Help Sleeping...

I haven't tried this but thought it might be helpful!!    

When You Can't Sleep

Team's win has you too keyed up to sleep.

Stress antidote: Oatmeal and a banana. The rush from your team's last-minute heroics may be interfering with production of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. Give your body a boost by whip-ping up a bowl of instant oatmeal and topping it with a sliced banana. Melatonin is found in only a few foods, and these are two of them.
 

I know this is right up ksand24's alley ;-) since its medication and she is so smart

Aww, thanks .

I can't really help out too much on this one though, because what I would normally recommend medication-wise is diphenhydramine  . There are only two medicines you can buy for sleep in the pharmacy and they are Nytol (diphenhydramine) and Sominex (promethazine)... both of them are antihistamines, and so if diphenhydramine isn't suitable for you, I'm not sure whether promethazine would be any good either.

Everyone else has given great advice though... the same sort of tips I would recommend to a customer if I was still at Boots, so I don't really have anything else to add other than that I hope you manage to get it sorted out soon .

Nytol (diphenhydramine)

There's also a herbal Nytol which is mostly valerian, hops, etc. I don't know if it really does work or if it's just psychological, but I swear it does the trick for me sometimes. Other times, not so much.

I've had problems with sleeping as well.

What are the details of the trouble you are having sleeping? 
 Do you just lay there trying to fall asleep but can't?  How long has this been going on?    Do you wake up in the middle of the night?  What is your work schedule?


There are many causes for sleep disruption. Stress is a common reason, but changes in lifestyle are also very important to take into consideration.


I read over your posts a few time to make sure I didn't miss anything, so I'm sorry if I miss anything!

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.

My best guess is this is the reason for your sleep disruption.  Going from an active lifestyle to a non-active one affects us more than we realize. Your body is used to a certain pattern of daily life, and changing that pattern seems to have thrown your body off.  While you may not be suffering from depression, the holidays can be stressful on EVERYONE, which can compound negative effects on your sleeping patterns. 


Maintaining a regular and active schedule is key to developing healthy, regular sleep patterns.  The fact that your are making an effort to get exercise is a great step in the right direction.

My suggestions:

-Go to sleep and wake everyday at the same time.  If you go to bed at midnight, get up at 8am regardless of how tired you are, and when you actually fell asleep.  You can always take a nap later if needed.

-Don't nap for more than 45 min.  Even if you don't fall asleep, having that "down time" for your body and brain will help rejuvenate you.

-Don't read, or watch TV in bed.  Your bed is for sleeping and sex, and only those two things.  If you read or watch TV while in bed, you unconsciously link those activities with your bed and bedroom.  Your brain and body won't be able to relax when it's expecting to watch TV or read, rather than sleep!  Avoid TV altogether for about an hour before bed.

-Get out and find morning activities.  You might not be a morning person, and that's ok, but you might want to see if you could become one!  Check out your local community for groups that meet in the morning, or find a friend to go out with for a morning cup of tea or coffee.  Just get out of the house and find something to do!

-Get yourself into a pre-bedtime routine.  Have a cup of herbal decaf tea a little bit before bed, while you read a relaxing historical novel (nothing intense that leaves you wanting to turn the next page.)  If you have a relaxing routine before bed, it prompts your body and mind, letting them know that it almost time to sleep.  I cross-stitch before bed!!!

-If you can't fall asleep, get up and do something.  Try to go read a book (again, nothing too exciting), or something for 30 min, then try to go back to sleep.



I don't recommend taking any medications unless you absolutely MUST.  When I used meds to help with my sleeping, I found that I woke up extremely groggy. 


I use melatonin now, and it works beautifully.

Hope this helps a little.

FurtureMrsMacIver...spot on!

I am tired but my brain doesn't shut off at night...The holidays stressed me greatly since it was my first one away from "home base".

These are great suggestions and I am going to AIM to go to sleep when I go upstairs and NOT watch TV and wake up early.  Maybe I will try to work out in the morning or drive to the town over and get coffee and walk around, maybe 1X a week at least.

I appreciate all the helpful hints and you are right my lifestyle now is so "still" but I can change it.

thanks!

My best guess is this is the reason for your sleep disruption.  Going from an active lifestyle to a non-active one affects us more than we realize. Your body is used to a certain pattern of daily life, and changing that pattern seems to have thrown your body off.  While you may not be suffering from depression, the holidays can be stressful on EVERYONE, which can compound negative effects on your sleeping patterns.

I agree with this. I think that since you are less active, you need less sleep.  Your body is keeping you awake because you don't need to sleep as much. That could also be related to why you are gaining weight - you aren't expending as much energy, so you don't need as much calories.

Worrying about not getting to sleep can result in a vicious cycle - you worry that you won't be able to sleep, and your worrying keeps you up.

Instead of lying in bed waiting to fall asleep, why not enjoy the time that you have in the house awake by yourself when the rest of your family is asleep.  Read a book, watch TV or a film, take a bath, paint your toenails - whatever makes you happy. I like it when I hear DH snoring safely upstairs and I can have "me time".

