Share Your Tips On How To Sleep Better

[Dendrite]

I have PTSD after suffering very bad abuse as a child. Over the last ten years or more, I've worked really hard at a sleep program that helps me quite a bit. 1/ I jog on the spot at home from between 30 to 90 mins a day in increments of six minutes that I mark off on the calender. 2/ Watch kiddy youtube videos (Hoopla Kidz channel etc) as it settles my mind away from adult life stresses. 3/ Re-write my dreams in a journal with different, more helpful endings that soothe and comfort myself. 4/ Don't have any caffeine after 3pm. 5/ Avoid sugary foods after 6pm. 6/ Don't use the computer after 7pm or so. 7/ Use a red light in the evenings (red party globe from hardware store) as it resets the body clock and brings on sleepiness. It works well for animals in zoos! 8/ Facial massage in the evening when in bed. 9/ Simple mindfullness practice using music or chants etc as I go to sleep.

I used to get about 3 to 4 hours a night for twenty years and worse quite often, now I mostly get 5 to 7 hours. Even on a bad night the exercise helps my restless legs settle down and I still get 5 hours, usually.

I also take plenty of calcium and magnesium. If I have to drive a long distance the next day, I will still take a Valium but only take one or two a month now, due to my sleep program that I devised myself.

Hope it helps others. It takes some work but its not addictive like Valium and the side benefits of a healthier heart and mind are great. And sleeping is great, so the effort is worth it. :)

It took a few months for my sleep to improve with this program and I'm not suggesting I always sleep well but my sleep has improved quite a bit.

Dendrite.

 

[Barconian]

I read a book in bed for an hour or so, then close my eyes and watch pictures pass through my mind without thinking about anything. If I don't drift off, I read for another 10 to 15 minutes and then try drifting off again. Works most of the time. I don't like taking medication to help me sleep.

 

[app]

@Dendrite I've been using this free software f.lux (google "f.lux: software to make your life better") to reduce blue light from my computer. There are similar free apps for Android devices. I thought about trying glasses like Uvex S1933X Skyper Safety Eyewear, Black Frame, SCT-Orange UV Extreme Anti-Fog Lens on Amazon that people say helps sleep (search the reviews). I never thought about getting a lamp with a red light bulb until now. Thanks!

 

[The Albatross]

• No caffeinated beverages of any sort after 1 pm.
• Physical exertion or exercise at some point during the day.
• Reduced or no concentrated sweets including chocolate. If I eat chocolate I eat it in the morning or at lunch.
• Chamomile or Celestial Seasons Sleepy Time tea after supper or dinner.
• No television or internet for a half hour to an hour before bedtime.
• For periods of insomnia after bedtime, inspirational reading - no audio stimulation, texting, or computer - I actually have a special room in my house set up for just this purpose with a recliner, a tea cart with the book I'm reading just for this purpose.
• Using medications which induce drowsiness (in my case allergy meds) prior to 7 p.m.
• Using medications which cause difficulty or interfere with sleep (In my case Singulair) before 8 a.m.
• For periods where muscles are tense, a hot as I can stand bath before bedtime and while in the tub hard contracting each body part for about 30 seconds then feeling the relaxation come in.
• Aroma therapy
• Dimming the lights in the household at or after sunset.

If all that fails, doing a writing exercise of some sort or journaling about the events of my day being mindful of what went right and what actions I can take to improve the next day.

I hope this helps you. Please notice I did not mention sleep "aids". I do though have apnea and have to be very conscious of the amount of any sedation that may suppress my respiratory system as I have sleep apnea.

Ironically this does not mean I sleep well. I don't and have quite a lot of disrupted sleep. I am though quite hesitant to take any sedatives at night for this reason. I have a good amount of sleep disturbance due to memories, troubling dreams, nightmares. Sometimes I take myself off my c-pap machine just to get a "break". Not good I know, but I use that as a last resort so long as I'm not feeling sedative effects when it is sleep time.

Don't recommend manipulating the amount of oxygen to someone's brain to eliminate sleep disturbance because they just log jam up until the O2 level has been restored.

Edited because I forgot to mention Autogenic training. I actually have a goal/challenge on this and have dabbled but have not done it consistently for the duration I set for myself (90 days) yet. But it has had some merit for me. Though this particular article is about social anxiety disorder a brief run down is here: http://socialanxietydisorder.about.com/od/copingwithsad/qt/autogenic.htm

 

[The Albatross]

Thanks Bloom, in short... I have found that "lifestyle changes" trump coping aids or devices more often than not. Having a brain injury (PTSD) I figure I already have one foot in the hole so to speak.

I am allergic to most herbal teas... yet I have incorporated them into my daily lifestyle so as to promote good sleep habits because, on investigation, the pitfalls of sleep deprivation trump my allergies.

 

[Dendrite]

No worries app, the red light approach is really helpful and as The Albatross says, dimming lights in the early evening helps too.

I find using my phone with this site in the early evening rather than my large computer screen is also helpful as big screens make my eyes dart around more. I do have a very large screen phone so viewing this site is fairly easy.

I took a valium two nights ago as I had to drive 70 miles to get my car serviced the next morning with a 7am departure time and had to guarantee myself a goodish sleep but I also jogged on the spot for 90 minutes on the previous day (in intervals of 6 minutes with long breaks at times) . Ive found that really getting my legs jogging fast for 15 to 20 mins about an hour before bed, like a child might do when playing, really gets me drowsy. Then when I had to get up to leave for Western Sydney after taking one valium, I jogged on the spot for 18 mins and drank lots of water and hardly experienced the groginess from the valium. I only use about two valium a month in consult with my GP and for me the low dose when I need to drive longer distances the next day does not make me very drowsy next day IF I exercise it out.

 

[Sam jam]

I frequently have problems sleeping. I keep a T.V. playing all night. It relieves my anxiety towards the dark and the noise gives me something to concentrate on so my mind doesn't wander. I also sleep with a teddy bear, holding something helps me relax. I agree with some who have commented on here, sleeping pills aren't for me. They make me sleep about twice the amount of time they are suppose to. I also prefer to use natural ways. My ways aren't full proof, but they help most of the time. I'm not sure there is a way to be able to sleep regularly without the assistance of medication.

 

[Mary]

Sleep in large hammock. I like the feeling of the hammock around my body. I used to have a queen bed and switched to a twin, but I still felt like I was...erm...spilling out everywhere. Like all the emotions and stress could move too easily in and out of me. In the hammock, I am safe and contained. Rocking is a soothing bonus.

Multisensory Tranquil Turtle (http://www.authorsden.com/visit/vie... I am now asleep before the turtle shuts off.