Can't fall asleep quickly

[nburwell]

If I have trouble falling asleep, I generally take a zzzquil which usually does the trick. But unless something is really bothering me at work, I'm typically passed out within a half hour. My girlfriend and I usually put on re-run's of TV shows on Netflix, set the TV timer, and we're out with 30-45 minutes.

It's good to not be playing on your phone/tablet/computer right before you go to bed. I usually wind down by reading a book, then pop the TV on for background noise to fall asleep to.

Exercising is a good tip too. My girlfriend exercises regularly where as I don't work out as much as she does. Even if she's exhausted from work and working out, she'll have trouble sleeping. Stress and anxiety can really work against you when you're winding down for the night.

 

[A.Goldberg]

If you find you need a supplement to help you sleep, have a chat with your doctor. Ask his/her thoughts on things like melatonin before jumping to prescription medications like Ambien or Lunesta.

I recommend the Calm app, which does some guided mindfulness meditation exercises to try to quiet your mind. We (people who care enough about technology to be posting here) tend to be very active consumers of information, seeking constant stimulation. That can be extremely disruptive at bed time. Calm has helped me clear my thoughts and get in a good mental state for sleep.

People should know too there are prescription options other than hypnotic sedatives and benzodiazepines for sleep (Ambien, Lunesta, Ativan/Lorazepam, Xanax/Alprazolam). There are some other prescription sleep medicines that are very effective for many people that primarily work on the histaminergic and/or cholinergic systems that don't have a risk of rapid tolerance building, dependence, or abuse/addiction.

Great recommendation of meditation. Research supports meditation for multitude of psychological ailments. There are various techniques but highly recommend looking up various progressive muscle relaxation if you have not. Our bodies, even more true for some people such as myself, hold a lot of stress and anxiety physically in muscles whether we consciously realize it or not. The mind-body connection is truly fascinating. We tend to assume it generally only works in one direction (brain influences muscles) when in fact the reverse is also true (muscles influence brain). Relaxation of one's muscles can relax the mind, decreasing stress, anxiety, insomnia, etc.

 

[Cpt. Gilgamesh]

For the past four years, I've tried EVERYTHING. Drugs, excercise, blue light blocking glasses, the works. My anxiety was the real pain point. I was so overwhelmed with anxious thoughts that I'd just wait to pass out at 3am.

Made some life changes. I got a nice job and started on a routine I could live with so I'm not so anxious and depressed anymore. So that's a biggie. However, I still don't fall asleep quickly. Melatonin really helps. Blue-blocking goggles a couple of hours before bed help sometimes. If those fail, I can safely take a PM pain reliever. I used to pop those and Ambien-like drugs like candy.

Also, for the religious out there, prayer. A rosary before bed calms me down; gives me some peace.