A
female
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:I am 20 years old and recently ive been finding it hard to "fall asleep"once I am asleep I am fine..I can sleep for 10 to 11 hours if I have to. its just falling asleep thats the problem. i toss and turn and stress out because I have to be up at 7am for uni.. Sometimes I only get around 5 hours sleep and i feel exhausted in lectures and can't concentrate, it makes me feel really grumpy.I am never like this at the weekends when I get enough sleep.I slept grand for 19 years. its only recently this happens, my timetable is all over the place, at weekends i can lie in and some weekdays.any tips or advice? Reply to this Question
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male
reader, anonymous, writes (4 February 2009): As one of the other posters said earlier, try to use your bed for ONLY sleeping. Make your bedroom the same, too. Read a book in the lounge room, move your computer to the study room, etc.
The other thing you can do is attempt to get some regularity in your sleeping patterns. Try to get 8 hours sleep a day at approximately the same time. Oversleeping is your worst enemy; if you get 11 hours sleep every day your body won't bother to sleep when you want it to.
A
reader, anonymous, writes (3 February 2009): Well, there is ONE other thing you can use your bed for, but I figured that went without say. LOL...
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male
reader, Boonridge McPhalify  +, writes (3 February 2009):
 as for the post below-that makes SO much sense! i never even thought of that
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reader, anonymous, writes (2 February 2009): I don't know where I remember reading this, but a tip I learned was to NOT use your bed for anything else but sleeping. When i was in college (and in a dorm), there isn't much furniture so I would use my bed for everything... homework, eating, watching Tv, etc. If you live in a dorm room then that may be the same for you. Same thing happened when I lived on my own, since I had a studio apartment and the bed was pretty much the biggest, most convenient furniture I had to sit/sleep/eat/etc. on.
The article said that should you use your bed for just sleeping, and nothing else, that your mind will condition itself to feeling sleepy when you're in bed. If you use your bed for other things, your body doesn't have that conditioning, ergo, you go to bed and nothing happens - since your mind doesn't know if its time to eat or study or whatever. Your subconcious doesn't know that bed=sleep.
Anyway, after I read that article, I used my bed just for sleeping and it worked! Does it work for everybody? Who knows? All i can say is that it worked for me. So, give it try... what can it hurt?
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reader, Anonny +, writes (2 February 2009):
Unfortunately - you could be becoming an insomniac!
- I have suffered from insomnia for the last 10-15 years and it too started when I was about 20ish.
There are many tips that could help - but the quickest way is a short term sleeping pill - ask your GP.
Also - try to stick to a routine - if you go to bed roughly the same time each night and get up roughly the same time each morning (whether you sleep or not) it will help.
Good luck - not enough people understand what its like having to live life with little or no sleep!!
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reader, anonymous, writes (2 February 2009): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionthanks everyone and ellababesx
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female
reader, ellababesx +, writes (2 February 2009):
 This answer is going to be a long one.. Only because I have alot of tips that I can share with you...
At first, you could practice good "sleep hygiene". Get yourself ready for sleep by relaxing a few hours before bedtime -- take a warm bath, or write in a journal or diary.
You can also put a few droplets of lavender oil on your pillow.
Drink a glass of warm milk, with a teaspoon of honey -stirred through if you'd like. Do this just before bed, but be sure to brush your teeth before bed-- the sugar in milk and honey can cause tooth decay, especially if your mouth dries out at night!
Try a three-week regimen to get your body into this habit (studies show it takes approximately three weeks for your body to permanently adjust to routine).
Make notes if you discover patterns of sleep or going to bed that work. For some people, sleep can be highly ritualistic...cultivate the rituals that produce your best sleep experiences.
If you don't like the taste of plain warm milk, try it by making hot chocolate with warm milk instead of water. However, if you drink hot chocolate, make sure it's caffeine-free or you won't be able to sleep.
