Tips for becoming more well rested?

[PirateLover]

Aside from the obvious "get more sleep!" I was wondering if anyone had good tips for making sleep more restful and just battling tiredness throughout the day. I have been really stressed lately between my job and my wedding which is in a month and I've gotten sick a lot this year and it just keeps going in a cycle- I'm stressed and worn out which makes me susceptible to illness, and then the illness wears me out more. Even when I get a full night's rest, I tend to wake up with aches or still feel really tired. :(

[SBETigg]

Be consistent with your schedule. Your body adapts to routine. If you're staying up later on weekends and sleeping later in the morning, your body might be struggling to keep your regular hours during the week. Pick a bedtime/wake time that works with your regular schedule and stick with it as much as possible.

Limit drinks and snacks- nothing to drink or eat for the three hours prior to bedtime.

Eat and snack on healthy foods. There are some foods that are good for sleep. Almonds, for instance. Nutritionist Joy Bauer suggests that if you are hungry in those three hours before bedtime, some snacks are better at inspiring the production of melatonin, what your body makes to help you sleep:
1 slice of whole wheat toast topped with 1 small slice of low-fat cheese
1/2 cup healthy cereal topped with 1/2 cup skim milk
1 banana with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter
1 rice cake topped with 1 tomato slice and 1 slice turkey breast

Also, you can pick up a nutritional supply of melatonin at health food stores. We have a friend who takes it at night and he swears by it. But I haven't tried that.

Also, don't exercise too close to bedtime. It makes you energetic and ready to stay up later. But do exercise during the day. It will help keep your energy up. And make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Dehydration will sap your energy and wear you down.

Best wishes, Maryanne! I know it's an exciting, but stressful, time for you.

[Zippy 1]

My DD 15 was taking Melotin to help with sleep for a while but then it stopped working. Her doctor recently told us to give Valerian Root a try. It is also a pill that she takes about 1/2 hour before bedtime. It has really helped her get back into a healthy sleep routine. I hope your stress level decreases that also will help. Good luck on your upcoming wedding:mickey:

[elorac]

:sheep: Just kidding!

A hot bath with some lavender scented oil or salts will definitely help relax you as well as ease any aches or sore muscles. :cloud9: Also, don't drink any alcohol or eat anything within a couple of hours before bedtime.

For me personally, I cannot sleep without an eye pillow. I usually just fold a soft pillowcase into a smallish rectangle. :sleepin:

[Jillirose]

Walking always works for me, on the days I get exercise I sleep much better!

[crazypoohbear]

Bath and Body works has a pillow spray
I use the one for sleep and I have used the stress reliever for my teen son. It seems to work for both of us.
Lavender is a great scent to help you relax and sleep.

[dnickels]

I have no idea if this works for anyone else, but the only times I ever have trouble sleeping are when my mind gets too busy. I find that I need to shut off / slow down my thoughts and *poof* I'm asleep.

If you can't shut your thoughts off try thinking of them in slow motion. It sounds corny but I don't know how else to explain it. If you're thinking "I'm worried about the dog" change it in your mind to "IIIIIIIIIIII'mmmmmmm wwwwwwooooorrrrriiiiieeddd........."

[disney obsessed]

Hi.

One of the best pieces of advice the pediatiricain told me about was to not let my kids use the computer an hour before bedtime. There is something about the way your brain works to use the computer that will keep you up for a long time after you are finished on the computer for the night. It really helped my kids. Maybe if this is an issue for you, you can try it?

[PirateLover]

Thank you all SO much. These are exactly the type of tips I'm looking for. I'm going to do some research on some of the things you've suggested and see what will work best for me. My main problem at night is definitely the running mind. The slow motion thing actually really makes sense to me!

I'll let you know if I see any improvement, and keep the suggestions coming!

[cather74]

I read somewhere that if you have busy brain or things that are bothering you, get up and write them down and then go back to bed. It works!:thumbsup:

[bouncer]

I read somewhere that if you have busy brain or things that are bothering you, get up and write them down and then go back to bed. It works!:thumbsup:

I was going to suggest the same thing. Make lists. Nice long lists. It will help you feel organized and stop your mind from making its internal lists.

[DizneyRox]

It's not really the quantity of sleep as much as it's the quality of sleep. As mentioned above melatonin is a FANTASTIC sleep aid. Your brain makes it and production dies off as you age, and for other reasons I'm sure, so a little supplement as you get older isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I've taken anywhere between 1mg and 5mg and haven't noticed a difference really. It's wonderful stuff. You can feel yoursef melting into your bed as it kicks in.

