Hi guys, im just after some advice, basically im having some trouble sleeping, i dunno what it is if ive got 2 much energy or im thinking to much, do ya know what i should/shouldnt be doing b4 i go to bed? cos i seem to be taking bloody nightol all time..

Do you exercise at all? If you go for a run, play football, go to th egym after work you'll burn up all your surplus energy and sleep like a baby.

An inability to sleep is 'on the whole' a life style choice

yeah well i tend to go to gym every other day, so thats supposed to help get more sleep?

Things like coffe, tea, cola and sweet stuff is a no no before bed, try a horlicks to try and wind down a little, or lavender oil is supposed to be very good for relaxing and winding down.
I had a friend who had trouble getting to sleep and she bought some pills from boots called kalms, I belive these are natural ingredients allthough reading the labels on these trypes of products is allways advisable

Originally posted by honeyplanet
Things like coffe, tea, cola and sweet stuff is a no no before bed, try a horlicks to try and wind down a little, or lavender oil is supposed to be very good for relaxing and winding down.
I had a friend who had trouble getting to sleep and she bought some pills from boots called kalms, I belive these are natural ingredients allthough reading the labels on these types of products is allways advisable

OOPS... sorry dont know what happend there.. (hangs head in shame)

I've had problems sleeping for a couple of years, lately it's become better though, I think it's tied a lot to do with my depression, if I'm happy I sleep, if I'm depressed I dont sleep... also full moons and the surrounding few days also keep me awake for some bizzare reason... and no, I'm not a werewolf :P

my little brother has a real sleeping disorder where by his body doesn't produce the chemicals that are needed for sleep properly, if he does eventually fall asleep with these lack of chemicals (which isnt often he just stays awake prancing around the house) he has night terrors...

for the last few years he's been taking a natural drug called melotonin which is what our body's naturally produce to invoke sleep... I dont know if you can buy it because we get it on perscription from the childrens hospital... but you might be able to if you ask at your chemist?

if the problem is really bad though I'd suggest visiting your doctor, especially if exercise isn't helping and cutting out caffine... also another thing that largely affects sleep is sitting at a PC or watching TV before you go to sleep... it's reccomended to have at least an hours break before sleeping...

I dont always do this so that might be part of my problem, although usually I sit and play my guitar for 45mins to an hour before getting in bed because its what relaxes me most :)

Just don't do your exercise in the 2-3 hours before going to bed, otherwise you still won't sleep. Think there is a similar thread already on here - might be worth searching as lots of remedies were included on there.:)

Originally posted by dylan_61
Do you exercise at all? If you go for a run, play football, go to th egym after work you'll burn up all your surplus energy and sleep like a baby.

An inability to sleep is 'on the whole' a life style choice

Glad you said 'on the whole'.... :)

Depression can cause problems, as can anxiety, diet, side effects of medication.

And this weather isn't great either!

Don't have anything caffeinated after about 5pm, don't do much in the hour before going to bed, if you need to read or watch TV pick on soemthing light and fluffy.

Joe

Try going to be a bit earlier and reading, that always does the trick for me.

You should avoid things like playing computer games or doing anything too brain intensive about 2 hours before going to bed.

Also try not to eat before going to be. I know eating a lot does have an opposite affect directly after eating where you feel sleepy but if you eat within about 2 hours of going to bed you may find your sugar levels raise and this can lead to problems sleeping too.

Originally posted by serapis
Try going to be a bit earlier and reading, that always does the trick for me.

You should avoid things like playing computer games or doing anything too brain intensive about 2 hours before going to bed.

Also try not to eat before going to be. I know eating a lot does have an opposite affect directly after eating where you feel sleepy but if you eat within about 2 hours of going to bed you may find your sugar levels raise and this can lead to problems sleeping too.

A small snack before bed can actually help you sleep.

I also don't sleep, sometimes i specifically stop myself sleeping so that I can sleep the next night....I wouldn't recommend this...I blame my rough looking-ness on this.