Make sure you have a comfortable bed in which you can get a good night's sleep. Buy a decent mattress. A mattress is worth more than you think, considering you use it every night, so don't hold back! If you're too hot or cold, add or remove blankets until comfortable. Adjust the temperature so it is cooler than usual, but not too cold. Make sure to stock up on blankets, if you do this. A hot water bottle can come in handy too when needed.
If you have time, consider cleaning your room before trying to get to bed. Having a clean room can be calming when trying to fall asleep. A messy room will distract most people, and it can make you feel uncomfortable.
Soundproof your room. Soundproofing your room will not only help you fall asleep, it will help you stay asleep. If you cannot block off external sounds, look into getting a white noise machine. These are relatively cheap and produce a neutral sound that can drone out other noises and still let you go to sleep.
Reading is another popular solution. Reading will help the mind focus on only one thing, instead of racing about the day's activities. Read something calming rather than an exciting thriller novel. Fairy tales or nonfiction would be good choices, although they may not be your perticular type.
Adjust the lights to a level you are comfortable with. For optimal results, a pitch black room with no lights helps you sleep better through the night. If you have an alarm clock that is lighting up half the room as you try to sleep, turn it around or cover it with a towel. Most cell phones have an alarm on them, so you can use that instead of a bright, bulky alarm clock. If you must have mild illumination in your bedroom (e.g. glowing face of digital clock, night light), remember that red wavelengths of light generally are not as disruptive to sleep cycles as blue or green wavelengths. If you need to sleep during the day, use eye covers.
Get into a comfortable position, loosen any tight restrictive clothing. Position yourself comfortably on your back in bed, with your arms by your side. If you are uncomfortable with any way your body feels on the bed, correct it immediately, e.g., your body's weight on your arm is too strong, or your hip feels awkward--change position quickly until you're completely comfortable. Optimally, this may sound silly but this CAN help - sleep nude. This might bother some people or make them feel uncomfortable, in which case, wear comfortable clothes like pajamas or a nightgown rather than tight or constricting "day clothes."
Practice deep breathing. If you're having trouble trying to sleep, try a deep breathing exercise. For example, lie on your back in bed and breathe in deeply for four counts, watching your stomach rise, and then breathe out for four counts. Your goal is to breath in and out about six times per minute. Do this for about ten minutes (60 breaths) and then switch so you're lying on your right, and repeat the breathing process. Another way to go about doing it is this:
Take a deep breath using one nostril closed,
Now exhale with the nostril that is closed, during this exhalation, close the other.
Repeat these steps using the other nostril. Do this 60 times (at least 10 minutes) and you will feel very dizzy/relaxed.
Imagine yourself sinking into the mattress, Starting from the very tips of your toes. When you loosen all your muscles, it gives the effect that you're sinking in. In your mind, begin to "acknowledge" everything around you that all your senses are experiencing. For example: Say to yourself (not out loud), "I hear the clock ticking. I smell the lotion I just applied to my hands. I feel my legs' weight on the bed. I hear my spouse/partner breathing. I see different shades of black. I hear the dog barking in the distance. I hear myself in my own mind talking.", etc. This should help to clear your mind by slowly acknowledging everything and subsequently dismissing it. Stay on your back, sunk into the mattress until you feel it is time to roll into your desired position.
Pray or meditate. Whatever is on your mind is probably there for a reason. When you pray, do it the way you are supposed to. Keep your focus on the one you pray to. Dismiss whatever it is racing through your mind, and forget about the situation. If meditating, visualize yourself addressing your thoughts and resolving them. Or, meditate on a calming word or phrase. As you do so, it helps you to lower your heart rate and relax your muscles, making it easier for you to lay down and fall asleep. Many times this will work because you no longer have that burden on your mind and you can relax enough to fall asleep.
Give your brain an exercise. Count as high as you can. Get a picture of as many sheep on a field as possible. Try counting all of the sheep in a dim light. This makes your mind focus on one easy thing. Also, try doing mathematical calculations in your mind, for example, think of two or three digit numbers and add them up in your mind. Try counting backwards by threes or fours: 100, 97, 94... You may find you're asleep before you get to 0. If you're still awake try a bigger number and count slower.
