NationStates Jolt Archive

For the past couple of months, I've been fighting insomnia. I probably don't get more than 4 hours of sleep a night and that's interrupted.

Even if I go to bed by midnight, I usually can't get to sleep until it's in the neighborhood of 4:00 a.m. then I wake up intermittently during the night for no good reason. I get up for the day between 8 and 9 a.m. I've tried all the traditional stuff (except sleeping pills, I won't take sleeping pills). I have no distractions in my room, there's plenty of fresh air and white noise, the room is quite dark and cool. My bedtime routine is the same every night. I've tried valerian root, calcium and magnesium, melatonin, hot baths, cold baths, meditation - everything I can think of - except sleeping pills. Any recommendations that don't involve prescription sleeping pills?

Have you tried jogging about two hours before you want to go to sleep? That's worked pretty well for knocking me out in the past few weeks.

Use it to your advantage. You are awake & can be doing stuff while your enemies are sleeping. This will help you get one up on them.

Have you tried jogging about two hours before you want to go to sleep? That's worked pretty well for knocking me out in the past few weeks.

Bad knees make jogging a questionable activity, but I do try to get some exercise, even if it's just walking a few blocks.

Have sex with your SO until replete.

It's a great workout, highly enjoyable and physically exhausting.

Have sex with your SO until replete.

It's a great workout, highly enjoyable and physically exhausting.

No S.O. The creature who shares my bed is a small, neutered female cat. I think she would object to such activities. I know I would.

No S.O. The creature who shares my bed is a small, neutered female cat. I think she would object to such activities. I know I would.

The best advice I can think of is to stay away from a computer for probably at least half an hour before you try and go to sleep. A lot of people make the mistake of being up late on the computer hoping it tires them out, but the light from the screen actually inhibits the production of melatonin, and keeps you awake longer despite being more tired.

Try non-prescription sleeping pills. Turkey and milk also help.

Try non-prescription sleeping pills. Turkey and milk also help.

And warm milk is better than cold, iirc.

The best advice I can think of is to stay away from a computer for probably at least half an hour before you try and go to sleep. A lot of people make the mistake of being up late on the computer hoping it tires them out, but the light from the screen actually inhibits the production of melatonin, and keeps you awake longer despite being more tired.


Worth a try. I do tend to go to the computer when I'm having trouble sleeping. Maybe I'll just read, instead.

I've been taking catnip. It makes me sleep, I wake up refreshed and my depression seems to be lightening.

I got the okay from my doctor (you should too, especially if you are on any other meds) and purchase it from the health food store. You can get it in capsules, just take it 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep.

Worth a try. I do tend to go to the computer when I'm having trouble sleeping. Maybe I'll just read, instead.

That's what I used to do in high school.

Of course, you probably shouldn't follow my example of continuing to read the book until 2 AM, and ending up finishing 600 page books in a day or two just doing that.

Nyquil. Simply Sleep. Nytol. etc. Over the counter sleep aids. They helped a great deal with my insomnia. Also try camomile tea and lavender oils, and probably the biggest advice I can give you is don't stress over not being able to sleep. Don't think about it. Don't care about it. Accept that you can't sleep, and that the world is going to have to deal with the fact that you can't sleep and it's beyond your control. I think that mind set more than anything else really broke the cycle of sleepless nights. Everything else is just a temporary solution until you can find what the root of the problem actually is. More often than not, it's simply stress.

I've been taking catnip. It makes me sleep, I wake up refreshed and my depression seems to be lightening.

I got the okay from my doctor (you should too, especially if you are on any other meds) and purchase it from the health food store. You can get it in capsules, just take it 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep.

Googling "catnip sleep" I found that catnip is valerian(something mention in the OP). It probably sounds better than catnip.

Googling "catnip sleep" I found that catnip is valerian(something mention in the OP). It probably sounds better than catnip.

Not if you're a cat. ;)

Googling "catnip sleep" I found that catnip is valerian(something mention in the OP). It probably sounds better than catnip.

It isn't actually. It's often combined in pills with valerian, but they aren't the same.

It isn't actually. It's often combined in pills with valerian, but they aren't the same.

Yup. Wiki says it's a different plant than valerian, but valerian also has catnip-like effects on cats.

Oops

Oops

Eh. I wouldn't have known this without looking it up. No biggie.

At home I'm fine, but at university I find it very hard to get more than six hours of sleep, less if I have to be up early. I found over the counter sleeping pills useless, ditto milk tea and booze useless (drink knocks me out pretty quick but then wake up at around 4:30 and can't get back again). What I tend to do is avoid the TV and PC late at night, especially the news and NSG, and turning the lights well down about 15-30 minutes before going to bed.

Of course, six is better than four though. Avioding the PC and anything that makes you think a lot helps the most, in my opinion.

I usually just stay awake for the whole day or find tiring stuff to do during the day so I'm asleep before I climb the stairs

apart from that rubbish advice you could try doing something incredibly boring (I used to play the sims 2 on my PS2 which turns out to be practically chloroform)

No S.O.

like that will ever stop Internet folk! :p

Although I have no solution to insomnia, I've found that recently I've been oversleeping ('hypersomnia' I suppose). 10 hours a night just leaves me feeling more tired when I wake than when I went to bed. I don't know if others find this as well, I find I have to calculate how much sleep I need (c. 8) and set an early alarm accordingly.

Punch yourself in the face until you "fall asleep."

I would strongly suggest going and speaking with your doctor. Insomnia can often indicate that something else is going on...stress is one of the best examples, but it can be several other things.

I also suggest staying away from non-RX sleeping pills if you feel you would need to take them more than one week. They tend to be addictive, and can make your insomnia worse in the long run.