A
female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:hey im hoping someone can help me. im in a really bad sleeping routine and its effecting my day to day life and relationship.It started when we had two cats, they ended up getting fleas which we didnt know about, it infested the house. I kept getting bitten at night and didnt want to sleep. I ended up having insomnia. My hubby would end up getting me to sleep at like 6am by stroking my hair etc. i ended up getting in this routine.I have a 1year old son and for a while hubby got up with our son in the mornings, but for the past month iv tried my hardest to get up when our son does, i got into a routine of going to bed at 9pm but waking up at 2/3am (im used to having 5/6hours sleep because i would get to sleep at 6am and wake up at 12pm. this routine made me tired during the day, as i was awake from 3am, so ended up having naps when our son had a nap. hubby didnt like this routine because as soon as he'd get in from work id go to bed and never spent anytime together.i stayed up late one night to watch a film (1am) which messed my routine up. ended up back in a bad routine. nothing i do gets me out of this routine, iv tried stayin awake all night but end up sleeping when our son goes to bed and then wakin at like 12am and not tired, iv tried having a nap during the day, going to bed early, i just end up tossing and turning all night. iv had broken sleep since saturday now (2hours here n there) last time i slept over 2hours was yesterday dinner which i slept 4hours, which made me untired last night. im unsure whether stress is a factor in this as iv had alot of stress over the past few months. im in constant moods at the moment from being tired, im snappy, got no energy and im getting ill from lack of sleep aswell. my eyes feel so heavy and im trying to keep my eyes open at the moment. i struggle to entertain my son being this tired!!id like a routine of going to bed at 11pm-12am and waking up at 6am when our son gets up.is it time to go to the doctors? iv got nytol but dont dares take it, i kind of have a fear of never waking up after taking it (im serious, i hate the thought of taking sleeping pills) i dont want to become dependant on them either, this has been going on for nearly a year. any advice?
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female
reader, maverick494  +, writes (28 February 2011):
I had what I call chronic insomnia for a year and a half. I would literally not sleep for days at a time (I checked my watch regularly so I could be sure I wasn't fooling myself). I went to the doctor and got pills but they did not work. He didn't have any other ideas after the last batch of pills either, plus they were so heavy I felt woozy the entire day. But I still didn't sleep well. I finally got over it by myself. Here's how. I hope it will help you1. Nutrition. This may seem strange but there was a correlation between my eating patterns, what I ate and how well I slept. When I started eating 3 meals a day without skipping anything and without midnight snacks, it got a lot better. I started eating a lot veggies too. You don't have to become a health freak, but a good habits go a long way 2. Sports. I know, you're tired already. That's what I thought too. But I was getting desperate when every remedy by the doctor didn't work. So I started working out regularly, really tough and tiring workouts. Lifting weights, cardio, few rest phases. Do it in the evening before going to bed, if you can. After you exersised you may feel a bit jittery, so drink warm milk and watch a bit of tv before going to bed if that's the case. One rule, no longer than 20 minutes. 3. Reading. If TV images tend to stick inside your head, read before you sleep. Lie down in your bed, get a small lamp that provides enough light for you to read but not so much to wake your hubby and start reading. After a while you'll get so tired you'll "drop off the page". That's the time to put the light out. 4. BELIEVE IN IT! When you're convinced that tonight you'll probably stay awake, you WILL stay awake. No pill, no remedy will work unless you genuinely consider the possibility it may help you. Hope this helps and good luck! You can beat this. If I can, so can you.
A
female
reader, FloridaCatGirl +, writes (28 February 2011):
 If you’ve been dealing with this for a year, it’s definitely time for you to see your doctor! WebMD suggests the following tips to beat insomnia:1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. 4) Don't eat a heavy meal late in the day. A light snack before bedtime, however, may help you sleep. 5) 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. 6) Follow a routine to help you relax before sleep. Read a book, listen to music, or take a bath. 7) Avoid using your bed for anything other than sleep or sex. 8) 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. 9) 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.These tips can be found on the second page of the following WebMD article, about insomnia (but make sure you read both pages):http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/insomnia-symptoms-and-causesThis article has some excellent information. There are two types of insomnia, primary and secondary. In addition, insomnia may be acute or chronic. WebMD states, “Acute insomnia can last from one night to a few weeks. Insomnia is called chronic when a person has insomnia at least three nights a week for a month or longer.” Only a doctor can determine which one you have, but if this has been going on for a year you may have chronic insomnia. The article lists the causes for acute and chronic insomnia. Chronic insomnia is caused by depression and/or anxiety, chronic stress, and pain or discomfort at night. Since the root of the problem must be addressed, tell your doctor if you have any of the above symptoms. You said, “I’d like a routine of going to bed at 11pm-12am and waking up at 6am when our son gets up.” You should aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night, as that is what most adults require. Please keep us updated! Good luck!
