# The ever so illusive sleep.



## Kaya (May 15, 2014)

What do you do to help yourself sleep?  I take melatonin but it is getting to where I will have to stop because I am "getting used" to it. Other than that...I toss and turn and never sleep the whole night.


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## Ina (May 15, 2014)

Kaya, I do mathematical equations in my mind with all light off, and I generally fall asleep before I solve the problem.:zz:


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## SeaBreeze (May 15, 2014)

If I'm desperate, I take a half of Unisom (or generic version), since it's an anti-histamine, it helps with my hay fever too, lol.   If I take a whole one, I feel hung over.


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## SeaBreeze (May 15, 2014)

When I was working and had to get up super early every morning, I used to stress out when I wasn't able to sleep, or kept waking in the middle of the night.  Now that I'm retired, I just relax and don't let it bother me.


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## SifuPhil (May 15, 2014)

I work until my eyes won't stay open anymore - lately that's been around 3-4 am. I grab an hour and a half snooze, get up and go back to work until noon or so, grab another nap. Up again, work 'til 7 or 8pm, another hour nap.

Thank Buddha for polyphasic sleep.


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## kcvet (May 15, 2014)

I have a CD of the ocean surf. works every time for me


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## Sunny (May 15, 2014)

I can always fall asleep promptly, the big problem for me is staying asleep. If I wake up and obviously am not getting back to sleep any time soon, I usually get up, read the newspaper or a book, or play a boring game on the computer. The other day, I worked on a jigsaw puzzle, which made me sleepy. I always am able eventually to get back to sleep.


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## kcvet (May 15, 2014)

used to be i turned on the TV and bored myself to sleep


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## Happyflowerlady (May 15, 2014)

Kaya said:


> What do you do to help yourself sleep?  I take melatonin but it is getting to where I will have to stop because I am "getting used" to it. Other than that...I toss and turn and never sleep the whole night.


I take melatonin every night. I have taken it for over 10 years. Since it is not a drug, you don't "get used to it", but you will need more as you get older. 
Melatonin is a natural hormone that our body makes to help us sleep at night. It activates when it starts to get dark. As we get older, we make less and less of it; so when you need more to sleep, it is just that your body is making less. 
Melatonin is also an anti-aging hormone. There is an excellent book about it called "The Melatonin Miracle", and it will explain all the ways that melatonin supplements help us as we age. 

I also avoid any kind of tv or movie that is scary, or stimulates adrenalin (something like Vertical Ascent) before bed; and when I go to bed, I am now listening to a relaxing meditation that usually puts me right to sleep. I use headphones and have several different apps on the iPhone that I choose from. One is for healing, and one for attracting good things, and so on; but you can choose from a variety of different ones, and pick what suits you best.


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## CPA-Kim (May 15, 2014)

I pop a Valium.  I need 8 hours a night to function.


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## i_am_Lois (May 15, 2014)

Kaya, do you nap at all during the day? I have known many people (including my own mother) who said they never got a minute of sleep. But I'm also aware that each one of these people also owns a cozy recliner that they pass out on for hours every day. Napping is sleeping. Sleeping is not restricted to what occurs in your bed at night. If you're getting sleep somewhere else, at another time of day, it still equals sleep.

You could be like my husband. He swears he never sleeps. Well I'm in bed next to him and let me tell you, he snores like crazy, every single night... all night long! He doesn't believe me. He swears he's been wide awake struggling to fall asleep.

But if you are correct and are not getting any sleep, this is extremely serious. Lack of sleep can cause many physical and psychological problems. 
Here is a link to a Wikipedia article about the lack of sleep.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_deprivation


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## Kaya (May 15, 2014)

This one is my fav. 10 hours of nothing but rain. I minimize the window, then turn the monitor off and it goes all night until I get up and turn it off.


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## That Guy (May 16, 2014)

Gratefully, have no trouble falling to sleep.  Just clear my mind and drift off.  It's one of my favorite hobbies . . . !


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## d0ug (May 16, 2014)

Calcium helps people fall asleep your grand mother would put some milk on the stove and warm it up before bedtime. Maybe she knew something and forgot to tell everybody. 
If you wake up at night and are wide awake it just might be a sugar problem.


