Does anyone have any great tips to help you sleep? ?

I know it sounds cliche', but I've found the best way to get a good night's rest is to eat a big meal, make love to someone, snuggle up, and bam...out like a light. It's hard to feel stressed after intercourse.

I tend to overanalyze at times as well and I have always had trouble with sleep. I sometimes will leave the TV on or I will leave a light on. I shower at night to help calm me down and I try to do something creative like draw write or play my guitar before I fall asleep so I can get my ideas and thoughts out of my head as much as possible. Also getting to bed the same time every night really helps me. I also have to tell myself its going to be okay sometimes because I get so anxious about stuff. I also like to talk to a friend before I go to sleep just for some kind of a connection. I hope this helps a lil. Good luck:)

First of all, being sleepless from jet lag is totally normal, stop changing time zones or visiting forgein countries. Second, stressing over not sleeping releases adrenaline which will keep you wide awake as well. During the week, make sure you've set your alarm well, then turn it away from you so you don't see it everytime you wake up. Your body will get used to it after a while.

Here are some sleepless triggers: watching exciting movies at night; drinking; eating too close to bedtime; clock watching;soda and/or junk food before bed; having the lights bright in the house. Movies trigger adrenaline; drinking is mostly sugar, and will keep you awake once the alcohol itself wears off; eating any sort of food or drink releases adrenaline, caffeine boosts, and burns off no calories as you sleep. And seeing as the human body thinks the sun is up when the lights are bright, keeping them dim at night lets it know it's bedtime.

As for falling asleep, try this: lie in bed with your eyes closed. Take slow, deep, relaxed breaths. Starting at your toes, flex and release each muscle MENTALLY before moving to the next. After all your toes, the top of your foot; the back of your foot; the muscles on either side of your ankle. THEN switch to your other leg, and do the same. Switch between legs, flexing and relaxing each muscle with your mind only. If you start to nod off, FORCE yourself awake, and continue. Next thing you know, you're waking up to your alarm going off.

Hey, I think I have the same sort of problems as you; when you say about overanalysing things, not being able to sleep and feeling anxious in certain situations. Would you mind telling me a bit more about what happens with you and how you deal with it? Perhaps its a condition that hasn't been given a term yet.

I overanalyse things since I sometimes think I know what people are thinking. Not exactly their thoughts, but generally speaking. I get very paranoid and think people are always thinking negative thoughts about me. My family tell me that I am wrong, that people aren't thinking those things and everything is not black and white.

But is that really true? When everyone looks at the sky during the daytime they'll say it's blue, unless they are colourblind. And the majority of people will judge others in the same way. They will generally think the same things. So I am faced with this question of whether I am mad or are other people mad for not seeing as much as I do.

Help!

I recently went through a stage of waking up ever morning at about 4am and not being able to get back to sleep. As I don't go to bed until around midnight it meant I was getting very little sleep. It really started to get me down and like you, I have a job that requires me to be on the ball at all times. The fear of waking up in the early hours started to stop me from actually falling asleep in the first place and I started to analyse it and think abou it too much. In the end, I thought, my body will eventually sort itself out - it has done when I have experienced this in the past. I always watch a bit of TV in bed - that makes me sleepy. You are right to avoid things like sleeping tablets (they can become addictive) - try a bit of lavender oil on your pillow or having a hot bath. Other than that, try not to focus too much on it and honestly, mother nature will put your body clock right in the end. Once you have one good nights sleep your anxiety pattern will be broken.

You can take a dose of anything with valerian root in it, this is all natural, you will not develop an addiction to it. It will simply calm you down enough so you can fall asleep. I recommend a drug known as "formula 303" you can find it online. It works great to calm nerves and relax you. Also, it sounds like you have a a serious problem, perhaps you should seek out the advice of a professional.

I am 45 years old, and a couple of years ago I finally put together that on nights that I can't sleep there is ALWAYS a full moon out. So about once a month or once every three months, I will have trouble sleeping. I know it will last for about 3 nights so I take sleeping pills for the next 2-3 nights. It doesn't happen with every full moon, but when it does happen; I just lay awake for hours and hours. And, it goes on like that for 2-3 nights so I just take a cheap, no-brand-name sleeping pill for the next few nights. It gets me back on my regular schedule.

