STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

rosie_the_riveter · Gucci

insomnia

Kel · Coach

I go through phrases where i can't sleep too. I tried everything too. But the funny thing is I don't know if you are like this too, but I was still wide awake during the day. But whenever i go through these periods I attribute them to stress. Some of the things i have have been doing lately on top of what you are doing, not eating pass 7 and execrise is that i didn't watch tv before going to bed, because i found that i just wanted to watch the next show, and I would never fall alseep. So now i just read a couple pages put of a book instead. Also if i am thinking to much while trying to fall alseep i will get up and write down everything i am thinking about. So it gets it off my mind. Hope I helped a little bit, but trust me I know what you are going through.

ico · Dooney & Bourke

Hi.

I have sleeping problems from time to time, too. What I do is drink chamomille tea. You can add honey if you like it sweeter, honey is soothing and relaxing. I know you said you don't like tea, but try this one, it's pretty good. I agree with Kel, avoid TV. I find that if I read a book while in bed with soft light I get so sleepy! Also, avoid any reading related in any way with your job/area of study!

Sometimes I can't sleep if I am very hungry, for example if I ate a light dinner several hours before going to bed. In this case I'll have an apple or banana. Also, hot chocolate, or chocolate of any kind keeps me awake.

Try to avoid coffee after 2 pm, and any caffeinated soda or foods with hi content of simple sugares.

Hope this was helpful, at least a little...(now I am sleepy!)

Chiara

jen · Kate Spade

I have insomnia. My doctor actually gave me xanax to fall asleep at night. If you find that you can't sleep because you are worrying, this may help. I average around 4 hours a night, sometimes more or less. But this is really hard to do when I go to school 5 times a week, work, have sorority meetings and responibilites and train 6 days a week. The point is, go to your doctor, it's too hard to live on no sleep. hth

crystal · Kate Spade

i used to have this problem, but since i started working out i usually fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. i know u said u work out tho, so i guess that's not it. i totally recommend reading, that used to help me, but u have to strike a balance between a book that's not so boring ur mind wanders but not so interesting u stay up all night reading it. that can be hard. another thing i used to do was i noticed my mind was racing and i just kept thinking about stuff which was keeping me up so i would focus very hard on not focusing! i know it sounds weird but u know how things pop into ur head when u r tired, like shapes or things that just don't make any sense... focus on those & let them develope. if u can master this u will fall right to sleep. good luck!

clothes_horse · Dooney & Bourke

i also have trouble sleeping a lot of times, here's a few things i try:

don't eat anything too filling or spicy for a few hours before bed, but make sure you aren't starved. have a snack if you feel even a little hungry.

if things keep running through your head while you are laying in bed, get up and write them down. writing in a diary nightly will help a lot.

a warm bath before bed

hth!

Collette · Chanel

I have terribls insomnia, my mind will just not shut off at night. My best advice is exercise of course, that always helps. But most of all go to GNC and pick up some Valarium root. There is nothing like it to help you sleep and it's natural so you don't wake up with that what the hell happened feeling.

laken1 · Hermes

Wow - looks like i am not alone after all - i have tried everything, including a glass of wine before bed but this makes it worse if i wake up in the middle of the night i can't go back to sleep. I know everyone said no tv, read, but when i read that tends to make it worse because i get into a book - i have woken up in the middle of the night - say 1:30 ish just to read until 6 am when it's time to get up, so that doesn't do it for me. I have started putting in movies that i like but have already seen so that I am not tempted to stay awake to watch them to see what happens. And as crazy as it sounds, Jurrasic Park always works for me. My husband laughs and says i'm the only person he knows that falls asleep to dinosaur sounds!!!!! LOL - I also went through a phase of Lord of the Rings, except if the fairy parts come on, i have to watch because i love them! HA. This sounds crazy reading back over it, but it's true none the less.

Karina · Chanel

quote:
Originally posted by: Collette
"I have terribls insomnia, my mind will just not shut off at night. My best advice is exercise of course, that always helps. But most of all go to GNC and pick up some Valarium root. There is nothing like it to help you sleep and it's natural so you don't wake up with that what the hell happened feeling."

I totally agree!!!!!!!!!!

blubirde · Chanel

I hate when I go through bouts of insomnia!!! My problem is not going to sleep, it's waking up in the middle of the night or a few hours early and not being able to go back to sleep, even though I'm f'in tired!

