Trouble sleeping at night

[thunder_god]

I've been struggling to get a good nights sleep for a while now. I start school again tomorrow and I would like lack of sleep to no longer be an option that is affecting my grades. My mind just won't shut down and keeps on thinking about everything like the past and the future. It's getting really annoying and then I end up all tired the next day because I couldn't sleep at all.

Also at night when I go to bed, once my buddy starts getting hot I get extremely itchy. I already tried putting on lotion right after showering. I also purchased a humifider for my room as well. It also doesn't help that they have the heat in my apartment up so damn high and I can't control it. I wake up the very next day and my skin is very dry. I've been trying to go to sleep at the same time for the past few nights but it doesn't seem to help.

 

[Skyline]

I've been struggling to get a good nights sleep for a while now. I start school again tomorrow and I would like lack of sleep to no longer be an option that is affecting my grades. My mind just won't shut down and keeps on thinking about everything like the past and the future. It's getting really annoying and then I end up all tired the next day because I couldn't sleep at all.

Also at night when I go to bed, once my buddy starts getting hot I get extremely itchy. I already tried putting on lotion right after showering. I also purchased a humifider for my room as well. It also doesn't help that they have the heat in my apartment up so damn high and I can't control it. I wake up the very next day and my skin is very dry. I've been trying to go to sleep at the same time for the past few nights but it doesn't seem to help.

Take some time to go to a park or a nice quiet area and just think about the passed and future. You clearly have some stuff on your mind that you need to think through which is causing some anxiety. Take however long you need, I personally go to a nearby park late at night and just chill on the bench or on a hill near the lake and think things through whenever I feel that I'm troubled. Not sure what it is but that alone time with nature helps calm my nerves.

As for sleeping schedule goes, I would recommend buying a bottle of Malatonin. They sell it for around $3 a bottle and basically it stimulates the sleep hormone in your brain but not as strong as a prescribed sleeping pill does. I would only take 1 a night. It really does help you get your sleeping schedule back on track but just don't rely on it to fall asleep or you'll have an addiction issue and all that.

 

[FairShake]

I would talk to a doctor.

One option you might bring up with your doctor is Trazodone 25mg as needed. In addition to being a sleep aid, Trazodone is also an anti-anxiety and anti-depressant medication. This can be a temporary solution until you get a hold of your anxiety.

Other things to consider are melatonin as mentioned above, decreasing caffeine intake throughout the day, meditation, getting rid of artificial light from your room like cellphones and computers, darkening shades, better pillows.

If you are hot one thing you may consider is washing your hair and shirt in cold water before you go to sleep. It will really cool you down. Just wring your shirt out before you put it on and you will feel a lot cooler. I grew up without air conditioning and this hack was a life saver.

 

[taiyuu_otoko]

Wake up earlier. Work out during the morning or day (push ups, sit ups, etc.)

Try finding some binaurals (theta or delta). There's plenty on youtube. They'll relax you.

Put any devices as far as away as possible. Studies show just having these near you keeps you up.

Don't take doc-meds unless absolutely necessary.

Try EFT (http://eft.mercola.com/) kind of goofy but can help you knock yourself out by ditching the non-stop thoughts.

Try non-vocalized image streaming. Picture things in your head, and describe them with your inner voice. This gets your brain pretty tired pretty quickly.

 

[speed dawg]

It also doesn't help that they have the heat in my apartment up so damn high and I can't control it.

I can't sleep at all when it's hot. In the summer, I only have a sheet on my bed due to this, and keep the fan going non-stop. This may or may not be your problem, but it's definitely a big one for me.

Other solutions:

- Wake up earlier
- Do more physical activity during the day
- Don't eat too much
- Turn off electronics and light about an hour before you lay down
- Read while lying in bed

 

[Mr.Positive]

All good recommendations in this thread. For the past several months I've added iodine to my supplements. Since taking iodine, I've noticed actually a big health difference. More energy, and I sleep great. That really deep restful sleep, with very vivid dreams.

Do your research on iodine however. The improved sleeping is the biggest effect I've noticed.

 

[SeymourCake]

1. Wake up early
2. Eat nutritiously
3. Workout before the afternoon
4. Meditate and do yoga
5. Read a book before going to sleep (or watch a documentary/listen to a podcast).

 

[thunder_god]

I'm already forced to study before I go to bed otherwise I'm gonna be behind on my studies. I started working out again recently and it definitely makes me tired. I also started eating very healthy this past week. We'll see how this week goes.

thx for the suggestions.

 

[Moroder]

Lots of good advice here, but something is missing. The light of computer screens, cellphone and tablet displays as well as flatscreen TVs contains a huge amount of blue light rays (think about those blue, iPhone-illuminated faces in the subway and you see what I'm talking about). This blue light has been proven to fück with people's internal clock because it keeps you awake and partially blocks the sleep hormones. So a good idea is to go offline and shut down all phones etc. maybe 1 hour before you hit the sack. Combine this with a evening walk and an established routine, and you won't even need to start popping pills.

 

[Married Buried]

I am a pill popper until the end. Ambien and things like that are too addictive. Benzos are too recreational so that's a no go.

Got my shrink to let me try out Seroquel. 200mg an hour before bed and my ass is out like a light for 10 hours.

 

[dasein]

In addition to what others say, build a 20 minute stretching routine before you go to bed, everything from eyes and face, neck arms, shoulders, core, legs, hands and feet. Hold and deepen stretches for 20-30 seconds. Incorporate a foam roller into that, roll your thighs, calves and glutes after stretching. Tension in your calves and thighs can mount up if exercising regularly. If you want to shout out in pain when rolling your calves or thighs, you may have found your problem or one of them.

Lying in bed, count backwards from 15 very very slowly, "15... calmer and calmer, deeper and deeper, sinking down. 14... same thing. Count breaths, IN "calm," OUT "clear." OTC melatonin or valerian might help.