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## Meanderer (May 16, 2014)

Kaya said:


> What do you do to help yourself sleep?  I take melatonin but it is getting to where I will have to stop because I am "getting used" to it. Other than that...I toss and turn and never sleep the whole night.





Happyflowerlady said:


> I take melatonin every night. I have taken it for over 10 years. Since it is not a drug, you don't "get used to it", but you will need more as you get older.
> Melatonin is a natural hormone that our body makes to help us sleep at night. It activates when it starts to get dark. As we get older, we make less and less of it; so when you need more to sleep, it is just that your body is making less.
> Melatonin is also an anti-aging hormone. There is an excellent book about it called "The Melatonin Miracle", and it will explain all the ways that melatonin supplements help us as we age.



I have just started taking Melatonin Fast Dissolve (3mg) occasionally to help me sleep better.  I understand it helps with jet-lag, to get your body clock reset.  I also understand that continuous use can shut down our bodies natural production of this hormone.  I use it on occasion and it has helped.    What dosage do you take Kaya & HFL?


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## Happyflowerlady (May 16, 2014)

Meanderer, from what I have read, each person might need different levels; depending on your age, and also it seems to make a difference with how much it affects you. 
I started in my mid-50's with taking a 3mg tab at night, a half hour before i am going to bed. Gradually, I have increased over the years to 6mg now at age 69. However, I found the 10mg on sale, and have ben taking that for the last few months.
I would say to start with the 3mg,  and see how that works. If you are too drowsy in the morning, cut down; and if it doesn't help enough, then try a 5 mg one.  
I have not read that it will affect your natural production. We hit our peak production somewhere in our mid-20's, and then it slowly decreases after that. 
Melatonin is also an anti-aging hormone; and works with our pineal gland to keep our body functioning right, so it also helps our heart, helps keep cholesterol regulated, and many other things. 


HappyFlowerLady


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## Meanderer (May 16, 2014)

Happyflowerlady said:


> Meanderer, from what I have read, each person might need different levels; depending on your age, and also it seems to make a difference with how much it affects you.
> I started in my mid-50's with taking a 3mg tab at night, a half hour before i am going to bed. Gradually, I have increased over the years to 6mg now at age 69. However, I found the 10mg on sale, and have ben taking that for the last few months.
> I would say to start with the 3mg,  and see how that works. If you are too drowsy in the morning, cut down; and if it doesn't help enough, then try a 5 mg one.
> I have not read that it will affect your natural production. We hit our peak production somewhere in our mid-20's, and then it slowly decreases after that.
> ...



Thanks..ZZZZZZZzzzz


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## Bettyann (May 16, 2014)

That is exactly what I do, SeaBreeze...half a Unisom (King Soopers brand) at night...seems to work better if I take it with an advil. I used to take Benedryl but it simply does nothing, nada, zip for me anymore. I think what works the best is what you have 'faith' in....


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## Bettyann (May 16, 2014)

Thank you, HFL, for that interesting post. You have peaked my interest in taking/trying Melatonin again... :love_heart:
Bettyann


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## Pappy (May 17, 2014)

No problem getting to sleep but staying asleep for more than 4-5 hours is the problem. Once I wake up at 3-4 in AM, I can hardly ever go back to sleep. I have a time trying to find a comfortable position, as the body seems to hurt no matter how I turn.

By then, I usually get up and read or post like I'm doing right now.


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## Meanderer (May 17, 2014)

Pappy said:


> No problem getting to sleep but staying asleep for more than 4-5 hours is the problem. Once I wake up at 3-4 in AM, I can hardly ever go back to sleep. I have a time trying to find a comfortable position, as the body seems to hurt no matter how I turn.
> 
> By then, I usually get up and read or post like I'm doing right now.



Could say you've gone from pillow to post!


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## Bettyann (May 21, 2014)

I usually take a half Unisom OR a Benedryl every night. I listen to CoasttoCoastAM when I go to bed...usually around 11:30 or so... Usually have it turned down so low that I have to 'try' to hear it...unless I get fascinated by the speaker. I usually sleep for an average of 6 to 6 1/2 hrs a night... Kinda funny...I think I _should _have more sleep than that but I guess I do ok with that amount. This business of 'you should' get 8 hrs of sleep per night kinda gets to you and nags at you. Oh well, as Louise Hay says:
"Don't should on yourself."  ... love that ...heh!