Think of something very calming. Picture a waterfall. Awaterfull is a great example but can leave a few ''accidents'' in the night! It is very calming and you will fall asleep quickly. This makes you calm. This also gets your mind away from distractions of life. But, if you're one of the people who associate waterfalls with urinating, be sure to use the toilet before doing this! You may also have a good dream. Pretend that you are floating on a river. Look up and see the blue sky and feel the water below you. Picture your ideal fantasy and try to play it out in your head. Also, try imagine that you are in a perfect room. What would it look like? What color is it? What's in it? Imagine yourself lying in it. Why is it so relaxing to you? Imagining yourself in this perfect room focuses your mind on relaxation.
Start the habit of using your bed only for sleeping. Do not play video games, etc. because then your body will be used to doing those things while in bed and make you more awake.
Sing a song in your head. Pick a song that you know very well and sing all of the lyrics in your head. If that doesn't work, act like you are typing the lyrics on an imaginary keyboard. Or, if you know sign language, you can sign all of the lyrics. Pick a song that you know every word to and you are familiar with. You can also plan to listen to music while you sleep. Listen to the softer songs of your favorite band. If you have trouble blocking out sounds around you (especially in an apartment building) then wear a set of ear bud headphones to bed with some language tapes running. Listening to the language tapes provides you with a soothing voice that is talking in a very mellow tone and has the bonus of reinforcing your knowledge of the language while you sleep.
Think about a story in your head. Make it light and happy like a fairy tale; you can make it up. (Suggested) and what really helps is to picture the story in your mind. This may or may not help but do try it if you are having trouble falling to sleep.
And also, if you have an easily teachable, or you do not have trouble with thinking hard (or simply do not have a very limited mind) you can make your own beats, tunes, and dances in your head. Making those beats tires the mind, leading to an imaginary world, bringing you to sleep.
Start relaxing and stop thinking about falling asleep..Relax your mind and think about what you want to do tomorrow. Do not think about falling asleep, this will stop you from doing so. Try chilling your pillow for two minutes in the fridge. Even on a cold day, it will relax your head and the rest of the body will follow.
Have a three hour famine If you want to sleep easily and soundly, the time for dinner is 3 hours before bedtime.
Practice solitaire. The card game solitaire was designed to send you to sleep. Undemanding, repetitive, requiring concentration but little mental effort, it will soon lull you into a numbed state. If you can resist the urge to believe your next hand will be the complete one, you will find this pastime both relaxing and tiring.
Train your bed. You can train yourself to associate your bed with restfulness rather than wakefulness by the practice you adopt. Sleep-inducing bed permit only two activities:sleeping and napping. All other activities -jumping, talking, school work etc - should be banished from the duvet, preferably from another room.
Think of impossible things. Think of the most strange impossible things as fast as you can and don't stop. For example, imagine purple Twinkies™ walking on the walls then they grow red wings with yellow fishhooks dangling from them.. etc. Just think of the most weird strange thing you can and let the thoughts keep getting more and more strange and make less and less sense. You are guaranteed to fall asleep fast.
Explore a place in your mind. Get into a comfortable position, relax your eyes, and breathe. Then begin exploring and walking in a familiar and calming place in your mind and pay attention to every small detail. Be sure to block out any other thoughts. Focus only on walking. If something pops up in your head, ignore it. Eventually you will drift off into sleep.
Make up an imaginary friend and discuss your days events with them. talk about your feelings etc. Think of what your imaginary friend can say back. It's calming and very good for troubled minds.
Think of your best dreams that could happen Imagine yourself in the wildest places. Imagine yourself playing in the Super Bowl. You could think of yourself as a star figure skater dancing in front of thousands of people. A good method is to imagine yourself and your spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, lover walking, perhaps, maybe walking on a prairie peacefully.
Play an instrument before sleeping. If you have one, of course. This soothes you, calms your mind and forces you to focus and concentrate on a task. But try to play classical music or slow music, because rock won't really help.
