Easy Ten Points maybe.....zzzzzzzzzzz?

Question

Easy Ten Points maybe.....zzzzzzzzzzz?
I cant easily get to sleep, I try reading, watching TV, staring off into space, replaying movies in my head...there is nothing wrong with my mattress or pillow and my bedframe is fine.

Answer

Hi I am and have had sleeping problems all my life, ranging from severe insomnia days awake I also have manic depression to extreme hypersomnia hours without waking up. I dont use drugs other than prescription medications.brbrThe first thing to consider is this do you feel tired when you go to bed? If you are still alert and active, it is unlikely you will be able to sleep. You will toss and turn and may catnap but you will wake feeling groggy and tired.brbrHow alert are you in the day time? Most people believe that it is quotnaturalquot for humans to be awake in the day and sleep at night, but many scientists believe that approximately percent of the human population are nocturnal from an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense. These people feel the most alert at night and relative groggy and sluggish during the day. If this sounds like you you may naturally be one of a large majority that is biologically programmed to sleep during the day the sunlight makes me tired, as does all the bustle of other people. Something to consider.brbrIt is also hard to sleep if you are worried or anxious. If you suffer from nightmares, even occasionally, you might not WANT subconsciously to go to sleep. A lot of people are extremely stressed these days the world seems to be a dangerous and extremely scary place.... however, it is no more dangerous than at any other time. The Media and a Consumerist market do well when people are stressed. They eat more to self comfort, spending more money on edibles, then spend more money on weight loss techniques. They buy all sorts of things in an effort to distract themselves from shoes, to clothes, to video games to live in a virtual world. Sales of sleep aids, gel insoles, special orthopedic pillows, illegal drugs, pornography... anything that is deemed comforting, goes through the roof.brbrIf you are stressed, you could try doing some exercises to figure out the cause. What are you worried about? School tuition or student loans? Parents? Your Health? The world in general? Then write out ways you can improve the situation, and if its out of your hands you have to accept that. I think a lot of people would be better off if they would stop watching the news for a while and watch a little more of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.brbrPerhaps you are too hot at night? You can try lowering the temperature or perhaps getting a fan near your bed. If you take naps in the day, stop them. If you decide you want to sleep in the day, see about night shifts or night classes. brbrGetting enough physical exercise will naturally tire you out, both by using up energy and releasing endorphins into your system.brbrContrary to what others said, I would not recommend eating before sleeping. Stop eating solids a full hours before you intend to sleep. Its harder to sleep on a full stomach than a partially empty one and if you are trying to lose weight or simply establish a routine, the body tends to do better if it can repair itself during sleep rather than spend most of its energy digesting food.brbrOf course, if you are getting hunger pangs, you can eat something small. But no late night meals. brbrYour mattress might feel fine to you but you might be sensitive to pressure or sleeping surfaces. Some people I know sleep in hammocks and seem to get better sleep. The slight sway of the hammock and the lack of pressure on whatever part of the body is facing it unlike a stiffer mattress seem to work. There is a reason many people associate hammocks with relaxing and their are indoor hammocks and hammock bed contrapations that you can buy and hang from the ceiling. brbrInstead of getting a warm shower before sleep, you might want to get a tepid shower. If the water is too warm it can elevate heart rate and make you feel a little queasy I had a bad habit of taking much too hot showers for the longest time. If the mirror is fogging up, its too hot. By lowering your body temperature a little not to the point of discomfort you might find it easier to sleep.brbrAlso, many people need total blackness in which to sleep but very few get it. TVs, phones and other contraptions can keep us awake until its virtually time to get up. Unplug your phone when you go to bed so you wont be disturbed. You can get an eye mask to screen out light if you cant make your room dark enough.brbrIf your insomnia doesnt respond to any of these, you might want to try some of the techniques used to soothe infants. It is theorized that many newborn babies cant sleep because of the lack of motion they are used to the back and forth swaying motion of being inside the uterus while the mother walks and moves and the intrauterine sounds. I know that, for me, I feel tired listening to the dryer, which could be compared to those sounds. You might want to get a white noise maker to filter out any annoying sounds. There are also noise machines and CDs that can play sounds such as a heart beat, thunder storm, rain, etc.... whatever you find soothing.brbrMost of all, dont worry about not being able to sleep when you get into bed. Its a good way to jinx yourself. After minutes, if you arent on the verge of sleep, you should get out of bed. Dont lie in bed miserable. You will only come to associate your bed with insomnia, not anything positive. You can go for a walk or a jog then or get on the internet and research deceased philosophers.... at the very least youll be educating yourself or getting some exercise. When you start to feel tired again, you can try again. But do NOT lie for hours in bed, miserable.brbrThose are my best tips. One activity I have found that is soothing enough to do when I am tired but too wound up to sleep is paint. You dont need to pay careful attention to it but it is active enough that you can get some energy out especially if you paint large pieces.brbrHave a nice night.