Natural Fixes for Sleeping Issues

Gallileo: even though I'm late in the thread posting this, I find (as your fellow Celt) that in my travels everywhere and years and years in different kinds of womens shelters, and different cities, and different peoples' homes, that the solving of the sleeping issue both takes a psychological and physical "comfort" approach.

For example: it took me time to realise that, psychologically, I CANNOT feel comforted and fall asleep properly unless I have even a light sheet or blanket to curl up under - especially important that it ABSOLUTELY covers my feet, and is not kicked off.

It also took me time to realise that even pills or natural supplements (isolated, by themselves) were not even half as effective as "real foods" that contained the substance I needed. Another example: whatever is in TURKEY, besides tryptophan, works damn well better and faster than taking a couple months worth of encapsulated tryptophan ,and waiting for the calming and steadying effects to kick in.

SIGNALS from cell phones and computers shoud be turned off completely if they are anywhere near your body or head. They still send photons or ions or atoms or whatever you want to call them over to your body to distract it while you are sleeping. Because they have small amouts of radiation in their signals.

EARPLUGS can and should be employed not because you are going to effectively shut out all sound around you completely, but because they enable biofeedback: you get to listen to the steady sound of your breathing, enabling you to fall asleep in a more secure manner. Just put your alarm clock closer to your head.

If the body is struggling to keep itself warm or cool, you are going to have a hard time sleeping until the problem is corrected. A person could be "off" by only a few degrees -- and it still affects them. This was another hard thing for me to learn and admit. I thought it was babyish, until my body still refused to sleep restfully.

If there are too many life/emotional issues holding you back - a persons subconscious can easily keep obsessing about these things during "off time" (which means sleep time, too) and restful sleep will never happen. We are more than just body and spirit: we are soul, and what gets lodged in the soul stays there until it is freed up.

PERSONAL CIRCADIAN RYTHM of the body cannot be ignored at all. it dictates your melatonin supply and when you produce the most melatonin. If a person forces themself into a work/sleep cycle that causes them to lose more and more sleep at night, or employ more and more artificial means in order to get to sleep, then a life change has to be made for the better because we can't ask the One Who Is for a "recall" on our bodies just because we wish we could be as impressive as early-morning risers who don't have any sleep issues at all.

~the end~
 
Peppermint said:
melatonin?
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There is a scientific basis for melatonin helping with sleep issues. Take it at the time you think you should be going to sleep. It resets the biological diurnal clock. It works very well at home to induce sleep but, also, when you travel. For example, if you're in the US and you fly to Europe, take it at the time you would expect to go to sleep according to European time. In a day or two, you'll be acclimated to Europe and your jet lag will be greatly diminished. I've been using melatonin for many years and it really works. It's invaluable when you have a business meeting and you want to avoid jet lag. When I travel to Australia or Japan, it works just as well. Indeed, it's actually quite amazing how well it works. If you're on a plane, you can help your sleep with a dose of Ambiem (Zolpidem) or its equivalents in different countries. This will give you a good six hours (but not much more) of sleep in an uncomfortable environment. Finally, if you're jet lagged several time zones east of your home, take a dose of hydrocortisone, because this compensates for endogenous hormone that gets out of wack with jet travel.
 
Sandalwood essential oil (therapeutic grade only). I have bad insomnia, but that stuff knocks me out whenever I can't sleep. Also, I use 'simply sleep' most nights. Its non-habit forming, over the counter, and doesn't make me zonk out hard, but I do stay asleep a lot better. I have to take it about 11 hours before I'm going to be driving or I'll feel groggy. It takes about 2 hours to kick in for me.

Also, stretch a lot, and don't eat for a couple hours before bed. I've read its especially true for introverts that get energy kicks from their food quicker. Eating within a couple hours of bed will make you wide awake. So maybe just make sure you're getting enough dinner to fill you up so you aren't tempted.
 
-Orgasms
-Shutting off your computer and TV early
-and pretty much all of the above
 
There's a whole field of medicine known as "sleep medicine." Sleep hygiene means that the bed is used only for sleeping and making love. Don't read in bed, eat in bed, or watch TV from bed. As Chamomile wrote, don't eat anything for a few hours before going to bed. Drinking alcohol before bedtime, ironically, isn't good for a good night's sleep. If you can exercise regularly, this definitely helps because it reduces stress, a definite problem when it comes to sleep. Having a consistent, regular routine in the evening before bed helps kids sleep but it's also good for adults, too. Make sure that your room is dark and quiet. Some people find that "white noise" machines help them to sleep.
 
Oh and there are actually 3 websites out there that generate white noise, if you want to try them!
Just Google. They are free. :) I can't remember if they are downloadable.
 
That would.....negate the tunring the pc off advice menationed earlier......... *wrinkles nose in frustration* :P
 
Seraffa said:
Oh and there are actually 3 websites out there that generate white noise, if you want to try them!
Just Google. They are free. :) I can't remember if they are downloadable.
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http://www.youtuberepeat.com/watch/?v=kwIyHkS_JPg
If you type "repeat" after youtube in any youtube video url, it autorepeats until you stop it. I have been helped many a night by that link, loves me some white noise <3
 
the problem is is that I need to have my computer on and something playing very quietly in the background. if I don't I have anxiety issues....

I'm pretty selective about what I listen to when I go to sleep though, as in it's usually stuff I have already listened too loads of times so that I don't feel the need to get involved with the book, I've already listened to it so know what happens, it's just there to provide the necessary noise I need to feel secure.

I could try the white noise thing though...

thanks everyone for your help.
 
uhmm.. I know this sounds stupid but.. my friend told me to put rock salt under my tongue... just a bit :) then I would be able to sleep.. I haven't tried it yet :)
 
kiu said:
None of that stuff works. I've been an insomniac since I was a teenager. It occurs in cycles. If you notice, I'm still awake and instead of feeling more tired, I'm actually starting to feel hyper. It has been a while since I skipped an entire night of sleep but based on how I'm feeling now it's likely I'm going to skip another.
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Second-wind. Wear yourself out.
 
corndogman said:
Run 10 miles.
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Runner's highs make you feel more awake*.
If you run to feel tired, make sure you quit
before you achieve this.


*mentally, not physically.
 
it's ok if you do exercise in the morning too.. then by night it's worn off

unless you overdo it then you're screwed
 
I don't have any advice except to echo what has been suggested above.

Also, if you value your sleep...don't have kids. Just sayin. :P
 
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