Insomnia! Help

Help & Support
1

I lay here night after night trying to go to sleep. But I just lay here listening to everyone sleep. I’m constantly busy so I’m so exhausted by bedtime but then I lay down and my mind starts to wonder. I think of everything I have to do. I try to write it down to ease my mind. But yet I still can’t sleep. I’ve always had this problem. Sleeping pills don’t work. The sad thing is I’m so used to it I can go on with my days with only a few hours or less of sleep. Any suggestions on what to do to help get a decent nights sleep?

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2

Hey there
I have heard that staying off your phone and computer for at least a hour before you go to bed helps soothe your mind. Also some Cammomile tea and a lavender candle can help

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Thank you!!

4

One thing I do when I’m having trouble falling asleep is sort of like counting sheep.

Pick a thing. Like street names in your city. Then go through the alphabet and some up with a street name for each letter. When you mind wanders away, recognize that and go back to where you left off in the alphabet.

I’ve use street names, flowers, birds, animals. Anything will do. The key is to recognize the wandering mind and go back to where you left off in the alphabet.

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Thanks I’ll give it a try. The thing I really need to do is be mindful about it.

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I too struggle with insomnia…in a BIG way. Sometimes it’s gotten to the point where I dread going to bed. I typically don’t have troubles falling asleep, but I legit can’t remember the last time I slept through the night. The last two weeks have been really bad…and I think it’s mostly due to stress (work, family, etc.) @villebrun57 called out an important thing regarding staying off of your phone or computer prior to going to bed. Here are some other things that help me (but it’s sometimes hit or miss with me):

  • I’m a big fan of Traditional Medicinal teas and Yogi Teas. The Nighty Night Extra is a good one for sleeping, and the Yogi Stress Relief are wonderful everyday kind of teas.
  • Not sure where you live, but I’m in Minnesota and now that the overnight temps are around 25F I leave the window open a crack. The fresh air and cooler temps help me sleep better.
  • Making lists are my love language and I take them very seriously. Especially if I need to make one to calm my mind prior to bed. And here’s my rule…I limit it to 3 things. Like those are the 3 things that I absolutely need to focus on tomorrow.

When I do wake up in the middle of the night and my mind is racing I have a couple of things that I try:

  • I will mentally “pick up” each thing that I’m thinking about and turn it around in my mind and then I set it down. I’ve essentially given my brain permission to examine/obsess/worry about a thing for a bit, and then I put my worry to bed. I’m not always great at this.
  • Don’t let yourself toss and turn in bed for more than 20 minutes. Get up, get some water, maybe try reading on the couch or something, then head to bed. That is actually very successful for me.
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