TruthSeeker
MyPTSD Pro
I know you mentioned back in your previous thread that when you are up at 3am wired, coloring and taking a walk weren't practical....and I happen to agree. First, I do my evening routine and climb in bed about 9pm in bed to unwind with books, letter/card writing, make my "to do" list for the next day on my notepad phone app for the next day, and if I feel my thoughts are not slowing down. I might comb my cats, read a magazine of interest (the kind you hold in your hand), or check my "to do at night list" ... I keep a list of small organizational boring tasks for just this kinda. night. Not only do I do a low key activity or two....it is productive so I feel positive when I'm done....like I accomplished something extra. I have socks that need pairs, my bedside table drawers needing organizing....towels might need folding....and I sit in bed and do them and listen to relaxing music nothing sad or upbeat.....relaxing, polish my glasses, organize my extra batteries-mundane tasks I don't get to unless I'm too awake to go to bed.
If that doesn't work, then I get the big guns out and write down what's swirling in my head.
I see it as I have several choices in that situation......taking my non-prescription meds and continue ruminating and feeling wired up which for me never works and I'm still wired at 3am.....or taking my non-prescription meds and try to deal with it by getting it out of my head onto a piece of paper and look at what I can and can't control....usually this works to help resolve the issue I have swirling in my head...and often I come up with a solution....and it is then I can usually go to sleep. If I've dealt with the problem....and it's 1am.....and I have better perspective....I then assess how I feel....and either distract for another 1/2 hr or so-and do the camonile tea and warm bath thing (sometimes a hotpad works too), or take 1/2 of a pill instead of a whole one and do a subdued or boring distraction until I get drowsy. The key for me anyway is to start early......expect to have some difficulty some nights......expect my average night to be asleep by midnight.....and begin intervention by 10:30 or so if I'm not seeing sleep in my future before midnight. I also found using a Dodow is a really helpful .....that helps get me over the hump and off to sleep. I have a friend who wakes up every morning at 3 am, and she says the rosary-which is a repetitive and now, after she gets up and says her morning prayers.....she climbs back into bed, says a few more aloud, and falls asleep. The rosary is no different than saying a mantra to enter a sort of suggestible or hypnotic state.....which will then move you into sleep state. Neither organizing....nor the rosary are "activities" like coloring....and walking a good pace is exercise which releases endorphins if you go long enough.....counteractive to the goal of sleeping plus once you get out of bed for a length of time....your brain isn't in sleep mode. Just my thought for sleep issues.
If that doesn't work, then I get the big guns out and write down what's swirling in my head.
I see it as I have several choices in that situation......taking my non-prescription meds and continue ruminating and feeling wired up which for me never works and I'm still wired at 3am.....or taking my non-prescription meds and try to deal with it by getting it out of my head onto a piece of paper and look at what I can and can't control....usually this works to help resolve the issue I have swirling in my head...and often I come up with a solution....and it is then I can usually go to sleep. If I've dealt with the problem....and it's 1am.....and I have better perspective....I then assess how I feel....and either distract for another 1/2 hr or so-and do the camonile tea and warm bath thing (sometimes a hotpad works too), or take 1/2 of a pill instead of a whole one and do a subdued or boring distraction until I get drowsy. The key for me anyway is to start early......expect to have some difficulty some nights......expect my average night to be asleep by midnight.....and begin intervention by 10:30 or so if I'm not seeing sleep in my future before midnight. I also found using a Dodow is a really helpful .....that helps get me over the hump and off to sleep. I have a friend who wakes up every morning at 3 am, and she says the rosary-which is a repetitive and now, after she gets up and says her morning prayers.....she climbs back into bed, says a few more aloud, and falls asleep. The rosary is no different than saying a mantra to enter a sort of suggestible or hypnotic state.....which will then move you into sleep state. Neither organizing....nor the rosary are "activities" like coloring....and walking a good pace is exercise which releases endorphins if you go long enough.....counteractive to the goal of sleeping plus once you get out of bed for a length of time....your brain isn't in sleep mode. Just my thought for sleep issues.