Poll: Do you have insomnia?
June 26th, 2009 | by The Doc |
Devil_Prada_Girl asked:
If you have insomnia please tell me how you treat it because I have it very badly.
If you have insomnia please tell me how you treat it because I have it very badly.
2 Responses to “Poll: Do you have insomnia?”
By corina on Jun 30, 2009 | Reply
i just developed a slight case of it. i have no idea how to cure it.
By bustmethods on Jun 30, 2009 | Reply
Hey Devil Prada Girl, you are in luck! You probably have all you need to cure this problem and it wont cost you a thing =)
I’ve had insomnia for years and my main problem is my mind wont stop thinking. If you are ready to sleep, willing to put forth some effort and give it some time(a couple weeks of this routine and 1-2 hours per night at first), you can sleep without drugs or sleep supplements =)
First-Look up sleep hygene and make sure you are following as many of these recommendations as possible like: no caffeine/stimulants, keep the room dark, cool and quiet, turn off your phone, get a loud fan that will drone out other noises, watch what you eat/drink for dinner or late night snacks, make a list of what you need to do tomorrow so you dont stay up thinking about it, stretch, brush teeth, warm shower, etc….
Second-Find a tv show that is slightly entertaining(too much and you will be winding up vs. winding down) and somewhat dull( too dull and you will not stay focused on the show).Fraiser and “How it Works” work for me. Record 2-3 episodes for each night or find a second show so you have at least an hour and a half worth of shows to watch and wind down. Do all of your sleep hygene before climbing into bed and starting the show.
Once in bed, follow these three steps.
Step-1 Turn on your show, keep the volume at a low level and stay focused on the show. If your mind wanders, when you notice this, re-direct your attention back to the show. After 30-45 mins, you should start feeling sleepy. This is where it takes effort, do not turn off the tv yet.
Step-2 Turn the volume down a bit, lie down and close your eyes. Make sure you can still hear the show and keep your focus on what they are saying. After 15-20 mins, the volume will become loud to you as you relax more. Do not rush this step to get to the next step. Honestly ask yourself if you feel more sleepy than before and is the low volume of the tv really becoming louder and making it harder to relax more.
Step-3 Turn the volume down a little more. Now keep listening to the show until you start drifting off to sleep. You will probably wake up to the tv after a breif nap and now I personally can turn off the tv here and fall asleep. You may want to turn the volume down a little more before turning the tv completely off or even be ok with leaving the tv on all night( if the light doesnt bother you). Once you notice that you woke up from being asleep, you can usually fall back asleep easily.
This method takes some practice and focus but it works! It will bring your mind to a relaxing state and also help you stay asleep throughout the night because you wont be physically falling asleep while your mind is still active. Good luck!