Trouble getting to sleep? :(

**BenHull** · 08-04-2014 09:26 AM

At night, and this has been happening for a long time now, I have a lot of trouble getting to sleep. I close my eyes, relax, takes about 3 hours of that to get to sleep. Is it because I'm on the computer before I sleep? I don't know. Please help me this is stopping my lucid dreams ;-;

**BenHull** · 08-04-2014 09:30 AM

Sorry, posted in wrong place

**MisakaMikoto** · 08-04-2014 01:18 PM

Hi,

Experimenting might prove quite helpful
If you belive that computer might cause the problem, you can try one day to fall asleep around one or three hours after you turn off pc and see if it helps with sleeping
You might try aswell do more sports, the more tired your body is the easier it is to fall asleep.

Also don't drink too much stimulants like before the bed Coca-Cola since they tend to energize us.
Same for food eating too much food before sleeping.

You will find probably quite soon cause of sleepless nights
Goodluck

**BenHull** · 08-04-2014 01:38 PM

Will try all of these, thanks for the feedback

**Elaol** · 08-04-2014 01:44 PM

Been there, done that. I know how it feels. Just don't think about it. I know it is hard, but I had the same issue and until I stopped "panicking" I couldn't sleep.

**Erik112** · 08-04-2014 04:30 PM

The tricky part imho is focusing too much on falling asleep. Just don't consider it a problem. The world is not going to end if you don't sleep 1 or 2 nights because you are simply not used to the pattern. Make a habit of waking up at the exact time every day - for example 10 AM (that's my time, but yours might be whatever you need - 6pm, 7pm... you could even go for a time like 3AM if you're more of a night owl)

If you wake up at the same time every day - your body will automatically adjust itself. At first, you might be extremely tired and frustrated - but eventually, if you i.e. set your alarm at 10AM every day, your body will automatically want to sleep (and WILL if you allow it) at about midnight (also varies, depends on individual and how much sleep you need).

Your goal is to have a constant, not-changing sleep cycle. It is all about programming and training your body and mind. But note that making something an unbreakable habit takes at least 25-30 days. If you stop in the middle you have to start all over again, but if you hold on for the first month, there will be nothing to hold on to anymore as it will suddenly be a natural habit to you.

EDIT: Oh and yes, monitors, TVs and phone screens make a huge difference - at least for me personally. Sometimes when I tell myself that I want to fall asleep watching a movie, I never-ever-ever actually fall asleep during the movie as it is too disturbing for me to even close my eyes, NO MATTER HOW TIRED AND EXHAUSTED I AM. I could be running a marathon for 10 days and still not fall asleep during 3 hours movie, if it's interesting to me.

However, whenever I turn off all the electronics and just focus on the sweet darkness of sleep, it is not an issue anymore, rather a solution. Keep in mind that you need to decide if you want to be on the computer or sleep. You cannot have both - at least not within 1-3 hours, as you said yourself. Reading a book is a great solution. Cannot be too exciting, though, as that will only wake you up more.

**ThreeCat** · 08-04-2014 05:21 PM

Hi Ben.

I had to stop using the computer at night because it was keeping me up as well. But really, there are a multitude of things that could be keeping you up. If you are drinking caffeine after 5 pm, that could be an issue. To give you an idea, I found out that two things were keeping me awake at night: hot chocolate (made with lots of cocoa powder, lol) and taking my vitamins at night. My body is just sensitive to stimulants like the natural caffeine in chocolate, and vitamins B6 and 12. So it could really be anything.

On the other hand, like Erik mentioned above, sleep hygiene is good. Try to get into bed on time every night (even on weekends), and try to relax your body and mind before bed. This can include some gentle meditation (lying still and just being aware of your body and breathing) and some stretches to loosen yourself up. I personally like naukasana. If you find you can't fall asleep, don't try to fall asleep, as this is usually not helpful. You can take a natural supplement (like melatonin) or drink some catnip tea a few hours before bed. I grow a big catnip bush for this purpose

And something I downloaded onto my computer recently was f.lux--a program that dims your computer screen based on what time it is in your area. This can help take the edge off of the glare in the evenings. But I would avoid screens at night if you can.

Just do the best you can. Your best bet though is unwinding your mind and body before bed. This, in my experience, is most helpful to getting a good night's rest.