Sleeping Tips

She stated that she can be in bed, but not sleeping. "I have dealt with insomnia for many years. I can go for 5 days without sleeping." Can we share some sleeping tips for this group? I know a few but haven't had any trouble in years.

"I'm only getting about two hours of sleep," said another person. Okay, how about the rest of us?

Here is the list: (Not in any particular order) 1. No amphetamines, medication, or vitamins that have side effects that wake you up are taken in the evening. 2. Limit caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol intake especially later in the afternoon/evening, 3. Limit exercise, and blue light an hour to two hours before bed 4. Drink warm milk before bed, turkey for dinner or in the evening 5. Prayer was given by a few people as the only thing they needed at night 6. Reiki, meditation, breathing exercises 7. Reading short stories, listening to stories on tape with a speaker with a monotone or boring voice. 8. Sing lullabies, play soft music, sleepy music 9. Small amount of melatonin, (just enough to prime our pump, as we make our own melatonin) 10. Exercise earlier in the day 11. Feet up above your head for 20 minutes to nap, trying not to sleep during the day 12. A warm bed, warm legs, and feet, or use a fan or turn the heat down when it is too warm as either too hot or too cold will make it difficult to fall asleep 13. Multivitamins and other vitamins so no cramping, no restless legs, etc. 14. Warm bath before bed 15. Mask to cover eyes, no noise or white noise, soft music 16. Drinking sleepy time and other herbal teas that are recommended for sleep.

I thought this may be enough of a list. Please feel free to recommend others in the comments. One person said that many of these have not worked for her and she gagged when warm milk was mentioned.

I never know everyone's story when working as I am very part-time. I think that is good. I do know though that something isn't going to work if you don't try it. I noticed people stopped offering tips after so many were not going to work!

Here is my story. I took amphetamines, called diet pills when I started. My mother was taking them when I was a young girl and when we moved after my dad died and I was depressed and was putting on weight, she took me to see a doctor and I was given diet pills too.

I learned that I could take them as long as I was 5 pounds over the insurance company scale for weight by age. That wasn't hard to do as my mother was a good cook and baker.

I could go several days without sleep, as a young adult woman if I felt I needed to, and then sleep for a few days to catch up.

Some time later when I quit everything I was using, both alcohol and drugs, I had trouble sleeping. Not smoking would wake me up every night for a few years as I figured my body wanted a cigarette. I was 24 when I quit smoking.

At 26, I was no longer taking amphetamines. I had a big adjustment to make. It was a tough year as I also had no alcohol to help me sleep or anything else.

I was sleeping, just not sleeping properly for some time into recovery. It was okay when I would get calls during the night from someone else in early recovery. I would talk half the night and be okay the next day.

Now, I go right to sleep and sleep 7 to 8 hours a night with some getting up to go to the bathroom. I do get right back to sleep though. I really would hate not being able to get to sleep. I enjoy my sleep and can be irritable without it.