Sleep

[aiasthewall]

Thanks Willie.

But if Ambien and Lunesta don't work, Melatonin sure as hell won't.

[Strange]

I do think that the worst the insomnia began when I started grappling regularly.

cut down the man massaging, mess up the breathing rhythm, not good.
that coffee too. drink chrysanthemum and chinese cooling herbal tea,
slow and calm that thinking speed down.

like down to 1 km/h.
good sleep soon.

[willie]

Thanks Willie.

But if Ambien and Lunesta don't work, Melatonin sure as hell won't.

the regular sleeping pills don't work on me well and then when they do, I have a very hard time getting up in the morning.
My doctor just recommended Melatonin to me a few months ago, it helps out some and it's safe to use long term.

The other thing that really works for me is turkey.

[Michael]

....but the only cure was love, to be quite honest.

As I see things, stress/tension/constriction has the opposite effect as love/joy/relaxation/opening and an underlying stress problem probably means that there is an antidote in the form of love/joy/relaxation/opening that may not be an obvious polar opposite to the apparent causes of symptoms, such as sleep deprivation and quality issues, but the love connection is there, waiting to be accessed.

[wiesiek]

when I was smokin`- always had good sleepin` time and wake up /early/in good shape,
now, in no smokin` mode have too much dreams thru the night, and wakin` up little tried

[wiesiek]

but,
if you don`t smoke ,
you may try >blocking negative energy< when in the bed:
- chant basic mantra seven times /om pade hum, or - om barerum dei / not necessary loud, sound can be in the mind only,
- imagine red energy stream- emitting from throat chakra in to the space
- then, reflection of it is returning to you and forms cocoon /net/ surrounding your body

[Steve James]

I get about 6 hours every night, and that works for me -- no matter what happens beforehand, almost. I think your body knows how much it needs. If your schedule permits, try napping whenever you feel like it. Everybody's different.

Have you tried self-suggestion? Tell yourself exactly what you would like to happen. Then set and forget. Or, tell yourself a bedtime story (in your head). It's just a distraction, no different than counting backwards or counting sheep.

And you might also start recording your daily/nightly experience on paper. Try something different each night for a week, then check to see which worked best. Do that.

[origami_itto]

How do you feel with the sleep you're getting?

Are you getting manic, depressed, how much energy do you have?

How much sleep are you getting before you wake up ? For quite a large time of our social development we'd sleep for four hours, get up for a few hours, then go back to sleep for four hours.

Is it the same time every night? What are you like at the corresponding time during the day? Do you wake up at 3AM and have an energy lull at 3PM? Addressing the mid-day slump can help with the mid-night wake-up.

Are you having GI trouble ? Heartburn or need a trip to the potty?

I like a nice slow meditative long form before bed and first thing in the morning. If I wake up in the night and can't get right back to sleep I make use of the time. Some nights I still just can't go down for one reason or another.

Cannabis is a double-edged sword. It helps with sleep, but then also makes you dependant on it for sleep. At least for me it does. It also, like alcohol, tends to make the sleep less restful. However I cannot say enough for smoking a big bowl of some kush and then spending a half-hour or so standing.

[BonesCom]

Thanks Willie.

But if Ambien and Lunesta don't work, Melatonin sure as hell won't.

He's not far off the mark, however you do have to careful with dosing.

I've always had problems sleeping, the only regime that helped me was a combination of valerian root, phytomelatonin and fresh hops.
Valerian root an hour before bed, phytomelatonin (sour cherry juice) 20 min before then stick some hops in a sock and have it close to your nose as you try to drift off.

Melatonin supplementation (for me at least) took about a month to have an appreciable effect, and you have to take it everyday at about the same time. Be careful about dose, too high and you'll have vivid dreams.

It's the hops that set it off for me, but I always had more of an issue getting off than staying asleep.

[aiasthewall]

Thanks Bones. I have tried Melatonin in the past; it didn't really work and just made me groggy in the morning. But perhaps as you say, I did not do it for long enough.

I really think the answer is getting serious again about my meditation practice. It has gone on the backburner (hard to get motivation when exhausted all the time), but it is really the only thing that has helped.

But I am gonna give the different sleep cycle trick a try as well!

Thanks again!