Relaxing when trying to sleep

[Grimnar]

I don't normally post in this section so forgive me if this is a common question.

I have always had a lot of trouble falling asleep. Even as a child and all the way along (I am 38 now). I have always felt like I am not on a 24 hour clock or something.

But my thoughts quite often "race". This is particularly noticeable when I am trying to fall asleep. I try to focus on something peaceful but it seems other thoughts jump right in univited. I hope with time, practice, and patience this is something I can change. I have always hated falling asleep because of this.

I also remember many, many of my dreams. I am not sure how common this is. Some people tell me they don't remember their dreams but I do.

Thoughts?

[shutterbug]

There are a number of things you can try.

1. Relaxation/self-hypnosis CD's that tell you what to think about and focus on so as to get your mind and body to slow down and rest. One I like takes you through what is called "progressive muscle relaxation" and then it focuses specifically on thoughts.

2. Go to bed the same time every night.

3. Play a CD of peaceful music or natural sounds (the same CD) every night. I have done this now for about 3 months or more and it works like the Pavlov's dog thing. It conditions your brain and body over time to respond to the music in the same way each time - sleep. Your mind comes to connect those sounds with the act of sleep. So even if I'm not tired, when I lay down and turn on my CD....I fall asleep anyway.

4. I have a specific self-hypnosis/relaxation excersize I can type out for you if you would like....it's pretty simple and I use it whenever my mind races.

5. Reserve your bedroom for sleeping ONLY (and sex). Don't watch t.v. or read or do homework or ANYTHING mentally or physically stimulating. This is another way of conditioning your brain to connect that room with the act of sleep.

6. Keep it cool. When we fall asleep our body temps rise and if it is already warm in the room then we will quickly become hot and have a harder time sleeping.

I have more...but that's all I can think of for now.

Good luck!
Hugs,
Jenna

[sugarssweetpea]

Good advise Jenna. I might have to try some of those. Does your CD keep playing all night? I used to listen to music to fall asleep, but would wake up shortly after it turned off.

[Bozo]

Originally Posted by shutterbug

Reserve your bedroom for sleeping ONLY (and sex).

Whats that?

[bikewench]

lol....

[splendra]

Get a copy of "War and Peace" by, Tolstoy and get into bed and read it you surely will fall asleep....

[Grimnar]

Originally Posted by shutterbug

4. I have a specific self-hypnosis/relaxation excersize I can type out for you if you would like....it's pretty simple and I use it whenever my mind races.

Jenna, I would love to hear about these if you have time to type it all out.

I don't have a CD player in the bedroom but maybe I could get one. A CD of wind sounds would be nice.

As for sex..... not lately!

[cwohio]

i happened to see this in the new posts - i sometimes experience racing mind and inability to sleep. i would also be interested in that info jenna.

bozo & grimnar - glad to know i'm in good company on the sex thing!

[Gabe]

Grim, one of those walkman like CD players with headphones is just the thing for visualization/meditation/relaxation CD's. It tunes them in and the rest of the world out.
I got mine at Sears for about thirty bucks.

[PaperDolls]

Jenna,

I'd love to hear about the self-hypnosis/relaxation excersize.

I've always had problems with sleep too. I've been on Ambien for about 6 months now. Recently it has stopped being very effective. It certianly was in the beginning. My Dr. just told me that you can build a tolerance to it. Just yesterday I've started on Lunesta. Took my first one last night. Feel asleep great but didn't sleep all night. We'll see how it works.

[Grimnar]

PaperDolls -

Can you shoot me a private message sometime and let me know how the Lunesta works out? I'd be interested in hearing about it. Or you can post it here but I may miss it if I am not paying attention.

[PaperDolls]

The Ambien did work for a while but apparently I built a tolerance to it.

I'll let you know how the Lunesta works out.

[shutterbug]

Okay....here's the meditation/self-hypnosis thing I came up with years ago after a friend at college discovered how fun it was to hypnotis me. One of the main things he would do is count backwards from 10-1 in a very calm and peaceful voice, over and over. After he had successfully hypnotized me a couple of times he started coming up to me whenever he saw me (no matter what I was doing) and he would start counting backwards. He was always teasing me this way b/c I would immediately start getting sleepy every time he did this.

So I started using it on my own to help me fall asleep when I couldn't. I've used it for years now, but last year I discovered that it is described in the "Stress Reduction and Relaxation Workbook" from New Harbenger Publications. I love them b/c the first relaxation/self-hypnosis take I was ever given was derived from that workbook and I've loved that tape more than anything I've found.

Anyway...the technique is pretty basic and simple (and over the past year I've added a few extra elements that seem to help).

I mostly use this technique when I'm manic and it usually works if I keep it up for 5-15 minutes. I count backwards from 10 - 1, (not outloud) very slowly and picturing the numbers being drawn as I say the words in my head. The lower the number, the lower the position of this "image" in my mind's eye (like picturing the 10 at eye level or higher and ending up with picturing the one around my belly - like going down a list or a staircase.) The trick is to really IMAGINE seeing the numbers and drawing the lines very slowly and to keep repeating the set.

