When counting sheep just wont cut it...
By II2aTee
@II2aTee (2559)
United States
January 16, 2008 2:44pm CST
The last few weeks I have been having a heck of a time getting to sleep. I live a pretty stress free life, all things considered, but for some reason I cant stop my mind from racing as I lay in bed. The strangest thoughts pop into my head, that triggers 20 more bizzare thoughs, and the cycle continues.
I am currently on Chantix to quit smoking, and its working wonderfully so I dont want to stop taking it... but I wonder if that has something to do with it. At the same time I dont want to take sleeping pills or anything that might mess up the effects of the Chantix.
I am a big tea drinker, so if anyone has any suggestions as far as tea goes - Im all ears. I usually drink Tazo Calm (chamomille) and that seems to do the trick 25% of the time. So something a bit more reliable would be preffered.
I'm a big fan of home and natural remedies, so any suggestions along those lines would be more than welcome.
My mother used to make me warm milk to help me sleep when I was a kid, but for some reason as an adult the smell makes me sick, so warm milk is out.
Anyone have any tricks to help them fall asleep?
I'm wide open for suggestions :)
Thanks in advance MyLot!
Tee
3 people like this
11 responses
@girtsmomma (297)
• United States
17 Jan 08
I certainly understand what you mean when you say counting sheep just won't cut it. Every time I get to counting sheep I always run across one that looks real sweet and I get all excited and lose count. I would rather count geese there is nothing about a goose that ever excited me.
1 person likes this
@Haiden123 (126)
• Canada
17 Jan 08
Make sure your not drinking stuff with alot of caffine and sugar near night and make sure your pillows fluffed and stuff just incase i hoped it helped abit.
@balasri (26537)
• India
17 Jan 08
My personal experience is if you do not feel sleepy don't sleep and don't worry about it.Do something else.The body cannot go without sleep forever.Let it beg for it.Till then use the time for something else.And as and when you hit the bed relax and breathe very evenly and deeply.You won't be knowing when you are sucked in that sweet sleep.That is what I do.
@RosieS57 (889)
• United States
17 Jan 08
Trouble falling asleep and nightmares are side effects of the Chantix. But quitting is one of the very best things you can do for your health, so keep on the Chantix.
The very best for making you drowsy is indeed another pill. Benedryl. It is the PM part of Tylenol and Advil PM. Another advantage is you can sleep itch free with it, too.
There is a slight groggyness hangover in the AM but nothing major. And you should only need it until you are good and quit -- so being on it temporarily won't hurt at all. It is more reliable than anything else.
@II2aTee (2559)
• United States
17 Jan 08
It may just come to Benedryl... even though I was saving that as last resort. I have a heck of a time waking up in the morning as it is... I dont need the groggy hangover.
But better that, than 2 or 3 hours of sleep a night I suppose.
I really dont have any problem staying asleep once it happens... its just the laying in bed awak waiting for sleep to come that drives me nuts.
And yes, I have had some pretty funky dreams from the Chantix. Nothing scary, but deffiantly memerable. The best one so far was I had a dream that I was a movie theater.
Yeah... it was interesting LOL
@crazyredhead (954)
• United States
17 Jan 08
Usually I just keep myself busy. Things like cleaning the house, working on schoolwork, budgeting, reading, or even watching a late night TV show - Law & Order is almost always on - really work to help me fall asleep. If I'm up and moving around my eyes eventually started to get hard to keep open and I lay down and don't remember falling asleep. Good luck, and if all else fails, any kind of PM usually works and the light stuff (ex: Benadryl, Tylenol, Excedrin) really works and doesn't interfere.
@dixie5150 (129)
• United States
16 Jan 08
This will probably sound over the top wierd, but onions (lot's of them) will make you sleepy. One of my sons has obssessive compulsive disorder, and ever since he was a baby he had sleeping problems if I couldn't make everything just right at bedtime. Anyway when he was little I use to boil two onions in a gallion of water and use the water in his formula and he'd be asleep within 5 minutes. Now that he's older, if he has trouble falling asleep he makes himself an onion sandwich. It helps if you like onions :)
@morgandrake (2136)
• United States
16 Jan 08
I tend to write into I am exhausted. Of course, that only works when you are a writer. But considering for me, it is the ideas that I want to write about that are keeping me awake, it is the best solution.
A friend of mine suggests mugwort tincture for helping people sleep. I have never actually tried it myself, but several people in our circle say that it works.
@II2aTee (2559)
• United States
17 Jan 08
This is a good suggestion and I have actually tried it in the past.
It's almost as if my subconcious mind knows something really creative I have to write about - and it wont let me sleep untill I put pen to paper and allow it to be born.
Thanks for the advice!
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
16 Jan 08
There is always the good old fashioned Hot Toddy before bed. Probably not right? Well, instead of just warm milk, make malted milk. I do not believe there is caffiene in malt. That will change the smell.
@loudhummer14 (535)
• Philippines
2 Feb 08
i've experienced this before. i tried everything. i almost drank a gallon of milk. i couldn't sleep for 3 days and my head was really getting heavy. my eyes were burning. but whenever i lie down, i just couldn't sleep. a friend adviced me to go to a spa. so i went. they have an aromatherapy program. it was nice. they gave me a massage with scented candles around. and i actually dozed of... i couldn't wait to go home coz i was really sleepy. i don't know if this would work for you. but hey! there's no harm in trying!
@MateiMonica (199)
•
27 Jan 08
www.snh.cc
visit he site.
Search it while you can write to me.
Family Herbalist a course that I have been made as is useful to know more for oen life and living.
@wormzydaizy (202)
• Philippines
13 Feb 08
Hi Tee! I guess you better check the food and drinks you consume atleast 4 hours before bedtime. Sometimes these foods are the usual suspects because they contain ingredients that makes you hyperactive. I had a sleeping disorder before and I tried popping up a herbal supplement that induces sleep. Its good though but it kept me sleep all day! oversleeping can cause major headache too! haha.