Here are things that help me:

Clean sheets, made up bed. I'm not suggesting you don't wash your sheets but the more often I wash them, the more "tucked in" I feel. It's weird, but true. Same for making up the bed. Even if I just make it up before I get in it, it relaxes me. (Esp. when I wake up in the middle of the night with sheets every which way, etc. Sometimes getting up and fixing everything makes me fall back to sleep.)

Taking a shower or bath at night. Use a relaxing bath gel, not an invigorating one. It always relaxes me.

Turn the temperature down a few degrees - make it a tad colder than you're used to. I read somewhere that that helps keep a person asleep. I tried it and I never sleep with my temp. above 70 now.

Keep a pad and paper on your nightstand. That way if something is bugging you (for me, it's usually things I have to do), write it down. I'm bad about reliving events in my head. I find that if I write down: "so and so happened. I can't do anything about it. Time will tell me the best way to proceed." or something cheesy like that, it really helps relieve my mind of the worry.

Do you have a laptop? Mine stays tucked away between my bed and my nightstand (I don't have a desk) and sometimes I'll pull it out and play solitaire or something like that. The monotony of it helps to make me fall asleep. But that only works if you're near a computer.

Reading and tv don't do it for me either. I could stare at a tv for hours, Threes Company anyone?, and never get closer to sleep than if I were thinking about five zillion things. Same for reading. I'd just read and read and read.

Finally, have you tried doing some yoga poses before bed? Inversions are the best way to relax your mind and body before bed. (An inversion is a pose that puts your heart/legs above your head.) A headstand is an inversion. I don't do headstands though! The easiest one is where you lay on the ground, next to a wall and put your feet up on the wall. Like you're making a human L (back on the floor, feet on the wall). Do this for about 10 minutes. At first you'll feel like your feet are going to fall off the wall, but they won't. It's not a hard pose at all. The yogis say if they could only do one yoga pose ever, it would be an inversion. I taught a friend at work and we do it at work (with the door closed) when things are getting too, too stressful.

You're definitely not alone and I try to stay away from any artificial substances to help me fall asleep just because I'd rather try and work it out on my own. And wine makes me wired!! So that's not help either. Good luck!

Seashells · Dooney & Bourke

The best thing that has helped me is only going to lay in bed, when its time to go to bed. No tv in the bedroom.
It takes time to get used to, but it really works. I just put a tv back into my bedroom and I can see the difference in falling asleep.

e_doli · Dooney & Bourke

i just read an article in organic style magazine that suggested:

taking valerian root (from health food store or vitamin place)

drinking chamomile tea before bed

avoid alcohol -- it will actually cause insomnia -- initially helping you fall asleep but then you will wake up in the middle of the night (kind of like what you said happened to you)

magnesium deficiancy can cause insomnia, so make sure you're getting enough magnesium either from a supplement or food intake

establishing rituals that tell your body that it is time to relax are important -- along the same lines as the stuff the other girls said -- taking a bath, having a cup of tea, before you go to bed ... and keeping the bedroom a place for sleeping -- are suppossed to help.

chloe · BCBG

lol i was just going to post a topic on this. Its 4:23 am..im not that tired..i rather sit at my table listening to music and staring at the screen. Lately 4am has been my bedtime and ti still takes me about half an hr to fall alseep. I usually try to take a warm shower to relax and then crawl into bed. SOmetimes i take nyquil when i get really pissed that im not falling asleep...but idont suggest you do this. im intriqued by this valerium root though. i will have to try that. Exercise like everyone else said usually works too. Last semester wheni actually dragged my lazy ass to the gym i didnt seem to have this problem sleeping. Sorry i dont think i was much help..gluck

mizzle · BCBG

i struggle with this too... my problem is forgetting how to fall back asleep. i just keep thinking "how do i lose consciousness? what should i do?" and try to resist getting up or reading because i'm so sure i can fall asleep again. then i look at the clock and 2 hours have passed. i got a book light and tried to read to make myself fall asleep, but i never want to use it. i read that it helps to get up from your bed, go to another room, and stretch or read. that works but just takes so much time that i end up convincing myself i can just lie there and fall back asleep.

BUT... i read in allure last month that your body wakes itself up when it tries to warm up your extremities. but sleeping in too warm a room will prevent you from sleeping. so the trick is to keep your room cool (60 or so) and wear socks to bed. it's seriously worked for me! the doctor in the magazine said it's such a simple thing, but usually what he tells his patients right off the bat. i've been doing it for a month or so now and don't have nearly the sleep problems i used to. maybe one night a week i can't sleep, as opposed to 4 or 5. it's cool!