Hugs,

[shutterbug]

SugarSweetPea....no my CD doesn't play all night, but I think it plays for 30 minutes or an hour and it gets softer and softer as it plays so that when it stops it's not really noticeable. However, if I do happen to wake up....I have the CD player right by my head so I just push the play button again

[shutterbug]

I don't know what that is either Bozo.....I think I've also been single for too long. (That's just what all my readings say so I added that bit in just in case someone happens to know what it is..heehee)

[shutterbug]

Grimmer.....I didn't use to have a CD player in my bedroom either, but I've come to realize how important it is for ME to do the relaxation and self-hypnosis listenings at night. So now it's a must for me. It's the only CD player I have and it sleeps where I sleep

[shutterbug]

Paper Dolls? If you don't mind me asking....are you an alcoholic? Is that possible a contributing factor to your sleep problems or maybe bipolar?

[PaperDolls]

Shutterbug - don't mind at all. I am alcoholic, been sober since 12/3/05. I've never been diagnosed with bipolar but depression and most recently ADD. I think the depression and ADD are the problem with my sleep. I'm 30 now and I don't ever remember in my life waking up feeling refreshed and I've always had problems falling asleep.

Thanks for the self-hypnosis technique. I'm going to try it tonight.

[PaperDolls]

I haven't had a chance to read the entire article but it seems very interesting....

How to Get Great Sleep

By: Hara Estroff Marano
Summary: For many of us, bedtime can be a torment. Ironically, when it comes to sleep, we're our own worst enemy. Our efforts to get some rest often turn one fitful night into full -- blown insomnia.

Read entire article here......

[Grimnar]

Originally Posted by shutterbug

I mostly use this technique when I'm manic and it usually works if I keep it up for 5-15 minutes. I count backwards from 10 - 1, (not outloud) very slowly and picturing the numbers being drawn as I say the words in my head. The lower the number, the lower the position of this "image" in my mind's eye (like picturing the 10 at eye level or higher and ending up with picturing the one around my belly - like going down a list or a staircase.) The trick is to really IMAGINE seeing the numbers and drawing the lines very slowly and to keep repeating the set.

Thank you for posting that. I'll be sure and give it a try tonight.

[Grimnar]

Thanks for sharing that PaperDolls. I'll read it later today when I have time.

[shutterbug]

PaperDolls....the reason I asked about the alcoholism is because it seems that a great many alcoholics have difficulties with sleep. My ex, who is a late-stage alco has progressed to the point that he can't go to sleep unless he's totally plastered (about a 1/2- whole gallon of rum)...or he sits in bed and reads a book for a couple of hours - and then if he does by some miracle fall asleep then it only takes a very slight noise and he's fully alert again.

Since you are just newly sober I would guess that you may have difficulties with this for a while until your body and mind heals back closer to the pre-drinking days.

As for never feeling rested....me neither. I've struggled with sleep my whole life and sometimes it's like trying to move a mountian just to get myself out of bed....I'm pushing 30 too.

Last year year I did a sleep study and found I have sleep apnea (most likely enhanced by my drastic weight gain over the past 8-10 years). I now use a CPAP machine that keeps me from stopping breathing about 60 times an hour while I sleep. My psychiatrist said no wonder I was so depressed and tired - I was really probably only getting about 14 minutes of sleep each night.

Well, I have been back on my sleep machine for several months now, but I had been getting more and more tired lately and feared my major depression was returning. A couple weekends ago I visited a friend i hadn't seen in about 6 months and I ended up sleeping for 24 hours straight (except for about an hour when we went for fast food).

Well, the other night I finally discovered that my sleep machine hasn't been working right lately (prolly for a 2-3 weeks now) because of an air leak.

So....WHOOPIE!! Deep depression still at bay! My body and mind are just sleep deprived again!

Anyway, if you snore...then chances are that you most likely have at least slight sleep apnea. It's important to get that checked out b/c peeps can literally die in their sleep and it wears our hearts out really bad and causes weight gain, depression, anxiety, aggitation, lack of mental focus and short-term memory. Oh - and don't forget mood swings. My psychiatrist told me he has had a couple of cases of peeps he was treating for bipolar and come to find out they only had sleep apnea. So once they started treating the apnea....they no longer needed meds or a p-doc! Cool huh!

Anyway...I hate to see peeps get on sleeping meds b/c peeps can become somewhat dependant on them. AND for anyone who DOES have sleep apnea....sleeping meds can easily kill them in their sleep b/c they go so deep into sleep that when they stop breathing their mind isn't able to wake them up and tell them to start breathing again....scary isn't it?

[Live]

I personally am scared of the newer sleep drugs, they are in a class called hypnotics.
Ambien gave me nightmares. And one I can't remember made me psychotic!
I am prescribed trazadone (Desyrel) which helps me sleep a full night but was originally a anti-depressant. I have a tolerance. It doesn't "knock me out", I still need to go to sleep using peaceful means but it does give me a complete night's sleep and doesn't put me under so far that I don't wake up when I need to go potty etc.

I think Shutterbug's research and natural means are impeccable and she is always well researched and informed and apparently more disciplined than I am about using those "Best" techniques. A year ago I was using similar techniques with the best results I have ever had. I guess my life has gotten busier and more jumbled now. I used meditations alot, but that took study first. I guess the first step for me is to moderate and focus solely on breathing, just awareness of that and nothing else.

????????
rambling!

live

[Live]

oh, there are also foods that have a natural sleep/sedative effect. Contains something tryptoline or something like that. Turkey is well known, but I am also thinking it is in milk and a few other common foods.

I like to use herbal teas as well. Something calming about the whole thing. Sleepytime extra is tasty. I drink that in a quiet, wind down time for an hour or so before bedtime when I get my right rituals going. (Some herbs interact with meds, check with pharmicist!)

[Bozo]

Calmes Forte is very soothing. Find it at local health stores.