how to get a good night's sleep

[Infjente]

Funny, I also do the fiction story thing. The trick for me is to pick something not too emotionally engaging or problem-solving. I try to imagine something that's repeatably stimulating, and boring, but yet stimulating enough to keep me distracted - for instance cleansing my skin, imagining myself being the size of the point of a pen.

I was diagnosed with a condition as a kid, called delayed sleeping phase syndrome, and since then tried most of the recommended treatments. Some of them have been effective for a while, but I just can't seem to stick to a routine and when I start struggling with maintaining it, it stresses me out and I'm back at lying awake at night. My best advice is to embrace your problem as best you can. It can make you go without sleep for a while, but working alongside a problem rather than against, may save you some energy and stress in the long run. I think that's more important than having a good sleeping hygiene that doesn't come naturally to you to maintain.

 

[Happy Phantom]

Yeah, tribal dance is tiring.

 

[seira0807]

I like having a bedtime routine. It's not as if I'm forced to do things in a certain order, but there's some kind of domestic comfort in knowing - oh, this is when I should settle down, comb my hair, put on pyjamas, quiet myself, say good night to others in the house, prepare outfit for tomorrow, etc.

 

[macerunny]

I drink chamomile tea with honey or sometimes i drink warm milk

 

[Emanuel Goldstein]

Funny, I also do the fiction story thing. The trick for me is to pick something not too emotionally engaging or problem-solving. I try to imagine something that's repeatably stimulating, and boring, but yet stimulating enough to keep me distracted - for instance cleansing my skin, imagining myself being the size of the point of a pen.

I was diagnosed with a condition as a kid, called delayed sleeping phase syndrome, and since then tried most of the recommended treatments. Some of them have been effective for a while, but I just can't seem to stick to a routine and when I start struggling with maintaining it, it stresses me out and I'm back at lying awake at night. My best advice is to embrace your problem as best you can. It can make you go without sleep for a while, but working alongside a problem rather than against, may save you some energy and stress in the long run. I think that's more important than having a good sleeping hygiene that doesn't come naturally to you to maintain.

If your having sleeping issues try breathing exercises. 3 deep breaths will calm you down. If you continue to take deep slow breaths you will be both focused (on your breathing) and start to get lightheaded. Eventually you'll start to get tired and fall asleep.

 

[Littlelissa]

I think being online doesn't help with a good nights sleep, especially late at night and before bed. Blue light from computer screens is said to disrupt circadian rhythms, making it harder to fall asleep and also waking up more.

 

[spudscoffee]

I listen to soothing music; preferable without lyrics. If all else fails a tablespoon of benadryl will do the trick.

 

[Eventhorizon]

I'm late to this party. You basically have to remove everything from the room that can be a distraction. No TVs in the room. No artifical light from clocks or other things. No pets. Obviously no electronic devices like phones or the like.
Once done you need to practice removing your thoughts. Focus on calmness and when you think of something, shove it to the side. I know this is difficult but it can be done with practice.

 

[infinite dreams]

Vitally important: set up the physical comfort of the room (temperature, preferred bedding etc) to your liking first and foremost and don't vary from it or forget. Nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night too hot/cold.

You basically have to remove everything from the room that can be a distraction. No TVs in the room. No artifical light from clocks or other things. No pets. Obviously no electronic devices like phones or the like.

Or ya know, you could have those things in the room but turn them off well in advance of bedtime (well, not the pets I suppose... ).

Reading helps me more than anything else. Paper books are probably best, but my Kindle has a nighttime reading mode that doesn't do that melatonin-suppression thing. I'm usually out in a matter of minutes. For me bouts of sleeplessness are mostly psychological. Overall I've found that it's easy for me to fall asleep when I have little to worry about and difficult when I have a lot on my mind. Distractions (like reading, as noted above) can be good remedies for this.

Artificial noise is also a lifesaver. I have a white noise app on my phone that does wonders.

 

[Lady Jolanda]

F.lux for the PC and EasyEyes for the phone are very helpful apps for melatonin related sleep difficulties. They dim the blue light emitted by your screen in the evening.