*Sleep* or lack of

[puppyluv]

does anyone else find they have issues sleeping? If it isn't because of dreams, it is because I am watching the blasted clock...this morning I just gave up trying to sleep ( I think I saw every half hour pass) and got up around 4:30am or so....
I go to bed early because I am so tired but can't stay asleep.
When I speak to my doc she just wants to give me meds saying lowering stress will enable you to sleep better and no nightmares..Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt... still had bad dreams..Drop that med thank you very much.:mad:
What do you do to sleep better..and sleep the entire night through.:confused:
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j24/puppyluvs2dawgs/pupfriday.jpg

[Woofer]

i'm in the same boat and have the meds to, and it doesnt get any better, sorry bout ur bad sleeping :(

[vanessalynn5484]

I am no expert, but I sometimes have that problem too. Especially with nightmares or an "overactive" mind. I too do not believe that meds are for me. I am very sensitive to the side effects of most medication. For me I feel that their benefits don't outweigh their negative aspects. Anyways I do have some tricks that work for me (perhaps you have already exhausted these methods, but maybe they will help)
I have to exercise! If I am getting enough exercise I find I sleep a lot better. I do cardio, weights, and yoga (or stretching). Even 20 minutes every 2 days helps me. I find it relieves a lot of stress and allows me to have a more restful sleep. Another important part of that is staying well hydrated by drinking lots of water.
Keeping record of your nightmares in a "dream journal". If I am awake because of nightmares, I write about it in a little journal I keep next to my bed. If the nightmares are very troubling you may want to see about talking to a counseler and showing him/her the details of the dream you recorded. They may have a lot of insight that you may find helpful. This is also not for everyone, but I find it helps to even just get it out of your mind and down on paper.
I try and distract myself by watching a movie or DVD box set that I have seen a thousand times, but love. Or I will read a book I can really get into.
If you are anxious because of a bad dream tell yourself that everything is okay and it was just a dream. It seems kind of silly, but sometimes saying that out loud to yourself will bring down your anxiety level a few notches. Almost like a positive affirmation.

[Cherry Pop]

I have a hard time sleeping too due to dreaming due to stress. I find if I drink a glass of milk before bed this sometimes helps. Also if it gets really bad you can take some gravel before bed, extra-muriel nurse told me this, and it helps you catch up on your sleep. However, my dr told me this is only good to do occasionally, not every night.

[puppyluv]

I am downloading some relaxation music, and going to search for my Reveen cassette...already took teh dogs for a nice walk outside (they are already asleep the brats) and am getting ready for some milk ( I will try just aobut anything once) and a nice sleep ( I pray!) after getting up at 4:30am this morning, I am surprised I am not snarky!:eek:
Thank you for the advice and thoughts everyone, I will y'all a good pleasant sleep without bad dreams or interruptions!

[Lemme_LQQK]

Pogo didn help eh?....well didn't here neither...lol

[Woofer]

http://www.unb.ca/web/bruns/9900/issue9/entertainment/raveen.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuCgiFmhOI4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wzbtKQrTMc

[jdcb]

I take a shower, then relax in the tub for a while to relax if I'm having trouble sleeping...

[vairscove]

Well I thought I was the only one out there with this condition. It has been going on for a couple of years now. There are honestly night I get no sleep and there are night I may just get a couple of hours. I HATE IT and it drives me crazy!!. I don't have the night mares because I don't think I ever really get into the R.E.M. sleep. The problem when you are working as well you still have to get up and go to work, come home exhausted and still cannot sleep except for a nap. Then you are afraid to nap as it may affect your sllep that night. It is a visious cycle I'm in and it is no fun!!!

[anthony_sinderly]

i heard if you take a warm shower or bath ull sleep more peacefully and deeper

[Mandi]

I do some things to sleep that maaaaaaaaaaaay not be suitable for this forum, but one that is, is certainly getting into a nice warm tub, if only for 10 - 15 minutes, it helps so much.

[painlessjoe]

There are some herbal teas which are made for this purpose. You should ask the person in a health food store.

Here is some of them called: " sleepy time, camomile, lemon, mint, etc. ".

Good Luck

Joe

[Lisa_morris]

The Feel Good Store has teas for everything. When you buy the loose tea and use a old kettle to heat your water. The whole tea making experience is relaxing and calming.

