Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you can't shut down, get up, work on a project, be productive, read a book. I started sleeping better when I began to use magnesium oil, it really made a difference for me.
Magnesium is a calmative. This reminds me; there's magnesium powder in a cylindrical container at the health food store, with the word "CALM" on the label. You put a teaspoon of that (or whatever the package says) in water before bedtime, and it fizzes, then you drink it. Some people find this ver helpful.
Now the racing mind. Choose a favorite book or TV show or film and recite the plot in your head as you lie in bed.
R2D2 and C3PO are on an Alderan vessel under attack when Princess Leia puts some plans in R2's database and sends him to find Ben Kenobi on Tatooine. Etc...
Or
This high school chemistry teacher finds out he has lung cancer...
Sleep-deprived drivers are equal to drunk drivers. Staying awake 24 hours, and driving a car, is the equivalent of driving under the influence of 3 shots of whiskey! The day is on the horizon where they'll come up with technology, where when stopped, you'll be tested to see how much sleep you've had, and if you haven't slept X number of hours, you'll get a ticket and your keys taken from you.
The mind's entertainment is thoughts. The mind is indiscriminate and it makes no difference what thoughts are in your head, the mind just wants to be entertained.
I know it's hard, challenging, to rid the mind of thoughts, as the mind will fight it every inch of the way, as the mind doesn't like to be ignored. But try it for 5 seconds, then 10 seconds, trying to rid you mind of thought. The dangers of thoughtlessness is you might fall asleep sitting in a chair!
We give the body a rest, but we fail to give the mind a rest, and the mind does not rest during sleep, as the mind is going constantly when sleeping, and only when awake can we rest of the mind.
I agree with most of the suggestions here and I will add one of my own. Don't take a shower right before bed as a shower can be stimulating. Try a warm to hot bath. Do you have anxiety? If your mind won't shut off you might ask your doctor for a prescription for Lorazepam however it is highly addictive if you take it too long so I wouldn't use it more than a few nights. Some people swear by melatonin, I personally haven't found it helps. Sometimes I take Tylenol PM which has some Benadryl in it and that helps.
Not sleeping is bad enough, it's even worse when you're not retired.
I agree with most of the suggestions here and I will add one of my own. Don't take a shower right before bed as a shower can be stimulating. Try a warm to hot bath. Do you have anxiety? If your mind won't shut off you might ask your doctor for a prescription for Lorazepam however it is highly addictive if you take it too long so I wouldn't use it more than a few nights. Some people swear by melatonin, I personally haven't found it helps. Sometimes I take Tylenol PM which has some Benadryl in it and that helps.
Not sleeping is bad enough, it's even worse when you're not retired.
The OP could just get plain Benadryl. Hydroxyzine is a non-addicting allergy medicine that is also used in higher doses for anxiety, primarily for addicts, children, and alcoholics. It is quite sedating as well. I usually take 10-20mg for itching and it helps me get to sleep and the anxiety dose is about 50mg. My allergist tells me her standard dose is 25mg for nighttime allergy but sometimes I take it during the day and there is just no way I can do more than 10mg in the day.
Usually if I can't sleep I take 2 benadryl. Then do deep, slow breathing in through the nose for 6 counts hold for 2 counts, out through the mouth for 8 counts. Think of nothing but your breathing, if your mind wanders, just set those thoughts to the side and go back to your counting. Repeat for up to 10 minutes.
I also try the body awareness and relaxation process. It takes your mind off other stuff and pulls it back to you...get really comfortable in bed, then starting with your toes, become aware of your toes and feel them, tense them for a second if necessary to really feel them, and then relax them, slowly move onto feeling, and then relaxing, your feet, ankles, calves, etc all the way up your body. Think of nothing but feeling the relaxation of the body parts, focus on them one by one. By the time you get to your shoulders, neck, and scalp you are usually asleep.
Make sure your room is sleep ready...keep the temp cool, we sleep better when it's cool, make sure that it's dark enough, close curtains/blinds, remove or turn away distracting glowing clocks, etc. Adjust your bed if needed, remove excess blankets or covers, get a favorite pillow that doesn't require constant plumping. Put a little lavender oil on your pillowcase. Wear whatever is most comfortable, nothing if that's what you prefer. I sometimes tell Alexa to play ocean wave sounds for an hour.
I always liked to take a VERY hot bath, dry off, and then lay naked in bed and let my skin/body temp slowly return to normal. This drop of temperature can trigger sleep if you can clear your mind and just "be".
When this happened to me, I went to the doctor and I took medication, and it greatly helped. I felt great after I woke up. The suggestions here such as Benedryl are good.
Last edited by glenninindy; 07-11-2019 at 10:12 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
