Hey does anyone have any tips for natural sleep aids? I know I can get sleeping pills from my doctor, but the problem is they tend to be addictive and make you feel really woosey. Is there anything over the counter that you can take to help you feel sleepy without any negative effects? Suggestions please!

Tylenol and porn

Cinnie said:

Yeah porn does not make me sleepy...

funkylust said:

Those are merely the ingredients

melatonin
lavender oil
Yogi tea-Bedtime or Calming

Turkey

funkylust said:

Get yourself some Valerian Root from the health food store or some Sleepytime tea from the supermarket. Works great for me.

Regular exercise makes falling asleep easier and also higher quality rest

Knock yourself out


[Edited 1/10/10 7:35am]

exercise and not getting too much sleep...try getting up at 4 am for a couple of days

Spray lavender on your pillows. Or get a lavender reed diffuser.

Do you read or watch tv in bed? In some cases of insomnia, the person has to convince their bodies that the bed is meant for sleeping. Not sure if this is the case with you but it's some food for thought.

JuliePurplehead said:

Too true. I don't have a TV or computer in my room anymore. I decided they do not serve the purpose for a bedroom / sleeping. Now when I lay down to sleep, there is nothing else flashing light at me to ruin my rest.


Hell I heard the LED light emitted from an alarm clock is enough to disturb some people's sleep.

Cinnie said:

True

Melatonin works for me. So does two Benadryl.

Wine

The "natural" sleeping aids can also mess you up completely in some cases (melatonin, tryptophan etc.) That is if you have a lot of things in your mind and fail to catch sleep when you've taken them. Then you'll just lie on your bed feeling like crap.

I experienced a rather unpleasant episode a month ago when that happened and I couldn't get sleep for two nights in a row. Failed to deliver very important academic papers in time due to that thing as well. I also think it's a rather unnatural feeling that results from those things - best described as a forced drowsiness and I don't think there are too many studies on how exactly that might also affect the quality of the sleep itself. Personally I won't be meddling with that stuff again, in the extreme cases I'd rather have a doctor prescribe me proper sleeping pills instead.

novabrkr said:

This is a very sound post too. Sometimes the sleep is shitty even with these helpers.

Cannabis...seriously.

Shyra said:

gotta agree.

Try this.

Whilst you are lay comfortably in bed...

Tell yourself what you would like from your sleep. For example, "I will fall into a deep relaxing sleep for 8 hours. When i wake up, I will feel refreshed and rejuvinated and ready for the day".

Then, in your mind say..

"Around me I can SEE"

now slowly and calmly state in your mind 4 things you can see in your vision. For example.

"Around me i can see... the wall... the foot of my bed.... the door to my hall... a photograph...


Next, say to yourself..

"around me i can FEEL"

then list another 4 examples, slowly and calmly. For example..

Around me i can feel... my heart beating inside my chest.. the bed covers touching my body.... my hand touching my leg... my head on the pillow.

continue this procedure with

"around me i can HEAR"

again, list what four sounds you experience e.g. your voice inside your head.. the ticking of a clock.. the distant sound of traffic outside your window.. your breathing... maybe you can hear the sound of silence - y'know that buzzing sensation in your ears.


Once you have completed these 3 sections (SEE, HEAR, FEEl) repat them but eliminate one answer from each section. So, now you will only provide 3 answers for each section.

If you get through that then repeat all sections agin but eliminate another answer. So, now you will be providing just 2 answers to each section.

you get the idea.

Concentrate and focus on the sensations you are experiencing and the things you report to yourself. If you say 'i feel my heart beating' then make sure you pay attention to the soft pulse of your heart as it slowly relaxes.

If you feel your eyes close at anytime.. allow them to do so. ou can continue to report the things you 'saw' on previous cycles e.g i can see the door'.

You'll be out like a light.

A new bed... I recommended a memory foam mattress.

I've been told to try one of these three things when I can't sleep.

Hot bath

Hot tea

Hot sex

I'm not really sure about the first two but the third one works like a charm!

cherries.

I eat dried cherries before bed.
The kind you put in a salad.

I also mentally relax every muscle in my body, from the top of my head to my toes. I'm usually asleep before I get to my feet.

Gravol knocks me out...i try to avoid it if i feel nausuas (sp) or i break it in half.

lavender
a calming tea
try reading in bed
try yawning

funkylust said:

Melatonin

JerseyKRS said:

co-sign

Have you tried "Planet Earth"?