Advice for the insomniacs like me


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Overly simplistic? Perhaps. Nonetheless, it’s a good tool to have in the box right now. 
 

Feel free to share your favorite tidbits of advice and wisdom.

 

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It's amazing how the lack of the emotion "worry" is so liberating.  It's an emotion that has never provided me any benefit whatsoever so I gave up on it decades ago.   

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This may be simplistic but I move to the couch and turn on Forensic Files. Trust me it lulls you to sleep. The narrator (Peter Thomas) has a monotone voice and the stories are interesting so it takes your mind off things.

If that doesn’t work it’s Larazapam?

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12 minutes ago, madandana said:

This may be simplistic but I move to the couch and turn on Forensic Files. Trust me it lulls you to sleep. The narrator (Peter Thomas) has a monotone voice and the stories are interesting so it takes your mind off things.

If that doesn’t work it’s Larazapam?

I always end up watching Forensic Files when I’m traveling for business (or when I I’m used to do that). It always seems to be on when I flop down in the bed and start channel surfing. 

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The narrator for Ancient Aliens and The Curse of Oak Island, Robert Clotworthy puts my wife right to sleep.

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12 hours ago, madandana said:

This may be simplistic but I move to the couch and turn on Forensic Files. Trust me it lulls you to sleep. The narrator (Peter Thomas) has a monotone voice and the stories are interesting so it takes your mind off things.

If that doesn’t work it’s Larazapam?

I agree 100%! My wife and I do this every night, forensic files works better than any ceiling fan or sound machine, just turn the volume real low where you can barely hear his voice, and let him lull you to sleep, disappointed though in forensic files 2 because the new narrator does not do it for me. 

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  • 3 months later...

That’s hilarious, as I too have been falling asleep to Forensic Files for the last 5 years...

Not too sure that falling asleep to a show about crimes and murders is all that healthy but the narrator’s voice works wonders!

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5 hours ago, rayshow said:

I take unisom and also a magnesium supplement right before bed and that helps a lot! Of course I’d ask your doctor first but the magnesium has been a life saver for me. You can read on insomnia treatment on  Canada drugs direct website

I can second taking a magnesium supplement right before bed. It typically knocks me out like a light switch.

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Make the bedroom pitch black dark. No lights coming in from other rooms. Some have even suggested wearing sunglasses in the house a few hours before bedtime so as to condition your brain to it being night time. John

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  • 4 weeks later...

If I can't sleep I get out of bed, go to my living room, and read a book until I drowsy. I've taken melatonin and find it helpful but it had to be a low dose, 1mg.   High doses kept me awake. Exercise is key for sleep and it has loads of other benefits. I like to work out first thing in the morning. Putting on a good sweat 4 or 5 times a week works wonders for me.

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Surprised nobody has mentioned sex yet.

And now that everyone has had a snigger, among the many hormones released during sex, oxytocin has been found to not only enhance your mood (among other things), but it is also known to induce sleep.

You can also avoid certain foods and drink late at night. No spicy food, no booze, certainly no caffeine, and no fatty foods. If you get the late night munchies, try bananas, cheese and whole grain crackers, or a handful of almonds.

You can also try a nice hot shower before bed.

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Rise early 4am - 5am
Excersise
Meditation
Evening reading with a real physical book.
Deep breathing in bed in dark at Bed time. Let go of your thoughts. Time to rest for the next day.
Worse case Count sheep or
E.P '76 sleep pack. Not recommended.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

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1 hour ago, El Presidente said:

image.jpeg

Quite true, actually. The levels of oxytocin and prolactin are much lower (approx 4 times lower) when doing the hand jive, compared to playing 1 on 1... or in larger groups. :smartass:

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for about four years of my life I slept an average of 5 1/2 hours every night. It was exhausting, and really terrible for my health. I went through years of Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, after trying every drug, every supplement, and every trick, and getting hooked on sleeping pills more than once. I’m not saying all you folks need to do this, even most insomniacs don’t need these drastic measures. But this is a multi year hell I had to go through for the simple pleasure of sleep. I can say now that I honestly enjoy sleep and cherish it more than I ever have. Sleep is like air, it becomes very important when you’re not getting any.

 

First, you have to realize that sleep is VERY important. There are very few people in the world who can actually function at their top level performance with less than seven hours of sleep. Those who think they can usually perform significantly worse on cognitive tests, but still think they are doing well. It’s kind of like being just a little bit drunk, and saying “I drive better when I’ve had a few.” In fact, less than six hours a night over several nights has been shown to impaired driving as much as being legally intoxicated. If you think you can do just fine on 5-6hrs of sleep, there’s an almost 99% chance that you’re wrong. For more information I recommend you read “Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams” by neuroscientist Matthew Walker.

 

Here is what worked for me:

1)Weighted blanket

2) No light in the bedroom at all, black out curtains and tape over blue lights

3) Cut back massively on booze, And no coffee after 10. Caffeine’s impact on sleeping actually last well be on the buzz

4) Keep my bedroom cold

5) Sleep restrictive therapy (this one is tough)

 

Insomniacs typically spend a long time in bed not sleeping, which CBT-I sees as creating a mental association between the bed and insomnia. The bed therefore becomes a site of nightly frustration, A place where you focus all the things you’re worried about, and replay your day in your head. It becomes a place of frustration and stress. Although it is counter-intuitive, sleep restriction works wonders to cure insomnia!

 

First, time in bed is restricted to 5 hours.

Increase TIB weekly by only 20-30 min a week

This process may take several weeks or months to complete, depending on the person's initial sleep efficiency and how effective the treatment is for them individually. (According to one expert, this should result in getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep within about six weeks.) Daytime sleepiness is a side-effect during the first week or two of treatment, so those who operate heavy machinery or otherwise cannot safely be sleep deprived should not undergo this process.

 

Sweet dreams everyone!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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For more serious issues, a lot of great advice here. Thanks to all who have contributed!

For the occasional production of a drowsy response, try Bob Ross and the joy of painting. The combination of calm, positivity, and paint on canvas lulls me to sleep.
 

 

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