Insominiac
Wed Sep 08, 2004 11:02 pm
I can never fall asleep. Even when I am dead tired and my eyes and body just want to drift of to sleep, my mind doesn't let me. I end up lieing in bed till 1:00 am or later.
I don't have caffeine or my pure sugar packets (Yuuummm) after 12:00 in the afternoon. I just want to be able to fall asleep. I kept having this insomnia since back in December, so its not like I haven't caught up over the summer. Any help on how to beat it?
I don't have caffeine or my pure sugar packets (Yuuummm) after 12:00 in the afternoon. I just want to be able to fall asleep. I kept having this insomnia since back in December, so its not like I haven't caught up over the summer. Any help on how to beat it?
Wed Sep 08, 2004 11:07 pm
Well sometimes I can't get to sleep even when I REALLY want to.
My dad used to tell me that if I can't get to sleep..then my body isn't ready to go to sleep.
Does this happen every night?
My dad used to tell me that if I can't get to sleep..then my body isn't ready to go to sleep.
Does this happen every night?
Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:01 am
That happens sometimes to me, and I just put up with it, so I can't really be a help. But I think you can get pills for it...?
Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:05 am
You could try tiring yourself out, or you can do what I do which is just focus my mind on one thing and try my best to fall asleep and not have a ton of thoughts going through my head.
Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:20 am
Tyr doing sports in the morning *nods nods* also clear your mind. I'm also imsomniac because i can't stop worrying about school and it just stopped me from sleeping because i think about the same thing over and over again and worry myself. Just leave your mind blank from any troubles. AAlso try some music...soft or classical music usually puts me in the mood...just don't put on a Linkin Park CD or such 
Hope this helps!
Hope this helps!
Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:40 am
Try counting backwards from 100. It works for me.
Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:50 am
Well here's some things that may help..well they work for me
-lately I turn music on real soft
-count
-concentrate on relaxing one part of you at a time...like feet,legs,arms,hands,etc. You'd be surprised at how tense you may be
-Sometimes if i'm really stressed or somthing..I take tylenol
and you may want to see a doctor about it..they may be able to reccomend something
-lately I turn music on real soft
-count
-concentrate on relaxing one part of you at a time...like feet,legs,arms,hands,etc. You'd be surprised at how tense you may be
-Sometimes if i'm really stressed or somthing..I take tylenol
and you may want to see a doctor about it..they may be able to reccomend something
Thu Sep 09, 2004 12:56 am
I have had the same problem my whole life. 
Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:01 am
Fiddelysquat wrote:I have had the same problem my whole life.
Same.
Lastnight I just got the sudden feeling of depression and blahness. (My sign I really REALLY need to stay awake..) I stayed up about a half hour/hour longer and I felt better.I tried to draw a little,got mad,then slept.
Drawing while you are almost laying really helps. Honestly. Or reading. Your arms get really tired and when you put them down to rest for a minute...night night.
Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:01 am
The best thing that works for me, is to keep my mind on one thing, something that's not stress-causing. Like playing a movie in your head, make it up as you go along. Or try the counting backwards thing. Don't let your mind wander.
Whatever you do, don't turn the light back on, don't start reading, or watching TV, or get online. Just stay in bed and keep trying. If nothing else, you'll at least bore yourself to sleep.
Whatever you do, don't turn the light back on, don't start reading, or watching TV, or get online. Just stay in bed and keep trying. If nothing else, you'll at least bore yourself to sleep.
Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:07 am
Kitten Medli wrote:Fiddelysquat wrote:I have had the same problem my whole life.
Same.
Lastnight I just got the sudden feeling of depression and blahness. (My sign I really REALLY need to stay awake..) I stayed up about a half hour/hour longer and I felt better.I tried to draw a little,got mad,then slept.
Drawing while you are almost laying really helps. Honestly. Or reading. Your arms get really tired and when you put them down to rest for a minute...night night.
*nods nods* i agree with the reading...try reading seomthing really boring, hard or confusing to read and try to understand what's going on and such..and in a snap you'll be zzzzzzzzz. I tried reading "the Da Vinci Code" and i fell asleep in 10 minutes flat.