Another great thing about it is there are no real side effects (groggyness, etc). I'e been able to get up in the middle of the night to tend to an emergency, etc.

I highly recommend it, dosage does depend on each person, so you may need to experiment a little. Start off with 1mg, then 3, then 5 see what works. It takes maybe 15 minutes to kick in at least for me.

[magicofdisney]

I take 2 benedryl every night before bedtime. Not only does it assist me falling asleep, it helps me stay asleep (or fall back asleep easier if I need a potty break) and I have less issues with seasonal allergies. It's also been approved by my physician. :)

[murphy1]

Every once in awhile I take a couple of Advil PM, i get joint pain sometimes so it helps. Hot bath is good or warm bath. I think once you get through the wedding, things will ease up a bit.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Walking always works for me, on the days I get exercise I sleep much better!

This was going to be my suggestion as well. I find when I exercise regularly and eat healthier I sleep much better, and feel well rested during the day. Good luck.

[mdhiggin]

Caffeine keeps me up, so I don't drink cokes anymore. My sister drinks sometimes 6 a day and has trouble sleeping at night. :sick: Go figure.

[princessgirls]

Bailey's Irish Cream before bed....

Just kidding, regular good sleeping habits are key for me.

I go to bed at 11:30/12:00 most nights and am up at 6:20am. When I sleep too much I get a headache and feel tired all day...weird.

I do sleep in one day a week...Sundays until 8:30am.

Julie:mickey:

[BrerGnat]

Be careful about caffeine. Some people are EXTREMELY sensitive to it, myself included. If I even eat a chocolate dessert at night, I have trouble falling asleep. I have to cut off my caffeine consumption by noon, or else I will NOT be able to fall asleep that night.

Melatonin works well if you are having trouble falling asleep. Take it on an empty stomach, about 20 min before you retire. The liquid version works better than the pills.

Exercise during the day consistently will reduce stress, and will make your immune system stronger.

I go through bouts with insomnia. Stress, anxiety, etc. are big triggers for me. I try to avoid those as much as I can, but it's not always possible.

Also, go to bed an hour earlier than you want to be asleep, and try to limit t.v and electronics in the hour prior to going to bed. Try reading instead. Especially, a boring non fiction book will put you to sleep faster than you can imagine. ;)

[diz_girl]

I was having a lot of trouble falling and staying asleep since my son was born almost three years ago. With falling asleep, my mind would just go, go, go. Over the past year, the one thing that has helped me a lot is a white noise machine. I actually use the one that was given to me for a baby shower gift. There are different noises (ocean, birds, rain, summer night, womb, etc.), different settings (single selection or random), and duration (timer or on all night). I just use the ocean sound and use the timer, which turns off about an hour. It really helps me drift off to sleep and stay asleep, even though it is on for only a short time at night. An hour is just enough to fall asleep and I don't wake up when it turns off.

I also wear socks to bed, because I can't fall asleep with cold feet. And sometimes I use a sleep mask too, because any light bugs me. But out of everything that I've tried, it was the white noise machine.

Congratulations on your impending nuptials!

[magicofdisney]

I have to second the white noise. I've been doing it for so long I don't even think about it. Kind of like turning the lights off before you go to bed. ;) No one mentioned that because it's common sense. That's how white noise has become for me. Yeah, I definitely can't sleep without it and I've tried.

[PirateLover]

Thanks again everyone. I picked up some Melatonin while grocery shopping tonight so I'll start off with that. If it doesn't work for me I may try the benadryll since I am an allergy sufferer and I think that's why I wake up with headaches sometimes.

I am definitely a person that needs a little bit of noise to sleep. I grew up in the city close to the river and I would hear the train go by and blow its horn all the time when I was younger, buses and sirens go by all night and I slept through them. Now I'm living in an apartment complex in NJ and it's pretty quiet. We do have an air filter that makes a decent amount of noise, and sometimes I even put Disney park music on my iPod and that helps. I forgot to mention my fiancee is a snorer too so that doesn't help!

BrerGnat I have totally taken to reading non-fiction books before bed recently! It does help sometimes. I have never tried an eye pillow, may need to give it a whirl.

[garymacd]

I have Sleep Apnea. I have apparently had it since I was about 16. I just thought that was how everyone felt waking up and throughout the day.

