Share your sleep hacks..

[DisneYE]

I believe sleep is the foundation for good mental and physical health... like most in my age brake bracket (GenX), I struggle with sleep... I don't think I've had continuous 8+ hours of sleep in over ten years. I usually sleep 5-6 hours with one or two interruptions and it's so frustrating. I'm a different person when I sleep straight for 7 hours (very seldom). Good mood, energetic, compassionate, full of love.. when I sleep less than 6 hours I'm just a depressed zombie..
Up until my mid-30's I slept 8+ hours almost every day.. and that's when I accomplished the most in life.. If I were to sleep 8+ hours now in my 50s I believe I could accomplish so many things...10 hour sleep? wow, I'd be a super human... I haven't slept 10 straight hours in over 30 years.

I've tried them all: no caffeine after 2 pm, no screen time after 6, meditating, cooling the bedroom, chamomile tea, going to bed and waking up around the same time, very little water (so as to not go the bathroom)...Some of these help a little but none of them have been a permanent solution.. YouTube videos about sleep, meditation? I've watched them all.

I've even tried melatonin and while it helped for a bit, my body got used to it after a few days and now it barely does anything.

I'm scared because if I sleep around 6 hours or less now in my 50's, what is it going to be like in my 60s-70s.. I don't think I can survive with less than 5 hours of sleep...

What are your hacks for a good night's sleep?

 

[disney-inspired]

A must for me is physical exercise. It doesn't have to be crazy intense - and I can't even do intense workouts with my severe arthritis. I do walk 4 times a week averaging 1hr - 1.5 hours. I go for distance, not time, and I am not a super fast walker because of aforementioned arthritis. But it helps clear my head, get my heart pumping (lots of hills) and I'm usually tired and read for bed around 11:30pm.
I still don't sleep great because of chronic pain but it is much better than when I don't walk.

 

[han22735]

Have you tried a Magnesium supplement? I know others where melatonin stopped working and tried the supplement with good success using this one. Again if you're having consistent issues I'm sure you did but check with the doctor before starting anything.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GW4V7MC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

 

[Lumpy1106]

Second getting plenty of exercise.
Here's a trick to fall asleep fast;
Pick a word, any word, I like to stick with nouns (example: CAR)
choose 3 nouns for each letter of that word and try and remember them as you go (example: cat,cabin,crow-arrow,acrobat,anchor-rat,rail,road)
If you reach the end of the word, start again with the word for the last thing you named (example: ROAD)
Something about your brain trying to keep all that info at easy reach clears your mind of everything else. I'm usually out in less than a word.

 

[Aladora]

Fellow GenXer here! I found the following helped me get better sleep.
Good mattress, we have a memory foam one that helps reduce movement when my husband rolls over. I love my mattress more and more every time we stay at a hotel!

Good pillow, I bought mine from the same company where we got our mattress. Also, I have a pillow that goes between my knees when I sleep to help make sure my spine/hips are in alignment.

Light blocking sleep mask. The one I have actually has Bluetooth speakers and I have a white noise app that I use to play a fan noise. Also helps block out the sound of snoring!

Small fan. Like many *cough* women of a “certain age” I find a fan helpful.

Finally, I used to find that I could not shut my mind off and I used to just think of the most random things as I was trying to fall asleep. So I started going through a routine I knew well in my head as I was trying to fall asleep. Because I love to travel, I tend to go through a typical travel routine such as packing to go away. So I mentally walk through going to the basement, opening up the storage room where we keep our suitcases, walking upstairs with them. Then taking out the clothing I want to pack, rolling everything up, and packing the case. Anytime my mind tries to think about something else, I make myself start all over again! I’ve also thought my way through driving to the airport including putting cases into the car, driving the whole route to the airport, and parking the car.

It sounds weird but it really works for me! By mentally walking through something I have done often, it stops my mind from working overtime!

 

[DisneYE]

Have you tried a Magnesium supplement? I know others where melatonin stopped working and tried the supplement with good success using this one. Again if you're having consistent issues I'm sure you did but check with the doctor before starting anything.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GW4V7MC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Thank you...have tried melatonin with little to no results.. I'll try this one to see how it works.

 

[barkley]

there are certain narrators whose voices will put me to sleep and if I listen to them it also keeps my mind from racing. I keep a pile of episodes on my dvr to fall to sleep to.

 

[DisneYE]

Second getting plenty of exercise.
Here's a trick to fall asleep fast;
Pick a word, any word, I like to stick with nouns (example: CAR)
choose 3 nouns for each letter of that word and try and remember them as you go (example: cat,cabin,crow-arrow,acrobat,anchor-rat,rail,road)
If you reach the end of the word, start again with the word for the last thing you named (example: ROAD)
Something about your brain trying to keep all that info at easy reach clears your mind of everything else. I'm usually out in less than a word.