Also no matter what, don't try to rely on sleeping pills because once u start it's really hard to stop...i've had sleeping problems since gr.7 when the stress and depression really kicked in and during some nights i just fall asleep in the middle of crying...try letting all that stress out before u go to bed...maybe try starting a diary lj or such.
Really wish you luck
Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:14 am
I have the same problem, i usually read, until my eyes and arms are tired, then i say i'm just going to "rest" and i fall asleep!
Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:35 am
Reading usually helps me if I can't fall asleep. Another thing that I've found that helps, is listening to a book on tape/CD. It gives me something to focus on instead of thinking about everything else in life. You can probably find a fairly inexpensive small speaker to place under your pillow, like this one.
Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:39 am
I have the same problem... occasionally. My tips:
Just concentrate on breathing in and out. Try to clear your mind of all other thoughts.
Keep your eyes shut at all times. It doesn't help to keep opening them every few seconds.
Read while lying down- it always makes me tired.
NO AFTERNOON NAPS!
You already know this, but no caffeine or sugar packets after 5:00 PM at the latest.
Don't look at alarm clocks. It's hard enough knowing it's 1:00 AM without having big red numbers tell you.
Best of luck.
Just concentrate on breathing in and out. Try to clear your mind of all other thoughts.
Keep your eyes shut at all times. It doesn't help to keep opening them every few seconds.
Read while lying down- it always makes me tired.
NO AFTERNOON NAPS!
You already know this, but no caffeine or sugar packets after 5:00 PM at the latest.
Don't look at alarm clocks. It's hard enough knowing it's 1:00 AM without having big red numbers tell you.
Best of luck.
Thu Sep 09, 2004 1:48 am
Keys to a good night's sleep:
-Try not to sleep more than 8 hours in any given night. Sleeping too much can make you tired, but can also shift your biological clock a bit.
-Turn the lights lower at night, as you're preparing to go to bed. Part of what allows you to sleep is melatonin, which is destroyed in the morning as light strikes your eyes (there's a complex series of nervous and chemical interactions that go into it, so just trust me on this). When there's less light, more melatonin is allowed to build up in the appropriate cells in your brain, and you become fatigued.
-Read a book in bed.
-Don't watch scary movies. At least, not too late.
-No caffeine after 4 PM, with a 10:30 bedtime.
-Don't exercise heavily after, say, 8 PM, for a 10:30 bedtime. Endorphins keep you awake. This includes chasing your siblings, cats, or chickens in the barnyard.
-Don't drink alcohol within one hour of your desired bedtime. Don't attempt to circumvent this rule by binge drinking and passing out.
-Don't take any excitatory drugs like cocaine, crack cocaine, speed/meth, or extacy (don't laugh, my cousin had insomnia and called me about it, traced it to his constant rolling at raves. No E=better sleep, and an end to the brain damage to boot).
At the same time, do try to do some physical activity in the mornings or early afternoons...play basketball, take a walk, go jogging, hop on a bicycle...do something that burns energy.
I hope those help.
-Try not to sleep more than 8 hours in any given night. Sleeping too much can make you tired, but can also shift your biological clock a bit.
-Turn the lights lower at night, as you're preparing to go to bed. Part of what allows you to sleep is melatonin, which is destroyed in the morning as light strikes your eyes (there's a complex series of nervous and chemical interactions that go into it, so just trust me on this). When there's less light, more melatonin is allowed to build up in the appropriate cells in your brain, and you become fatigued.
-Read a book in bed.
-Don't watch scary movies. At least, not too late.
-No caffeine after 4 PM, with a 10:30 bedtime.
-Don't exercise heavily after, say, 8 PM, for a 10:30 bedtime. Endorphins keep you awake. This includes chasing your siblings, cats, or chickens in the barnyard.
-Don't drink alcohol within one hour of your desired bedtime. Don't attempt to circumvent this rule by binge drinking and passing out.
-Don't take any excitatory drugs like cocaine, crack cocaine, speed/meth, or extacy (don't laugh, my cousin had insomnia and called me about it, traced it to his constant rolling at raves. No E=better sleep, and an end to the brain damage to boot).
At the same time, do try to do some physical activity in the mornings or early afternoons...play basketball, take a walk, go jogging, hop on a bicycle...do something that burns energy.
I hope those help.