Well you just about canceled all the effective methods out! Lights off, light music or go pick up one of those relaxing cds. Bed bath and beyond have them often. Shower before bed so you feel nice. A fan to cool you if warm. Oh yes and if legal in your area Kava Kava is very effective on relaxing you and making it easier to sleep. Ive had it myself. I bought the higher dosage named kings blend. Nighty night. Best answer

See anxiety treatments, at ezy build (below) in section 6. Set yourself a specific time period for worrying about anything, (say; around three quarters of an hour, possibly when you get home, or after your evening meal, but not too close to bedtime) after which, resolve firmly to refuse to even entertain the thought of worrying again on that day: realise and accept that to do otherwise would be counterproductive to your mental health, and enjoyment of life.

You will have had your "worry time" for the day, and can just write down any more thoughts that come to mind, and say to yourself: "Well, I'll just have to worry about that tomorrow, won't I?". Doctor Wayne Dwyer once said: "Negative emotions are preceded by negative thoughts". It is important to deal with a negative internal monologue (self talk), or mental process, such as disturbing thoughts, images, impulses, or emotions, by the process of (a): recognising it, and (b): challenging it immediately.

When you notice something negative, such as: "I'm never going to get over this!" or: "Why am I always so pathetic/useless/such a loser?" or even: "I can't do this/will never get over this!", recognise that this is part of the mindset which will hold you back from progress. Having identified and labelled it, visualise a large, red, flashing, "STOP!" sign, and/or possibly a stern faced person wagging an index finger at you in a negative manner, then say to yourself as forcefully as you can, even aloud in a big voice, if alone: "I know this tactic: GO AWAY FOR A WHILE !!!"

You may want to use either: "ruse", "ploy", "game", or "trick", instead of "tactic". In the case of an image, visualise a large "STOP" sign, or your preferred version. Some people go so far as to keep a wide rubber band in their pocket, then put it around their wrist, when they catch themselves backsliding, stretch and release it, as a method of reprogramming their mind sooner, but I don't regard it as being strictly necessary. Remember to remove it, afterwards, if you use this method. Try replacing a negative thought with a positive affirmation of your choice, like: "I am a unique individual, with my own set of skills, and good points", or "I may not be perfect, but I'm doing the best I can, right now".

Practice one of the relaxation methods in sections 2, 11, 2c, or 2i, daily, and when needed. Alternatively, give the EFT a good tryout, to see if it helps you. There is also a version for use in public places, (if you like, you can claim to have a headache, as you massage/lightly tap your temples, but you would then be restricted to subvocalising: saying it to yourself in your mind). Section 53, and pages 2, 2.q and 2.o at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris also refer: "Even though I sometimes suffer from anxiety, I deeply and completely accept myself." Neurofeedback treatment for anxiety is increasingly becoming available. Herbal remedies, such as valerian, (which is not recommended for use if depression is also present) passionflower, or St.John's wort, are often effective, but the idea is (as with anxiolytic medication) to use them like water wings, or training wheels on a bicycle, providing initial support, and giving time for other treatments, such as therapy, and relaxation techniques, to take effect.

An alternative for the 40% of people who are fairly suggestible is professional hypnotherapy, or autosuggestion; (self hypnosis) pages k, i, p, & q, in section 3, and anxiety script; page R, section 6, refer. A variant of EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy, which has been used successfully for those people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, insomnia, and anxiety, is shown in section 42, on page i, at ezy-build. I have found that the 2 - 3 minutes spent using the EMDR markedly reduces distractions to the relaxation process, and is repaid many times over. Insomnia is addressed in section 3, at ezy build; see page O first.

1st try good sleep hygiene: no doing anything an bed but sleeping (no watching TV in bed or reading, etc)

***No exercising close to bedtime- this will make you more tired

Exercising during the day can help get your sleep cycle back in order but not close to bedtime

2nd: Don't drink soda or eat too close to bedtime.

3rd: breathing exercises can help

5th: google it--it's a great tool