posted
What has helped you fall asleep at night when you're nervous about the next day?
Posts: 241 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2015
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
I totally understand & honestly this is the only thing that helps.
First, I allow myself to pray outlays to God, I really share my hopes, fears, needs, etc... Since I have a relationship with God, I feel better after praying because I know God always hears our prayers.
I you don’t believe in God, it still may help you to acknowledge (in private because this is a special time for your self) out loud, the burdens/ stresses you recognize weighing on your heart. Our culture encourages you to stay busy 24/7 but humans aren’t made for that. Truth is our brains do need some quiet time to think, decompress, understand & deal with the day.
So take some time for you. Relax. Breathe. Deal with today. Only then can you really think clearly about tomorrow.
Step 2: Sleep
Honestly, after I’ve completed step #1, then I use a sound machine to calm & quiet my mind so I can actually sleep.
I tried all kinds of stand alone plug-in type of sound machines & cell phone apps. My favorite by far are the cell phone apps. (And no, you don’t have to have your phone near your bed. Small speakers can play the sound from your phone across the room if you want.)
My fav sleep apps are: “Pure Nature - 3D Soundscapes” “Calm- Meditation & Sleep Stories”
***Important*** Set your chosen sound machine to play all night (8hrs or your expected sleep duration).
***Once the sound machine starts, you need to be all the way ready for bed. Get comfy, try to be still. Try not to toss, block intrusive thoughts of discomfort etc.
*** Listen for the primary rhythm of your chosen sound, say ocean waves, if you focus you can use the rhythm of the waves to really help slow your breathing & heart rate. This can reduce anxiety pretty fast if you have good memories to associate with the sound.
Hope that helps!
Take care Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
I suggest focusing on your breathing, like take 10 really deep breaths, focusing on how much air you can breathe in.
Then count a slow 4 intake, hold 4, breathe out 8 count. Keep doing it for a while.
Another thing I do is to imagine the most relaxing outcome possible, not the one I'm worried about. It changes my thinking and I can go to sleep.
Along with reimagining the outcome is telling myself it's going to be ok, it'll work out, I can handle it, repeating these phrases and similar ones like mantras.
Also, if there's any real action you can take to take to affect what you're nervous about, that's important too, to take action to change anything within your power to do.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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posted
Thank you both <3
Posts: 241 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2015
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LisaK
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 41384
posted
I have taken lots of Valerian. like 6b capsules or so
-------------------- Be thankful in all things- even difficult times and sickness and trials - because there is something GOOD to be seen Posts: 3558 | From Eastern USA | Registered: Jul 2013
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klutzo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5701
posted
Melatonin - one gram
Magtein - 1,340 mgs.
A Lectrofan white noise machine.
Posts: 1269 | From Clearwater, Florida, USA | Registered: May 2004
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
Do some research on Weighted Blankets that some folks are finding help them relax to get to sleep and sleeping throughout the night.
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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On the particular night that I made this thread, I remembered that I have a supplement called Kavinace and I took one dose. It contains GABA, which helps with relaxation, and I was able to fall asleep. I highly recommend it
I'm still open to hearing more suggestions if you guys know of any more
Posts: 241 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2015
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posted
For me using a combination of square breathing and progressive muscle relaxation really relaxes me. I I always have a supply of books on tape to listen to, and put them on a player hooked up to a 15-minute countdown timer. I do the relaxation exercises to the beat of a metronome, which is also hooked up to the 15-minute timer.
As I fall asleep, and during the night if I wake up, I do the relaxtion exercises while listening to books on tape/disc to take my mind off things.
Square breathing and progressive muscle relaxation are simple. A google search will provide explanations for how to do them.
GVS
Posts: 242 | From durham, nc | Registered: Oct 2016
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TX Lyme Mom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3162
posted
quote:Originally posted by MissVictoria: On the particular night that I made this thread, I remembered that I have a supplement called Kavinace and I took one dose. It contains GABA, which helps with relaxation, and I was able to fall asleep. I highly recommend it
I doubt that it will be any good at all anymore, which is a crying shame because that stuff really worked and without any hang-over the next morning.
I didn't use it very often, but it was fantastic for times when I was wound up late at night and couldn't relax to fall asleep. It was a bit slow to kick in -- maybe 45 min. or so, but then the next thing you know was that it was morning and you were wide awake and fully rested and able to bounce right out of bed.
You might try googling its main ingredient "phenibut" to see if you can find something equivalent, but I suspect that it was the combo of phenibut plus all of the other ingredients in Kavinace Ultra PM which made it so highly effective.
I have found than old-fashioned Unisom, the formula which contains "succinate" is pretty good, but you will be groggy the next morning unless you book a minimum of 8 hrs. of sleep -- nine hours is even better. That's the only way to prevent morning hang-over from taking it.
Unisom is an old-fashioned anthistamine. Newer antihistamines, such as Claritin and Zyrtec and Allegra don't make you groggy, so they don't help as sleep aides. Benadryl makes you groggy too, but it's not safe for longer-term usage, except I can't remember why there are warnings against its use on a regular basis.
For myself, just one milligram of sublingual Melatonin is sufficient most of the time, which is seldom to rare anyhow, which is why it's always so effective for me -- except that I do notice dry eyes the next morning for the first few hours.
Posts: 4563 | From TX | Registered: Sep 2002
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Yes, I had a LLMD appointment a couple of days ago and she also told me that Kavinace isn't going to be made anymore
Posts: 241 | From New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2015
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posted
The CALM bedtime stories and meditation app saved my life. The stories force you to focus on a simple storyline in a soothing tone. I rarely hear the end of the story. You can try it for free.
Posts: 982 | From Florida | Registered: Feb 2002
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Tincup
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5829
posted
Just tonight put this together for someone. Hope it can help you!
Cass A
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11134
posted
If I have thoughts going around in my head, I take 300 mg of B1.
Medications, alcohol, and stress eat up this vitamin.
If the thinking still won't quiet down, I take another 300 mg.
Melatonin also helps, but doesn't deal with this specific situation as well as more B 1.
Posts: 1245 | From Thousand Oaks, CA | Registered: Feb 2007
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Marnie
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 773
posted
Ativan, 1mg and melatonin 3mg (sublingual) - flavored. Works in about 1/2 hour.
(Ativan is Rx.)
Suntheonine for anxiety...sublingual. Works in about 5 minutes. OTC - instead of Xanax.
Posts: 9424 | From Sunshine State | Registered: Mar 2001
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