Have you ever had such problem? Which methods helped you? I'm still hoping to treat it naturally. Thanks.
Some days I have to refresh my sleep cycle and stay up all night (like today rip me) but I'm also still kind of young so my body can handle that stress, for now lmao Reading definitely helps! You're not supposed to look at screens an hour or so before bed but I use the night-mode on my iPad and I mainly just read or whatever until I pass out. Melatonin pills are natural and they work for most people, my body resists the urge to fall asleep when I start to feel tired so I had to stop using those :c I find if you go on long walks, or work out (I usually walk for about an hour everyday) it'll tire out your muscles and hopefully make you want to fall asleep haha
Not having my phone or laptop within 3 feet of me, and using a cold pack to cool my pillow before I go to bed, or if it's especially hot, leave the coolpack inside the case & just sleep like that. I usually only have issue sleeping in the summer
Eat yogurt or drink milk, ideally an hour and a half or so before bedtime. Unless you're lactose intolerant, in which case don't. A dark, cool room is conducive to sleep. Obviously not so cold that you're uncomfortable under the covers, just cool enough that you can snuggle up. It's useless to say "don't think, it's keeping you awake," but becoming aware of and redirecting your thoughts is very helpful. One of my recurrent nighttime thoughts is "I'm going to die alone under a bridge," to the extent that I now recognize it, address it, and think about something else: "I'm going to die alone under a bridge!" "Possible, yet unlikely. Remember that afternoon you fell asleep in bed with your cat? It was so warm and quiet and peaceful..." Holistic "visualization" exercises. I like to pretend I'm a galaxy. I feel my arms and legs become feathery trails of gas and dust, the coldness of space on my periphery and in pockets within me, being curled comfortably into a spiral...all drifting peacefully throughout the multiverse. Being a tree or an ocean is also lovely.
Do: Use bed for sleeping/intimacy only Establish regular sleep pattern Make bedroom comfortable Avoid extreme temperatures, noise, light Engage in relaxing activities before bedtime If unable to fall asleep, get out of bed and perform a relaxing activity until tired Avoid: Electronics around bedtime Large meals within 2 hours of sleep Daytime napping Caffeine, alcohol or nicotine for at least 4 to 6 hours before bedtime Watching the clock ~~~ You can use things like benadryl (zzzquil or whatever, drug name is diphenhydramine) but it's only good for transient insomnia (like it happens once in a while)- you very quickly get used to it, and it's meh. You want to avoid the combo stuff- you don't want day or nightquil melatonin pills or drops also work, but I personally think it's mostly a placebo issue- your body naturally makes it and if you're going to bed at normal times (when it gets dark) and get up at normal times (when it's light out) it won't really do much to change natural levels. Trust me, avoid the things that you think make you sleep- alcohol, pot, etc. All it does is make you pass out- you won't feel rested, you're better off staying up and naturally falling asleep. RX drugs are unlikely to be given to you unless there's.... special circumstances. Personally hate those as well as most of them are habit forming and make you feel like shit in the morning. Worst case take a few days and stay up as long as possible (like literally till you pass you) and just get a good sleep, and try to adjust your sleep from there.
Carbohydrates before bed, works for some people. Shower before go into bed, usually pretty relaxing to dry off and drop in bed without doing anything. Do tasks well ahead of bedtime, making your bed, getting clothes ready etc. So you dont have to become active just before bed time Avoid a wonky sleeping pattern if you can, especially with all the stimulation from screens and such people have nowadays your natural clock tends to be messed up. To add to this, try to avoid screens pre-bedtime. If the screens have a nightmode (lowers blue light) it helps a lot. Especially in a dark room, having a blue screen tends to make you pinch your eyes. Which is stressfull in bed Also, melatonin can help here and there. Really mild medication its not really reliable. Just take it here and there if you feel the need for it. I personally see it as a pill to aid your natural clock occasionally. From personal experience the #1 reason for insomnia is overthinking. Theres not really a trick. Find whatever works for you to calm down. Drink tea, Shower, listen to music, some people like ASMR, avoid complex vids/conversations, avoid thought proviking things, smoke if you're into that, reading seems to help a lot of people too. Personally not a fan of reading, but I imagine getting really into a story helps put you in a calmer state. you do you. What works for one might make it 10x worse for the other. As with many things the more you think about it the worse it gets. I like to see bed as my little safespace, no matter how good or bad life is going bed is seperate from all that. Just chill 2, your natural clock/sleeping pattern is incredibly important. Personally if I have to "force" myself to sleep, and I cant sleep, it just snowballs into more and more panic. I think having a consistent, but very free schedule (if your life allows this) its the best thing you can go for imo, try to sleep and wake early. Sleeping isnt like work, school, gym whatever. You cant force it but you can steer it. If you go to bed early and wake up early, you have more freedom. If you have the time to do this and get used to it you have way more room for incsonsitensy. so theres no need to force yourself to sleep. Feels a lot more natural this way.
