sleeping issues``

[recoveringcutter]

not sure this goes here or not and i'm sorry if this sounds confusing

for the past few weeks i've been having trouble sleeping, nothing is bothering, i'm not having any anxity issues of what i know of, i'm not having any eatting issues, nothing is really bothering me.

i'm not if it's cause i was to use to my old sleep patternes wih my old medication. the old medication i was on for my seziuers was string that made me fall a sleep.. i had to take 3 twice a day and each pill was 100mg. after i was put on a different medication me sleep parttern totaly changed.

i will be up till 2:00-3:00 in the morning and will still be onable to sleep.. i tr everything to fall asleep but it dosen't work. i mean i could watch golf or watch paint dry and i'll be unable to sleep

i'm not sure if this is norale or not

[Chy]

Yes, unfortunately med changes can do this. After 30 days though it should balance out but if not you need to let the doc know it ain't working for you.

[Done-With-It!]

Nope, not normal, and a bad thing to get into. I have horrible insomnia, and it does affect my life. Try and get some sleep.


Tips for better daytime habits

• Do not nap during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, try not to nap during the day because you will throw off your body clock and make it even more difficult to sleep at night. If you are feeling especially tired, and feel as if you absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep for less than 30 minutes, early in the day.
• Limit caffeine and alcohol. Avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime. Although alcohol may initially act as a sedative, it can interrupt normal sleep patterns.
• Don't smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs disrupt sleep.
• Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening. This will help to regulate your body's natural biological clock. Likewise, try to keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so that the light will not interfere with your rest.
• Exercise early in the day. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.
• Check your iron level. Iron deficient women tend to have more problems sleeping so if your blood is iron poor, a supplement might help your health and your ability to sleep.

Tips for a better sleep environment

• Make sure your bed is large enough and comfortable. If you are disturbed by a restless bedmate, switch to a queen- or king-size bed. Test different types of mattresses. Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on your side. Get comfortable cotton sheets.
• Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not a good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc. Help your body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy.
• Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room is well ventilated and the temperature consistent. And try to keep it quiet. You could use a fan or a "white noise" machine to help block outside noises.
• Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can't see the time when you are in bed.

Tips for a better pre-sleep ritual

• Keep a regular schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. Keeping a regular schedule will help your body expect sleep at the same time each day. Don’t oversleep to make up for a poor night’s sleep – doing that for even a couple of days can reset your body clock and make it hard for you to get to sleep at night.
• Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music, sipping a cup of herbal tea, etc., cues your body that it's time to slow down and begin to prepare for sleep.
• Relax for a while before going to bed. Spending quiet time can make falling asleep easier. This may include meditation, relaxation and/or breathing exercises, or taking a warm bath. Try listening to recorded relaxation or guided imagery programs.
• Don’t eat a large, heavy meal before bed. This can cause indigestion and interfere with your normal sleep cycle. Drinking too much fluid before bed can cause you to get up to urinate. Try to eat your dinner at least two hours before bedtime.
• Bedtime snacks can help. An amino acid called tryptophan, found in milk, turkey, and peanuts, helps the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that helps you relax. Try drinking warm milk or eat a slice of toast with peanut butter or a bowl of cereal before bedtime. Plus, the warmth may temporarily increase your body temperature and the subsequent drop may hasten sleep.
• Jot down all of your concerns and worries. Anxiety excites the nervous system, so your brain sends messages to the adrenal glands, making you more alert. Write down your worries and possible solutions before you go to bed, so you don't need to ruminate in the middle of the night. A journal or "to do" list may be very helpful in letting you put away these concerns until the next day when you are fresh.
• Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired, go to bed.
• Avoid "over-the-counter" sleep aids, and make sure that your prescribed medications do not cause insomnia. There is little evidence that supplements and other over-the-counter "sleep aids" are effective. In some cases, there are safety concerns. Antihistamine sleep aids, in particular, have a long duration of action and can cause daytime drowsiness. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare practitioner about your concerns!

Tips for getting back to sleep

• Do visualization. Focus all your attention on your toes or visualize walking down an endless stairwell. Thinking about repetitive or mindless things will help your brain to shut down and adjust to sleep.
• Get out of bed if unable to sleep. Don’t lie in bed awake. Go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy. Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake.
• Don't do anything stimulating. Don't read anything job related or watch a stimulating TV program (commercials and news shows tend to be alerting). Don't expose yourself to bright light. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
• Get up and eat some turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a major building block for making serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which sends messages between nerve cells and causes feelings of sleepiness. Note that L-tryptophan doesn't act on the brain unless you eat it on an empty stomach with no protein present, so keep some turkey in the refrigerator for 3am.
• Consider changing your bedtime. If you are experiencing sleeplessness or insomnia consistently, think about going to bed later so that the time you spend in bed is spent sleeping. If you are only getting five hours of sleep at night, figure out what time you need to get up and subtract five hours (for example, if you want to get up at 6:00 am, go to bed at 1:00 am). This may seem counterproductive and, at first, you may be depriving yourself of some sleep, but it can help train your body to sleep consistently while in bed. When you are spending all of your time in bed sleeping, you can gradually sleep more, by adding 15 minutes at a time.