Tired. Falling asleep at a moment's notice, or even without a moment's notice. Headache. Sore throat. No energy. Upset wife, due to the incessant, loud snoring, stoppage of breathing and, of course, the male necessity to ignore serious health issues.

After falling asleep at the wheel on a section of a highway known as a killer highway (Highway #6 from Guelph to Hamilton, for those of you who know the area), with my beloved wife and daughters in the car, I decided to get checked out.

It turns out that I have sleep apnea bad enough to stop breathing for a good portion of each hour and at significant risk of suffering cardio vascular disease at a young age, high blood pressure, sudden cardiac arrest or stroke. Not something g I want to worry about for another 30 years or so.

I now use a CPAP (Constant Positive Airway Pressure) every night and wake up refreshed, no snoring, no upset wife, no sore throat,blood pressure about normal, no CVD

I would like to urge you and everyone reading this to get checked for this silent killer. Men are more prone to this. Also, former athletes who weigh more than 20 lbs more than they did at their peak and a neck size over 17".

I'm not saying you have it, but watch for the symptoms not only in you, but also in your partner.

[SBETigg]

It turns out that I have sleep apnea bad enough to stop breathing for a good portion of each hour and at significant risk of suffering cardio vascular disease at a young age, high blood pressure, sudden cardiac arrest or stroke. Not something g I want to worry about for another 30 years or so.

I now use a CPAP (Constant Positive Airway Pressure) every night and wake up refreshed, no snoring, no upset wife, no sore throat,blood pressure about normal, no CVD

I would like to urge you and everyone reading this to get checked for this silent killer. Men are more prone to this. Also, former athletes who weigh more than 20 lbs more than they did at their peak and a neck size over 17".

I'm not saying you have it, but watch for the symptoms not only in you, but also in your partner.

My husband has apnea and sleeps with a CPAP. I'm so glad he was tested. Now we both sleep much better. It has made a big difference for us. Before testing, there were times when he woke up gasping for air and I thought I was going to lose him. Well said, Gary. Not that everyone who has sleep problems or needs rest has apnea, but it pays to get it checked out if you fit the description.

[PirateLover]

I'm not saying you have it, but watch for the symptoms not only in you, but also in your partner.

I don't think I have any of the other symptoms and am pretty sure my issue stems from letting myself become stressed out/anxious; however I appreciate you bringing this into the discussion as I am almost positive my fiancee's father has this (He snores ungodly loud and can be heard gasping), and my fiancee is a bad snorer himself. I keep urging him to get checked out.

[Puppy Mom]

Another thing I have heard is NOT to have a TV in the bedroom. I know many people use the TV as background noise, but supposedly it actually keeps you awake longer.

My BF likes to fall asleep with the TV on and it always makes it harder for me to fall asleep. Instead of winding down, my mind is trying to keep up with the show.

Also, our brains are cued to sleep by complete darkness so the constantly changing flashes of light caused by a changing picture on the TV is very counter productive to sleep.

I even had to get different drapes in my bedroom because a street light was glowing through them at night. Even the light from a night light or a clock can affect some people.

[garymacd]

I don't think I have any of the other symptoms and am pretty sure my issue stems from letting myself become stressed out/anxious; however I appreciate you bringing this into the discussion as I am almost positive my fiancee's father has this (He snores ungodly loud and can be heard gasping), and my fiancee is a bad snorer himself. I keep urging him to get checked out.

Get him checked! Even if it is just for your own peace of mind...AND your ability to sleep.

If it turns out that your fiance does have sleep apnea, do what ever it takes to make him comply with the treatment. Kick him in the pants, plead, beg, extol even. Tell him you want to live a long time with him, not a long time WITHOUT him.

I work with about a dozen people with sleep apnea. The group is just about evenly split between those compliant and non-compliant. Those of us that are compliant are so much healthier now. One man who is non-compliant nearly died a couple of years ago on vacation from some of the complications of sleep apnea. That should have woken (pun intentional) him up.

I didn't mean to hijack your thread, but remember; his poor sleeping may be affecting your good sleep, making you feel very tired. And, like me, he has probably had it so long, he doesn't know any different.

You mentioned gasping. Gasping is a classic sign of sleep apnea. I did it all the time. Good thing I had good breath control from all those years of swimming.

If you want, forward him this thread. I will talk to him if he wants.