Sleep, Sleep My darling

[Syd Valentine]

Ok, so I haven't been sleeping well at all. Either my kids are waking me up and I can't get back to sleep OR I'm insanely tired but can't stop thinking about s*** long enough for me to pass out.

Anybody else having sleepless nights? What are your suggestions?


(Here are some things I am going to try:)


http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relax...

http://www.well.com/~mick/insomnia/insomnia.24.html

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/insomnia/page8_em.htm#Non-medical

[Anita Fixx]

Yeah I have this same problem A LOT. And the reason for it may seem lame to most people...I wake up in the middle of the night and I get a great idea for a screenplay I'm working on (I'm writing 3 at the moment) so I stay up working out the ideas in my head. I just can't stop thinking about s*** and before I know it's 10 in the morning!! And then I'm too bloody tired to actually type anything or write it down...which IS retarded. So I use herbal medicines now, such as tea (they sell ones just to help you sleep) and this white chocolate bar formulated to help sleep. It's called "Sweet Dreams" you probably have it in the States. It really works too!
I used to take sleeping pills but stopped because it's DANGEROUS! Do NOT take pills they're just poison. When I took them I felt like I it put me in a death like sleep. It's hard to explain but just know it was f***** up! People have died from those things yet doctors still dole them out like candy.

[Syd Valentine]

Uh..... not lame in the slightest. That's awesome.
NOT so awesome that you are not sleeping, though!
Thanks for the tips. I'm going to check out that chocolate bar!
xxx
SV
Anita Fixx said:

Yeah I have this same problem A LOT. And the reason for it may seem lame to most people...I wake up in the middle of the night and I get a great idea for a screenplay I'm working on (I'm writing 3 at the moment) so I stay up working out the ideas in my head. I just can't stop thinking about s*** and before I know it's 10 in the morning!! And then I'm too bloody tired to actually type anything or write it down...which IS retarded. So I use herbal medicines now, such as tea (they sell ones just to help you sleep) and this white chocolate bar formulated to help sleep. It's called "Sweet Dreams" you probably have it in the States. It really works too!
I used to take sleeping pills but stopped because it's DANGEROUS! Do NOT take pills they're just poison. When I took them I felt like I it put me in a death like sleep. It's hard to explain but just know it was f***** up! People have died from those things yet doctors still dole them out like candy.

[Roxy Tart {PL Team / Comm. Mgr}]

Deep breathing. It sounds simple, but it works. I tried everything, and really concentrated deep breathing works great for me.

[Seanna {Madam}]

Sleepy chocolate?! I WANT!!

[Syd Valentine]

HAHAHA I know, RIGHT???

Seanna/Dixie Diamond {M} said:

Sleepy chocolate?! I WANT!!

[Syd Valentine]

Thanks for the tips, babe! It COULD be a LOT of things!!! HAHAHA No, I actually hadn't thought of that but I'm PRETTY sure it's just stress related.

Auburn Hills said:

Deep breathing is good along with establishing a going to sleep "ritual" much like your kids'. Drink your tea, deep breathing, relaxing your body, by releasing tension with each breath focusing on feet, legs, hips, and so on. Could it be hormonal? I usually have trouble sleeping a few nights of each month.
Good luck and sweet dreams.

[Syd Valentine]

I'm REALLY going to try harder with the deep breathing. SO far, my attention span doesn't allow me to concentrate that long on just my breath.... hahahaha I guess it will take practice????

Roxy Tart said:

Deep breathing. It sounds simple, but it works. I tried everything, and really concentrated deep breathing works great for me.

[Anita Fixx]

Yeah I've tried "deep breathing" and it does NOT work for me. My brain just won't shut up long enough...so self medication it is! : P
I found one of the wrappers for the chocolate bar...just laying around my room with all the others. Yeah this is an issue for me. Anyways the brand name appears to be "Chocolate Plus" it says "real science/gourmet chocolate" on the top and this particular one is "Sweet Dreams". Here in Canada you can buy them at Shopper's Drug Mart but that store probably doesn't exist in the U.S does it? I'm sure you can find it somewhere..it's from Texas, U.S of A. Hope that helps!

Syd Valentine said:

I'm REALLY going to try harder with the deep breathing. SO far, my attention span doesn't allow me to concentrate that long on just my breath.... hahahaha I guess it will take practice????

Roxy Tart said:

Deep breathing. It sounds simple, but it works. I tried everything, and really concentrated deep breathing works great for me.

[Wink Holliday]

A friend of mine swears by valerian. Things that have worked for me include a floppy pillow filled with lavender (real stuff, not icky lavender scent), a toasty warm bed, a cup of hot HERBAL tea with a shot of whiskey or a "steamer" (steamed milk: like a latte, but no espresso; hey that could be tasty with whisky, too), and a dull book. And I agree with Auburn's "ritual" theory. It takes a while for anything to become a ritual, but once it does, it tricks your body into ticking things off. "1. tea, 2. brush teeth, 3. sniff squishy pillow, 4. SLEEP"

And yeah, sometimes nothing works, and I just want to scream at my head to SHUT UP ALREADY!!!