Wow.. jealous.. I'll try this tonight.
eta: I also do plenty of exercise... walk around 5 miles a day split in morning and afternoon.. if I didn't exercise I'd weigh >300lbs.. because lack of sleep affects your eating habits (I tend to eat more the less I sleep)

 

[DisneYE]

Fellow GenXer here! I found the following helped me get better sleep.
Good mattress, we have a memory foam one that helps reduce movement when my husband rolls over. I love my mattress more and more every time we stay at a hotel!

Good pillow, I bought mine from the same company where we got our mattress. Also, I have a pillow that goes between my knees when I sleep to help make sure my spine/hips are in alignment.

Light blocking sleep mask. The one I have actually has Bluetooth speakers and I have a white noise app that I use to play a fan noise. Also helps block out the sound of snoring!

Small fan. Like many *cough* women of a “certain age” I find a fan helpful.

Finally, I used to find that I could not shut my mind off and I used to just think of the most random things as I was trying to fall asleep. So I started going through a routine I knew well in my head as I was trying to fall asleep. Because I love to travel, I tend to go through a typical travel routine such as packing to go away. So I mentally walk through going to the basement, opening up the storage room where we keep our suitcases, walking upstairs with them. Then taking out the clothing I want to pack, rolling everything up, and packing the case. Anytime my mind tries to think about something else, I make myself start all over again! I’ve also thought my way through driving to the airport including putting cases into the car, driving the whole route to the airport, and parking the car.

It sounds weird but it really works for me! By mentally walking through something I have done often, it stops my mind from working overtime!

interesting solutions.. thanks for sharing.. will take some of these into consideration.

 

[TinkAgainU]

Occasional Tylenol PM. Breaks my cycle of stressing about sleeping. Just try a half dose to start and don't do it when you need to be up driving the next morning.

 

[jujubiee4]

Interesting thread. I will be following as I have the same problem for years. Can't get over 5 hours
a night unless I take something. If I don't 5 hours on the dot I wake up and can't get back to sleep.
Like you Melatonin works for me for a few days....then it doesnt. At best I can get to 6 hours with it.

Another poster above mentioned Magnesium. I forgot about that. I use to take that before bed on
advice from doctor and it helped. Not the capsule but actual powder I mixed in water. It never got me to
8 hours but the amount I slept was very restful. I got the supplemnt on Amazon.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Maybe ASMR videos? They work for me. Also though I do this really weird thing, but it works for me. I pretend in my head that I’m building an underground shelter that has to sustain life for a few years and I plan in detail what it’ll would it need. I fall asleep pretty fast doing this. Not sure why. I know it’s weird, lol, but it works.

 

[LuvOrlando]

So many people get upset they don't sleep straight through but maybe there is nothing wrong with waking up a while.

I read this a few years back about a writer discovering info on 2 phases in sleep and it is interesting. Maybe people are trying to solve a problem that isn't a problem at all?
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220107-the-lost-medieval-habit-of-biphasic-sleep

 

[cabanafrau]

Sometimes I watch old classic movies, more often historical documentaries. A while back I bought a small light machine that projects something like the Northern Lights on the ceiling and will let that run a while to help me get kind of zen and fall asleep.

 

[HeatherC]

Thank you...have tried melatonin with little to no results.. I'll try this one to see how it works.

There are different kinds of magnesium. Magnesium Glycinate is best for sleep.

 

[unrequited23]

So I started going through a routine I knew well in my head as I was trying to fall asleep.

I do the same thing except I'm wrapping a present. I mentally put the issue I'm ruminating on in a box and beautifully wrap it and tell myself I can unwrap it in the morning.

Occasional Tylenol PM. Breaks the cycle of stressing about sleeping. Just try a half dose to start and don't do it when you need to be up driving the next morning.

I will take a half dose of Benadryl if I've had 4 nights of shortened sleep (5 hrs or less.) It gets me back on track and I figure if it's ok during pregnancy it's fine to take every month or two.

 

[VandVsmama]

I use a white noise app on my phone. You can connect it to a Bluetooth speaker. Pick your favorite white noise, hit play. Puts me out in nothing flat.

 

[longboard55]

Agree its all about a clear mind. I do things like try to count how many times I went to disneyland this year. Thinking about work or why you are not sleeping is the killer

 

[citruscurtis]

Correct about aging into the 60s and 70s with sleep..
It's true and I was a fantastic sleeper!!!!

To go back to sleep I use to walk down main Street Disneyland... but now I leave Union station on the coast starlight... I don't make it to Burbank.. usually fall asleep at the large garbage truck facility...as main Street Disneyland was comforting..so is being caccon on a train

 

[citruscurtis]

Agree its all about a clear mind. I do things like try to count how many times I went to disneyland this year. Thinking about work or why you are not sleeping is the killer

What or how do you count.. like gate waiting or season s