Make up a story Every night, in your mind, think up parts of a story or a 'movie'. Eventually, you'll get bored and will fall asleep. Continue your 'story' the next day and keep going on like this.
Avoid clocks Turn all your clocks away from you and make sure that they don't tick when everything is quiet. This constant reminder that time is passing and you are still awake raises your stress level and makes it harder to sleep, plus its just annoying. Alternatively you can concentrate on the ticking noise and fall asleep.
Get up and move If you haven't gotten to sleep for the past 15 minutes then get up, read a book, write in a journal, or listen to soft music. Anything that is relaxing! Because the truth is, if you can't fall asleep for a long period of time, laying there isn't going to do anything. Getting up to do something peaceful will calm you down so you are more likely to feel relaxed when you get back in bed.
Create a calm area It's much easier to get to sleep if it's quiet and dark. Close all the blinds tightly and wear earplugs if needed. A peaceful environment helps you have a peaceful sleep.
Tell yourself you're tired - this may not work for some people but for others it is very effective. Convince yourself that you are really tired and your brain will follow these signals and actually make you tired.
Compile a playlist if you have an Ipod, compile a playlist of relaxing and soothing songs. Try not to include songs that will make you want to sing-a-long. Turn the volume down as low as possible but make sure the music is still audible.
Focus on the toes Get into a comfortable position, closing your eyes, and relaxing your jaw, tongue, and face. Then, starting with your toes... Focus on your toes and focus on relaxing them. Then move to your ankles. Then calves, knees, and on up. If your mind wanders, always get back to relaxing inch by inch. The focus clears other thoughts from your mind as well as relaxes your body enough to sleep.
Try ambient music. Ambient music is supposed to give natural background noise, and with a little searching, you will likely find one thing that works. Another option is space music, a type of ambient music that brings up images and feelings of floating. It's much rarer, however, so you'll probably need to search around for it. If you want something a LITTLE! more extreme, try the "Daudi Balders" by Burzum. The album's songs are set up in a certan way for you to drift into another world (dreaming) If you have sattelite and get music channels, try Audiovisions. It's has that spacey, soothing music.
Try not to eat carbohydrates too close to bed time; eat a reasonably light meal of protein, fat, and vegetables for your evening meal--save carbs for earlier in the day.
Defeat your insomnia. If everyday you take 3 hours or so to fall asleep, then you may be suffering from insomnia. What you can do is take strict bed times: go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. When you don't fall asleep in half an hour get up and do a low active activity like reading. Then, in half an hour go back to bed. If the problem still persists just keep repeating. There are also tricks like turning the alarm clock so you can't see it or keeping the room cool and dark. Insomnia can be caused by many things like stress, work problems, drugs, etc.
Watch a movie. If you have a Sony PSP, iPod or something small to hold that you can watch movies on, its a good idea to try watching a movie. Not the entire movie, just skip to a part that you like and watch until you are tired. It has to be a movie that you have seen many times so that you know what is going to happen and it doesn't keep you on edge, a movie that you enjoy also helps. By watching one it helps to clear your mind of other things which lets you fall asleep much faster. If you experience eye fatigue, you should probably turn off the movie and try to go fall asleep, because at that time you're probably sleepy enough to easily fall asleep.
Limit Daytime Naps. In order to get yourself on a proper sleep schedule, try to limit naps. A nap in the daytime should consist of no more than a 15 minute powernap. Anything longer than that can cut into your sleep cycles and make it much harder to fall asleep in the evenings. Sleep depriving yourself in the day time makes it much easier to fall asleep at night.
Imagine a pendulum in your mind. Try closing your eyes and imagining a swinging pendulum. If you are relaxed, you should feel the sensation of "falling into the mattress" and fall asleep.
Try singing a peaceful lullaby in your head to calm you down.
I'm sorry it's long, but it was all the help I could give you, which is what you asked for. Hope I helped.
Good luck!
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reader, anonymous, writes (2 February 2009): This is verified as being by the original poster of the questionsometimes I am not even that stressed about anything and i still find it difficult to get to sleep.
i drink coffee around 1pm but it should be out of my system by say 10pm
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male
reader, StudentOfLife  +, writes (2 February 2009):
 It can sometime be due to a bad diet. Stress doesn't help either.
