QUESTIONS: How do you sleep? Please help me with my journal.

2 questions, I need to interview people for my Night Eating Syndrome journal.

1.) Whats your sleep pattern like? (before bed rituals, time gone to bed, sleep habits, time waking up, waking up through the night, etc.)

2.) When it's late, and you can't seem to fall asleep what do you do?

Thank you!

1)Ideally, I'd like to go to bed at about 11 and get up at 9 but it tends to be more like going to bed about 11:30 and getting up at 8:15. Before bed I take out my contact lenses, brush my teeth, check my email and facebook etc. etc. all AGAIN, set my alarm clock on my phone usually for 7:30 then 8:00 - the 7:30 alarm acts like a warning alarm, I usually snooze a couple of time after then 8:00 alarm too. I sometimes wake and go to the bathroom but not always.

2)Worry about anything and everything.

This data is ideal and valid for weekdays alone (on weekends my sleeping habits sort of adjust: i.e. if I have had a tiring week I sleep more, if not I will go to bed later)

1. Before bed I take my BCP, set the alarm, maybe arrange my clothes/bag for the next day, if I know I will be in a hurry in the morning. I usually leave the TV running at a low volume, because watching it from my bed for a few minutes usually works like a charm in helping me fall asleep. I normally sleep from 10-11 PM to 6-7 AM, depending on many factors.

2. I almost never ever get out of bed, just stay there trying. I know that once I get up it will be much harder for me to go back to sleep and it will just delay the process.

Note: edited to add some more info about sleeping times.

1) I get to bed around 11-12 at night and sleep until 7-8 in the morning.

Before going to bed I do my hygiene stuff (face washing, teeth brushing, etc) and once in  bed I do a crossword puzzle and/or read some of whatever book i'm reading. Then I listen to this relaxation track on my zune, it's meditative with progressive relaxation and breathing and stuff. It's twenty minutes long but I usually fall asleep 6 minutes into it.

2) If I can't fall asleep I go to the bathroom and then try counting in my head. Just plain counting numbers, no sheep or anything. If that doesn't work by the time I get to 200 I listen to my relaxation track again.

Original Post by mynewfreedom:

1.) Whats your sleep pattern like? (before bed rituals, time gone to bed, sleep habits, time waking up, waking up through the night, etc.)

Jammies on, take out contacts, brush teeth, fill the kitties water bowl, turn on cartoons, climb in bed, trim nails, put lotion on hands, feet, & arms, put chapstick on. Usually fall asleep around 11pm. Up at 6am.

2.) When it's late, and you can't seem to fall asleep what do you do?

Usually keep trying to sleep. Sometimes get up and get a drink of water and watch tv until I'm sleepy again.

1. Usually: I put on my PJ's, drink some chocolate milk with my meds, brush my teeth, take off my contacts if they are still on and go back to my room. I turn off my computer, sometimes put on some lotions and lipbalm, and go watch tv in bed until I get sleepy, which usually happens sometime between midnight and 2:00 a.m. I wake up any time between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m, unless I turn on the alarm for 7:30 a.m to go walking. My sleeping schedule is kind of unstable right now.

2. If I can't fall asleep, I usually just continue watching TV. If I have Catnip tea around, I'll make some of that and drink it and go back to bed. If nothing works, some relaxation exercises usually do the trick.

1) Shower, jammies on, brush teeth, bathroom. Get a glass of water for the bedside table in case I get thirsty (but I don't usually drink it.) Turn on either a relaxation CD or an audiobook, get into bed and turn out the light. Sometimes DH comes to bed at the same time as me, sometimes he's still sitting there working on his computer, and sometimes he's not even in the same room until long after I'm asleep! If I go to bed first I play a CD and he turns on the audiobook when he goes to bed and the book plays all night at a low volume. I prefer music, he prefers the books so it's a compromise. My bedtime is when I get tired - usually some time between eleven o'clock and midnight, rarely earlier or later. I wake up at 7.30 or 8 in the morning and get up as soon as I'm properly awake. DH's alarm goes off at eight, but I'm usually already up.

2) If I can't fall asleep I get up again and go on my computer or read a book. If I wake up in the night and can't fall back to sleep in a few minutes I get up and go on the computer and read my email or play a relaxing game until I get tired. I try NOT to eat anything if I'm up during the night, unless I'm so hungry I can't sleep for the grumbling in my tummy.

1. Well, I put my PJ's on the second I get in from Uni, and then before I go to bed (normally between 10pm and 1am on weekdays, early hours of the morning on weekends) I set my alarm for 7.30am the next day, brush my teeth, take off my makeup. Then I get a hot water bottle and a hot drink and snuggle down in bed and if I can, I love to read because I always find that helps me sleep better. I often lie on my bed with my legs stretched up against the wall for about 5mins too - its based on some kind of yoga technique which makes the blood run to your head kinda thing and it makes me SO sleepy. Then I curl up into a ball and off to dreamland! Normally I wake up a couple of times in the night, and recently, I seem to be waking up more or less 2 hours after falling asleep. But I haven't been sleeping well recently anyway (stress me thinks)

2. If I can't sleep, I often make myself a hot drink and a fresh hot water bottle. I do a lot of tidying as well because that's boring so it makes me sleepy :P Might watch TV (only really if there's tennis on tho) or read for a bit, or lie with my legs up the wall again. If it's really bad, I do take sleeping tablets. Tho recently, I have been taking herbal sleep remedies more often cos I'm having real difficulty sleeping.