[Goin4Coffee]

I hear ya Puppers,, even though it may not be caused from the samething..I don't get much sleep..thankfully ISJ is open all night, lol--even though I wander aimlessly around sometimes, reading everything..I try watching movies, eat, blah blah--whirlpool does help,and lotzA candles, I did buy mood lights for it. I even do the scented things. Can't say the med things work either without knockin you out for a few days or spaced out so bad you can't function,,
You need to release the stress.. a little at a time :)


Ya should've called or pm'd me I was up till around 3,, --then I was watching the clock for a while ,lol-

[miss_daisie]

I lately seem to be having problems sleeping, as well as my B/F. It always happens when Life begins to get stressful. We both deal with it in our own ways. I agree with alot of people with the nice glass of milk. I find it about 2 hours befor I want to be asleep. If I grab a pillow and a niec blanket and a big glass of milk. I plop on the couch and just let myself start to relax after a nice shower. I Find building a habbit in hard times makes your stress level lower because its time you just maknig for yourself and you can winde down. I usually end up falling asleep on the couch and I wake up every 20-30 mins for the first lil while then Im out like a light and the b/f is poking me at 2 am to come to bed. By then i usually jsut crawl to bed and im out for the rest of the night. If I have probs sleeping on a normal night I usually get up have a glass of water sit on the couch for a lil while and turn on some mvoie ive seen a nillion times or some crappy early am tv and eventually drift off... not always working.. but it seems to be the best method for me. and if I cant sleep atleast Ive have some peace and quite and im not working myself up staring at a clock or tossing and turning in bed.
dnno if it helped or not. I dont have much else other hten what the others have said.

[michp]

I myself go through periods when I can't sleep. I use valerian root. It doesn't "knock" me out but I do find that if I take it just before going to bed I feel much more calm and it helps me sleep better and longer. It's non-addictive and doesn't leave you feeling sleepy in the morning. I also find that a warm bath, exercise and going to bed/getting up at the same time every day helps.

"Valerian (Nervous) has been used as a sleep aid for over 1,000 years. Its ability to help relax the central nervous system, promote feelings of calm, decrease levels of anxiety and stress, and enhance sleep are known to millions the world over." ( http://www.1001herbs.com/valerian/ )

Good luck - hope you find a solution. I know how terrible it can be to not be able to sleep yet feel so tired!

[ceg]

I used to sleep all night every night unless I had a nightmare, which was rare. Unfortunately that was probably two years ago. I usually wake up once a night to use the bathroom now. I do have these phases I go through where I have really random dreams that I don't understand and some even freak me out a bit. But this morning I was awake for 45 minutes around 6 AM for no real reason.

I'm moving out of the city soon and back to the country so hopefully I'll go back to sleeping all night, and even if I don't it should be a more restful sleep.

Nightmares don't bother me because I can wake myself up when I'm having one.

[Goin4Coffee]

Are you with the sandman yet?:confused: Just wondering if you got to sleep yet??--since I'm wide Awake, as usual;) thought I'd ask:rolleyes:

[rhiley_08j]

me too

[Goin4Coffee]

:rolleyes: things certainly calmed down:p for some people anyway:rolleyes:

[rhiley_08j]

Yeah, lol:rofl: it can get pretty wound up in here sometimes

[Goin4Coffee]

your not kidding:eek:

so you having sleeepy troubles:confused:

[rhiley_08j]

yeah, it's called being laid off and sleeping till lunch time! LOL god i need to go back to work.

[Goin4Coffee]

:eek: Tsk Tsk,, Lunch time....

I heard you mention layoff in another post..
I agree bring on the LNG & the refinery,,--get these guys back on track--we know the union/seasonal thing,, its working Poor,..:rolleyes:

[marriedchickie]

My sleep issues are due to the fact that i work until 6 am three nights in a row..then i'm off 3 nights. I can't sleep when i'm supposed to sleep, because i get all turned around. When i DO get to sleep at night, I have been having bad dreams. Due to stress, so the doctor says. "make a life altering change. That will help." well, i'm sorry, but it's easier for him to say that than it is to do it. He has the ability and the cash to do whatever he wants. Trips to tropical destinations (which we would all die for), a boat to lounge around on. I'm lucky to work my time, spend time with my family and make ends meet. so yeah..sleep is the illusive creature i've been hell bent on finding the past 8 months. I will warm you though. Be careful. My doctor also said that some of my migraines are due to an upset eating/sleeping schedule.

[miss_daisie]

poor people:( I absolutly hate not sleeping. Spending everynight staring at the clock watching minutes tic by:( Or those darn cars and somedays plows.:mad:. Last night I slept better then I thought which was good. The mans gone to chipman and I dutn see him till late thursday night. I was expecting to not sleep so good because well... I can't sleep in an empty bed and this is the first time I've had an empty house in over a year! between the past roomates and him. lol. I just turned on the TV after talking with him on the phone and curled up on the couch. I woke up at 12 and 1 because somthing on TV starteld me so I shut it off and then around 4 I Woke up and the dog bugged me a bit. Dogged climbed up at 6am. and thats all she wrote. lol. now its off to worky land. And hopfully tonight can go this swell. Between wierd dreams, the abcess tooth(the infection is almost gone!)/stress and being pregnant.... Sleep is somthing I don't see as much as I wish, its some luxury when I do tho.

[dale & barb]

between school.....2 jobs....and placement I might get 5 hours a night..keeping me out of trouble though im sure its going to do more damamge in the long run

barb