chronic insomnia – problems falling or staying asleep, or markedly unrestful sleep for more than three weeks – can drive people crazy.
often there are underlying problems: depression, anxiety, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, etc. treating them can help with sleeplessness. other things that can help are widely known, such as not drinking caffeine, not reading or watching tv in bed, having a regular bedtime routine, etc.
here are a few ideas that you may not be that familiar with:
- if you have trouble falling asleep for over 30 minutes, get up and do something boring in dim light until you get sleepy again
- get yourself physically exhausted in fresh air (but no less than one hour before you go to bed)
- take a very warm bath with epsom salts and/or baking soda
- get your partner to give you a gentle massage until you fall asleep
- quiet ears: lie on your back with your hands behind your head, fingers interlocked, and your palms cupping the back of your head. get as relaxed as possible (this position make take a little while to get used to). place your thumbs in your ears so that you are pressing the outer flap of your ear and blocking the entrance to the ear canal. lie quietly and listen for a high-pitched sound that you will gradually hear inside your head. lie there for 10 to 15 minutes and concentrate on that sound. then put your arms to your sides and go to sleep. (and no, it will not cause tinnitus)
- eye flutters: fixate on a single point (like the ceiling) and then close your eyes. keep your eyes closed for 5 seconds, then gently and slowly open them for just a moment, then close your eyes again, this time keeping them closed for 10 seconds. repeat until your eyes begin to fatigue and you drift off to sleep, each time increasing your “closed” count by 5 seconds.
- reading something “soft” – something that will engage you enough to want to read for a few pages but not so exciting that you can’t put it down – in dim light. fatigued eyes often bring on sleep.
- when you wake up in the middle of the night, have a mantra ready (“sleeping, sleeping, sleeping” works for me) that you start saying immediately so that your mind does not engage in thoughts
- let’s not forget listening to the goldberg variations, written by j.s. bach to help his patron, count kayserling, fall asleep!
- and last not least, there is always sex! (i don’t think we need to a link for that, you probably know how that works
good night …
isabella mori
moritherapy
counselling in vancouver
(this post was included in the 11th carnival of doing it differently. thanks!)
12 responses so far ↓
1 Today is that Day // Sep 15, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Doing it Differently Blog Carnival, 11th Edition…
Welcome to the 11th edition of the Doing it Differently Blog Carnival!
This carnival is dedicated to the concept of stepping outside of the box and living our lives in ways beyond the "norm"!
Whether you want to learn unique ways to think or …
2 David // Dec 13, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Good list of tips. I occassionally have problems with eyeflutters if I get really tired. I will remember to try your tip #6 next time that happens
David’s last blog post..Depression Anxiety Sleep Disorder Treatment: Five Ways Of Dealing With The Condition
3 isabella mori // Dec 13, 2007 at 12:24 pm
thanks for taking the time to comment. david.
actually, eye flutters have become my favourite. they almost always work for me.
4 sleep apnea // Jan 17, 2008 at 2:08 pm
insomnia is the absolute worst. I have PTSD and insomnia and sleep apnea, so I cant sleep, but when I do , I have nightmares, and I never really sleep because I am suffocating and snoring.. Talk about a triple whammy. I don’t know what its like to not be completely exhausted
sleep apnea’s last blog post..Sleep Apnea Journal: Day 21
5 sleep apnea // Jan 17, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Well I don’t see my comment, I hope you got it. Those are actually some decent tips. Thanks
sleep apnea’s last blog post..Sleep Apnea Journal: Day 21
6 magneticsounds.com // Feb 20, 2008 at 12:46 am
Interesting ideas. I haven’t come accross eye flutters or Quiet Ears before and I thought I knew all about insomnia! I will give that a try next time I am lying awake.
magneticsounds.com’s last blog post..Smoking Can Spoil Your Sleep
7 isabella mori // Feb 20, 2008 at 6:20 am
thanks for the comment, magnetic sounds, and thanks for visiting.
as i said, eye flutters work like a charm for me. i wonder whether that is because i’m more visually oriented? perhaps if i was more auditory, the quiet ears would work better. they work, too, i just don’t do them that often.
8 James S. // Apr 28, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Those are fantastic tips. I find lists of solutions good to have because when I am exhausted i forget how to help myself! You should also check out the Diet Supplement Information Bureau’s site:
http://www.dsib.org/insomnia
They have some ideas that totally jive with yours.
9 isabella mori // Apr 30, 2008 at 7:08 pm
hi james, and thanks for stopping by. let me know whether these tips help you!
10 Steve // Apr 29, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Isabella, thanks for the wonderful information. I tried the fluttering of the eyelids, and it works great! Always good to have another technique in my toolbox
11 Judy // Oct 12, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Thanks Isabella. I will add these tips to my site. My readers will appreciate I am sure!
Judy´s last blog ..How to Start the Mediterranean Recipes Diet
12 Insomnia // Feb 20, 2010 at 8:39 pm
I’ll definitely have to try the eye flutters. Reading works so long as it is not something that gets you excited or thoughtful.. I like to read things I’ve read before, like novels that are extremely long and have those pages upon pages of descriptions of landscapes… something that creates beautiful imagery in your mind and calms me into a sleepy state.
Insomnia´s last blog ..OCD and Insomnia
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