What sleep hygiene do you practice? what sleep routines do you use?

[ms spock]

I am really back struggling with my sleep once again, I have small patches of sleep, but so much of the time it is waking with panic attacks.

I have been looking at sleep hygiene for two decades, and finally it is sinking in.

I am putting in place some sleep routines as well.

What do you do each day to manage your sleep?

I am really struggling with this and would appreciate any suggestions.

 

[Fadeaway]

I have to listen to music before I get ready for bed. Once I am in bed, I read.

 

[Changing4Best]

We had a college professor come and give a lecture on LIGHT to us. He said that one should not look at any screens (computer, cellphone tablets or TV) for at least 2 hours before one goes to bed. He said that this is because BLUE LIGHT causes the body to have difficulty sleeping for the next 2 hours after one sees it. He said that this is due to the daytime sky being BLUE on clear sunny days and that this simulates daytime light, which causes the body to want to stay awake! His name is Zach Stockbridge and he teaches at Tri-County Community College in Murphy, North Carolina, USA.

I am really back struggling with my sleep once again, I have small patches of sleep, but so...

PS. You mentioned that you are putting into place some sleep routines, would you mind sharing what those are?

 

[DharmaGirl]

I bathe or shower before bed since I am usually dirty from the gardens, I listen to a book on tape and color, or I change my kindle to sleep setting, which changes the blue light to something compatible with sleeping, and read. I turn on a fan. I should turn off the light at the same time every night, there is also a setting on the kindle that will turn it off at a certain time, but I sometimes get caught up in the book. When I do turn off the light, I do Metta until I am relaxed. I start my routine at the same time every night, and get up at 6am every morning. I turn off my light at midnight, so I take about an 1 or 2 hour nap every day. I'm told I should do this, but I love naps.

 

[ms spock]

Also when I am having a lot of panic attacks and vivid nightmares at night I sleep with a ice pack on the back of my neck. That does help.

 

[DharmaGirl]

I'll have to try that. I hate when I have panic attacks all night. That ends up being a long meditation night!

 

[ms spock]

I put "The Mindful Way Through Depression" on repeat and play that over and over again. That sometimes works really well to reassure me that I am in this now and not back then in the time of rapes.

Doing the 8 Week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) really helped with managing my sleep. My experience of sleep changed a bit.

 

[Changing4Best]

I put "The Mindful Way Through Depression" on repeat and play that over and over again. That...

What's MBSR?

 

[Crow]

IF I'm in a good space? I turn off all blue screens at 7pm. Clean the kitchen from cooking supper. Take a shower. While taking a shower, tea is steeping. After shower, write three pages in my evening journal while sipping tea. Then hit my meditation pillow with the best of Enya playing and set the timer for thirty minutes. Right after meditating I go to bed.

This is the best of scenario. It works for me. But I'm no where close to being able to do this right now.

 

[DharmaGirl]

@Crow, sounds like a good one.

 

[ms spock]

I am doing a heap of things, and I wish it would work better. But it is what it is.

 

[Scarlet13]

So, I take a bath or shower with epsom salts. I drink tea with magnesium powder stirred into it. I take liquid melatonin. I get acupunture for sleep.
I do paced breathing and grounding, this helps with panic attacks. I practice acceptance of insomnia (which is tricky, but works.)
I will read or do art until I am tired.
My husband looks random stuff up on wikipedia and reads aloud to me. He looked up 'clouds' the other night. This put me right to sleep.
I practice good sleep hygiene, not right now as I am typing on here.
I also take benadryl a very low dose. I cannot tolerate psych meds.