What do you do when you can't sleep?

[Valgal]

I have sleep issues.

I read till I get bored or restless. Or till my neck starts to ache.

Then I scrapbook or organize photos.

When all else fails I turn on Friends till my brain eventually shuts off.

Anyone else have sleep problems?

(Guess I'll work on my Dec. Daily album)

[Saar]

I have sleep issues recently.
I get restless in my head, don't know which way to turn and I get stressed out because I can't sleep and have to get up early to go to work.

I try to calm myself down, but it won't help.

[Valgal]

I'm sorry. The one good thing is that I don't have to get up and go to work. I get so wired and I can't shut my brain off!!!! What do you do while you're up?

[nietis]

Warm bath? Hot chocolate?
I play sudoku on my phone when I can't sleep...

[Valgal]

Originally Posted by nietis

Warm bath? Hot chocolate?
I play sudoku on my phone when I can't sleep...

Sudoku. Hmm... that would make me want to throw my phone through a wall

Hot bath is always a good idea, except I took one a couple hours ago. Maybe some hot tea and Little Women.

[nietis]

LOL!!! That's how I tire my brain

Don't take a strong tea, it'll make it even worse, because some tea has caffeine in it too.
Maybe camomile or some fruity tea. Or warm honey.

[jacinda]

I don't generally have a problem going to sleep, but my husband does. He's a real insomniac. Since we started using essential oils however, he's had a much better track record at getting to sleep, and all he has to do it roll some oil behind his ears and on his wrists. Where it used to take him 2-3 hours to get to sleep, now it can be as little as 15-30mins. He still has nights where nothing works, but by and large the Rutavala has been a Godsend for him.

My 12yr old used it a couple times when she was overtired but couldn't get to sleep. 2-3 mins after the Rutavala was on her and she was out like a light. She loves it, and it's all natural - no chemicals or dangerous substances.

Google Young Living oils for sleep, or check pinterest. Tons of info there.

[carrie1977]

I was going to suggest essential oils as well. We use an oil called Serenity. It's a doTERRA oil. We diffuse it at night in our bedrooms but you could also apply it topically.

[bexy]

I've always had insomnia - it's the worst!!! Last night was really bad. I scrap a lot or read, or clean dishes...

[Valgal]

I have some doTERRA lavender that I use in the bath. I don't have a diffuser but I've been wanting one for a long time.

Hmm... Christmas is coming...

I ended up getting about 4 hours and I feel pretty good.

[glumirk]

Put your lavender on your big toe and it'll help. When I can't sleep I turn on a podcast or audio book on my phone and put it under my pillow. It helps me to have something to focus my mind on while I can still be in the dark with my eyes closed. I use a sleep timer and generally am asleep within 15 minutes, but if not, then I turn it back on and at least I'm not bored out of my mind and still get the rest of laying in the dark.

[LoriJ]

I have such dreadful anxiety that it often keeps me wide awake way too late at night. I usually try to watch a youtube quilting video or play a game on my phone to settle my brain down. I find if I am doing something that doesn't involve much actual thinking, it will lull me into sleep.

[britaneejean]

Originally Posted by Valgal

I ended up getting about 4 hours and I feel pretty good.

4 hours is actually a good amount for me Sadly I get horrible sleep. I'm a pretty restless sleeper, according to my Fitbit. I can be "asleep" for 8 hours and really only get 3 hours of sleep. It's even worse with this pregnancy.

I take Tylenol PM every night. Before getting pregnant, I took Melatonin and that helped a little. We also diffuse oils, usually Lavender or Breathe from doTerra and putting Deep Blue on my neck helps relax me enough to fall asleep. If i'm not asleep after being in bed 30-45 minutes, I'll get up and walk around. Then get back in. I read a lot but I can't read a brand new book or start a new one at bedtime or i'll want to stay up to read. It has to be a previously read one (that was a suggestion a long time ago). Phones games are played too but with the screen brightness turned down almost to nothing. The bright screen can keep you up instead of helping you sleep.

[carrie1977]

Originally Posted by glumirk

Put your lavender on your big toe and it'll help..

What she said. You can also put a couple of drops on your pillow at night.

[SeattleSheri]

I woke up like 10 times last night (I always get extremely anxious the night before having to go back to work after taking vacation). I usually just read until I get drowsy.

[Valgal]

On my toe???

Melatonin is hit or miss for me. I've taken Tylenol PM and Benedryl also. My best years of sleeping were when I was on Seroquel. I wonder why I got taken off of that? I can't even remember now.

