Suggestions Of Relaxation And Better Sleep Techniques.

[Norseman82]

Read the books of Leviticus and Numbers.  After so many "cut above the lobe and wave it in the air as an offering"s, you will doze off.

[To Jesus Through Mary]

This is going to sound horrible, and I should probably post this in the IAABC thread. Try spiritual reading about 30 mins before you want to go to bed. Try something dense, so that your mind is forced to focus on that. At least it works for me. Hope you get some sleep soon. I know lack of sleep is rough on a person.

[Tony]

The Rosary :)

 

Avoid caffeine in the evening

 

Give yourself time to unwind before attempting to sleep (deep breaths, a hot shower,prayer etc) laying in bed with lots of tension won't help you fall asleep

 

Make your room as dark as possible, or wear a sleep mask. Even the  little bit of light (alarm clock, cell phone, street light) can be disruptive.

 

play sounds that relax you. (rain, surf,forest,etc) there are some  videos on youtube a few hours long that you can use.

Edited December 13, 2012 by Tony

[cmotherofpirl]

Turn off the computer and TV at 6:00 pm. If stuff isn't done by then it doesn't get done.

Exercise in the morning, eat your biggest meal at noon and a light meal for supper.

Stay away from flourescent lights at night.

Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D, and cut back on the caffeine.

Sleep in a dark and cool room, being over-heated keeps you awake.

Have a fan running or a background noise, nor necessarily music.

Warm  baths, hot milk, oatmeal for supper, and saying the Rosary will help you relax.

Melatonin will also help you sleep.

 

 

[Spem in alium]

I've also found that praying the Rosary or the Liturgy of the Hours before bed relaxes me -- especially the Rosary.  Just meditating upon the Mysteries soothes any anxiety I have and helps me in so many ways.  :)

It's brilliant :)

[LouisvilleFan]

Turn off the computer and TV at 6:00 pm. If stuff isn't done by then it doesn't get done.

Exercise in the morning, eat your biggest meal at noon and a light meal for supper.

Stay away from flourescent lights at night.

Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D, and cut back on the caffeine.

Sleep in a dark and cool room, being over-heated keeps you awake.

Have a fan running or a background noise, nor necessarily music.

Warm  baths, hot milk, oatmeal for supper, and saying the Rosary will help you relax.

Melatonin will also help you sleep.

 

I'll second all this practical stuff.

 

On the topic of Melatonin, obviously it's not a prescription med, but you still want to be careful with it. A bottle is only $5 so it's far and away a better deal than any prescription (for $100 I got hallucinations and no sleep). For me the crux of the problem was bad habits and a general lack of discipline. I found Melatonin useful for those nights when I need to fall asleep at least an hour earlier than normal. I recommend not taking it if you don't have a good eight hours to sleep. For one, it never gave me the best quality sleep, so I always felt a little out of sorts in the morning. And second, you might completely sleep in :)

 

Long story short, give all the practical wisdom an honest effort before you see a doctor.

[r2Dtoo]

Try classical music over at iHeartRadio.  It helps me relax and focus,

[OnlySunshine]

I would not recommend Melatonin without first checking with your doctor.  People think it's safe but it's a hormone and can cause unwanted side effects.  My ARNP once prescribed it to me and told me to start taking 1mg and then work up to 3mg.  I took the 1mg one night and never took it again because I was groggy and my blood pressure was wonky.  I felt terrible all day.  Dr. Oz recently talked about Melatonin on his show and said that more conclusive tests need to be done to test whether or not melatonin is safe in all sleep disturbances.  It's OK for people who work the night shift and need to reset their circadian rhythms, but it is ill-advised in some other situations.

 

Dr. Oz -- Why Melatonin May Be Dangerous to Your Sleep & Melatonin: Not a Magic Bullet for Sleep

Edited December 14, 2012 by MaterMisericordiae

[tinytherese]

I have a problem with being so tired in the afternoon that I take a nap. I don't know how to get out of this habit. I know that it's wrong, but when you're so tired what do you do? If I do something like exercise, I find that that only post-pones the nap and I'm still as tired as before if not moreso.

[littlesister]

This is another breathing technique - old-fashioned but effective.  Take in one ong, conscious deep breath, then exhale slowly.  THen take 21 deep breaths, relax for about 10 seconds, and start the 21 again.  It must be the counting that does it, because it takes your mind off other things.  .

[Gabriela]

I second Hasan's suggestion. It sounds to me like what you need is some time to process everything that's happened, without any other distractions. Your inability to focus is an indication that your brain is demanding this, and you're not giving it what it needs. I recommend a month-long (at least) silent retreat at a monastery somewhere.

 

EDIT: And just in case your first response to that is, "I don't have time!", recognize that you don't have time NOT to do it. If you keep going as you are without taking care of the issues that need processing, they're going to continue debilitating you. Eventually, they may go dormant. But then they will spring up on you at the worst possible times, until you are forced to take a month (or more) off. (Trust me, I have LOTS of friends with just this problem.)

Edited December 16, 2012 by curiousing