Sleeping Problem - Help Please?

[Hawks]

I have been having trouble falling asleep for the past few weeks on and off. It has been especially bad these past four nights. I think most of my problem is that my brain won't stop thinking after I get into bed. I go to bed at about 10:00, after about two hours of reading/drawing/writing/listening to music, and most of the time I don't fall asleep until at least 11, but one night it was 12:30 before I fell asleep, then I woke up again at 4:00 AM for some reason. I do drink caffinated pop, but usually before 4:00 PM and it's nothing horrible... Mountain Dew and Vault most of the time. I am 14 and have been out of school for almost two months, but I've been busy with lots of random stuff.

 

 

 

Does anyone have strategies/advice on how to fall asleep quickly? Or at least faster? Or to solve my problem?

[Agunimon979]

Go do something. You won't burn energy in the bedroom or at the computer.

[Zierro]

Yeah, try doing something that will make you tired at night. Sports, exercise, work, whatever. Also, you might want to try to wake up a little earlier.

[Lenticular_J]

Hammer + head would work, I guess. Maths help everything on the Internets. :twss:

 

 

 

Could try hypnotism. Or leeches. Both have worked well for me. Although it wasn't insomnia.

[Zox]

Stay up until around 4:30am, then you'll fall asleep in a second or two. Works for me.

[Shazarabbit]

I have been having trouble falling asleep for the past few weeks on and off. It has been especially bad these past four nights. I think most of my problem is that my brain won't stop thinking after I get into bed. I go to bed at about 10:00, after about two hours of reading/drawing/writing/listening to music, and most of the time I don't fall asleep until at least 11, but one night it was 12:30 before I fell asleep, then I woke up again at 4:00 AM for some reason. I do drink caffinated pop, but usually before 4:00 PM and it's nothing horrible... Mountain Dew and Vault most of the time. I am 14 and have been out of school for almost two months, but I've been busy with lots of random stuff.

 

 

 

Does anyone have strategies/advice on how to fall asleep quickly? Or at least faster? Or to solve my problem?

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry to hear the best thing to do is:

 

 

 

-Avoid caffeinated drinks. (No soft drinks, coffee or anything)

 

-Try not to do anything overly creative reading a book is good, but doing anything that makes your brain work will keep it active

 

-As someone suggested keeping yourself busy during the day may help.

 

 

 

Best of luck and hope you get some sleep soon, i suffer the same problem sometimes. Unlike evil_mumm_ra who has the problem of too much sleep. :lol:

[Necrobean]

Getting enough sunshine! The melatonin hormone can be very annoying.

 

 

 

I cannot over emphasize how important this is! As I've told in an insomnia topic here, the amount of natural sunlight that enters your eyes has a drastic effect on your temperature body rhythm. So if you wear sunglasses, stop wearing them. When you're exposed to high intensity light, your body temperature increases, and melatonin levels rapidly decreases. This means to just get out more and stop being inside and the exposure of artificial light.

 

 

 

Exercise:

 

 

 

Exercise will raise your body temperature rhythm, and make your body temperature peak at a higher level. This will increase your energy levels throughout the day, you'll feel more awake, alive, and motivated.

 

 

 

As your body temperature levels will max out at a higher level, your body temperature will also drop more easily and deeper. This will allow you to sleep deeply, without interruptions. Exercise is also a great relief of tension and stress, that's a major cause of sleeping disorders.

 

 

 

Also stop drinking those caffeine pops, they really are a problem. As for distraction, read a book, listen to some music. Although... What is on your mind I could help you so much more if you told me. Those are just basic tips I gave, I could supply you a lot more but instead of trying to sleep I'd be teaching you how to sleep less and have a lot more energy. You could try both the two things I told you now, Just sport a little, get enough sunshine and drop the caffeine pops; drink water instead. Really, water is very important we're actually dying of thirst in our sleep, yes I'm that kind of person who will demand of you to drink 8 glasses of water per day!

[Hawks]

That would be my problem... I don't go outside, i hide inside with my books and computers. :D

 

 

 

Actually most of the time it's a song stuck in my head, or else I'm making up a story... Last night I think it was something related to tip.it... I did a tile for the pixel collab and was thinking about it... maybe, I'm not really sure.

 

 

 

But when I do fall asleep, I have very vivid dreams when I do dream. Kind of weird.

[Necrobean]

That would be my problem... I don't go outside, i hide inside with my books and computers. :D

 

 

 

Actually most of the time it's a song stuck in my head, or else I'm making up a story... Last night I think it was something related to tip.it... I did a tile for the pixel collab and was thinking about it... maybe, I'm not really sure.

 

 

 

But when I do fall asleep, I have very vivid dreams when I do dream. Kind of weird.

 

 

 

Yes go out a bit you don't have to excessively sport a lot. Just go for a walk for 15 minutes, or bike, or even a run if you want to. Get exposed to light and drink water all day. I hope things will sort out for you and that you can find a decent sleep cycle again!

[Skull]

I lift weights or go for a run or something before I go to bed.` Of course I can't say it really works, the earliest I've fallen asleep in weeks was like 12:30.

[Adam007]

As for exercise, it's great to do during the day, but it won't help you fall asleep if you exercise right before bed. Often it gives people another wave of energy.

[kinsaka]

I used to have that problem, then i started to do like 50 pushups 30 minutes before i went to bed. Dont do anything physical right before you go to bed though.

