Sleep problems

ggd, I am so sorry. Sleep is so important for our bodies to rest & heal. Here are some thoughts that have helped me:

1) Do not do anything before bedtime that crowds your mind. Stay away from social media, the news, balancing your checkbook, no lengthy phone chats, etc.,

2) Try a hot shower or hot bath with Epsom Salts if you can do a tub bath. I also love Bath & Body Works Lavender Vanilla bath & body soap liquid. I use it in the shower.

3) I love to drink hot tea. The Celestial Seasonings have great sleepytime decaf tea. It's relaxing.

4) I love to burn the safe candles as I have a pet. The smell of lavender is so relaxing. You can get these at your vet or on Amazon. They are called Pet Odors Exterminator candles.

5) I have tried a lot of the essential oils and they simply do not help me....but they do help some of my friends to sleep better.

6) I take Natrol Melatonin 5 mg gummies for sleep if needed. I also take Magnesium 200 mg during the day and its good for your blood pressure, muscles, heart and helps you relax. Ask your doctor before you try these.

7) I am a Christian and prayer helps me with sleep.

8) Put on the most boring movie or T.V. show and lie on the couch. If I say what mine is, I might offend someone, but, if I lie down and it's on I will doze right off. LOL!

9) Try not to eat anything late at night or have any caffeine after 4-6 p.m. as it may keep you awake.

10) Exercise during the day, helps a lot of folks sleep better at night. I need to work on this myself!

11) The day that I get a massage, I sleep great that night. Have you tried a gentle massage?

12) Have a very comfortable pillow on your bed. We bought a new mattress and it has really help my husband and I both to sleep better. Our other one was old and was causing more aches and pain. Don't sleep too hot or too cool or you will not be able to sleep. If noise is an issue, wear Flents NNR 33 ear plugs on Amazon. They are on sale right now, 70 pair for $12.59. These earplugs are phenomenal and they are reusable. Some folks actually declare that sound machines help them sleep. I have to have everything quiet to sleep.

13) Allergies can keep you from sleeping well. I use a cool mist humidifer in the winter and I also use a Hepa Filter to pull dust, dander and other particles from the air for my allergies. It's not suggested to run both at the same time.

14) Bath & Body Works has a phenomenal Lavender Vanilla Spray mist for your pillow. I only use a tiny bit as too much causes a headache. The Zum Goat Milk soaps are also relaxing.....a bit pricey though. You can get these at Whole Foods, Harris Teeter & Publix. I love the Frankincense & Myrrh. Yummy!

15) I am not a milk drinker, but I know folks that declare a glass of warm milk at night makes them sleep better.

16) You are on the right path about napping during the day. I battle this one too due to health issues. If you do nap, try not to sleep over 15-30 minutes.

I hope some of these help you. Praying for you. New Year Blessings to you.....

Hi......... I too have a problem sleeping - however, quite by accident I found a solution.
I listen to my favourite gently sung songs - it is just loud enough for me to listen to the words and music
and off I drift !!! Needless to say, I am a widow and can do this - not everyone's cup of tea but it works
for me. Truly hope you find something that works for you. Blessings

For 25 years, I slept about 4 hours each night, not by choice. I tried everything from CBT to drinking warm milk. Nothing worked for me. Sleeping medications result in a sleep-like unconsciousness and therefore deprive a person of REM sleep, so I don’t think they are a solution. Recently I started taking Ashwagandha tea, two cups before 3 pm. Because nothing has ever helped me to sleep, I am shocked to say that this tea works! No other tea (Sleepy Time, Chamomile, etc.) does anything for me.

Goibib: I too have tried the soft and slow music. I didn’t realize tho that I should put it just the right volume as not to hear the he words. Sometimes I forget about this solution. Thanks for the reminder. Guess I should get into the memory group too💕. Kathymj

I have a CALM app subscription on my cell phone which has a selection of mediations, music for relaxation, music for sleep and sleep stories. The sleep stories are about 20-30 minutes but I'm asleep before they are over.
I also use a sound machine in the bedroom. If I can't get back to sleep after a middle of night bathroom trip, I take one Tylenol and turn on some CALM sleep music and magic happens.

I used to wake up at 4 a.m., but not since I started taking a half-dose of OTC sleep aid. The bottle says to take two, but I only take one when I go to bed. I wake up at 6 a.m., feel fine, and have no sleeping pill hangover! Try it!

I had sleeping issues for 20 years. Tried everything and accepted that most nights I wouldn’t sleep well. Treated myself to half a sleeping pill twice a week so I could be assured of 4 hours of sleep.
Two months ago I started taking Valerian drops (half a dropper at bedtime) and fell into blissful sleep.
Some nights I wake up 4 hours later and take another half dropper of the drops to sleep more.
I was skeptical but it continues to work. And I’ve started sleeping without the drops once or twice a week!!

I have found meditation to be effective. It is not always easy to tame my monkey mind but persistence is the key.

Sounds good to me - wish I could try it but drug info says physician should OK it's use if one has high blood pressure, irregular cardiac rhythm, etc. That lets me out. I fall asleep easily but wake up about every 3 hours and don't fall asleep as easily when I first go to bed. Tried sleeping hour changes, different 'sleepy' time drinks and foods - 0 help. I can live with it but don't feel like my old self. Fatigue and lassitude throughout the day. I'm glad it works for you. I will pass the info on to others that I know could use it and they don't have the health issues that I do.

Two things that seem to work without fail for me (in addition to adequate exercise during the day) are oatmeal or tart cherry juice (no sugar added) a half hour or so before bedtime. The tryptophan in oatmeal knocks me out and prevents me from waking up in the middle of the night. Tart cherry juice also makes a big difference. Without one of these, I rarely sleep more than 4 hours. They both have other health benefits as well. Try Googling either along with “sleep” to find out more. One other note: Ashwagandha is not recommended for people who have autoimmune conditions.