Help Sleeping...

I know this is right up ksand24's alley ;-) since its medication and she is so smart but thought I would go for everyone's "what worked for me" solution as well.

I am having real trouble sleeping, it is to the point I am up till 230am most nights but I am awake by 10am - so it is still 8 hourish.

I am allergic to diphenhydramine HCI/ Bendryll so that voids out Tylenol PM and stuff.

Someone mentioned Melatonin and I looked and it is by prescription only here?

Reading a book doesn't work for me since I get all OCD and want to finish it or I can't put it down.

Suggestions?

I get that way sometimes.

I used to keep those hours and I could only 'reset' myself if I stayed up for a long period (about 36 hours) and then went to bed at a 'normal' hour and forced myself to get up by setting an alarm. It usually took a few days of putting myself to bed at 10 or 11 for a few nights & getting up at  6 or 7am with an alarm but it did work.

You end up being totally useless for a day or so but it worked for me in the past...YMMV.

I sometimes have problems falling asleep. I've gotten the following recommendations:

- Exercise 30+ minutes/day
- Establish a bedtime/sleep routine (i.e. at X time, do this, then that, then get into bed)
- Don't break up that routine if sleep isn't working. Keep the bed as a sleep-only place (i.e. don't stay up reading in bed, otherwise you lose the "this is the sleeping place" association)
- Don't try to sleep for ages...if you're not asleep within 15-30 minutes, get up (see above) and do something else for a bit

I also find that I need to be pretty strict about bedtime. If I can get on a routine of going to bed at 11 and getting up at 7-8, and stay there, I'm fine. If I let things "creep" to my more natural sleep schedule (1-2 to 9-10), then I'm screwed.

Good luck!

Would love to know if anyone has any tips for me as well.  With all the stress of decision making I'm either up late and can't sleep or wake up in the middle of the night for hours. 
Tea, warm milk, lavender...none of those help me. 

I have found that Magnesium supplements help me fall asleep peacefully.

However, since you are sleeping more than 8 hours anyway, I don't think you need more sleep - possibly even less. Maybe you aren't falling asleep because you aren't up and moving about enough during the day so your body isn't tired.  Not everyone needs a full 8 hours.

Maybe try forcing yourself to get up earlier so you are tired earlier in the evening. Do you get a lot of exercise during the day?  

You might try getting a SAD lamp. It's possible that you are finding it hard to get up in the morning because it's still very dark outside and your body clock is getting messed up.

.if you're not asleep within 15-30 minutes, get up (see above) and do something else for a bit

I never fall asleep in less than about an hour. Sometimes it takes 2-3 hours. 

My insomnia hits sporadically; when I have it, it lasts for 3 days or so and then I'm fine. It still takes me an hour+ to fall asleep, but that's good - for me. When I have insomnia, I'm sometimes up until 5am and, as you know, it's a horribly desperate feeling not to be able to fall asleep until the birds start singing.

I've tried everything and nothing has worked for me. I just suffer through it and know that in a couple of days, I'll be back to normal. Obviously this would be much more of a problem if I had to go to work or if it was an 'every night' problem.

I am exercising on the Wii for up to an hour and twenty minutes but more common about 40 minutes.  I don't do this too late but about 530pm and then I have dinner.

I know my body clock gets all out of whack a lot.  I haven't been to bed earlier then 130am in months it seems like.  I can try getting up earlier but honestly what would I do with myself that early lol
I work at 1pm typically so I dont have much to do in the morning.  I could try working out in the morning but I am SO not a morning person.

I have started having decaf tea at night and I am bad since I go to bed at like 1130ish and then I end up watching a movie in bed.  I just figure if I got something to sleep knock me out earlier. I swear I am on the central time zone again!

WebyJ - stay up 36 hours? You must be crazy lol I could only do that if I had to or I was traveling.

sweetpeach - I do need to take vitamins and I suck at it but need to make the effort but I may get a SAD lamp as I do think it would help.

I just think over the holidays I have had slight depression and anxiety and I cant quite get back to normal.  The stress of everything I swear made me gain a bit of weight and jack with my sleeping pattern.

