Tricks to help you sleep.

i've been on zopiclone every night for over a year. i have chronic insomnia. yes it's bad but i sleep now.. you should try the over the counter sleep aid called "sleep ezz" or something like that. they work for people who have trouble sleeping every now and again.

Thanks for the link. I'd reduced my dose to .5 - 1mg since 3mg left me completely wonky and caused me to suffer from nightmares. I'd even wake up feeling paralyzed at points.

Absolutely.
The best thing to aid meditation is a ninja technique known as "finger knitting" This has nothing to do with wool or yarn, but weaving the fingers into an intricate form and holding them there. The idea is that the person first learning to meditate and achieve an Alpha state of consciousness. Then, once they have achieved this state, they select a finger knitting position, and they then make this form every time they meditate. After a while, simply making the form will bring about an Alpha state, and after much training, simply visualizing the form and feeling the fingers making it mentally will be enough to achieve the Alpha state. I find this helps with everything from sleeplessness to ignoring physical pain too

Every night, it's all about audiobooks. I used to have panic attacks and bad times, but I started listening about 6 years back. I don't go to sleep quickly, but at least I can go to sleep.

Just nice to be able to focus on something other than reality.

Funny, I take 4 or 5 3mg pills a night* and it doesn't knock me out. It does generally keep me from waking up several times in the night, though.

*As prescribed by my neurologist. I take Melatonin preventatively for migraines. Migraine sufferers do not produce as much Melatonin at night as non-sufferers.

Usually, if I can't sleep, it's due to a drop in my blood sugar levels... so a piece of toast or something usually does the trick.

This morning, however, at 4am, nothing could do the trick... I do find it amusing, though, that NPR is running a story on Laptop Battles.

Stop chatting all night on SG usually helps me sleep...

the sleepy time tea,
a shot of nyquil-or two,
and reading a book in bed-does it every time

go buy any buddha bar album and pop it in at a low volume. works for me everytime.

Pound on a heavy bag or training dummy.
Yoga
Go for a run or a bike ride.
Meditate
Sex

Which one depends on why I can't sleep. But one of them always works.

[Edited on Mar 30, 2005 by rosehips]

Charlie Rose or C-SPAN with the brightness turned way down.
hands, even my own, touching my face.

i'm going to try again.

Practice sleep hygiene. No caffeine after noon, exercise during the day but not after 3 pm, go to sleep at the same time every night if possible, lie in bed a maximum of thirty minutes before getting up to distract your mind with something else, and make a point not watching stimulating television or a movie an hour or so before heading to bed.

These help me, but I have chronic insomnia and must take medication to get to sleep at all. I hope you don't end up like me.

I'm actually trying to get over jet-lag (14hr difference), it's been 4 days now!!!

I find I can't sleep without the tv on unless my girlfriend is sleeping over. The only way to quiet my mind is to fill it with the white noise of tv.

Morning exercise is the best for improving sleep, avoid coffee after mid-afternoon.

I actually sleep less when I'm meditating, but I'm more refreshed in general.

I always find something that fully focuses my attention and needs to get done, guaranteed to make me nod off, because I want to do it rather than attempt to get a shitty nights sleep.

Not always 100%, but pretty good for it.

I try to remember places I've been in nature -- waterfalls and rivers for some reason work best -- and then imagine what they are like at the moment I'm lying in bed. How dark it is there, and empty of people, and the sounds of the water. If this doesn't work: wine.

A routine helps, some heavy food and a beer usually does it for me.

In rare cases some trance/ambient music will make me fall asleep on the couch then wake up 4 hours later to go to bed and usually end getting 10 hours of sleep only to stay up too late the next night and not be able to go to sleep. but then the 3rd night I'm really tired and go right to sleep.

Seriously? I can't sleep unless I get me some good lovin to wear me out. Luckily I share a bed with someone that is of that same mindset, so it works out well. But I'm spoiled.

That wasn't the most helpful advice, I know...

McLovin?