• Replies 10 replies
  • Subscribers 83 subscribers
  • Views 723 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Getting to sleep quicker

Emily

Hi does anyone have any advice on getting to sleep quicker and staying asleep through the night as I am struggling with sleep at the moment and keep waking up through the night and not being able to get back to sleep. Thanks 

  • What is this "sleep" you speak of? Jokes aside, the most useful advice I came across when using the Sleepio app was that if you're still laying awake after 15 minutes, get up and find something to do until the sleepy hits. It certainly suits me better than tossing and turning for hours.

  • in reply to Take5

    Thank you I thought that was a great idea. I am definitely going to search for one 

  • in reply to Emily

    Hey Emily

    The answer to your question is yes, it connects to your phone via Bluetooth so you can play anything you like. I find everything I need on YouTube but just make sure there are enough hours of listening to get you through your sleep. If you don’t then the ads start before playing another sound. 

    It really has been a life saver for me. 

    I if you need any further help let me know

  • in reply to Hergé

    Same here my therapist also talks about sleep hygiene. My regime is:

    • no shower just before bed, tends to wake me up
    • Chamomile tea an hour before bed, not too late incase of late night breaks
    • Cooler darker bedrooms than other rooms so only using bedside lights, black out blinds
    • Then lately using headspace Sleepcasts which help my mind to meditate and focus on breathing

    Hope you find a good regime that works for you!

  • in reply to Iain

    Thank you for your advice I will try some of those techniques I like the idea of writing things down for tomorrow to clear my mind. 

  • in reply to Emily
    Emily said:
    The thing I struggle with is how to get in the right mindset to mediate. 

    I find it helps to clear your mind of things you are trying to remember for the next day or are processing - getting a notebook to write these down for recall in the morning is the quickest way to get there.

    Doing this clears a lot of stuff so you can focus better.

    Cutting out screen time for an hour or two before bed also helps a lot - get into the habit of reading, ideally something not too stimulating (eg horror, spicy or anything likely to change you state of mind).

    If you are studying for any qualifications then do this in the run up to bedtime too - I always found it bored me so much I was dropping off at the end.

    Having a nice warm shower also helps the muscles relax, and if you do that sort of thing, have a little play in the shower as the release of endorphines will also help sleep later on.

    I used focussed relaxation techniques that I learned decades ago and through the conditioning of training I can now get to sleep in seconds - I highly recommend earning the way to do this.

    Lastly, if you are lying there in the dark, fretting that you are not getting to sleep then do something else like read - the anxiety caused by worrying about not sleeping snowballs quickly and makes it worse so do something to help your mind relax rather than keep trying and making it worse.

  • in reply to Take5

    Does the eye mask also do white noise as I find that relaxing and it would be nice to listen to soothing sounds without worrying about waking my parents up in the night. The thing I struggle with is how to get in the right mindset to mediate. 

  • Hi Emily

    I don’t sleep terribly well either. My brain is racing sometimes or if not I’m trying to help my son regulate as he struggles at bedtime. I brought a sleep mask from Sleepathy. They have headphones built in and I listen to sounds to help settle me, it also helps with my tinnitus as well. My personal favourite is heavy rain with distant thunder. 

    I also meditate 

  • in reply to Hergé

    Thank you for the advice I will have a look and see if I can find any good relaxation things to do before bed 

  • Hi, I can sympathise as I have horrendous issues with sleeping.

    I think mine is stress related as my brain will not "slow down" for any length of time.

    If you go to the GP you'll be advised to practice sleep hygiene, which is always a good start. You could try meditation or relaxation techniques. They are always reluctant to give you anything for any length of time. Try promethazine which is a drowsy type of antihistamine, it looses it's effectiveness if you take it for more than a few days but it might kick start some sort of sleep pattern. You could try the herbal ones. Sometimes they will offer melatonin which is often given to autistic kids to help with sleep.

    Take care