having trouble..

im have the shittiest sleeping patterns and im wonderingif theres anything i can do to fix them that doesnt involve medication?
to elaborate, im am really tired all the time, when i wake up, at night, though i cant sleep untill 3 or 4 in the morning. i often wake up during the night, toss and turn or wake up really early and unable to get back to sleep. other than affecting dream recal and the ability to lucid, im fatuiged and cant concentrate and other issues that go with lack of sleep. i have sleeping pills but they are only a temporary suscription and my parents dont let me have them every night because they dont want me to depend on them. is there anything i can do?!?
:confused:

Yup. Lots you can do, but it'll take a bit of patience and effort.

1) Always go to bed at the same time every day.

2) Spend some time in the bed, relaxing. Read an easy book for a while.

3) If you struggle to sleep, research 'melatonin' which is the hormone that makes you drowsy. There's no known side effects or overdose symptoms whatsoever. Take it before you get into bed and read your book, and don't fight the drowsiness to read an extra paragraph :P

4) Don't drink coffee, alcohol or have a big meal right before sleeping. In fact, don't drink coffee or alcohol a full 4 hours prior to your bed time.

5) Things like warm milk help, and foods high in tryptophan. Again, don't binge before bed though

6) Do some tough activity/exercise during the day, but at least a couple of hours before bed.

7) Try not to use an alarm. It can wake you at a bad time and leave you groggy. Alternatively, figure out what a 'good time' is for you - might be difficult since your sleep cycles are likely to be out of whack.

8) When you wake up, don't go back to sleep. Take your time by all means - take it easy - but don't doze off again. This is counter-productive. Teach yourself to wake up properly.

All those should help in theory. Can't think of others right now.

(Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, just a self-professed expert on sleep. Your choice to use or discard my advice is your own)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Placebo

Yup. Lots you can do, but it'll take a bit of patience and effort.

1) Always go to bed at the same time every day.

2) Spend some time in the bed, relaxing. Read an easy book for a while.

3) If you struggle to sleep, research 'melatonin' which is the hormone that makes you drowsy. There's no known side effects or overdose symptoms whatsoever. Take it before you get into bed and read your book, and don't fight the drowsiness to read an extra paragraph :P

4) Don't drink coffee, alcohol or have a big meal right before sleeping. In fact, don't drink coffee or alcohol a full 4 hours prior to your bed time.

5) Things like warm milk help, and foods high in tryptophan. Again, don't binge before bed though

6) Do some tough activity/exercise during the day, but at least a couple of hours before bed.

7) Try not to use an alarm. It can wake you at a bad time and leave you groggy. Alternatively, figure out what a 'good time' is for you - might be difficult since your sleep cycles are likely to be out of whack.

8) When you wake up, don't go back to sleep. Take your time by all means - take it easy - but don't doze off again. This is counter-productive. Teach yourself to wake up properly.

All those should help in theory. Can't think of others right now.

(Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, just a self-professed expert on sleep. Your choice to use or discard my advice is your own)

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ahh thanks dude! i will most definatly be trying some of these, if not all. lol. since im in desperate need of a good nights sleep. :)