Getting a good nights sleep

[Boyfrom64]

Just recently I have been struggling to get a good nights sleep. I have a lot going on at work which has does not help as I struggle to relax as my mind is working overtime thinking about all that is going on.

I do find getting out on my bike helps me relax and take my mind off things however, I do feel that feeling tired has been effecting my performance

Last night was the best nights sleep I have had for a while, which I put down to the simple fact that I have just got that tired my body needed to recharge itself.

Does anyone have any suggestions to help?

 

[chqshaitan]

do you drink anything with caffeine in after say 4pm? or any other energy drinks? as you say, there is nothing like exercise to tire you out , as well as releasing nice/pleasing endorphins which also help you feel good / relaxed.

I tend to read before i go bed, as it helps take my mind off work and other events in the day.

 

[Boyfrom64]

I don't drink energy drinks, but I do drink a bit of coffee throughout the day and always have done.

Reading is something that I have stopped doing just recently; which is not good, especially as I have my Kindle sat right on the side next to my bed.

 

[Lee_M]

Reading is good, as long as its not a challenging read - cycle mags are great !

We also have a TV in our room, and my wife who has insomnia finds putting on a tv programme that she knows is helpful - I know this goes against all normal advice but she puits Big Bang Theory on and because she knows all the episodes she then just drops off, becuase she doesnt worry whats going to happen

 

[chqshaitan]

another good tip, is to have the lighting low an hour or so before you go bed, this gets your body into thinking that its night time, as opposed to having a bright light on, then going right to bed, where you body still thinks its the middle of the day.

a few cups of coffee in the day are nothing major, i do that myself but make sure i dont drink any after 6pm, unless i need some to stay awake :P

 

[pablo666]

This is going to sound stupid, but believe me it works. When you are lying down and trying to sleep. Things are rattling around in your head. Imagine you have a litter bin next to your bed. Imagine that you can reach into your head and grab the thoughts like a piece of paper. Scrunch it up and visualize yourself throwing the scrunched up thought/litter into the bin. Keep doing it for every stray thought and eventually you will clear your mind and sleep. If however, it's something you are frightened that you might forget to do, so you keep it in your head: then write it down on a notepad next to your bed. That way you don't have to keep it in your mind. Try this and don't give up easy as it really does work. Best wishes

 

[Boyfrom64]

Guys some great suggestions thanks.

I think the bottom line is to make sure I wind down and relax before going to bed.

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I was a terrible insomniac until I became a parent, now I don't have a problem. Weed helped many years ago, but I'd hardly consider that a good recommendation!

In all seriousness I think I started sleeping better thanks to CBT techniques.

 

[mattobrien]

When I had a 'head full of work' I used to find that writing it down on a note book I kept by the bed helped to remove it from my mind. I knew where it was and therefore didn't need to process it while I was trying to sleep.

 

[beanzontoast]

On the occasions when I'm really tired and have lots of thoughts going round my head, firstly writing them down on a pad by the bed (so I don't have to remember them) helps. Then I like 'listening' really quietly to a recorded podcast. It doesn't block out any sounds in the house - I can still hear the cat meowing for instance! I start off actually listening, but invariably within a few minutes I'm nodding off. Usually I remember to turn it off before I do, or sometimes wake up just enough to push the button and turn it off, but if not it's no big deal.

[Edit: snap, mattobrien! ]

 

[Andrew_Culture]

I had a friend who had a dictaphone next to his bed for making notes when he couldn't sleep. He played in a signed extreme death metal band and often couldn't sleep when new riffs popped into his head. I'm not sure how much hearing DUUUHHHH DUH DUHD DUGGA GUGGA DUGGA DUGGA being grunted into a dictaphone helped his girlfriend sleep though.

 

[Rob3rt]

Reading is good, as long as its not a challenging read - cycle mags are great !

We also have a TV in our room, and my wife who has insomnia finds putting on a tv programme that she knows is helpful - I know this goes against all normal advice but she puits Big Bang Theory on and because she knows all the episodes she then just drops off, becuase she doesnt worry whats going to happen

I do the same thing, I started doing it as an undergrad (well, more like I used to stay up so late I would end up falling asleep with the tv still on), now I find it hard to sleep in silence. I tend to put on a few episodes from series I know pretty much every word of on my laptop at a low volume and close the laptop and put it on the bedside shelf and fall asleep. But as you say, this goes against normal advice. I would say it is more a bad habit that I live with than a good sleep strategy.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

going to sound totally mad but try to get hold of a copy of Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything audiobook £1.29. you are after the 5 CD version narrated by himself (the abridged version). there is something about his voice, that despite the topic which is totally fascinating has both myself and my OH asleep before the 2nd or 3rd track we listen to. We use this each and every time we need to get to sleep and can't for whatever reason.
Also avoid caffeine after 6pm is useful here as well as well as not eating too much and sticking to a set meal time (but BB's audiobook beats everything hands down every time)

 

[coffeejo]

Some excellent advice I've been given is that if you can't get to sleep after half an hour, stop trying and do something else. The theory is that just lying there (a) gets you stressed about not sleeping and (b) lets your mind focus on the things that are worrying you, whereas reading, watching TV, listening to audio books etc gives your mind something to do. What you shouldn't do is get up and do something active as you won't drop off if you're not in your bed!

(re: not reading - I don't read books, I inhale them, but when I'm struggling with depression, I can't concentrate and find reading extremely difficult. Just thought I'd mention it. That's also when my insomnia is at its worst.)

 

[Andy_G]

I can fall asleep within 5 mins of going to bed, but i sleep so lightly and wake up at the slightest sound which leaves me knackered everyday.
I dont know whats worse.