# Insomnia



## Guest (Nov 30, 2005)

This is beyond a joke - its ridiculous - everything else much, much better, went to the Doc's yesterday about as much help as a choccy teapot!! I do NOT want sleeping tabbies - they do dead wierd things to me. I'm absolutely fine during the day, but as soon as I try to sleep, the old brain goes into overdrive - trouble is, the more this happens, the more it happens (if you see what I mean). I seem to sleep OK one night but the next - total write off. I did have about 4 months of this years' ago, can't remember how it resolved itself but I'm clinging to that.If anyone has any useful tips - they would be warmly received.TaSue


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## Screamer (Aug 16, 2005)

Ugh, no tips but I'm right there with you Sue (currently 11:30pm here and my brains still in overdrive!). Doesn't help DH and I had a big argument tonight so I'm sitting here wondering if he's going to come home or spend the night at his parents and not tell me first (he's gone out with them for the night). I'm the same though. Sleep all day and can hardly make it through then bed time comes and I'm so awake that I could run a marathon! And the old brain just won't shut off and stop thinking!Hope you find something to help you sleep soon. Zombiehood sure isn't fun


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Lieing in bed not sleeping doesn't help, so if you can't sleep get out of the bed and do something quiet and preferably boring until you start to feel sleepy.Bed is for sleeping only (well sex is OK) so don't read in bed or watch TV in bed. You want to condition the body to think that bed = sleep and nothing else.You could try melatonin if it is available. It is your bodies natural go to sleep signal, so sometimes taking it at bedtime can help.A warm bath or shower 1 hour before bedtime can help because that induces the drop in core temperature that is a natural time to go to sleep signal.It may be worth learning progressive muscle relaxation or get one of the help you got to sleep tapes. This gives the brain something else to do. You can kind of do it on your own, you can work up the muscle groups from the toes to the top of the head, or you can do it by focusing on feeling your bones then your muscles then your organs if that works better for you. Some people would rather do a guided imagery type of thing, so think of a favorite calming place then feel the grass, smell the salt spray, etc.The other part of sleep hygiene is get up at the same time every day even if you didn't sleep much the night before. Limit daytime naps to 20 minutes.Also avoid stimulating things near bed time. So exercise and do housework, etc. earlier in the day, no caffiene after 3 pm, that sort of thing. Make sure you have some unwind time the hour or two before bedtime rather than go go go until bedtime.K.


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## Guest (Nov 30, 2005)

Thanks girlies - Screamer its a shame we are in diffo time zones or we could have chatted. Hope yours resolves itself soon - its hideous isn't it - like a zombie at work today!!Sue


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## 14100 (May 1, 2005)

I have insomnia as well. What has been helping me recently is chrysanthemum tea, it can be hard to find sometimes but you can order it online pretty easily. I just put a bit of honey in it (cream honey is my favorite), and drink it an hour or so before I want to go to bed. It is extremely relaxing, lowers ones body temperature, relaxes the eyes, and best of all it does wonders for my IBS. I'm pretty much psychologically addicted to the stuff because it helps so much.I'm still pretty much screwed when it comes to establishing any kind of sleep pattern and no one believes me when I tell them I have insomnia. I try to do the thing where I don't do anything but sleep in bed but then I get accused of spending too much time watching TV or being on the computer late at night. However, I'm doing those things because I can't sleep, not because I don't want to sleep. Oh well.I'm still tired every day and wide awake every night which sucks.--Trent L


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## 17176 (Mar 31, 2005)

sorry your not getting sleep sue, kathleen is right, when you cant sleep, get up watch a movie, read a book, listen to music.When i was in hospital last week my time clock was so buggered up, but being back home its getting back to normal..


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