Glad to help!  Finally putting my studies and degree to work, lol!


If you're like me, and your brain never stops going, even when you're trying to sleep, try this:  make a list of all the things you want to do the next day, or want to address, before you go to sleep.  That way you don't have to think about them, since you've already addressed them as best you can for the evening, and have made plans to deal with those things later.

I really think that not watching TV while you try to go to sleep will help, along with upping your activities.

You mentioned trying to find a PT job. Great idea! If you're going to be up, why not make some money!  Also, check out local activities in the paper, or find local groups that meet.  Walking groups might be a good way to exercise, and meet more people, which can help alleviate stress and strengthen your social ties to your new home.  Both of these things will help in a psychological sense, and make you happier!

Another idea is find a place to volunteer.  I think you mentioned playing with your dog.  Find a local dog park, or area where people bring their dogs.  It's a great way to get out of the house, get some fresh air, and meet people with common ground.  I actually did this when my ex and I split, and I made some great friends there.  Or find an animal shelter to help out at.  Just find a way to get out of the house, and do something you enjoy in the process. If there isn't a dog park, form a group to get one made!!

The key is getting yourself on a schedule, and finding things to do.  This will tire you out, get you on a regular sleep cycle, and help keep stress down.

If you're like me, and your brain never stops going, even when you're trying to sleep,

This is my problem.

I think you've already gotten a lot of good advice, but you had mentioned Melatonin earlier.  My husband picked up a bottle here in the U.S. before he went home, because he'd read that it helped with the jet lag/time adjustment.  He's continued to use it off and on over the past 6 weeks, because he really does feel that he gets to sleep faster and gets a better quality sleep.  He can be a restless sleeper, so even if he gets 6+ hours, he doesn't always feel rested.

I have no idea what the scientific evidence is for it's effectiveness, or what the potential adverse reactions or interactions might be, and it's certainly possible that my husband's experience is nothing more than a placebo effect, but whatever the reason, he says it is helping him.

So, it may be worth bringing up with your GP.

I swear by Melatonin!


Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland.  The levels of this hormone vary throughout the day, peaking at night.  Darkness triggers the increased production of melatonin, which in turn makes you drowsy and triggers other biological responses that prepare your body for sleep. 


I didn't mention it specifically before, but the sleep patterns I spoke of earlier is called the Circadian Rhythm.  Essentially, you body responds to light and darkness as a means to figure out when it is supposed to sleep.  Melatonin is part of the Circadian Rhythm in that its increased production is triggered by a decrease in light in the environment surrounding a person or other organism.  It has also been correlated with increased dreaming.  Dreams take place during REM sleep, the deepest and most revitalizing stage of sleep.

In other words, melatonin is natural, and helps get your body on a normal Circadian Rhythm, which helps you sleep not only on a better schedule, but improving your quality of sleep.

I would also say try and volunteer/find things you're interested in, get out and go for walks or exercise, try and meet up with people, or even get that part time job you're talking about. You'll tired yourself out and then have things to look forward to.  Just having things to keep you busy can get you sleepy!
Good luck. 

I take magnesium and valerian together when I can't sleep.  I fall asleep fairly quickly, get good-quality rest and wake up refreshed.

I have a terrible time with insomnia sometimes, usually from stress.  I lay there, tossing and turning and thinking.  Sucks.  I have tried to find things that I can focus on that will take my mind off stressful stuff and that let me zone out and I'll eventually fall asleep.  Usually taking an imaginary vacation in my head or going through a story I've read from beginning to end.  Sounds silly but it helps me sometimes.

One thing I've found is when I can't sleep and it's not stress is to pay attention to what I've eaten in the hours before I go to bed.  Some foods are conducive to sleep and some, not so much. I've noticed is as I've gotten older, caffeine affects me so much more than in my 20's.  A big cup of coffee several hours before bed is sometimes enough to keep me up

As a lifelong insomniac, I have tried just about everything, but really try hard not to use medications if I can.  I have found relaxation CDs, downloaded to my ipod helpful.  I actually saw a hypnotherapist who did a personal one for me, which is, of course, my favorite.  I also like my ritual of chamomile tea before bed and take magnesium supplements at bedtimes as well.  Regular exercise definitely makes a difference.

Interestingly, since I moved here and don't work - for money anyway - I have been sleeping like a baby.  Hmmmm........

Well last night we had the pub quiz and I came home and had a bit of popcorn as a snack (was starving) and wen to bed around 1230ish.  I stayed downstairs and watched TV but No TV when I went to bed (it was weird).  I laid there for about 20 minutes then had to go to the bathroom again.  I then remembered I had a sound machine I brought with I only just found when wrapping presents!
That came downstairs with me and I put in fresh batteries.
Soon as I got upstairs I put it on 30 min of rain and I was out before it ever shut off.
I did set an alarm and got up at 9 and I will try this for a bit.

I forgot how much I love my sound machine, rain can always make me sleep.