Before going to work, sometimes the pressure of needing to get a good sleep keeps me awake.

Got any sleep-tips that you've picked up over the years?

I suffer from insomnia. The thing that helps me the most is listening to hypnosis tapes. You can get them of iTunes. It relaxes me enough I can fall asleep.

Marijuana is also good and insomnia is a medical reason.

chloroform in print seems to work exceedingly well.

Yeah, the Book of Mormon could knock out Pinkerton. Of course, you'd have to hit him over the head with it, since he can't read.

Seriously though, a natural way that I found is reading a good book. This seems counter-intuitive. You'd think a page turner would keep you awake. But in practice, you are relaxing as you read in your bed. In time your eyes grow heavy and you dream around the story you're reading. The dialogue softens and becomes whispered thought. Your eyes close at last, and you drift away like Dobie Gray...

You're not supposed to do this, but I find listening to the TV generally helps, a story line you don't really have to watch. Reruns are good for this since you've already seen it and you should know the characters. I think it keeps me from thinking too much and having racing thoughts. Instead I listen to the TV and drift off. Music doesn't do the same for me. Occasionally I'll have a little wine. Reading has been good but with my glasses and of course having to leave a light on, I find I like the TV better.

Melatonin (3-5 mg.), preferably sub-lingual, available at your local Whole Foods, health food store, or GNC.

Reduce the available light WAY down for the hour or two before you go to bed (room light, etc.), because light enters through your eyes and signals your brain to keep active, rather than allowing it to transition to sleep.

Good sex! (Partnered if you can...but solo works, too!!)

And before the melatonin: good quality warm cocoa. (My recipe: organic, UNsweetened, plain soymilk (from Whole Foods for me: their 365 house brand)...a third teaspoon of good vanilla flavoring (mine is Frontier; it's in glycerine rather than alcohol)...stevia (liquid is what I use) to sweeten (it doesn't raise blood sugar; again: 365 house brand from Whole Foods)...and one rounded tablespoon of raw, organic, cocoa powder---mine is from Sunfood (www.sunfood.com).

And something I learned from Laura Archera Huxley (Aldous Huxley's widow, from one of her books): take a warm (not hot) shower, DO NOT DRY OFF!!!, and get into bed, damp and naked. The combination of damp and warm (which you will quickly arrive at underneath the covers) takes your body back to when you were in your mother's womb, and you tend to gentle off to sleep fairly quickly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2014 01:03AM by tevai.

"Melatonin (3-5 mg.)"

I second that. I get mine at Wal-Mart.

Yep, I get melatonin at Walmart as well. It works quite well. I would also suggest listening to General Conference. That would put me to sleep everytime. If you need a good nap, and you still have a recommend, do an endowment session.

This sounds weird, but I have tried books that I find riveting in print, but ever since I was small, I find that listening to someone else reading a story absolutely knocks me out.

I get them from the library, so they don't cost anything, and no matter what the subject matter is, I simply cannot pay attention and stay awake. Works like a charm.

I study books on yoga meditation and cosmic philosophy until I just have to sleep. Rarely fails.

I get up and read for a while (either a book or the internet.) I've found over the years that it's useless to fight insomnia, so it's better to just roll with it. After half and hour, I go back to bed, and usually I'm ready for sleep.

Read
Masturbate/sex
Smoke a little something something
Take a Tylenol PM
Landscape in my head
Pole dance/choreograph in my head
Practice deep breathing
Breathe through only my left nostril for eleven breaths (try it!)
Check the temperature, air flow, and amount of light/darkness in the room, make sure everything is optimal. Adjust if necessary.
Attempt to count to 1000. (I never make it much past 100.)

melatonin- puts me out within a half hour of taking it.

Warm hands and feet always work for me. I use different methods of warming them up, depending on the time of year, or just how I feel. An extra blanket at the foot of the bed, a heating pad, socks, tucking my hands under the pillow, putting my feet up against dh. As long as my feet and hands are warm (and especially feet!) I fall asleep.

Melatonin helps. I usually take 3 mg sublingually if I think I might have trouble falling asleep. If I'm feeling particularly stressed out for some reason, I also take an herbal sleep aid (I like Hyland's Calms Forte).

Already many good suggestions here..

I will add-hot shower, stretching, and in a pinch a Benadryl! It has the same medication in most sleep-aids and will chill you out.

RMM

If I'm worried about something, in my mind, I visualiza a paper, I visualize writing down my issue, then crumple the paper and toss it over my shoulder.

Then I tug one off.

I don't know which helps, but it seems to work.....

1. Warm milk.
2. Surprisingly enough: coffee. It resets my system.

I listen to Vladimir Ashkenazy playing Chopin's Nocturnes and Ballads on a very quiet setting. Puts me right out.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61gYCqFvh-L.jpg

Turn on some noise.

http://simplynoise.com/

Even with the slightest music, I cannot sleep at all.

I find music energizing but noise relaxing.

I especially like the modulated brown noise or the sound of rain.

I find wearing these blue-light blocking glasses 3-4 hours before bedtime seems to help me feel sleepy by the time I'm ready to hit the sack:

http://www.amazon.com/Uvex-S1933X-Eyewear-SCT-Orange-Anti-Fog/dp/B000USRG90/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400076532&sr=8-1&keywords=amber+glasses

Blue light is what electronics emit - TVs, computers, phones, tablets, e-readers like the newer kindles, etc - as well as energy efficient light bulbs. It appears to be one of the big culprits that disrupts normal circadian rhythms:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2012/May/blue-light-has-a-dark-side/

Someone else mentioned keeping all other household lights dimmed low after dark, which is a good habit. If lights don't have dimmers, consider buying them at Home Depot or Lowe's; they are not hard to install DYI.

If the bedroom has too much light coming in at night, consider getting blackout shades. Also make sure there's not a source of blue light (ie, alarm clock with permanently lighted time display) right next to the pillow.

When I have tried everything else and nothing is working, six Benadryl tablets usually do the trick... for a few hours, anyway.

don't ever listen to anybody whose sleep problems are so bad they sleep walk. i will die someday and the doctors will say tht I just didn't get enough sleep.

I have never had any problems going to sleep (to speak of). I can nod off at the drop of a hat, anywhere, anytime. But, my oldest boy has a lot of difficulty for some reason and it impacts his school, sports and well being. Sometimes I think he must be the mail mans boy - who knows. These suggestions are great, thanks for the ideas everybody.

I take ambien - almost every night. 10 mg.

Chamomoile Tea.

Recommended by my doctor. There are other Sleepy Time teas...non-caffeinated.

masturbation and white noise (like a fan or something) does the trick for me. Nothing knocks me out like a good orgasm!