I'd better find me some of that medicinal chocolate! :)

[Seanna {Madam}]

So strange, a lot of people I know say Valerian works for them but I've tried it a few different times and nothing. I guess it's always worth a shot and at least it's herbal. I like your ritual Wink! Just reading it made me want to try them all and curl up with a lavender pillow but, it's only 7pm and I've got to go to work in an hour! What's the trick with that lavender pillow? Did you make it yourself or did you buy it like that?

Wink Holliday said:

A friend of mine swears by valerian. Things that have worked for me include a floppy pillow filled with lavender (real stuff, not icky lavender scent), a toasty warm bed, a cup of hot HERBAL tea with a shot of whiskey or a "steamer" (steamed milk: like a latte, but no espresso; hey that could be tasty with whisky, too), and a dull book. And I agree with Auburn's "ritual" theory. It takes a while for anything to become a ritual, but once it does, it tricks your body into ticking things off. "1. tea, 2. brush teeth, 3. sniff squishy pillow, 4. SLEEP"

And yeah, sometimes nothing works, and I just want to scream at my head to SHUT UP ALREADY!!!

I'd better find me some of that medicinal chocolate! :)

[Wink Holliday]

I made the lavender pillow kind of by accident. I bought a small buckwheat hull neckroll on clearance somewhere, and also had a big ol' bag of lavender that I'd gotten from the bulk section of my local health store (also, little muslin bags; I would steep the lavender in the bathtub, like a giant cup of tea). The day I realized that the buckwheat pillow had a zipper for replacing the buckwheat, I filled it up with all of my extra lavender!

Seanna/Dixie Diamond {M} said:

So strange, a lot of people I know say Valerian works for them but I've tried it a few different times and nothing. I guess it's always worth a shot and at least it's herbal. I like your ritual Wink! Just reading it made me want to try them all and curl up with a lavender pillow but, it's only 7pm and I've got to go to work in an hour! What's the trick with that lavender pillow? Did you make it yourself or did you buy it like that?

Wink Holliday said:

A friend of mine swears by valerian. Things that have worked for me include a floppy pillow filled with lavender (real stuff, not icky lavender scent), a toasty warm bed, a cup of hot HERBAL tea with a shot of whiskey or a "steamer" (steamed milk: like a latte, but no espresso; hey that could be tasty with whisky, too), and a dull book. And I agree with Auburn's "ritual" theory. It takes a while for anything to become a ritual, but once it does, it tricks your body into ticking things off. "1. tea, 2. brush teeth, 3. sniff squishy pillow, 4. SLEEP"

And yeah, sometimes nothing works, and I just want to scream at my head to SHUT UP ALREADY!!!

I'd better find me some of that medicinal chocolate! :)

[Seanna {Madam}]

Oh nice, great idea! That would actually be really easy to make. I have a friend who is handy with the sewing machine and projects like this so I will see if I can get her to make me a pillow that I can stuff! Thanks for the tip :)

Wink Holliday said:

I made the lavender pillow kind of by accident. I bought a small buckwheat hull neckroll on clearance somewhere, and also had a big ol' bag of lavender that I'd gotten from the bulk section of my local health store (also, little muslin bags; I would steep the lavender in the bathtub, like a giant cup of tea). The day I realized that the buckwheat pillow had a zipper for replacing the buckwheat, I filled it up with all of my extra lavender!

Seanna/Dixie Diamond {M} said:

So strange, a lot of people I know say Valerian works for them but I've tried it a few different times and nothing. I guess it's always worth a shot and at least it's herbal. I like your ritual Wink! Just reading it made me want to try them all and curl up with a lavender pillow but, it's only 7pm and I've got to go to work in an hour! What's the trick with that lavender pillow? Did you make it yourself or did you buy it like that?

Wink Holliday said:

A friend of mine swears by valerian. Things that have worked for me include a floppy pillow filled with lavender (real stuff, not icky lavender scent), a toasty warm bed, a cup of hot HERBAL tea with a shot of whiskey or a "steamer" (steamed milk: like a latte, but no espresso; hey that could be tasty with whisky, too), and a dull book. And I agree with Auburn's "ritual" theory. It takes a while for anything to become a ritual, but once it does, it tricks your body into ticking things off. "1. tea, 2. brush teeth, 3. sniff squishy pillow, 4. SLEEP"

And yeah, sometimes nothing works, and I just want to scream at my head to SHUT UP ALREADY!!!

I'd better find me some of that medicinal chocolate! :)