I think I have seen here in the forums, that the trick is not to go to bed earlier, but to get up earlier. Even if you stay up late and use the alarm to wake up at the crack of dawn and try to stay awake all day long would tire you out more than if you went to sleep earlier and tossed and turned and didn't get to sleep until 3 am and then slept until noon...
Recently I mentioned a few tricks that I learned from my therapist...
-- are you a Clock-watcher? Turn the clock away from you so you can stop obsessing about the time, and worrying or getting angry or frustrated about how late it is or when the alarm is going to go off. In this case, what you don't know won't hurt you. 8D
-- when we wake in the middle of the night, usually it's a good reason. You may have been sleeping in an uncomfortable position, and this might allow you to prevent waking up with kinks in your neck. It could mean you are a bit thirsty/overheated. It could be you need another blanket because you are cold, or perhaps you need to turn the temperature warmer. Did your bladder wake you? The trick is make these adjustments with as little light and as little movement as possible. When I get up at night I don't turn on any lights. I pretty much feel my way to the kitchen if I need medicine or a sip of water (ideally I should keep these on a bedside table, but I don't have one, it's on my husband's side)... I may open the microwave door to illuminate things, or maybe the fridge, but I don't turn on the lights. Same with the bathroom. I can wash my hands in the dark. lol
So keep a little cup of water, maybe an advil or two by your bed, have a blanket at the end of the bed to grab if you are cold, or gently kick off a blanket if you are too warm. Try to keep in mind that to wake up for this reason is a GOOD reason, natural, and nothing to worry about, nothing to get frustrated about, then you may be relaxed enough to go back to sleep more easily.
-- during the day, try exercise, even if it is just an early evening walk (like AC mentioned) -- try reading up on sleeping tricks, like no caffeine after 5pm, no sugary snacks after 9pm, avoid citrusy/vitamin-C laden drinks or food because that's better saved for the morning to perk you up. Coming close to evening, start using less and less lights, don't crank the TV, do something quiet like meditation/relaxation breathing, gentle stretching, listen to some mellow music. Try to avoid reading or watching stimulating books/programs (like Stephen King!)... If you train your brain and body to start relaxing in the evening and being active during the day, it will start to feel more natural. And believe it or not, avoid alcohol, because it doesn't allow you to sleep as deeply (and is not good to mix with medications anyway).
-- IF you do nap during the day, set the alarm so that you don't sleep more than an hour. Try to avoid napping during the day. It's better to force yourself to stay up so you can sleep better at night.
Hope this helps a bit... Good luck!
Recently I mentioned a few tricks that I learned from my therapist...
-- are you a Clock-watcher? Turn the clock away from you so you can stop obsessing about the time, and worrying or getting angry or frustrated about how late it is or when the alarm is going to go off. In this case, what you don't know won't hurt you. 8D
-- when we wake in the middle of the night, usually it's a good reason. You may have been sleeping in an uncomfortable position, and this might allow you to prevent waking up with kinks in your neck. It could mean you are a bit thirsty/overheated. It could be you need another blanket because you are cold, or perhaps you need to turn the temperature warmer. Did your bladder wake you? The trick is make these adjustments with as little light and as little movement as possible. When I get up at night I don't turn on any lights. I pretty much feel my way to the kitchen if I need medicine or a sip of water (ideally I should keep these on a bedside table, but I don't have one, it's on my husband's side)... I may open the microwave door to illuminate things, or maybe the fridge, but I don't turn on the lights. Same with the bathroom. I can wash my hands in the dark. lol
So keep a little cup of water, maybe an advil or two by your bed, have a blanket at the end of the bed to grab if you are cold, or gently kick off a blanket if you are too warm. Try to keep in mind that to wake up for this reason is a GOOD reason, natural, and nothing to worry about, nothing to get frustrated about, then you may be relaxed enough to go back to sleep more easily.
-- during the day, try exercise, even if it is just an early evening walk (like AC mentioned) -- try reading up on sleeping tricks, like no caffeine after 5pm, no sugary snacks after 9pm, avoid citrusy/vitamin-C laden drinks or food because that's better saved for the morning to perk you up. Coming close to evening, start using less and less lights, don't crank the TV, do something quiet like meditation/relaxation breathing, gentle stretching, listen to some mellow music. Try to avoid reading or watching stimulating books/programs (like Stephen King!)... If you train your brain and body to start relaxing in the evening and being active during the day, it will start to feel more natural. And believe it or not, avoid alcohol, because it doesn't allow you to sleep as deeply (and is not good to mix with medications anyway).
-- IF you do nap during the day, set the alarm so that you don't sleep more than an hour. Try to avoid napping during the day. It's better to force yourself to stay up so you can sleep better at night.
Hope this helps a bit... Good luck!
or did the emergency apt change that,?
