7108 at: 2/29/2016 (22:35)

a sleep mask, once you get used to it, is great for shutting out the ambient light which messes with your melatonin levels.

Really good information. I've adopted most of that also. No tea for me though. I found that meditating during the day and a short mind clearing exercise at bed helps. I also take melatonin and use a lavender oil.

I do like the rain sound too. I do find that I do well in a quiet room though.

My therapist suggested various items of sleep hygiene for me - most of which were mentioned here. One thing he suggested that is working for me, though, is to take the last half hour of my day to process the day.

My brain runs 100mph all the time. I can't shut it off. I'm dealing with other things, but he suggested I make a cup of herbal tea (I make Sleepytime tea), shut off the computer and the tv and process the day, writing things down if I need to readdress them later. But as each thought comes into my head, ask myself if I need to readdress it later and, if so, write it down, but if not, give myself permission to move on from it. I'm sleeping a little better now because as I drift off and things come to my mind, I say, "No, I dealt with you. I'm going to sleep now."

I also sleep really well when it is pouring rain, so I have been playing rain songs... works like a champ!

Deep breathing helps.

I have found that essential oils can help such as lavender, serenity(doTerra blend). Also there's a supplement called lithium orotate (you have to order it online because it is not available in drugstore) that I have used for years with good results. Hope that helps.

Love some of these ideas. I am going to try getting up at the same time every morning no matter what. But, I have to slowly move the time I am trying to go to bed to earlier. Being a stay at home mom I can sort of sleep when I want to so if I am up all night I can crash out sometime during the day which of course makes being up at night even easier so that is not good. I am going to try and NOT take naps during the day and see if that helps.

I mentioned this discussion to a friend today, and she had this recommendation: Don't wait until bedtime to brush your teeth. Do it as soon as you're done eating for the day. This can help you resist late night snacking, and it gives that invigorating feeling you get from brushing your teeth time to wane before you settle into bed. I'll be trying it.

I have heard some of these here and there before, but it's nice to have a concise list I can refer to. When something's not working, I can check here to see what other things I might try - or things that I need to get back to! Thanks for the thread.

Hello everyone. I also was suffering from insomnia, only sleeping 2-3 hours a night. After almost two months of sleepless nights my husband suggested to try some pills for my condition. It was difficult for him to see me like this, tired and anxious during the day. I bought Zolpidem 10 mg from www.allgenericmedsnow.com It's a serious pharmacy and the staff is really helpful. After two weeks I started enjoying again the good night's sleep. If before I was kind of skeptical regarding the importance of a good sleep in our lives, now I am certain that it is a key to a normal and happy lifestyle. Good luck to all!

It's frustrating when you've tried everything and nothing works. I make a list of things I've tried and then I go back and try them again one by one. I've had a lifetime of poor sleeping habits, but with the information I've gotten from Spark Friends, i have to say, I am finally getting good sleep because I made it a priority. For me, my formula is 10 minutes of mindful yoga or tai chi exercises to clear the mind and a few mgs of Melatonin before bed.

Magnesium supplements

I mix Chamomile tea with one or two other teas, and it tastes great that way.

I think I've tried every tip there is. Nothing seems to work for me.

Many herbs will work for a short time but you build up tolerance quite fast.

The damn time change though really screwed up my cycle - sort of delayed it a week but better than it used to be. For that I attribute the vitamin D increase - 1 take two 5,000 IU capsules 3-4 times per week, and am monitored by my doctor yearly.

I have tried sleeping pills (short term), melatonin and 5 HTP, vitamin D, and taking walks before 1:00pm daily to get natural sunlight. All helpful to a limited degree.

Then I started taking a product called CALM - Whole Foods and my chiropractor carry it; also bought from Puritan's Pride. Basically it's a magnesium powder that you mix in hot water and drink. I add a little orange juice too. Label says start at 1/2 tsp and work up to 2 tsp daily in two does. Well, I take about 3/4 tsp each night along with 200 mg of calcium citrate. It helps a lot to keep me asleep, and helps me return to sleep faster when I do wake up to use the bathroom or whatever.

If I can get another dose in during the day (again w/ calcium so I don't get that OTHER effect) then the sleep pattern improves even more.

I should add that calcium is an issue for me as I can't tolerate any kind of dairy so need that supplement, and keeping the magnesium, potassium, calcium in balance is a key factor. If like me you eat bananas in smoothies or take OTC for heartburn, then it's even more difficult.

The CALM is not inexpensive but oh so worth it. I buy a large container (Puritan's Pride is about the same price but you get more by weight) and it lasts a really long time. The reason I add orange juice is that acid helps the body absorb minerals but I don't want heartburn either so that is better for me than grapefruit or lemon. You can also drink it straight, add cranberry or try apple juice/cider.

I have horrible trouble getting to sleep. But recently I tried chamomile tea (tastes awful) and while it could simply be coincidence, it WORKS. PS I haven't experienced multiple trips to the bathroom in the night. I sleep solid!

These tips are great! Thank you!

Great tips! A lavender candle helps me to relax at the end of the day.

Thank you wonderful advice

Thanks for the tips. Very doable.

Thank you, good advice!

Drinking tea or water will cause extra trips to the bathroom, which will disrupt your sleep

Thank you

Thank you

Hi and to the team. Thank you for posting the helpful sleep tips too. All the best to you~

I didn't see this topic on the forum, so I thought I would share. First, I am an insomniac, and have been since childhood. Second, I was lucky enough to get to work under a sleep expert in graduate school (I've done research on sleep patterns in children).

I thought I might share some of what I've learned as far as behavioral tips are concerned:


1.) Get up at the same time every day (regardless of when you fall asleep): It helps establish routine. Try to expose yourself to sunlight! Gradually shift sleeping patterns to go to bed earlier, one hour at a time.

2.) Keep electronics out of the bedroom (as I type this I am in bed)


3.) Your bedroom should be reserved for sleep and sex only, keep work out of it.

4.) Temperature should be cool rather than warm (mid to upper 70s is ideal).

5.) Limit caffeine after about 2pm.

6.) Artificial light confuses our brains into thinking it is time to be awake (hence the no electronics- even alarm clocks can contribute to this!).

7.) A Hot bath before bed can work wonders! Raising your body temperature-and the subsequent lowering, can induce sleepiness.

8.) Live in a noisy building with thin walls? A sound machine may be your answer.

9.) Don't toss and turn. If it has been more than 15 minutes, get up. Do something minor that doesn't require too much stimulation.

10.) While heavy meals are discouraged, light snack or cup of tea may help you to psychologically unwind at the end of the day.



I hope these are helpful hints.