When I was in college, I remember trying to read books from my courses and falling asleep.
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female
reader, Too Sensitive  +, writes (2 February 2009):
How is your mood? Have you been feeling depressed at all? This is often the age at which depression or bipolar can surface. You may also have anxiety issues related to your classes.
Anon. male reader's suggestion of exercise is excellent. For me, I find that first thing in the morning works best, b/c the excercise energizes me so much that if it is done too late in the day it will keep me up at night. However, that means having to get up earlier in the morning. Initially, this is difficult, but after some time, you actually start looking forward to waking up early to exercise (once you are in the routine). Too much activity of any sort in the evening has a tendency to keep me up at night. Even cleaning the bathroom in the evening will keep me up at night! By the way, I have been diagnosed with bipolar. Bipolar and other types of depression can interfere with sleep.
A bowl of Quaker Oatmeal Squares with milk before bedtime helps relax the body and prepare you for sleep. So can eating yogurt. Best is plain yogurt mixed with fresh fruit or granola. Though you'd think weight gain would be a concern, I've been told by a doctor that on the contrary, women who do this actually did not suffer weight gain, and did better managing their weight. I'm not sure of the reason, but I believe that when a person does not get enough sleep at night, that they are more prone to weight gain. It might be due to the fact that while you sleep, your body rids itself of toxins built-up during waking hours. If you don't get enough sleep, and hence your body does not rid itself of these toxins, then the build-up of toxins may cause your body to have more difficulty burning calories or digesting food properly, hence the weight gain.
Reading often helps me relax, makes my eyes tired, and helps me fall asleep more easily. Though I'm sensitive to caffeine, a cup of hot tea sometimes makes me sleepy as well (no matter if it's decaffeinated or not, though it might be best to stick with decaf or herbal teas). Also, other than the hot tea, I avoid any and all caffeine past early afternoon, b/c it can and does interfere with my sleep, even many hours later.
Journaling can also help. You can do this in a Word document on the computer, or manually handwrite with paper and pen, whichever you prefer. The point is to vent your thoughts and feelings, get them out of your head, and release them in written form, for your eyes only. This is particularly good if you are struggling with a problem of any sort. You can even vent about not being able to fall asleep! If you have tried falling asleep and just can't, then give up for the moment, get out of bed, and try this for 10-20 minutes. It just might work.
Certain foods eaten in the evening can also interfere with sleep, such as junk foods and spicy foods.
How old is your mattress? Perhaps it is time for a new mattress and box spring set. Perhaps new pillows would also help. Anything that might make sleeptime more comfortable.
Believe it or not, the ultimate sleep aid for me is to get out of bed, come downstairs to the living room, turn on the TV (but set the volume a bit lower), and lie down on the couch. It knocks me out every time! Even if the program is interesting. You'd think the TV would keep me awake, but it doesn't. I guess to my brain it's sort of like white noise.
I am all for any remedies that do not involve drugs. So many people become dependent on them, or addicted to them. They can have many side effects. They can make it difficult to arise the following morning. They can stay in your system for several hours after you awake, making you feel groggy. I would suggest doing anything you can to avoid taking sleep aids, even the OTC aids, if at all possible.
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male
reader, anonymous, writes (2 February 2009): Exercise, excercise, excercise. Sounds like many students you spend to much time on your backside.Good luck
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male
reader, Boonridge McPhalify +, writes (2 February 2009):
to tell you the truth five hours is bad but not terrible, i often go into work on four hours sleep. not out of choice my work starts at a stupidly early time.
try reducing caffeine intake early in the evenings and also eat well to ensure your not hungry. is your house warm enough? maybe speend an hour relaxing listening to music before bed rather than doing work or watching tv. it sounds like you are lacking a pattern that would have you conditioned to sleep at the same point each day so try and develop a sleeping routine. and get a very strong b vitamin complex, one with inositol in it.
good luck
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