1) I usually go to bed late, sometime from midnight to 2am. I sleep in to ~11am except for a couple days a week when I have morning classes. I don't really have any rituals, just brushing my teeth. I usually eat a small snack close to bedtime, as this helps me sleep.

2) sometimes I will get up and surf the internet for a while, but usually I will just try to sleep for a long time. Or I might shower..the heat makes me sleepy.

1) I usually go to bed by 11pm, I try to go to bed by 10pm if I have a lot to do the next day. Before I lay down I brush my teeth, take my vitamins, wash my face, apply lotion, and then read a book to relax me. I usually wake up around 7-7:30am because I have classes most days.

2) I think about what I'd like my life to be like. And I usually fall asleep right before I think of really good stuff. lol

I usually go to bed between 10 and 11.  I take my shower and brush teeth before going to bed.  I am up at 5:10 am and on the move until 10 that night.

If I can't sleep I usually go for a walk around my house or go out and talk to my dog.

I try to head to bead around 9:30 although it's usually between 10-11. I put away any laundry that I've done that day that is on the bed,  brush teeth, wash face, go to bathroom etc. Then set the alarms 4:45 & 6(for hubby) turn out the light and am usually asleep within 5 minutes or so.  I'll occasionally wake up during the night but usually only very breifly before falling back to sleep. I'm usually awake before the alarm goes off but may hit the snooze once or twice to avoid having to get out of a warm bed!  On weekends/vacations I'll go to bed between 11-12 and will generally wake up without an alarm between 4:30 - 5:30.

If I can't sleep I will get up and get on my computer or watch tv until I'm tired. Then head back to bed. I rarely snack late in the evening but might get a glass of water.

I typically go to bed around 12:00, because that's when I've finished my homework.  I always have to watch a brit-comedy before going to bed because it relaxes me.  I'm away at college and I get really homesick at nights, but I grew up with the likes of Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, so it's very comforting to watch them right before going to sleep.  I have to daydream in order to fall asleep because otherwise I'll just worry about things.  I wake up a lot during the night, especially on nights when I'm having  a lot of nightmares.  I'm 18 and still a little afraid of the dark.  I get up at 5:30 so I can be at the gym at 6, which gives me time to work out before my first class.  I don't mind getting up early since I don't sleep very well anyway.

When I can't get to sleep I watch more brit-coms, or if I'm stressed about my schoolwork I'll just stay up and do it, even if it's not due for a while.  Otherwise I'll just lie awake all night thinking about everything I have to do.  

1.) Whats your sleep pattern like? (before bed rituals, time gone to bed, sleep habits, time waking up, waking up through the night, etc.)

I am usually in bed by 10, before I go to bed I brush my teeth, wash my face, put cream on. I get my dogs... they sleep with me. I turn on my fan, I use it to block out any noise. I will read for a little while if I need to unwind, or it I have something that I am into. I sleep from about 10:30 PM till 7 AM.

2.) When it's late, and you can't seem to fall asleep what do you do?

I am very lucky that this is not a problem for me. I have never had sleep problems. I am almost always a sleep shortly after my head hits the pillow. The odd time that it does happen I will read.

I never really thought about my ritual

1. usually I go to sleep after finishing watching TV, close to 11pm.  I fix the sheets on my bed, put on my pjs, check the front door lock, do bathroom stuff then turn off the lights before walking back to bed.  Once in bed I check my alarm and turn on the fan for white noise (I live in the city - it's noisy outside my window).  My alarm is set for 6:30am, I hit snooze until 7:30, which is when my husbands alarm goes off.  Sometimes I'll get out of bed around 7:15 and turn off the rest of the alarm snoozes.

2.  When I can't sleep, I get up and get a pen and paper and write a list of all the things I have to remember to do tomorrow for work and personal.  Usually once I have everything written down I can stop my brain and go to sleep.

1.  I go to bed around midnight most nights.  I floss and brush my teeth, check the weather, get my clothes out for the morning, and get my exercise clothes for the next day ready.  I usually sleep solidly through the night.  I wake up around 7.

2.  I read.  Sometimes, if I have a pretty high calorie deficit, I find that a snack really helps.

1. I go to bed anywhere between 9:30-11:00 pm and wake up at 7:00-8:00 am. I eat a snack (likely yogurt), brush my teeth, wash my face, apply moisturizer and watch television or read a book until I feel tired enough. I sleep best on nights that I've consumed pasta for dinner... I rarely wake up during the night. If I do it's because I need to use the toilet or I'm hungry/thirsty. If I'm hungry, I drink a glass of milk and consume a slice of vegemite toast, which satisfies me every time.

2. If I can't fall asleep, I'll lie in bed for a bit and ask myself why and address the issue. Am I thirsty? Hungry? Anxious? Needing to use the toilet? If all else fails I'll continue to read, browse the internet or watch a DVD. I won't even attempt to count sheep; that simply makes me agitated at the repetitiveness.