Like a lot of insomniacs, I'm always on the lookout for the holy grail of sleep... something that will help me nod off quickly, sleep soundly for 7-8 hours and wake up refreshed. I have yet to find it, but here are some things that help. Clear your mind ~
It's hard to sleep if you're worried about all the things you have to do tomorrow. Making a list can get sometimes get them off your mind. At least you won't have to worry about remembering all the things you have to do tomorrow, and that's one less worry to keep you awake.
Relax your body ~
Start with some deep breathing: breathe in through your nose while counting to 5... hold for a count of 5... then breathe out through your mouth for a count of 5. Do this several times. Try to focus on your breath but if your mind wanders don't worry about it, just gently bring your focus back to your breathing.
Next, try some classic "tense and release" muscle exercises. Starting with your feet, tense those muscles for 10 seconds, then release and relax them. Move up the body through the lower legs, upper legs, abdomin and lower back, chest and upper back, arms, hands, shoulders, neck, and face (change the order if you like... whatever works best for you is fine). As with the breathing exercises, try to focus on your physical tense-and-release actions and if your mind wanders, gently coax it back to what you're doing.
Still can't sleep?
Soothing sounds, gizmos and gadgets ~
Listening to music can make falling asleep easier; for me singing bowls, om chants and soft ambient sounds work best. In consideration of my husband, I bought stereo pillow speakers. But every few months one or both of the speaker wires would break, the device would have to be taken apart and the wires re-soldered. Maybe I'm just a violent sleeper.
My latest find is soft headphones that can be worn while sleeping. They're actually a headband with a speaker built into each side. If you sleep alone or have a tolerant (or equally sleep-deprived) partner, you could play your CDs through a normal stereo system or try a relaxation-sound generating machine. Most of the sounds in these devices are nature-based... rain and surf are popular... but some people find the clickety-click of a train (minus the whistling I assume!) the most hypnotically restful of all. Hey, whatever works.
The Natural Way ~ Herbs
I'm a big believer in herbal remedies and use them for a lot of ailments. But the standard herbal sleep remedies... valerian, hops, chamomile tea... don't put me to sleep. But if anyone else has any other herbal suggestions, I'd love to hear them!
Ask Your Doctor ~ Pharmaceuticals
OK, even with all this other stuff I still sometimes need a prescription sleep medication. A lot of people swear by Ambien but it didn't work for me... it put me to sleep quick enough... in fact it worked so quickly that if I didn't take it IN bed I'd have a helluva time finding my way back TO the bed! But it only lasted a few hours and then I was wide awake for the rest of the night. What does help me is Lunesta. It doesn't last 7-8 hours like the commercials say, but it works better for me than than Ambien and there don't seem to be any side effects, except that odd metallic taste which I've learned to live with. Sonata is another prescription medication you might ask your doctor about. To be safe, start with the lowest possible dose.
Sweet dreams :-)
Author ~ Catresea Ann Canivan
