Sleep - Help

Morning Ya'll, Ok, I am in need of some help/suggestions. Lemme explain what the deal is. I do not sleep - well much at all that is. I start off wonderfully. I get all comfy and start inspecting the insides of my eyelids and drift off. Great! Here I am la-dee-dah sleepin' sleepin' then here we go. I start to toss & turn and then I wake up like I'm on crack and I need to "do" things - clean house like mad etc (part of my whole fun Bipolar highs & lows). Granted I'm Bipolar and go through periods where I get Insomnia and am chasing the Sleep Fairy trying hog tie her butt and throw her in my closet I have meds I take which help with the sleep aspect only well they are NOT working much anymore. "So, call your doctor!" Yeah, ok did that too and we've changed the dosage on my sleepy time meds. "So, take a hot bath and drink something warm!" Um, ok great I can do the bath/shower thing and LOVE it hot anyhow but the drinking something I do NOT do after 7-8 pm or eat for that matter. Here's where ya'll come in - I would like some suggestions that ya'll may have tried for STAYING asleep once ya get there. Trey & I have even been walking in the pm's because I tend to feel so much better and relaxed in turn the "getting to sleep wonderfully" part. Do share wise Sensai's! Kitty Kat

im a huge insomniac and i was on everything, ambien is the latest but its starting to let me wake up about 4 hours later, so now im going to take the ambien cr, control release to help me stay asleep longer, plus they work better on an empty stomach, i need it now cause i have my neck and lower face lift done on the 20th im so excited i cant stand it!!

G'morning baby!!!! I am a SLEEPER!!!!!!!!! Love my sleep and get in at least 9 to 10 hours a night. I've never had real insomnia issues, so maybe I shouldn't be giving advice, but who knows if I may know something profound here. First of all............when I walk in the evening, it makes me invigorated, not sleepy. Exercise makes me AWAKE, period. This is why I try to do it in the morning or early afternoon. The other thing that keeps me awake is high protein/low carb dieting. For some reason this regimin makes me HYPER!!! It's a great thing during the day when I need the extra energy, but at night when I'm trying to sleep it kills me!!!! SOOOOOOOOOOO, and no evil posts back please, I actually eat something carb based right b4 I go to sleep. I know you say you don't eat after 7 or 8, but how about some small amount of cereal in milk *healthy cereal, skim milk* right b4 sleep. I also follow a very strict schedule during the week. I actually go to bed with my kids at 8:30 and get up at 6:45am. If I do wake up in between I don't let myself move from the bed unless I gotta go potty. I force myself back to sleep, NO MATTER WHAT. I think that's it, again, I am a very successful sleeper so maybe I can help!! XOXOXOOXOXOXOXOOXOXO Sweetest Dreams!! Sharon

Oh - you want to stay asleep???? I was going to suggest hoppin' in your car and drivin' on down to Norfolk to clean my houselike the "Clean Fairy! Poof! I wake up in the morning to a clean house. Yeah- I know - dream on! Heee!Heee! No, seriously - I am sorry you are having such trouble sleeping. I go through spells like this too and just go with it, figuring that eventually I'll get tired enough to sleep right on through the night. And that's what usually happens. It seems to cycle like that - wake up during the night a few nights, sleep all night, wakeup, sleep, etc. I wish I could help you because I know how miserable it is to not be able to sleep when you want to. Sorry I can't offer any help, but I do wish you all the best in figuring this thing out. When you do, how 'bout passin' along your secret. Hugs, Robin

This may sound silly but they have some stuff for babies made of lavendar to help them sleep.....maybe take a bath with some lavendar scents and put some poppoprii in a bowl beside the bed.. It does promote sleep..... Hugs Betsy

Kat- Do you need a new mattress? Maybe if you didn't toss and turn you wouldn't wake up and then you'd stay asleep. I know most people keep their mattresses way past their usefulness and start to have sleep issues. In Lexington they had the Sleep Number beds....3 of the best nights of sleep I'd had in a long time....it's time for us to get a new mattress (too bad the budget says otherwise). OH..and that whole, don't get out of bed thing (when you wake up) is good advice. I find if I get up I have an even harder time getting back to sleep, but if I stay I usually drift right back. My husband thinks I sleep like the dead though...so go figure. Just a thought...Hope you sleep well soon, Christina

Hi Kat. I would suggest trying what they tell us to do with our kids when they can't sleep. Develop a routine. Do the same things at the same time every night before bed. Make sure that it doesn't involve TV, that jazzes you up. Try having a bath, reading a book, turning off the light at the same time every night. The concept is from the whole Pavlov and the drooling dogs. Try to program your body to expect sleep every night at this time. Also, I would not get out of bed if at all possible. Just some thoughts. Good luck. ~Ellen