[lini]

AP: If you are no regular beer drinker (like me), a pint of beer can help.

Greetings from Hannover!

Manfred / lini

 

[Gaughtfried]

I used to suffer from pretty bad insomnia. Sometimes I wouldn't even fall asleep at night. I've tried the traditional remedies including warm milk, reading and exercise. I quickly found out that my bowels couldn't take warm milk, reading made me stay up even longer and exercise just made me hot and sweaty but not really sleepy. In the end, I found that listening to music eq'd with high amounts of treble made me drowsy.

 

[vesuvius333]

You could try using st john's wort which has a calming, drowsy effect. Also look into L theanine which is readily apparent in green tea though in low quantities. L theanine will give you a calming effect without the drowsiness which supposedly produces more alpha waves (alpha = good) which could help if you stay up constantly thinking at night.

 

[JahJahBinks]

insomnia usually means your mind is not tired but often your body is, so exercising will probably be worse to your body.

 

[Cjattwood]

You said you've been going to bed "10-11ish"; This sounds like you make sure you're in bed before then. Don't do that, only go to bed when you actually feel tired, as laying there in bed feeling bored and untired will waste brain energy and make you feel worse and you won't fall asleep. Get up, stretch your legs, read a book, listen to some music etc, and then go to sleep WHEN YOU ARE READY to go to sleep.

 

[imho]

Sorry for all of you who can't sleep...

I have been working 15 hour days crunching numbers, so I am wiped out at night...

Here are some blast-from-the past threads related to insomnia...

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/searc...archid=2158218
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/searc...8&pp=30&page=2
http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/searc...8&pp=30&page=3

and my previous post related to sleep (or lack thereof)
Insomnia is caused mainly by...OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), stress, bi-polar disorder and depression. Not to mention sleep apnea.

Human beings have three VERY basic needs: EAT, SLEEP and REPRODUCE

Why do you think there is so much talk about sleep. Try natural remedies before going to pills (see links below). If you ARE going to try pills, then DEFINITELY try natural pills before going to over-the-counter and as a last resort to Rx.

Because I travel so much and experience jet lag and different beds/rooms, I have become a chronic insomniac.

These work the best...
Try light excercising (earlier in the evening, NOT right before going to bed)
DON'T do anything excitable or something that will keep you up before going to bed (watching sports games, reading intense novels, drink caffinated drinks, surf the internet...).
DON'T drink alcohol or eat late.
AVOID any kind of light...TV, Computer, flourescent...
DO relax.

If you have room with multiple windows, get light blocking curtains.
http://shopping.yahoo.com/search/;_y...tion=1&sp=pall

Unfortunately, I had the displeasure of resorting to medication. Sleeping pills, the Rx types ARE addictive, no matter what anyone says, and as my doctor would say, should be used "SPARINGLY".

The most common form of over-the-counter remedies are (they are all antihistamines or more commonly known as allergy pills):
Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride (Benadryl, Nytol)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphenhydramine
Doxylamine Succinate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxylamine_succinate
Chlorpheniramine Maleate (Nyquil)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorpheniramine
they all work, but might cause side effects and make you feel groggy the next day.

The most popular natural remedy among jet setters to cure jet-lags tends to be Melatonin and Valerian Root.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Valerian.asp
My favorite form of natural sleep remedy for the above 2 ingredients?
Alluna
http://www.ritecare.com/cgi-bin/cart...arch=enz-03278
and
Vitamin Shoppe's Sleep Naturally
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/e...jsp?id=VS-2326
+ another favorite of mine; Hyland's Homeopathic's Calms Forte
http://www.calmsforte.com/

Then, there are the Rx types, which you DO need a prescription from your Doctor. The most common ones now a days are:
Lunesta (eszopiclone) http://www.lunesta.com/
Ambien (zolpidem) http://www.ambien.com/
Sonata (zaleplon) http://www.sonata.com/sonatanow/

Just remember, Rx sleep aids have known to cause SEVERE (sleep walking, eating) side effects when mixed with alcohol. You need to be EXTREMELY cautious.
(*PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ THIS LINK!)
http://www-tech.mit.edu/V126/N1/1long4.html