[OldJoe]

Hehe.. Shaz... NO COFFEE?!!! Argh... I couldn't sleep because of the head-ache then!

 

 

 

Hm well, i don't have much to contribute, because others have coverd it quite well.

 

Funny thing... These last two weeks, i was sleeping about 4h a day. Then, 3 days ago, i fell asleep at 10 (22), woke up at 4 in the morning... Awake for 30min then fell asleep and slept til 09.30! And since then it's going great, i've gone to bed at around 22.30 - 23.30 and woken up at about 08.30 - 09.30.

 

 

 

Funny thing for me, exercising does not make me tired! Doesn't matter if i go for 45 or 120mins... early or late in the day.

 

 

 

Well, this thread reminds me it's time for sleep!

 

 

 

Good night!

[deloriagod]

Tylenol PM. I actually take that stuff when I'm bored so I can entertain myself by fighting off the sleepy feelings.

 

 

 

 

 

~Warning: This is yet another thing you shouldn't try. Though Tylenol PM is a great sleep aid.~

[Ragen]

Having trouble sleeping usually comes from either a bad sleeping habit or a lack or activity during the day. Try going to bed at a set time every night and getting up at the same time. Try to get around 7 hours sleep. The longer you sleep in after that, the more tired you'll feel when you get up. Also, make sure you aren't lounging around all day. At least 30 minutes of exercise will not only wake you up and make you feel good, it'll help you sleep later that night.

 

 

 

Sleeping pills will knock you out but they aren't a good solution. The sleep you get on them isn't good for you and you wont feel as rested as if you do it naturally.

[deloriagod]

Sleeping pills will knock you out but they aren't a good solution. The sleep you get on them isn't good for you and you wont feel as rested as if you do it naturally.

 

 

 

True, but I have a lot of sleeping problems and they usually help me straighten things out. Also, I haven't seen you in a while :P

[Ginger_Warrior]

When you dream, what is it about? Is it something you're overly excited or anxious about?

 

 

 

In which case, talk to someone about it. Getting these things off your chest makes it easier to go sleep and effectively starves the mind of stuff to think over while it's relaxing. This should stop it from keeping you awake.

 

 

 

Exercise is good during the day, but not in evenings for the reason Adam007 describes. While it does burn off glucose, it builds up adrenaline and energy levels inside the body which have to be burnt off before the body will enter sleep.

 

 

 

Socialising is a good way to exercising the brain. Try to socialise with people during the day and wear the brain out. Above all else, this helps to burn off excess emotion which could keep you awake.

 

 

 

If the problem is creative thinking, then try not to engage in anything too thought-provoking or imaginative in the hours before you go to bed. This will again, in theory, starve the mind of thinking-food.

 

 

 

I've found a hot chocolate helps me get to sleep too. Even though it contains caffeine, but it's much better than Pepsi or tea.

 

 

 

Set your body clock. Set an alarm for 9pm, and your body should be ready for sleep by midnight.

 

 

 

Apart from that, did you consider it might just be the heat? Everyone's having trouble at the moment really. It's too humid. :|

[Joes_So_Cool]

This happens to me too, what I do now is run for a few hours during the day, and I usually fall asleep early, not even wanting to go to bed yet.

[Shiny]

You say your 14? Then I would put it down to completely natural things. Change. Around the age of 13-14 many people have difficulty getting to sleep, because there bodies are growing, and changing. Called puberty ;) . Well, you can thank your lucky stars, because that's what is happening. Now, to combat this, and help you grow better you can do many things, such as going for an intensive excersise program, so your cells need to be rested up, like 2 hours of tennis (if it's summer) or something like 1.30 hours of Sqaush. Something similar to that are good, like running and skipping. I would say do around an hour of jogging and 30 minutes of skipping....In front of the television.

 

 

 

Things like this are always good. If your still having trouble drop the caffeinated pop, and get something a lot healthier I.E water.

 

 

 

If all else fails, turn off the computer, t.v and other means of soaking your brain. I find this tends to help me get to sleep better, and I usually supplement what creativity is lost through screen can be made up by reading, drawing and writing. I have checked you DA and I know your an avid drawer and writer.

 

 

 

Try everything here, or some things, and if it is still bugging you go see a doctor.

[Hawks]

Even though i spend a lot of time on the computer, I still have lots of time to read/draw/write... I have no life. :D

 

 

 

Even if I don't do anything before I go to sleep, I still end up with either a song stuck in my head or some random idea... I can't seem to stop them from getting in my head.

[anonymous1234]

Go do something. You won't burn energy in the bedroom or at the computer.

 

I do, all night long ;) =P~ ...I'm surprised nobody took advantage of that.

 

 

 

I used to have this problem just a few months ago. My best advice is similar to all the others, be active before sleeping and when you wake up, get up. (as long as its a reasonable time)

[Agunimon979]

Go do something. You won't burn energy in the bedroom or at the computer.

 

I do, all night long ;) =P~ ...I'm surprised nobody took advantage of that.

 

 

 

I used to have this problem just a few months ago. My best advice is similar to all the others, be active before sleeping and when you wake up, get up. (as long as its a reasonable time)

 

 

 

Well he said he listened to music or read books, so the post was kind of directed at him.

[jsboutin2]

I suggest very boring tasks before going to sleep. I had the same problem two months ago, and I started cooking (in rs). After an hour of that WITHOUT multitasking, you're gonna sleep really well.

[Paten]

Read a book :)