Thoughts, so many thoughts!

[Mooni]

What exactly describes an insomniac? How do you know when you are?

As far back as I can remember, I could never fall asleep as soon as I went to bed. In fact, I figured this was normal. I'd go to bed, lay awake for an hour or two, then finally drift off to sleep. Then I met people who would fall asleep in 5 minutes after going to bed. Why do they get this luxury? So now I figure, why go to sleep if I'm not going to fall asleep right away anyway? I can spend those hours doing something else. So I find myself staying awake for as long as possible until I can't stay awake any longer. This results in me staying up all night and going to bed at 6-9am. I've tried waking up early in the hopes of falling asleep sooner, but it doesn't help. I just lay in bed again for awhile until I get bored and get up, getting back into my regular vampiric schedule. One day I was awake for 32 hours and then slept for 17.

I just have too many thoughts going around in my head. When I'm laying there at night, everything seems to make a lot more sense so I think about it more. Sometimes I think out big senarios, story ideas, what I'm going to do tomorrow, etc. I don't even know half the stuff I think about, but why does my mind have to be so overactive? I'm an idealist and an artist. Does my creative mind leave me doomed? =\

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I just have too many thoughts going around in my head.

That's the key, right there... You need to get some help with distraction or thought-stopping... relaxation exercises or meditation might help...

 

[Daniel E.]

As you probably know, insomnia is usually because of stress/anxiety.
My favorite site about "sleep hygiene" is:
http://www.stanford.edu/~dement/howto.html

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Other things to help you sleep:

• start winding down your day about supper time or as soon after that as possible
• reduce caffeine -- if you drink coffee or tea or soft drinks containing caffeine (and there are many: check the ingredients carefully), try to start decreasing your consumtpion after lunch -- note that chocolate also contains caffeine
• if you exercise vigorously, don't do it late at night
• try to avoid watching exciting movies or TV shows late at night -- if you find TV relaxing, watch something like a documentary
• as you head toward bedtime, try to slow down your mind as well as your body with intellectually less exciting activities
• try Sleepy Time herbal (chamomile) tea -- it has a mild tranquilizing effect and is also a mild muscle relaxant
• don't watch TV in your bedroom
• try lying down in your bed and reading but again avoid reading something really exciting or intellectually stimulating
  [/list:u]

 

[Mooni]

Hrm... I had tried meditation some time ago, but it just doesn't seem to be my thing. My mind doesn't like being calmed. *lol* I don't drink coffee or anything, but I do eat a fair amount of chocolate. I'll make sure not to eat any before bed time from now on. *sneaks away the chocolates she was just eating* I also don't even have cable, so TV isn't a problem. I try reading and it certainly helps making me sleepy, but as soon as I shut off the light and try to sleep, I just can't. =\

Thanks for the advice and thanks for the link Daniel. I do most of these things, but they just don't seem to help. I don't want to rely on sleeping medication either. Drugs are just a big no no for me. x.x

 

[Daniel E.]

Have you tried melatonin?

 

[Mooni]

No, I haven't. I just looked into what it is and may be just the thing that could work. I'll look more into it, thanks for the suggestion. ^^