I think routine helps a lot. But if it is really bad then go to see your doc, they can advise best. If it's because you have something on your mind, sometimes it helps to write it down, rather than letting it fester in your mind all night....my mind works overtime on a night.

Maybe you're just in love :)

Well, follow all the advice you get, but remember if all fails, go to the doctor and don't be afraid of taking a one month course of sleeping pills because they will break the cycle. But it doesn't sound as though it's got to that stage yet so here's some stuff that works for me:

No exercise after 6pm apart from walking. Likewise, no caffeine (tea, coffee, cola) or alcohol after 5pm. Drink some milk or eat the following sarnie: wholegrain bread with lettuce and cottage cheese, as all 3 are sedatives.

Take a warm bath 2 hours before bedtime. No computer games for 2 hours, but reading is OK (long as its not got a gripping plot :) ).

If it's noisy get earplugs, also have a lovely comfy bed, and a lowlight you can leave on if you can't sleep as it makes you feel less 'pressured' into having to sleep.

Think of boring but detailed things while you lie in bed, such as remembering everyone in your class at school, or the details of a long road journey.

ill give all this a try, but im trying to go to gym a lot for my holiday, the only sure fire way i can get to sleep is if my gf is there, everybody... aaww. so if all goes right i should get a good nights kip from 11?

Originally posted by dylan_61
Do you exercise at all? If you go for a run, play football, go to th egym after work you'll burn up all your surplus energy and sleep like a baby.

An inability to sleep is 'on the whole' a life style choice

Don't think this is a very fair comment. If somethings on my mind or I'm having a tough time for whatever reason, my sleep is one of the first things to get disrupted.

And I can tell you Dylan_61, when you're tossing and turning night after night, getting yourself more worked up and stressed in the process, after having tried everything from exercise and eating the right foods to bubble baths, lavender and meditation, it's not a bl**dy lifestyle choice!

Being physically exhaused but mentally unable to switch off is no fun at all.

Avioding doing other activities bar sleeping and sex in your bed is supposed to help, so don't lie in bed to watch TV, work on a laptop or read.

But when I'm really struggling I try to calm myself by telling myslef not to worry, even if I don't get any sleep I'll still get through the next day somehow, the human body is an amazing thing and I'll cope, go to work, won't let anybody down ect. ect. That calms me and stops the cycle of worry about sleep, so not sleeping, and then I usually drop off.

Originally posted by ryan123
Hi guys, im just after some advice, basically im having some trouble sleeping, i dunno what it is if ive got 2 much energy or im thinking to much, do ya know what i should/shouldnt be doing b4 i go to bed? cos i seem to be taking bloody nightol all time..

cut caffeine out. eat as early as possible at night.

try getting some lavendar oil from boots. Works for me.

Don't read too much or online too much just before going to bed.

Originally posted by ryan123
ill give all this a try, but im trying to go to gym a lot for my holiday, the only sure fire way i can get to sleep is if my gf is there, everybody... aaww. so if all goes right i should get a good nights kip from 11?

and if your gf isn't there you could always "relax yourself" before going to sleep :D

Try a pint of Guiness, it certainly works wonders.

Happy Days (or Nights)

You say you seem to be taking the Nytol all the time? Nytol is not recommended for regular or prolonged use, as your body can develop a dependence and resistance to it. I would suggest you go and see your GP for advice, they may give you more effective sleeping pills which are more suitable to your particular problem, and advice on how to take them so your problem doesn't recur when you come off them. Nytol is rubbish!

I've had to resort to prescription sleeping pills. It's a new non-narcotic sleeping pill. It works brilliant and I feel so much better. I was getting desperate as I could go for 2 weeks without getting a proper nights sleep. There'd be nights when I wouldn't sleep at all then the rest of the time I would only manage to sleep for a couple of hours, it was torture. To get 8 hours sleep a night has made me feel like a new person!

Does warm milk help at all or is that just a myth? Somthing about a ingrediate in milk that only becomes active when its warmed up?