Lately I have not been sleeping well...what do ya mean lately...I never seem to sleep well. But sometimes are better than others, I am in that others right now. I try like heck to follow all the suggestions for falling asleep....no caffeine, no TV, no exercising before bed (how about never?), cool (yep, AC is running full force), dark (no lights on, blinds closed, eyes shut) but still sleep alludes me. I have tried lavender body lotion and lavender oils since the aroma is supposed to be soothing and calming to no avail. After laying awake for an hour or more, I finally give up and go downstairs to sit on the back porch. Since it is usually after midnight there is nothing but the night sounds to listen to. No birds chirping, no wind rustling through the trees, only the hum of the AC and the crickets with their summer sounds reach my ears. I hear an occasional airplane in the sky or the drone of cars on a nearby busy street, but mostly I hear silence. Toby wanders down and follows me out, but doesn't stay long and returns to his spot on the stairs waiting patiently for me to return to bed. With it being so warm, I don't even bother to put on a robe, just me in my nightgown sittin' and rockin' and thinkin' scattered thoughts. God and I have our best conversations at this time of night, altho I seem to do most of the talking. After awhile, I feel my eyes beginning to droop and think perhaps now I can fall asleep. Sometimes it works, other times not.
I want to know the secret....how the heck does one stand on one foot and sleep so soundly?? Do you suppose this would work for me? If you have a secret to sleep, please share.
"Laugh and the world laughs with you, snore and you sleep alone." ~ Anthony Burgess
and (this made me giggle)
"If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters." ~ Author Unknown
Until next time.....
Maybe a sleep study is called for! I sure don't sleep in a toaster, nor can I sleep on one leg!
ReplyDeleteRight there with you! Too bad we don't live next door to each other -- we could meet up on that front porch of ours at midnight. I have tried all the things you mentioned. The computer was a big one for me, always tempted to just look at one more thing. My son installed a program on it that changes the color of the light at sundown to less of a blue and more of an amber shade. It's called f-lux and you can download it for free at http://stereopsis.com/flux/. Now I don't have to worry about getting on the computer a little late. But, alas, it doesn't solve all of my sleep problems and what I usually do when I have been in bed for an hour and haven't fallen asleep is get up and take a Benedril. My mother swears by this and it really works. No morning grogginess either. Hope I've been of some help. Sleeplessness is just no fun!
ReplyDeletei know that heat has a lot to do with it. if my room is not cold i can not sleep. the hubby snores i can't sleep. i would say ... & i mean this from the bottom of my heart ... do you have something on your mind? now, it might not be the most noticeable. it might me something deep rooted. my bro is having issues with sleeping lately. & i brought it to my mom's mind that might be because in the past he had several fires in different rental properties he lived in ... usually happened early in the morning. & i wonder if he is waking up concerned as to what might happen. our bodies are mysterious things ... you have to really find the reason & work from there. i know i seem to be sleep during the day & then when i go to bed i suddenly have a wide awake moments. it is frustrating. please, don't hit me for saying this either ... but i know i could get more exercise myself. but that is needed as well. something to consider. i wish you well in figuring it out. thinking about ya. because everyone needs a good sleep. it is a big old must!! big hugs. take care. (:
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you are talking about. I have tried everything to sleep. I am so envious of people who fall asleep mere minutes after their head hits the pillow.
ReplyDeleteFantastic picture! I love that! I sure hope sleep comes back to you :( That's a very frustrating feeling.
ReplyDeleteLemon chamomile tea before bedtime. I swear by it. It has to be lemon chamomile, chamomile alone has no taste. With sweetener, of course. White noise? And actually a short walk in the morning or sometime early in the day might help you sleep better. Exercise is supposed to help but as you say ... Not within a few hours of bedtime.
ReplyDeleteMaybe something will help, maybe not. I hope it does!
Sweet dreams ...
Dotti
I know what you mean! I am ooso envious of my hubby who fall asleep two seconds after his head hits the pillow. :/ I noticed I have more difficulties on sleeping when I am at the PC till late reading blog... like now. LOL! Reading a funny book helps me a lot. I'll try and hit the hay now, hope you will sleep well tonight! :)
ReplyDeleteExcedrin p.m. For some reason 4 a.m. Is when my body thinks I should get up- Uhhhh how about NO! I do have a prescription sleep me too. Because there are only so many 4am wake ups a gal can stand. Hope u an answer that works for u. Btw-loved this post and the pic I go along with it.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, you're asking me, the one who gets robbed from the sleep thief.....so I'm not sure if I can be any help. I can't remember the last time I slept through the night. But I sure hope you can get some soon!!
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem, though I can usually fall asleep, but can't stay that way. I'm up at 3 or 4 in the morning, usually fretting about something, so I pray. I'll say the Our Father or ask God to watch over my loved ones. Like you, sometimes I can fall back to sleep, other times I can't. It's very frustrating. If you learn of a good remedy, please share!
ReplyDeleteYour quotes tickled me. :)
There is much going on in your life for you to ponder and to talk with God about and so he gives you these times to do just that. While sitting on the porch why not try a warmed mug of milk with a half of a turkey sandwich. The tryptophan from both will lull you to sleep. Some say this is an urban legend but it certainly works for me. Insomnia has also been proved to be a hormonal thing...just a thought. If the milk and turkey don't work for you....the Benedryl works for my daughter like terriporter commented earlier. Love the quotes and the flamingo!!!
ReplyDeleteI am having increasing trouble falling asleep. Then I am plagued by those questions for which I don't have answers. When I was a smoker I could drop right off most of the time. My chiropractor would say that I am now properly oxygenated. But I miss diving into sleep.
ReplyDeleteI swear by the TV sleep timer. I set it to turn the TV off for me after 45 minutes. I turn over on my side, don't even look at the TV, just listen to it so it drowns out my thoughts that would normally keep me from falling asleep. Within 10 minutes, I am sound asleep and the TV automatically shuts itself off. If not, it would wake me in the middle of the night and I'd never get back to sleep. Oh...and DEFINITELY walk away from the computer if you feel the slightest bit tired or else you catch a second wind and you've lost your window.
ReplyDeleteGOOD LUCK! Sleep trouble is so uncomfortable.
Deanna, just saw this on my facebook as I subscribe to Dr. Oz and thought if you are still having trouble sleeping this might be worth a try.
ReplyDeleteDr. Mehmet Oz
Tip of the Day: Before bedtime, drink 8 ounces of tart cherry juice. It’s rich in melatonin and proven to help you fall asleep.