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A
female
reader, angelDlite +, writes (28 February 2011):
 hi
i went through a period a bit like this myself so i do sympathise! mine just corrected itself as quick as it came to be honest.
the worst thing you can do is take naps in the day, you will never get a routine if you do that. its ok for your son to do it, he's a baby and has different sleep needs. if you do this though you are gonna end up with a body clock like a cat and you know how nocturnal they can be!
i think you sound stressed and this is probably something to do with being a quite new mum. i imagine you lie awake at night worrying that you can't get to sleep and that you arenot gonna have the energy to look after your little boy the next day? do you have anyone that can come round and help you to look after him and keep him entertained? that way, it doesn't matter if you are a bit tired in the day, you will be able to relax a bit more, without having a little sleep.
what is your bed like? do you have enough room? are your mattress and pillows comfortable enough? do you feel a comfortable temperature? try sprinkling some lavender essential oil on your pillow, take a warm bath in the evening, cut out tea, coffee, cola, dr pepper and chocolate because they all contain caffeine, be careful what you eat in the evening because some foods can give you an energy boost which is the last thing you need at night! if you smoke - quit! cigarettes are a stimulant. try listening to relaxing music or hypnotherapy through ear phones, read in bed for a bit at night, if you have a spare room take your self off there if you wake up in the night and maybe have a read rather than lie there next to your sleeping husband, stressing yourself out coz you can't get to sleep.
i hope my tips help! as you can see, there are a lot of things you can try instead of sleeping pills - they are bad news
xx
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A
male
reader, orange_sasquatch +, writes (28 February 2011):
There's more that a doctor can do to help you besides give you drugs. I would suggest consulting your doctor. they may be able to tell you how you can change your routine and diet to get into a better sleeping pattern.
You could also try going to a sleep clinic. they might be able to tell you what's wrong.
I might also suggest that you look into either massage therapy or acupuncture. It probably won't be covered by whatever insurance you have but it may be beneficial. If you do decide on that make sure the massage therapist has certification and that the acupuncturist is certified and licensed (depending on where you live).
but think the doctor is the best place to start.
Good Luck.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (28 February 2011): Yeah it is time to go to the doctor. Do not accept any kind of pills, seriously never take pills for sleeping you will depend on them. Sleeping pills are strictly an emergency measure, fore example if you're ill and in too much pain to sleep.
I have a lot of experience in messed up sleeping hours. The way I dealt with it (and I have to do this every now and again because I slip into my late nights every now and again) is to get up at the same time every day. Nothing else works. Go to bed at 11 and toss and turn all you want but always without fail get up at 6. Do not take any naps during the day. None. No matter how tired you are stay awake but the most important thing is to get up at 6 every day. Eventually your body will adjust but you have to be very regimental for a month or two. No deviation for any reason.
If you drink alcohol get rid of that for a few months. Don't drink any caffeine products after 4 in the afternoon. Seriously no matter how tired you are, don't drink caffeine after that time, that includes tea by the way, get decaffeinated tea for after 4. Don't have anything containing a lot of sugar or fat after 8 at night, roughly 3-4 hours before going to sleep.
This is the one that helped me the most, get minimum 30 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise 3/4 times a week. A speed rope (pro skipping rope) is absolutely amazing for this as you can do it at home, in front of the tv if you like. They're very cheap and it is 3 times as effective as jogging at keeping you healthy.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Benefits-of-Skipping&id=1838008
You can definitely find at least 20-30 minutes to do some skipping 3-4 times a week. This will not only increase your energy levels during the day, it has a million other benefits that I could list but for your actual problem then increasing you energy levels during the day and making your body healthier will aid your sleeping pattern immensely. Plus the rest your body will want later that night will help you sleep.
To summarize:
Go to your doctor, this is the most important step. Ask your doctor about skipping and all the other things I suggested. Your doctor will have more ideas.
Some people here may suggest herbal remedies but in all honesty you'll just become dependent on them too, I like the idea of doing things naturally and well our bodies will adapt to whatever we condition them to do.
So 6 am every morning, no matter how you slept the night before. Regular exercise and alter your diet a little.
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