I thought about going to the GP and asking for something but I dont want to feel like a slacker when I say hey I have felt a bit down, gaining weight and I dont sleep can I have Ambien or something.  I have just come to a point where its time to do something as I am ALWAYS tired.

I will try the force myself to go to bed earlier say 12 and NO TV and I will set an alarm to get up say 830am *ouch*

thanks guys

I thought about going to the GP and asking for something but I dont want to feel like a slacker when I say hey I have felt a bit down, gaining weight and I dont sleep can I have Ambien or something.  I have just come to a point where its time to do something as I am ALWAYS tired.

When I was having fairly bad insomnia a year or so ago, I got a week's supply of Ambien from a doctor. It was enough to "reset" everything and allow me to get back onto a normal sleep schedule (at one point I was going to bed at 5-6am, which doesn't work so well with a 9-5 job).

You might look into that, just to help you get a jump start on a better sleep routine.

 I haven't been to bed earlier then 130am in months it seems like.  I can try getting up earlier but honestly what would I do with myself that early lol
I work at 1pm typically so I dont have much to do in the morning.  I could try working out in the morning but I am SO not a morning person.

If you don't have to get up earlier and you are getting 8 hours sleep, then you don't have a problem with sleep.

I think the issue is why you feel that you need more sleep when you are getting 8+ hours. That sounds like it could be depression (especially with you saying "what would I do with myself").  If you are feeling tired a lot, it could be due to depression rather than lack of sleep.

I doubt that a doctor would prescribe medication to help you sleep, since you seem to be sleeping plenty.  I've been prescribed sleep medication only after 72 hours of no sleep.  A GP might be able to do something to help depression though.

sweetpeach - let me clarify what I meant as what would I do with myself....

I go to work at 1ish here from home so being up earlier and not being a morning person I wouldn't have much to do.  I am not a busy person unless working for most part.  I don't think I have depression per se but I just don't have much to do here, if that makes sense.

I am seriously thinking about getting a PT job at a grocery store or something just to get out more ;-)

E - that is what I was thinking by getting to bed earlier maybe I would have a normal day.  Back in TX I would go to work at 640 and up at 5am and off at 3pm and have the day to do stuff.

sweetpeach - let me clarify what I meant as what would I do with myself....

I go to work at 1ish here from home so being up earlier and not being a morning person I wouldn't have much to do.  I am not a busy person unless working for most part.  I don't think I have depression per se but I just don't have much to do here, if that makes sense.

I am seriously thinking about getting a PT job at a grocery store or something just to get out more ;-)

That sounds like a good idea.  Sitting around at home being bored or trying to sleep because you can't find anything to do with yourself  (even just take a walk or look in shop windows or go to a cafe and get a bite to eat - or watch a video if the weather is too bad to go outside) is a sign of depression. Getting a job is great, but you don't have to get a job to get out of the house - there are other things you can do to be active.

People who are depressed tend to lie or sit around and don't make an effort to do anything, often because they feel weak or tired. (Depression is not the same as feeling sad.)

I use this from Holland and Barrett.  It smells, but it helped me and I am not a user of herbal stuff.  Also, ear plugs.  The littlest noise when I am tossing and turning disturbs me.

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=1054&prodid=1275

Give me a call and I'll talk your ear off until you pass out! x

Give me a call and I'll talk your ear off until you pass out! x

LOL Thanks!

I just went from being super active and out and about with people all the time. Working in an office and playing with my dog to I don't have much to do when DH and the kids arent here.  Like empty nest syndrome.

I dont try to sleep due to boredom but if I go out I spend money and trust me I spend enough shopping online lol

It dont think it would hurt to talk to the GP ;-)

thanks guys

When I can't sleep, I find that just doing some deep breathing and relaxation techniques helps....The kind of breathing/freeing your mind/de-stress/sort of thing that you will find practiced in Yoga classes...  For the most part, if i can't sleep, it's because my head's racing with all sorts of different thoughts, so when you free yourself of those, and focus on breathing, it does help.   

Since you are actually getting enough sleep, I wouldn't recommend any sort of medication, as sometimes people can react badly, and I don't think a doctor would prescribe them if there's no real need for it.