Insomnia.....

[HeartSeeker]

Recent "sleep hygiene" study discovered blue lights (led, electronics, etc) have strong deleterious effect on sleep patterns. Benadryl...when used temporarily...is probably the safest and most efficacious simple treatment. Melatonin may contribute to bad dreams for some,,,,vivid and violent.

The suggestion to perform physical exertion is valid, as is to use your bedroom for sleep only. Dont read in bed, or watch TV. And rather than tossing and turning in frustration unable to sleep, get out of bed and do something non-taxing (read, listen to music, meditate, pray etc)

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Benadryl has a paradoxical effect on some people. In me, it keeps me awake instead of making me drowsy.

[ChildofChrist]

Liz, I believe that you have wisdom not taking meds for your inability to sleep...but once you try all the normal alternative suggestions such as drinking herbal teas etc, I'd try something a little different.

1-A warm shower

2-Change your bedding. Personally, I like cotton flannel sheets

3-Keep your room as cool as possible. Winter time isn't so bad since you can lower the heat but in the summer, time to turn on the A/C!

4-Make sure that your bedroom is a calm relaxing place. (Check out the mattress) Heavy drapes if there is street lights etc. And you could use some white noise. I like to hear a fan going, winter or summer.

5-Rather than reading on line, there is nothing like a handheld book.

6-Don't forget your evening prayers as a way to let God carry your problems. He'll be up all night. Just make sure that you let Him keep those burdens in the morning.

7-After a large meal on Thanksgiving Day and you are glowing in the warm comfort of 'home' most folks feel sleepy. Seems the high protein in turkey contains something that does that. No, don't go out and eat a turkey but you could most likely have a protein and fruit drink before your hot to warm shower or bath.

Should none of these ideas help, it might be time to see your family physican and share with him or her, your problems. It could be something major or something a little more simplier like depression.

[Lineman]

Hi again Liz,

Here are a few things you may already know or have maybe already talked about:

Good Sleep Habits for Beating Insomnia

Good sleep habits, also called sleep hygiene, can help you get a good night's sleep and beat insomnia. Here are some tips:

Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Try not to take naps during the day because naps may make you less sleepy at night.

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late in the day. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and can keep you from falling asleep. Alcohol can cause waking in the night and interferes with sleep quality.

Get regular exercise. Try not to exercise close to bedtime because it may stimulate you and make it hard to fall asleep. Experts suggest not exercising for at least three to four hours before the time you go to sleep.

Don't eat a heavy meal late in the day. A light snack before bedtime, however, may help you sleep.

Make your bedroom comfortable. Be sure that it is dark, quiet, and not too warm or too cold. If light is a problem, try a sleeping mask. If noise is a problem, try earplugs, a fan, or a "white noise" machine to cover up the sounds.

Follow a routine to help you relax before sleep. Read a book, listen to music, or take a bath.

Avoid using your bed for anything other than sleep or sex.

If you can't fall asleep and don't feel drowsy, get up and read or do something that is not overly stimulating until you feel sleepy.

If you find yourself lying awake worrying about things, try making a to-do list before you go to bed. This may help you to not focus on those worries overnight.

Reviewed by The Sleep Medicine Center at The Cleveland Clinic.

The above notes copied from http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/insomnia?page=2

[ChildofChrist]

Benadryl has a paradoxical effect on some people. In me, it keeps me awake instead of making me drowsy.

What does it for me is caffeine. I can drink two or three cups and lay right down and sleep like a baby.

[GreatLakesGramma]

Back when I took Benadryl for allergies, which I didn't do for long, the first night it put me to sleep, and maybe the second night too. But after that it kept me in a zombie-like state round the clock, with very little sleep at night.

[Lineman]

I've had the same kind of problems with taking any kind of drug too, at least I cannot take them for very long. Drugs and I don't get along most of the time.

I hate to admit it, but what works for me right now is to start praying while I am in bed and I usually go right to sleep. I guess a person could say that your mind is on spiritual things as you drift off to sleep, but I kind of dislike falling asleep while I'm talking to Someone so important.

A couple of other things I have found works for me:

A few months back the Sleep Lab at the hospital that I work at needed someone to be their guinea pig so that they could make sure they were ready to take their equipment on the road, so I volunteered. That night I never got into REM sleep, partly because my legs twitched about ever 20 minutes or so. I remember my doctor telling me that the reason I get foot cramps was because I did not drink enough water (was dehydrated) and I have noticed that even when I take a nap during the day, if I am dehydrated my feet want to cramp up and I wake up. So make sure you drink lots of liquid during the morning and very little the last few hours before going to bed.

I have also found that if I eat very little after 5pm I sleep much better. Ellen White wrote that there are many people in the cemetaries that are there because they ate a very large meal before going to bed. I see some very heavy people coming to do the sleep study thing and realize that their weight has a lot to do with lack of sleep.

Not sleeping can be irritating, but it can also lead to some very serious problems. Don't let it go on very long.

[Liz]

I have really been touched by everyone's concern and thoughtful suggestions. I have taken a lot of them to heart, and put quite a few into practice and last night I actually got a full 8 hours of sleep. I woke up energized for the first time in about two weeks.

I won't say I am "cured" yet, 'cause, you know it was just last night...but I am very hopeful. I will continue practicing a lot of these new found methods.

Thank you so very much, everyone.

[Gail]

Good to hear, Liz!! Yay!

[Amelia]

I have had a problem sleeping ever since my hysterectomy. It got so bad that my dr prescribed Ambien for me. Whoa, now that is heavy stuff. I started it on a weekend as I didn't know how I would react. I took a full tablet at night and it sent me to sleep in about 10 mins. Slept right through the night and literally couldn't get up in the morning. It was like my mind was struggling to wake up and the body was just flopping along. I finally made it to the couch and fell right back to sleep. When I finally woke up I felt like [censored]. Like waking up after a 3 day drunk. Call the doc and he said to split the tab. Ok, so I did that and it still got me off to sleep quick and solid sleep through the night but still struggled to wake up. Then the night activities started. LOL I swear I have never slept walked in my life until Ambien. Not only slept walked but slept watched TV and slept using the computer. I only know this because I would wake up doing them and knew I had gone to bed. So now I only use the Ambien under extreme sleep deprivation periods and then I only use 1/4 tab or less since I can get the same great get to sleep and stay asleep times with that little.

[rachelw]

Hi, Liz. Recently I dealt with insomnia for a period of several months (always waking up at 3-4:00 a.m. and not being able to go back to sleep), so I know how frustrating it is. I would suggest you get to the cause of it. In my case it was stress over a particular situation in my life. Insomnia is also a common sign of depression. Figure out what is behind the problem and address that.

Even after I got out of the situation, it took a long time for my sleep patterns to improve. The prescription medication I took did not help. Neither did prayer or reciting Bible promises, I'm sorry to say. However, my mom told me a trick that actually seems to work. Recite your times tables. I guess it bores your brain to sleep. If you don't know your times tables, that might not help you!