Try these other products.
http://www.sleep-aid-reviews.com/product-reviews.htm

My favorite? Sleep CDs...yes, there is such a thing and it is ALL natural and safer than anything mentioned above...and they DO work...another excuse to use your CANS in BED!!!
http://www.therelaxationcompany.com/...29&match_type=
http://hemisyncforyou.com/store/Scri...?idproduct=394
http://www.serenitysupply.com/browse...ducement_1.htm
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=glance&n=5174
http://weboffers.search.aol.com/webo...=sleep%20music



Here are many more links to sleeping disorder:
http://aolsvc.health.webmd.aol.com/c...onditionWidget
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/index.htm
http://www.sleepnet.com/
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/
http://sleepdisorders.about.com/

I swear I should have been a Doctor or a pharmacist instead of an accountant. Don't stay up all night reading these links.

GOOD LUCK & SLEEP WELL!

 

[Beach123456]

I used to have the same problem.
Melatonin+20-30 minutes of music solved it for me. I tend to be so tired i can barely keep my eyes open after that. I also got a new matress, when i realized that my old one was part of the problem.

 

[MuZI]

Like many people have recomended, Melatonin and ZMA are good supplements to help you get sleep. But with any disorder addressing the problem is better than fixing the symptoms with drugs.

 

[AuroraProject]

I tried reading, that seemed to help a little. It keeps my mind occupied and helps me get into a dream state (I can't recall the last time I had a memorable dream though). Exercise doesn't seem to do much.

 

[Oistrakh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by K2Grey Play music with PDAP? Try J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations, he wrote them for the purpose of helping with someone's insomnia

Get the 1981 recording by Gould playing, if you can

 

[fearless]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuroraProject I tried reading, that seemed to help a little. It keeps my mind occupied and helps me get into a dream state (I can't recall the last time I had a memorable dream though). Exercise doesn't seem to do much.

I can pretty much gaurantee that you'll remember at least some of your dreams if you take melatonin. I usually have the craziest and most vivid ones when I take it.

 

[Uncle Erik]

I've seen this before; you're not alone. I used to do divorces and saw a lot of clients go through the same thing. Helped friends deal with this, too, and I had a tough time with a broken engagement.

Thing is, you need to talk to someone. You don't want to, but try to find someone. If you're using an attorney, ask for some help. They know what you're going through and will help you. Off the clock, too, if they're a good one. Ask if they have another client going through or having just finished a divorce to talk to. They should know someone.

If you don't want to do that, you should have a friend, co-worker or family member willing to listen. If you're afraid they'll pass judgment, don't be. Most people are pretty good about these things. They won't think less of you and chances are you'll wind up closer to that person. Clergy is also a good option. Even if you're not religious, they're usually very skilled in these things. Most will help you even if you're not a member of their church.

Other than that, avoid caffeine and other stimulants and get into a routine. This might also be a good time to take up a new hobby, work on a degree, learn a new language, or anything else that you've "always" wanted to do. Just go do it. It'll help keep your mind off things and give you something to look forward to.

 

[Audiofiler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Squeek A few suggestions... 1) More excercise 2) Read before bed 3) Limit caffeine to a minimum during the day, and none after work 4) New pillow? 5) Remove the television from the bedroom if there is one 6) Keep a routine. Even if you aren't falling asleep, keep going to bed at the same time. Same goes for waking up. I get up within an hour of the same time every day. In my case I get tired around 9:30pm and if I don't go to bed within a 20-30 minute window, I get my second wind and I'll be up until 12am.

These are some great pointers...
also per your Avy...just throw in Are you shpongled??? If you are still up at the end of the CD, tales of the inexpressible should do you in

do you have a bed-time rig setup?? My V6's (which block out the dogs and sound) make decent night night cans...paired with the D-33 plugged into the wall, and Shpongle or Flaming Lips are usually the doctors I keep in the D-33, typically I get about a song and a half into a shpongle CD before getting sleepy, when laying down of course,

HTH

 

[vagarach]

During exam time in uni (change from 18-20 hour days to nothing) I find it impossible to sleep at reasonable times, and so trying to sleep at say 11:30 results in insomnia. So I read my very big and boring Java 2 book

. Works like a charm, but the key is that it must be boring. Also, if you can't sleep immediately, get out of bed and do something constructive until your body can no longer keep going. Then hop back in bed!