I had this same problem a few months ago. It was so bad I only had 1-2 hours of sleep for weeks. I had to completely reassess my âsleeping hygieneâ. Below are things I tried and some youâve probably heard before.
Avoid being on your phone like 1-2 hours before bed. Something with the blue light or stimulation keeps you awake.
Avoid caffeine before bed (would say like 4 hours before).
Donât eat a huge meal before bed.
Create a relaxing bedroom environment. Make sure your pillow and bed is comfy. Turn off all the lights.
Sleep with a humidifier and nose strip, helps with avoiding mouth breathing and gives me a good DEEP sleep.
Wear a sleep mask, the total darkness helped lull me to sleep immediately.
Comfortable sleeping clothes (if applicable) I usually wear cotton clothes to sleep or satin.
A weighted blanket can also help.
Magnesium drink/tea instead of melatonin can relax your muscles and put you to sleep.
Jan 13, 2025
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Ok here are some things that work ok for me, but they have not fixed my overall fatigue so ymmv:
-if I wake up anytime after 5.45am or so, I do my best to stay awake. If I fall back asleep I feel way groggier and worse when my alarm does go off and wake me up.
-anxiety meds, allergy meds, mouthguard have all helped me stay asleep instead of waking up in a panic or in pain. Use as appropriate to you.
-no evening naps!!! If Iâm really tired I just have to make it to 8pm and then I can sleep.
-reading or journaling before bed would keep my brain a little too wired to shut off easily. I have had way more luck listening to a silly podcast with white noise on in the background and playing solitaire (such a low brain-engagement game) on my phone. Itâs like a scalp massage but for my mind.
-my old neighborhood could be very loud at night, I hadnât thought before abt using earplugs but now I donât hesitate. I recommend the weird wax ones that you can shape to fit your ear.
-make sure youâre the right temperature. I have lain awake many nights for too long without realizing I was simply too cold to fall asleep. somehow my brain wasnât registering that fully. now I keep a sweatshirt next to the bed so I can add a layer if needed.
-sorry to say but being well hydrated and truly tired from your day (esp if youâve exercised) does help falling asleep a lot.
EDIT TO ADD also I quit coffee for unrelated health stuff but that also seems to have helped falling asleep so much, i wish it werenât true bc i miss it but donât think i can go back
Nov 13, 2024
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Oh my gosh same. Me and insomnia are majorly at war rn.
I bought a pregnancy pillow and that helped a lot bc itâs very ergonomic. Also a weighted sleep mask bc it helps with tension stuck in your face, jaw, or neck. Plus anything weighted is oxytocin boosting. FL-41 lenses before bed help to reduce the effect of blue light or other visual sensory related circadian disruptions. Bc sorry, no amount of insomnia is bad enough for me to not have my scrolling time at night. Brown or violet noise instead of white noise could be better, or the Headspace rainy day antique shop adult bedtime story YouTube video. Sometimes also all you need is to sleep with your head facing the other way, or on the couch, or with different pillows or blankets than normal because it makes it feel like falling asleep is accidental almost? So itâs less pressure? Lastly, I do take prescription meds to help but they have fewer side effects than like ambien so lmk if you wanna know which ones worked better for me and when to use which.
Good luck tnđŤĄ
Sep 26, 2024
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For those who never feel fully rested in the morning:
Apparently, thereâs a lot of ways to breathe wrong and youâre doing them all while you sleep. Sometimes itâs because of you and other times itâs because of your environment or maybe itâs both but if youâre not getting enough air you will get low quality sleepâšď¸.
If you wake up feeling congested, a couple of things that really help me are a humidifier (love this one for travel also) and an air purifier (super quiet).
For those who have a hard time falling asleep:
- It feels like you either love melatonin or you hate it, I happen to love it. Finding your dosage is key tho and that might take some experimenting. I started too big and slept like a rock but felt super groggy waking up!!
- this is annoying but going to bed at the same time every night is so helpful. Iâm sorry!! I want to be too cool for school also but having a strict bedtime will change your life for the better
For brains that wonât shut off:
Ok here is my trick to falling asleep when my brain is too loud (patent pending):
Step one: play a podcast or anything where people are speaking but set the volume low enough that you canât quite hear what theyâre saying
Step two: make overthinking work in your favor by focusing on your train of thought and tuning out the podcast noise. I think this works because tuning out external sounds is something that happens naturally as you fall asleep.
Ok hope that helps, sweet dreams! đ
Apr 20, 2024
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This is a podcast about two black female scientist best friends that discuss the science of things. I loved this podcast so much and Iâm sad that they donât make new episodes.
Dec 3, 2024
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There are a few things I do such as:
- Take vitamin D supplements during the gloomier months. My friend has been telling me for years and I finally did it and feel the difference.
- Any sliver of sun you see stand in it. Bask in it. We need it.
- Check if youâre dehydrated with the skin pinch test. If you fail, then get some electrolytes or coconut water in you.
- Go on a walk. Any physical activity to get your dopamine back.
- Delete all social media apps on my phone.
- A new one Iâve been experimenting with is soundbaths. You can either listen to YouTube videos of it or find a local class. Have tried this for the past few months and I feel reset.
- And sometimes you just need a good night out at a rave/concert where the music is so loud you donât have to talk to anyone, you can disassociate and let the music drown out whatever is on your mind.
Dec 13, 2024
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Finally read this book after hearing about it for years. Itâs definitely a must-read that makes you think about life more if youâve been on auto-pilot.
Dec 3, 2024