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## Ina (May 21, 2014)

When I was nine I broke my back, and at 25 I was hospitalized fro inflammatory arthrtis for two weeks. My hubby wanted to help me so badly, that without discussing it with me he purchased a king sized sleep numbers bed for over $2200.00.
The bed has controls for each side, we can change firmness to suit each of our needs. 
Now instead of tossing and turning all night, we each sleep 10 to 12 hours nightly.
:shussh::yawning:


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## SeaBreeze (May 21, 2014)

Bettyann said:


> I usually take a half Unisom OR a Benedryl every night. I listen to CoasttoCoastAM when I go to bed...usually around 11:30 or so... Usually have it turned down so low that I have to 'try' to hear it...unless I get fascinated by the speaker. I usually sleep for an average of 6 to 6 1/2 hrs a night... Kinda funny...I think I _should _have more sleep than that but I guess I do ok with that amount. This business of 'you should' get 8 hrs of sleep per night kinda gets to you and nags at you. Oh well, as Louise Hay says:
> "Don't should on yourself."  ... love that ...heh!



I'm like you Bettyann, usually start out with the headphones on my little SonyWalkman, so I don't wake my husband, and listen to George Noory until I doze off.  Some nights his topic is so interesting though, I force myself to stay awake and listen, lol.


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## Happyflowerlady (May 21, 2014)

Ina said:


> When I was nine I broke my back, and at 25 I was hospitalized fro inflammatory arthrtis for two weeks. My hubby wanted to help me so badly, that without discussing it with me he purchased a king sized sleep numbers bed for over $2200.00.
> The bed has controls for each side, we can change firmness to suit each of our needs.
> Now instead of tossing and turning all night, we each sleep 10 to 12 hours nightly.
> :shussh::yawning:



We have a Sleep Number bed, too; and I absolutely agree that they are the most wonderful and comfortable bed that you can sleep in. It is the very best bed for when you have a bad back, and can adjust it for when you need it to be softer or firmer. 
We seldom change ours, though, since once you find where you want it to be, it really doesn't require changing.

I have started listening to a guided meditation  when I go to bed at night. I used to listen to C2C, and then sometimes to Caravan to Midnight; but then I decided that I wanted to go to sleep with something more positive than world crisis or shadow people in my mind, so I changed over to the self-healing meditation instead.     
So far, it is working good, and I feel a lot better when I wake up. I don't know whether it will help my body to heal itself, but it sure can't hurt; so I am going o give it my best shot, and see how it goes.


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## Mrs. Robinson (May 25, 2014)

Hubby has sleep issues and has tried all of the above with limited success. Now he has discovered essential oils and wow! Really works well for him. Knocks me out quickly too because I can smell them as well.


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## Kaya (May 25, 2014)

Lavendar is great for a soother. I have some essential oils as well and put them in the clothes while in the rinse cycle as well as the dryer. Warm milk helps, the oils permeating the air when laying the head on the pillow and melatonin. No strong drugs for me any more! In fact, I told my new doc I wanted off ALL pills..including my high blood pressure ones. We are working on that happening.


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## Bettyann (May 25, 2014)

Hi Kaya and all,
I stopped taking my BP meds about a month after the doc gave them to me ...(over a year ago) I take Hawthorne berries, garlic, and CoQ10 together... When a pharm tech was asked how did Hawthorne compare to the statin BP pill... she said it basically has the same affect. Now. You will never convince some people of that... but so much of it is: 'belief' to begin with... One of my beliefs is: you have to use high quality supplements (some cheap ones are nothing but fillers) ...and it would be cheaper for me to use the Rx meds... but we all have our priorities. :sentimental:


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## Misty (May 25, 2014)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> Hubby has sleep issues and has tried all of the above with limited success. Now he has discovered essential oils and wow! Really works well for him. Knocks me out quickly too because I can smell them as well.



I have a friend that uses essential oils also, Mrs. Robinson, and she says they really work well for her too.


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