QOTD: Wed 17 Oct - Insomnia

[FallenPixels]

You don't need to have "real" insomnia to answer the question, but what do you do when you can't sleep?

[glowworm2k]

I do relaxation exercises, slowly tensing and then relaxing the muscles starting at the top of my head and going to the tip of my toes all the while doing deep breathing. It's pretty rare that I make it all the way to my toes; I normally fall asleep sometime around contracting and relaxing stomach muscles.

I am really lucky and don't often lay awake. Heck, I can sleep almost anywhere!

[Natalka]

^ that pic is hilarious!

Well, I do have real insomnia - have had since I was a teenager.

For years, I had trouble falling asleep - and would try everything under the sun to try get relaxed and/or sleepy. Nothing really seemed to work, so I learned to just deal with it and I could be quite productive in the middle of the night.

Things changed with perimenopause hitting in my late 30s - I could fall asleep easier, but then could not stay asleep, and nothing I did could get me back to sleep once I awoke.

That's where I am now, but at least now I can nap in the afternoon - something I never could do before - so I can catch up on an hour or two of sleep.

Took 1/2 a sleeping pill once, and never ever again. It paralyzed my body - I could feel it happening slowly, but my mind was still awake. Gosh, it was scary.

[danger_dan]

Pop in the ear buds, and turn up the music.
Yes, turn up the music. I don't know what it is, but i seem to tune it out and drift off.

[ninna]

I very seldom have this problem (thank you God cuz I get so freakin crabby when I don't get enough sleep!)

If I do have an issue falling asleep its always because I'm too overloaded with stress and I can't turn my brain off. When that happens I try a little self hypnosis.

Sounds weird but it works for me. When I was younger I once went to see a hypnotist to try and quit smoking. It didn't work for me (LOL...although I did quit the old fashioned way eventually) but what I learned was how to induce myself into that hypnotic state...which is the ultimate in relaxation. So when I can't sleep, I self hypnotize.

I'll tell you...I start at the top of my head and work my way down ordering the various parts of my body to relax and let go and I never get past the shoulders before I'm out cold.

[vesper]

I rarely have trouble sleeping. If I do, it's not hard to guess what puts men to sleep rather fast. So it's either that or a nice walk.

(yes I know I I'm single)

[gracesmommy]

lol @ vesper.
i usually cant sleep if i'm stressed about something and i cant turn my brain off. i find that if i start to read that will put me to sleep.

[danger_dan]

I rarely have trouble sleeping. If I do, it's not hard to guess what puts men to sleep rather fast. So it's either that or a nice walk.

(yes I know I I'm single)

the question was asked...and he's an honest answering guy

[glowworm2k]

I rarely have trouble sleeping. If I do, it's not hard to guess what puts men to sleep rather fast. So it's either that or a nice walk.

(yes I know I I'm single)

Truly a guy thing! That puts my DH out cold, but has the effect of waking me up

[FallenPixels]

Helps me sleep too

[VeeVee]

If I can't sleep, I usually get up and walk around for a bit, go on the patio...after about 10-15 min I go back and usually fall asleep after that.

[kazm-l]

I just toss and turn - hoping that sleep will eventually happen. Once i'm in bed i usually want to stay there til i have no other option but to get out.......hate, hate,hate wandering around a cold house!

I have actually suffered from sleep issues since...well i'm not sure actually...since the kids were small perhaps??
Definitely more than 10 years as DH went onto shifts then and that really played havoc with my sleep,lol!

Anyway, A week or so ago, while wandering around my fav. store(Costco!!), DH came across a natural sleep remedy. He looked at it, looked at me, said you need this and threw it in amongst our other goodies.Have to say that it actually works - i have never had so much sleep and with no side effects either. Now i don't need to have a snooze midway through the day,lol

[DiamondLil]

I watch tv when I cant sleep, but if I really cant sleep and need to be up early the next day, I take a midol. Knocks me out within 20 minutes.

[FallenPixels]

Before I get up and try to make myself tired again, I play 'alphabet soup' in my head, picking a topic and working from A-Z thinking up things in that topic that start with them, if that doesn't help, I will get up and read - but that wakes the cats and then there is no point trying to sleep.

[danger_dan]

Before I get up and try to make myself tired again, I play 'alphabet soup' in my head, picking a topic and working from A-Z thinking up things in that topic that start with them

that's interesting...it's like ...only not as boring!

...if that doesn't help, I will get up and read - but that wakes the cats and then there is no point trying to sleep.

is this you?