Share your sleep hacks..

[Skippy918]

Is it the initial falling asleep part or waking in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back into a deep sleep?
I read before bed and it helps get me sleepy. But I do struggle with middle of the night wakeups (after 4 am)and not being able to fall back asleep. It’s the worst cause I toss and turn and then my alarm goes off.

 

[TCRAIG]

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.

Please Please Please NEVER EVER take Tylenol PM unless you’ve read the studies linking PM products to dementia….

 

[Pink Partridge]

I am in my early 50s. A female. Sleep has been elusive these last few years. UNTIL...... Someone on a peri-menopause site suggested the following: 5000mg Vitamin D....240mg Magnesium Glycerinate....1000mg Vitamin C. It takes about 2 weeks, but my life has changed.

Sometimes after a super stressful day, I also take a THC gummy (legal to buy in Maryland).

I sleep better than ever now.

 

[Pink Partridge]

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.

Yes. Or else a fan on high.

 

[DisneYE]

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.

I love ASMR videos! I follow about 10 different channels on YT.. they do work but after a while they aren't as effective.

 

[DisneYE]

Is it the initial falling asleep part or waking in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back into a deep sleep?
I read before bed and it helps get me sleepy. But I do struggle with middle of the night wakeups (after 4 am)and not being able to fall back asleep. It’s the worst cause I toss and turn and then my alarm goes off.

With me is I dont have problem falling asleep at first. I do fall asleep within 30 minutes as soon as I hit the bed, but then I only sleep 3-4 hours straight and wake up either to go to the bathroom or for whatever other reason. I can seldom sleep more than 5 hours straight. When I sleep 6-7 hours it's usually divided in two. With a 1-2 hour interval to regain sleep after I wake up.

 

[TinkAgainU]

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

Don't laugh, but I sometimes try to re-create my pattern of walking last time I went to disneyland, exactly what route, what stores or food, what rides ... it's like I get a free trip out of it lol. It works better if I did not buy a lot or eat a lot, so less guilt

 

[bluecruiser]

I've found a few podcasts that are designed to lull you to sleep. My favorite one is Get Sleepy. It combines interesting topics (but not too interesting) with a narrator whose voice is calming. It doesn't take me much time from the start of an episode before I fall asleep. I subscribe to the podcast and save the episodes that are particularly helpful to me.

That's just one podcast example, there are a number out there that work the same way.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I know what I need to sleep well, but I am not quite sure how to make it happen. The dog is killing me, she will more often than not, decide to wake us up during the night and want to go outside. DH doesn't seem to care and goes right back to sleep. Unfortunately I end up awake for at least an hour or more trying to get back to sleep. It gets really old and exhausting. I believe the problem is mainly with him on the dog behavior. If he is ever gone, the dog really acts differently, she knows I will not put up with her nonsense. He just allows the dog to be obnoxious and "act a fool". Yes I am grouchy, I have been awake since 4:15 this morning.

 

[TippyThomas]

I do the podcast thing myself. There are many out there designed for helping you sleep. Just search them out and find one you like or that works for you. I still don't sleep as well as I used to when I was younger, but I at least get more sleep with the podcasts than I was getting.

 

[DisneYE]

I know what I need to sleep well, but I am not quite sure how to make it happen. The dog is killing me, she will more often than not, decide to wake us up during the night and want to go outside. DH doesn't seem to care and goes right back to sleep. Unfortunately I end up awake for at least an hour or more trying to get back to sleep. It gets really old and exhausting. I believe the problem is mainly with him on the dog behavior. If he is ever gone, the dog really acts differently, she knows I will not put up with her nonsense. He just allows the dog to be obnoxious and "act a fool". Yes I am grouchy, I have been awake since 4:15 this morning.

Yikes... yeah having pets is a recipe for sleep disaster... recently when we had our cat she would stay outside our bedroom door scratching it or meowing begging we let her in.. after some time she'd get tired but start licking herself really loudly for like one hour straight... then she'd go to her litter and start scratching the box like crazy and after that she'd start a solo concert of loud meows (just out of boredom)...all this between midnight and 3 am.. for a light sleeper this is a nightmare.

I loved the pets that I've had in my life, but I'm never having another one again.
I love animals but my life is contingent on a good night's sleep.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I listen to an audiobook I'm already familiar with (the Harry Potter series, usually) slowed down to .7 or .75 speed.

