Are There Any New Developments In Sleep Aids/techniques?

[Springbok]

If so, please share.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Have you ever been to a sleep doctor?

 

[ms spock]

The Promise of Sleep by William Dement.

 

[ms spock]

Sleep hygiene, exercise, diet, mindfulness, meditation, routines and a heap of other stuff.

 

[holdenmonty]

I had a hard time sleeping before my meds and after I started my meds it has gotten even harder to fall asleep but I now take a 5mg supplement of melatonin about half an hour before I go to bed and it helps me get sleepy naturally since melatonin naturally occurs in your body to make you sleepy, and the supplement just helps out since my mind starts racing when I try to fall asleep.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I'm hoping the OP comes back as "new" to them may not be "new" to the rest of us, and there are SO many things you can do to improve your sleep. I just want to get a little clarification on what the OP has tried in the past.

I agree with @holdenmonty on the melatonin. I take "Dream Water" at night and it works so great! Yes, gimmicky in that its another one of those "shot" products, but it does the job better than other melatonin products I've tried (pills and sublingual liquid).

 

[Nam]

I do a weird hypnosis type thing. Controlled breathing and imagining the tension floating out of the muscles starting from the toes upward. I don't skip around either. It goes up really slowly. I allow myself to sink into the bed and imagine myself melting into the bed. When I get to my upper torso, I imagine the tension (it's always a blue smoke for me) going up through my body, through my head and out of a hole on top of my head. I can imagine what it feels like and what it sounds like. Weird, yes. Does it work? For me it does. If I let my mind wander around, it tends to go to dark places. If I concentrate on the deep breathing (even holding my breath at times to calm myself) and keep my mind busy with imagining things, I tend to fall asleep faster. Sometimes I do the inhale for 8 seconds, hold for 8 seconds, then exhale for 8 seconds. During times when I'm really anxious, I hold my breath for as long as I can. It physically causes my body to relax so that I an hold it as long as possible. This works for me but I used to dive and be a swimmer. It's a very similar experience for me.

Melatonin did not work for me. Nor teas, warm milk, or eating turkey.

Ear buds and music became annoying. Not the music, but the earbuds being uncomfortable.

I might have to try dream water @Solara .

 

[ms spock]

Biofeedback.

Lots of exercise during the day can really help. If you are physically exhausted. It can help.

 

[Springbok]

Hi,

I'm actually tried all of these. By "new" I'm referring to new for everyone - new developments in the field.

 

[J.L. Pitts]

I do not think there has been a breakthrough in any area of sleep. I have to medicate to sleep. Wish it was not so but it was stay up for days and lose my mind and not be a functional human being or medicate since I have a daughter functional was the operative word. But you are right I have not heard a thing about a breakthrough. You could do a google search to see if any clinical trials are going on or sleep studies. Have you ever went through a sleep study? where they wire your head with so many wires Medusa would be frightened and then with that all on your head they tell you go to sleep. My room was like a very nice hotel room cable tv wonderful bed just had wires everywhere. So after my study was done the Doctor told me my mind does not go into a state of rest. I do not know if that is like an extreme hyper vigilance or if it is due to the fact I had Meningoccoccal Meningitis.when I was two. Supposedly the doctors told my mom i probably would not make it and if i did I would have serious brain injuries that would lead to me being mute deaf and blind. But I have really bad eyesight and a sleep disorder so I can deal.tried every medication and herrb but the only thing that works is an Ambien CR with a klonopin kicker. So if anyone hears of a breakthrough please let me know

 

[Changing4Best]

I wake a lot in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I can fall asleep quite easily, but staying asleep in another matter. Does anyone have any suggestions for that?

 

[Ocean5]

Prazosin has been used in recent years for nightmares / night terrors.