[Valgal]

Originally Posted by SeattleSheri

I woke up like 10 times last night (I always get extremely anxious the night before having to go back to work after taking vacation). I usually just read until I get drowsy.

It must've just been a bad night for lots of us!

[carrie1977]

Originally Posted by Valgal

On my toe???

Haha! Yep! Your feet have the biggest pores and applying oils to different parts of your feet work for different things.

[Priscilla]

I read or browse pinterest on on my phone

[Kjersti]

Originally Posted by SeattleSheri

I woke up like 10 times last night (I always get extremely anxious the night before having to go back to work after taking vacation). I usually just read until I get drowsy.

Same here! I just read and read.

My little one had trouble sleeping last night (she was anxious about going back to school) so I used essential oils on her. I also turned on a fan for some white noise.

[Kiana]

I don't have sleep issues often. But I have read a few reports and studies that link, cell phone usage and tablet usage to insomnia.

[Valgal]

Originally Posted by ~*Kiana*~

I don't have sleep issues often. But I have read a few reports and studies that link, cell phone usage and tablet usage to insomnia.

I know. Dh gets on my case about that, but my Kindle is my baaaaby

[Kiana]

Originally Posted by Valgal

I know. Dh gets on my case about that, but my Kindle is my baaaaby

ROFL. I got put in phone "timeout" this weekend.

[rdjrneace]

I don't have a problem with sleep but my hubby does so I am going to research those oils and see if that would help him.

[stormchaser]

Melatonin and valerian root tea will do the trick for me, both are herbal. I also use essential oils lavender is wonderful for relaxation but you either love it or hate it. Bergamot is great for relaxation as is cedarwood and chamomile. I swear by essential oils. During my massage sessions if my client is super stressed I usually combine bergamot with lavendar with coconut as the carrier. I have clients pass out on the table because they are so relaxed.

[KristinCB]

I get frustrated. that's about it. LOL

[flergs]

I'm a lucky one who sleeps like a log. But my poor hubby is awake all night. Sometimes he gets up and watches a movie and just falls asleep. Mostly he just tosses and turns. Then he's nodding off on the couch after work. I do find I take longer to get to sleep if I work before bed vs just relaxing with tv beforehand.

[Valgal]

Originally Posted by tx-nana-scraps

I've also read this, but I read on my iPhone every night and it does NOT keep me awake every night. I have tried reading a paperback book and there were still nights I couldn't sleep all night. Some nights I fall asleep and 30-60 min later I wake up, to go potty or coughing. Then it's sometimes hard to get back to sleep.

If I can't get to sleep it's usually because I turn off my phone and the light before I felt sleepy. After 20-30 min if I haven't fallen asleep I get up and read longer, then when I get back to bed I go to sleep fast.

So for me, it is not the light from my iPad keeping me awake.

See? I don't think it's my Kindle either. Once dh rolls over to go to sleep (he reads magazines or watches TV) I turn the brightness all the way down and the majority of the time I read till I nod off.

I got 6 1/2 hours last night! I crawled in bed before everyone was even done with their day at 9:00 and read till I fell asleep a little before 10:00. Woke up at 4:30 ready to go. Sometimes if I get up too early and try to read I'll start falling back asleep, but I read for 2 hours this morning and didn't get one bit drowsy.

I feel very confident going into today!

[carrie1977]

Yay for a good night's sleep!

[joelsgirl]

We use melatonin, probably four nights a week. I like it over Tylenol PM because melatonin doesn't leave me hung over in the morning like medication.

[Keely~B]

I'm so jealous of good sleepers. I try really hard not to get up, I usually pop in the headphones and listen to a podcast or 4 .

[Sherri Tierney]

I fought insomnia for over 10 years. It was awful. I had several issues that were working together to make my sleep patterns miserable. My anemia caused restless leg syndrome, for one. Some of my meds kept me awake too. I would go for a week at a time only getting 2 hours or so a night (fitful hours, not restful ones). Then I'd end up crashing hard and sleeping for 16 hours or so before the process started again. Then I'd have nights where I was SO tired and SO close to sleep but just couldn't. That was the worst. My brain was far too fried to do anything and my body was exhausted so I just laid in bed like a lump awake, but unable to move.

For me the things that have helped is getting on a really tight routine, taking melatonin every night (if I miss it one night, I have trouble sleeping the next 3), and having a hysterectomy that solved several of my medical issues including the anemia and restless leg syndrome. Now I sleep pretty good most nights.

[Valgal]

Yikes, Sherri! That sounds awful! I've had restless leg in the past from medication and IT WAS SO IRRITATING. I used to think those commercials were a joke the first time I saw them, till I experienced it. It's pretty rare that I have it now.