Tips for keeping a sleep diary

Learn about your sleep patterns and habits by keeping a daily sleep diary. See Helpguide's sample sleep diary or make up your own and include:

• Time you went to bed and woke up;
• Total sleep hours;
• Quality of sleep;
• Times that you were awake during the night and what you did (e.g. stayed in bed with eyes closed or got up, had a glass of milk and meditated);
• Amount of caffeine or alcohol you consumed and times of consumption;
• Types of food and drink and times of consumption;
• Feelings - happiness, sadness, stress, anxiety;
• Drugs or medications taken, amounts taken and times of consumption.

[Chy]

Miss Done that's a great list.. now read it back to yourself before going to bed! LOL

Get up and eat some turkey.

:biggrin:

Miss Done is a professional insomniac and knows her stuff! LOL So listen to the above advice.

...and RC.. I think you have more worries and anxiety then you can recall. Think about the last couple of weeks and the issues you have been having, this could be the problem to even though you are trying to work through it. Our mind is a funny thing.

[Done-With-It!]

Originally Posted by Chy

Miss Done that's a great list.. now read it back to yourself before going to bed! LOL:biggrin:

Miss Done is a professional insomniac and knows her stuff! LOL So listen to the above advice.

lol, I didn't even read the list, so I didn't see the turkey part, I've heard that before though, it has tyro something in it..
It's why people get so tired on Thanksgiving also.. and why I don't!! :

[Chy]

So then maybe you should try a hamburger!! LOL! Beef baby! LOL.

[Done-With-It!]

lol, nooo, only turkey has this, tyro, something in it... lol

[Chy]

I know what you're referring to and if it doesn't work for you then maybe beef would .. has protein to! LOL!!

[Done-With-It!]

you sound like S t e e... lol, hes always telling me to eat BEEF!!

I'm like Where's the BEEF!! LOL!!

[Done-With-It!]

ohh!! what did you doo!! LOL

[Done-With-It!]

Sorry, RC, We're Hijacking your sleep thread!
I knew she was going to do that, lmao... I did the same thing

I'll move on now, lol.... sorry, really..

[recoveringcutter]

well, i haven bee having some aixty isuess.. i've been counting down the days till my first coubseling session and i've been nervouse of what she going to say..

and i've been thinking of drinking som warm milk or tea... will that help me any? or make it worse?

[Done-With-It!]

just make sure it's cafeinne free, and it should help.

[annihilate_me]

That's deffinitly not normal. Try looking up some information on the side effects of your meds. If you can find anything, than just follow the list Miss. Done gave you! There is a possibility that you mind may be messing with you. If you are still experiencing insomnia by the time your counseling appt. comes than talk to your counselor. They know the right questions to ask. Take Care and Stay Safe.

[Chy]

Warm milk may help I'd stay away from tea until you know how you'll react. Even some decaf stuff still keeps me awake.. don't be nervous about counseling remember they are there to help you not judge you, most I know really enjoy it and feel so much better.

[recoveringcutter]

thanks guys.. wow.. i didn't exspect to get his many replies in one night.. thank you guys so much

[recoveringcutter]

i went to bed last night and wow.... i have never slept that good in my life.. when i woke up i couldn't even remember what i did last night.. maybe becasue i fell asleep with the t.v. on

[Done-With-It!]

What helped you sleep?

[recoveringcutter]

Originally Posted by Done-With-It!

What helped you sleep?

thats the thing i don't know.... i don't kow if it was becuase i went to bed with a cleared mind.. like there was nothing going on in my head.. all i did wsa enjoyed what wsa on t.v. and nothing was bothering me, nothing was keeping me awake, i wasn't worried about anything...

even the fact that i have 2 days till my first counsleing session, even that didn't keep me awake..

i just don't know what it was that made me sleep so well

[Done-With-It!]

That's probably it, try and do that again.

That's a big reason I never sleep, my brain just spins and spins
about everything, constantly thinking as soon as I lay down, it
does keep me awake, and actually will wake me up.

If you can quite your thoughts down and not worry about anything
that will help alot..