A great place to start Disorder information source Rated and Reviewed Sleep Links Entrance to all monitored Sleep Forums Search all of Sleepnet.com


Insomnia Forum
Posting


Archived Insomnia Forum6. To post a new topic go to the Insomnia Forum Homepage.

Having trouble getting to sleep when you need to?

Posted by Joey on September 24, 2000 at 19:51:20:

If you need to get to sleep earlier due to needing to get up early and you can't you could have Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome.

With Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome the best way to move your internal clock to get to sleep earlier is to get bright light when you get up in the morning and avoid it at night. You need to get as much bright light as possible at the time when you need to get up. If the sun is out, about 15 minutes will just about do it. If the sun is not available bright light boxes will help. It will take several days before you will start feeling sleepy around 10pm. And again avoid bright light in the evening. Dim your lights and if you read use low wattage bulbs and if you watch TV, view it from a distance.

Avoid exercising at least 4 hours before bedtime. You should do your exercise in the late morning. Do not try getting bright light in the morning and exercise at the same time. The exercise will keep the bright light from helping. So exercise in the late morning or early afternoon.

Avoid using Melatonin. There are many unanswered question about its use especially long term. Another reason not to use it is when you buy it at the health food stores you really do not know what the purity is. Test have been done on many different brands and the bottom line is you do not always get what the bottle says and it does not help move your circadian clock to help you get to sleep earlier. Light suppresses the natural production of melatonin in the body so avoiding light in the evening will help increase you natural production of it. Much better than taking a chance with melatonin found in cow brains. It is not regulated by the FDA so you will be taking a chance if you take it.

Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and night, including chocolate.

If you are in bed and can't sleep for 30 minutes, get up and do something boring in dim light till you feel sleepy.

There are many other things you can do to help but these are at the top of my list.

There has been mention of going to a Osteopath for insomnia. They are not experts dealing with insomnia. However, I wouldn't recommend going to a chiropractor either but in rare cases if the problem is back pain and they can correct it you will probably sleep better. If you try everything you can and it doesn't help you should see a sleep specialist. They usually only prescribe medication as a last resort.

Best wishes,

Joey


Follow Ups:


Archived Insomnia Forum6 To post a new topic go to the Insomnia Forum Homepage

  • IMPORTANT : Information not intended as medical advice. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder you should seek care from a qualified professional. Read Terms of Use.
  • The Sleep Forums are not to be used for commercial purposes.
  • Commercial products and services are not endorsed by Sleepnet.com.
  • Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.


Copyright ©1995-2005 Sleepnet.com., All rights reserved