Speaking as an annoying insomniac who either can't stay asleep (waking up every 1 to two hours) or sleeps only 4 hours...
Exercise. Adding a 1 mile walk and 1 mile run to my day every other day drastically improved my sleep. Seriously. During the summer when I would walk 1, run 2, and walk 1 again, then work in the garden, I was OUT like a fucking light every night.
Position. I am a side sleeper, but if I'm not propped up properly certain areas start to hurt and keep me from sleeping. Similarly, sleeping on my back doesn't hurt, but it fucks with my breathing. Figure out if you're just uncomfortable. This might include minor changes to the bed, leading to my next...
Luxury. Make that bed somewhere you WANT to be. I spent a little extra money and while I have a regular mattress set, I have a temperapedic type pad on top, 600 thread-count sheets (they get softer with every wash) and 7 pillows of varying firmness and size.
Very important: don't force yourself to stay there if you can't sleep. I know you need sleep, but take it from someone who's been there - the best thing to do, at the very least, is resign yourself and read. Better idea is this though, especially if your brain is buzzing. Do you have something you've been putting off doing? Something inane and time-consuming - like sorting recipes or transferring addresses into a new book - okay, those examples suck (I'm in school, but only part time and have actually house-type things around me) but you get the idea. Whenever you can't sleep, do that. You'd be surprised how much quieter you feel just with the small feeling of accomplishment. Plus, you might as well be useful if you can't sleep.
Hot drinks before bed, definitely. There's a chamomile mango tea they sell here in America that doesn't even need honey in it. Catnip is a sedative for humans, which is more lemony. Passionflower tea is also sleep-inducing. I like ginger tea if my stomach is what's keeping me up.
Try to read the Bible.
No, seriously, I've been trying to get through the OT on my way to tackling Paradise Lost...can't stay awake.
I actually like white noise. As a light sleeper, it helps mask all the little sounds that would wake me up otherwise - like the creaks of an old house, etc. Now with a good steady fan, the only thing that wakes me up if I'm truly asleep is the smell of coffee or those goddamn squirrels dive-bombing the roof.
Speech background. I turn on a podcast I've already heard a couple times. There's one called "Binge Thinking History" voiced by a Brit who has just the right pitch to send me into la-la-land.
Hope this helps.
Exercise. Adding a 1 mile walk and 1 mile run to my day every other day drastically improved my sleep. Seriously. During the summer when I would walk 1, run 2, and walk 1 again, then work in the garden, I was OUT like a fucking light every night.
Position. I am a side sleeper, but if I'm not propped up properly certain areas start to hurt and keep me from sleeping. Similarly, sleeping on my back doesn't hurt, but it fucks with my breathing. Figure out if you're just uncomfortable. This might include minor changes to the bed, leading to my next...
Luxury. Make that bed somewhere you WANT to be. I spent a little extra money and while I have a regular mattress set, I have a temperapedic type pad on top, 600 thread-count sheets (they get softer with every wash) and 7 pillows of varying firmness and size.
Very important: don't force yourself to stay there if you can't sleep. I know you need sleep, but take it from someone who's been there - the best thing to do, at the very least, is resign yourself and read. Better idea is this though, especially if your brain is buzzing. Do you have something you've been putting off doing? Something inane and time-consuming - like sorting recipes or transferring addresses into a new book - okay, those examples suck (I'm in school, but only part time and have actually house-type things around me) but you get the idea. Whenever you can't sleep, do that. You'd be surprised how much quieter you feel just with the small feeling of accomplishment. Plus, you might as well be useful if you can't sleep.
Hot drinks before bed, definitely. There's a chamomile mango tea they sell here in America that doesn't even need honey in it. Catnip is a sedative for humans, which is more lemony. Passionflower tea is also sleep-inducing. I like ginger tea if my stomach is what's keeping me up.
Try to read the Bible.
No, seriously, I've been trying to get through the OT on my way to tackling Paradise Lost...can't stay awake.I actually like white noise. As a light sleeper, it helps mask all the little sounds that would wake me up otherwise - like the creaks of an old house, etc. Now with a good steady fan, the only thing that wakes me up if I'm truly asleep is the smell of coffee or those goddamn squirrels dive-bombing the roof.
Speech background. I turn on a podcast I've already heard a couple times. There's one called "Binge Thinking History" voiced by a Brit who has just the right pitch to send me into la-la-land.
Hope this helps.
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