Wake up strategies for sleepless nights

As a talented insomniac myself, I suggest doing a search for a thread called "Sleepless in Lawrenceville" started by Beth McGee/Swimr4Life.

Funny to see this post today as I had a horrible night last night. Took me 3 or 4 hours to get to sleep. This seems to happen in cycles for me. Haven't had a bad one in awhile--but I'm pretty sure it's hormonal. As soon as I lay down I feel something like an adrenaline rush, it's nuts. Sometimes, when I have this problem, a silly little trick that will work for me is to try and keep my eyes open and not shut them. It takes a few minutes but I eventually can't keep them open and start drifting off. Reverse psychology can be an effective tool, I guess. But not last night. Tried that for awhile but my mind and my hormones were still racing. I FINALLY remembered an old trick I used to use on myself the night before a big swim if I couldn't sleep. I went and got my walkman (yes, I still have a Walkman) and I found some talk show to listen to in bed. It was a somewhat boring show playing at a very low level but it allowed my mind to get off of the anxious cycle. Took half an hour or so, but I finally fell asleep. Then, once I've slept awhile I wake up and take off the walkman and am relaxed enough to sleep normally. Music doesn't seem to work for me because my thoughts can still race on. Talking seems to derail my anxious thinking a little better. Don't know if that will help. I may have to try some of the suggestions on the other thread. I do think that making myself get up to swim or go to the gym regardless helps me the next night. Getting older sucks in a few ways!

Funny to see this post today as I had a horrible night last night. Took me 3 or 4 hours to get to sleep. This seems to happen in cycles for me. Haven't had a bad one in awhile--but I'm pretty sure it's hormonal. As soon as I lay down I feel something like an adrenaline rush, it's nuts. Don't hormones and age just suck? I always know it's AF (for Kirk) time when it's impossible to fall asleep. I've been tossing and turning like crazy lately, but I'm currently blaming it on lack of real exercise. Eric, I always have much more vivid dreams too! But I ALWAYS feel better when I exercise even if I feel like crap in the am. So try to force yourself to go. If you're tired in the afternoon, have a little (but not too much!) caffeine.

Don't hormones and age just suck? I always know it's AF (for Kirk) time when it's impossible to fall asleep. I've been tossing and turning like crazy lately, but I'm currently blaming it on lack of real exercise. Yes :) Do you get the adrenaline thing? That's what makes me pretty sure it's hormonal. It's absolutely crazy because I'll be yawning and tired as a dog right before I lay down and then "boom" it's like I'm having a fight or flight response to sleeping! WTH???

Sometimes, when I have this problem, a silly little trick that will work for me is to try and keep my eyes open and not shut them. It takes a few minutes but I eventually can't keep them open and start drifting off. Reverse psychology can be an effective tool, I guess! i do this too and have had mixed results. the other trick is to make myself cold and don't cover up again until i can't think of anything else but how cold i am. it kind of helps get me out of the "thinking loop". i wonder if it's a maslows heirchy of needs thing. you can't focus on anything else until your physical needs are met. if you're cold, you need to be warm. ya, something came up with between about 2 and 4 AM. :dunno:

Yes :) Do you get the adrenaline thing? That's what makes me pretty sure it's hormonal. It's absolutely crazy because I'll be yawning and tired as a dog right before I lay down and then "boom" it's like I'm having a fight or flight response to sleeping! WTH??? Yep, same damn thing. I think I've been at it about 4 years now ... although I'm currently also specializing in waking up multiple times at night. This is way more unfair than order of events issues (had to note that for Hofffam).

Sometimes when I try to sleep I can't help but think about everything I need to do. I can't stop. ...it's a cycle, when I swim, i'm less stressed, but when it does creeps up on me I don't swim in he morning because i'm too tired in the morning to go, and I need to be rested for work which just makes me antsy the next day and so on. Well, I end up skipping days and days at the pool. Frustrating. I've totally been there and have been there BAD at particularly stressful career times. Can't say I've solved this, but here are things that work for me getting to sleep: cut back on alcohol ... seems counter-intuitive given that it's a depressant, but I sleep best and get to sleep best when I'm not drinking at all or very little meditation / deep breathing ... deep breathing in bed on your back in "corpse pose" slowly counting backwards from 10 down to 1, one count each breath. If you don't feel relaxed by the time you get to 1, start over. warm milk ... sounds hokey and maybe this is a placebo effect, but it seems to work for me ... this time of the year, warm egg nog is even better turn off the TV some period of time before you climb into bed ... what works best for me is simply to read for the last ~30 minutes before I try to go to sleep if all else fails, try OTC sleep aids and then, if that's not working, ramp up to Rx sleep aids. I've only had to resort to the Rx stuff when doing short int'l business trips. As to getting up in the morning, I totally rely on the sweet drug of double espresso. My rule of thumb, though, for skipping AM workouts is if I'm getting less than 5 hours of sleep. I've done workouts on 3 and 4 hours of sleep and the result is a crappy workout, a crappy day and a crappy mood.

I've totally been there and have been there BAD at particularly stressful career times. Can't say I've solved this, but here are things that work for me getting to sleep: cut back on alcohol ... seems counter-intuitive given that it's a depressant, but I sleep best and get to sleep best when I'm not drinking at all or very little meditation / deep breathing ... deep breathing in bed on your back in "corpse pose" slowly counting backwards from 10 down to 1, one count each breath. If you don't feel relaxed by the time you get to 1, start over. warm milk ... sounds hokey and maybe this is a placebo effect, but it seems to work for me ... this time of the year, warm egg nog is even better turn off the TV some period of time before you climb into bed ... what works best for me is simply to read for the last ~30 minutes before I try to go to sleep if all else fails, try OTC sleep aids and then, if that's not working, ramp up to Rx sleep aids. I've only had to resort to the Rx stuff when doing short int'l business trips. As to getting up in the morning, I totally rely on the sweet drug of double espresso. My rule of thumb, though, for skipping AM workouts is if I'm getting less than 5 hours of sleep. I've done workouts on 3 and 4 hours of sleep and the result is a crappy workout, a crappy day and a crappy mood. Excellent advice!

Yep, same damn thing. I think I've been at it about 4 years now ... although I'm currently also specializing in waking up multiple times at night. Yikes! That's not encouraging! I can't even take any kind of hormones because of a bad reaction to birth control. Oh life in the 40's is getting more and more fun by the minute...:afraid:

Another counterintuitive piece of advice: A SMALL piece of chocolate and a glass of milk. Now you must explain this one because it seems completely counterintuitive. And I would have to brush my teeth all over again!