 

[dizneegirl]

For those middle-of-the night, mind starts going, wake-ups, I walk through the Magic Kingdom. If my mind starts wandering, I make myself go back through the walk-through. Worst one ever, I made it all the way to the Jungle Cruise, after going counterclockwise from the entrance. Usually now I'm asleep before I hit Tomorrowland.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

As another person in perimenopause, I too am dealing with sleep issues. I was just talking to my OBGYN about it yesterday because I truly don't want to become a slave to any kind of meds or supplements. So, I'm trying to take a more basic approach for as long as I can handle it.

While I am mainly doing it because I let my body go after being sedentary for a couple of prolonged periods from health issues and had a bout of mild depression in the mix, I am trying to get my fitness routine back up to speed. The more I work out and move around during the day, the more tired I am when it's time to sleep. Improving my diet is probably also helping. I also don't do any caffeine after 7pm.

Falling asleep is rarely an issue, but I'm routinely waking in the middle of the night and finding it hard to doze back off. Before I go to sleep, I make sure my conditions are ideal for my preferences. For example, I need moving air (ceiling fan on), noise (I have an app where I can created mixes of soothing noises), and blankets (I prefer big heavy blankets...even when it's warm outside). Still, if I wake...while I won't indulge in screen time, I may put on my headphones and jam out to some music and slowly shift to more somber stuff just to work myself up a bit so I can get tired again. I know I'm on the right track if I start getting groggy by song 3. I know this may seem so cliche, but counting things also helps. No, not sheep, but I'll start counting things I own or have done in greater quantities. Last night, I was counting off all of the places I've been that have staircases.

 

[leebee]

I've started feeling anxious when trying to sleep. My heart will race and my stomach knots. I have been trying all kinds of things to make it go away. I know what is causing it, and don't expect it'll get better or change in the next 4 years... or at least until the 2026 midterms.

 

[TinkAgainU]

I've started feeling anxious when trying to sleep. My heart will race and my stomach knots. I have been trying all kinds of things to make it go away. I know what is causing it, and don't expect it'll get better or change in the next 4 years... or at least until the 2026 midterms.

I have friends that swear by either Melatonin or Trazodone (Rx I think), but turning off the TV has made a huge difference in my stress levels. If I need to know the news, I read it instead of watching it - don't forget the TV News is actually MEANT to be entertainment (that is how they get advertisers) so they will hype everything for effect. Not saying the news is not important, but unless you Need to watch it, try reading it as that is still Entertainment oriented, but at least they don't have the visual punch.

 

[cabanafrau]

I know this is a site for Disney fans, but I'm still surprised at so many mentions of using thoughts of Disney visits and walking around the parks for sleep issues. That's too much stimulation for me to wind down. I do much better with thoughts of something like waves rolling up on the beach or watching the current slide down the river.

 

[TippyThomas]

Saw this today and thought of this thread...

 

[sam_gordon]

I generally sleep very well. I have had times though where I "nod off" for about 15-20 minutes, then my brain kicks in and I'm awake.

Used to use Melatonin when needed, but that stopped working. Now I use Unisom or Nyquil if I just can't get to sleep.

Some of my "tricks" before resorting to Unisom/Nyquil...
* Retrace steps and visualize as much as possible. This can be a walk I recently went on or a drive from home to somewhere.
* Start thinking of random numbers between 1-100, but don't repeat any, and don't use any kind of pattern.

I've found if I can stop thinking/realizing I'm lying in bed, I get to sleep.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

Yikes... yeah having pets is a recipe for sleep disaster... recently when we had our cat she would stay outside our bedroom door scratching it or meowing begging we let her in.. after some time she'd get tired but start licking herself really loudly for like one hour straight... then she'd go to her litter and start scratching the box like crazy and after that she'd start a solo concert of loud meows (just out of boredom)...all this between midnight and 3 am.. for a light sleeper this is a nightmare.

I loved the pets that I've had in my life, but I'm never having another one again.
I love animals but my life is contingent on a good night's sleep.

Thankfully I haven't had much trouble with cats when it comes to sleeping. They pretty much keep each other entertained. There may be a crash from time to time, or the occasional "disagreement".

When I was single, I had a Siamese cat that would usually sleep on the bed with me. At the age of like 12 she decided it would be fun to start slapping me and biting me in the middle of the night. After a few nights of that, I started keeping my door shut of a night essentially banishing her from the bedroom for a couple weeks. Thankfully she didn't make noise outside the door during the night. After "being grounded", I started leaving the door open again and that behavior ceased. I know I am MUCH more tolerant with cats than I am dogs.