what do you do when you can't sleep?

I've been waking up after about 4 hours of sleep lately and can't fall back asleep. Work is going to be getting really busy in December so I want to make sure I get a full night sleep if this problem keeps up (I thought it was over after 3 nights of full rest, but alas tonight I'm up again).

So any suggestions?

hmm the only time i cant sleep is when something is bothering me (and not much to do about that except wait till whatever is bothering you passes).

I have problems sleeping too if something's bothering me or if I'm just overexcited. I usually try taking a melatonin pill before bed and a couple of Rescue Remedy Pastilles before trying to go back to sleep.

I get up and usually sit on here for an hour or so have a warm milky drink and then try again.

Not always successful but I am now used to being up all night with some regularity that it doesn't seem to bother me now.

Original Post by loriklorik:

hmm the only time i cant sleep is when something is bothering me (and not much to do about that except wait till whatever is bothering you passes).

Same here. Other than that, I can usually sleep. Well, except for when I travel to Korea from the US and I sleep for 3 hours a night for about a month. 

I just read a book, meditate or something and hope I fall asleep. If not, I just do something productive... like clean my apartment. 

i'll turn the tv on, set the timer and turn on my stomach to try and help me fall back asleep

My sleeping sucks so bad because of my schedule.  Some days I can't wake up unless I'm out for eleven hours and some days I'm bright-eyed and wide awake after a three hour nap.

Depending on what I've got going on, I'll suffer through the exhaustion until I wear myself out to a point where I can sleep for eight hours.  Otherwise, Benadryl.

I lay there and think about smothering my husband with my pillow, just to end that awful snoring that is keeping me awake. 

Sometimes I take benadryl or tylenol pm, but then I am groggy most of the next day.  A glass of wine (or 2 or 3...) before bed helps too.

I feel your pain, I can't even remember when I last had a good nights sleep.

i used to be a terrible insomniac, so i have lots of experience with this.  for me, the best thing is just to rest.  even if i can shut off the thoughts, sometimes i still can't sleep, but i've learned not to get frustrated or upset.  i don't look at the clock, don't count down the hours; i just rest my body.  that way i can function pretty well the next day.

I go through this too I notice I'll lay in bed at night and my mind will be thinking about everything. I'll toss and turn. If I can't sleep I'll usually get back up and get on the computer or watch a little tv. Then lay down and try again. I still don't think I sleep fully well though as when I wake up I'm still pretty tired. I've taken so many Tylenol PM in the last year that now it doesnt even affect me. 8/

My suggestion is to google this. There are several good (and reputable) websites that have helpful tips. The ones I remember include:

- exercising regularly but not too close to bedtime as that will just keep you awake

- avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the hours before bedtime

- turning the clock around or putting something in front of it, so that you can't watch the minutes tick by, making yourself more stressed and less likely to fall asleep (this REALLY worked for me!)

- avoiding the tv for about an hour before bedtime

- using the bedroom only for sleep (I believe the theory behind this is that if you get used to watching tv in bed, your body won't realize it's time for sleeping when you lie down)

I hope some of these help!!

I empathize with this problem a lot. What has helped me is:

(1) No alcohol. At all. This might be a tough switch for you, but I just got so tired of not sleeping. The body converts alcohol to sugar and, for me, this causes me to wake up around 2:00 or 3:00 AM anytime I drink two or more drinks before bed. I can set my clock to it. I cut out alcohol and my sleeping had improved a lot. Not entirely, but a lot.

(2) Nighttime counting routine. Sounds silly, but my mind just goes and goes if I don't distract it. I'll cycle through all the food in the produce area of my grocery store by color. I start with green, that takes the longest. Then orange, yellow, etc. Name them. Second option, count to 100 while tracing the numerals in you mind. This is very effective if you stay focused.

(3) No naps.

Hope this helps.

There is lots of good advice here, but one additional thing that sometimes works for me is to go sleep somewhere else.  For example, if I am laying awake in bed for more than half an hour, I will go downstairs and lay down on the couch. Oftentimes, I fall right to sleep after that.

Not sure why it works, but it does help sometimes. 

No caffeine in the afternoon is important, too. I used to think that it didn't affect me at all just because I would fall right to sleep at night. But then I found cutting back significantly reduced my episodes of waking up in the middle of the night.

I can empathize with this problem as well.  I have the same thing happen to me sometimes.  There are nights when I'll wake up at 2am, after a while I wander the house, get on the internet, maybe watch tv and then crawl back into bed and hope that I can fall back asleep before my alarm goes off.  Other nights, I just give up and get up for the day that early.  It is a dilemma. I have tried the melatonin, but in general, I do find that it is usually someting in my psyche that is bothering me and that's what gets me up.

I actually have a great system for getting to sleep. I can say that even when I've had insomnia this technique works. I will make up stories in my mind. Sounds funny or weird but it works and I find I'm sleeping within a few minutes. I've done this since I was a kid. I'll just make up a fantasy, any kind. I pick a topic and go with it. I'm snoring before I know what hit me. I guess I'll never make a great author. lol. But it helps to get my mind off whatever is bothering me or if I'm excited about something or depressed or worried. I take myself to a different place in my mind.

I'm a naturally light sleeper, so I take Melatonin tablets to both fall asleep and sleep more deeply.

I have severe problems sleeping, and when I wake up in the middle of the nite it is always so hard to fall back asleep, I never get adequate sleep, I dont use sleeping pills or anything I just can never relax, anyone got any tips for me?? dont say count sheep I done heard that one too many times lol

As a 10 year insomniac I have a few good tips.   The firs couple are a good starting place, and could be done at the same time.

1. Attempt to go to bed around the same time every night, and get up around the same time every morning.   Your internal clocks could need a reset.

2. Try having a "going to bed routine."  Get something to drink, brush your teeth, just a few things you do in the hour/ half an hour before bed.  After doing the routine for a few days it will give your brain advanced warning that rest time is about to start. 

3. Try warm herbal teas, chamomile or sleepy time teas work.  I like an all natural chamomile with a bit of honey. Make the making and starting of this tea the first thing on your night time routine, as herbs take time to have an effect on your system.

4. Make sure your comfortable, do you like your pillow?  The feel of your sheet or comforter?  Try a body pillow,  lay on your side, put the body pillow between your knees, and hug it to your chest...  this will keep your spin in better alignment and may help you stay asleep.

5. Try an all natural melatonin supplement, make sure you take it 20 to 30 minutes before you lay down.

6. A good variation on meditating is to lay on your back and listen to your heart beat, once you can hear and feel your heart beat close your eyes and try really hard to visualize a pendulum swinging back and forth in time with your heart.  Actually try to see it on your eye lids.   Weird but sometimes surprisingly effective.

Look at this site, been up since 3:40 a.m. rough week.