Trouble falling asleep

[lasalle]

Do any of you have problems falling asleep? Once asleep I'm good for the night, with sleep aides it helps ( Tylenol nighttime, advil sinus nighttime ) If I don't use one of them I don't sleep, most times I use Tylenol nighttime. My sleep habits are always the same. Any ideas out there?  
Thanks!

[gwc2795]

lasalle
can you post s chart for us so we can see your results

[mesenteria]

I occasionally have difficulty falling asleep, but I also have nights, maybe 50-60%, where I fall asleep within 15 minutes, often in close to 5 minutes. My problem is waking after about 3-4 hours and lying in bed, tossing and turning, until sleep overtakes me once more after about 80 minutes.

Your mind is restless and active. If you spend any time in front of a digital screen within about 2 hours of bedtime you are likely to have trouble falling asleep. It's what they call 'blue light'.

I like Nyquil. I just found out. I had a moderate cold and had a couple of rough nights last week. I took the recommended two capsules just before retiring, and awoke both mornings after a sound 8+ hours. The sleep deficit was probably a factor, to be honest.

Have you tried melatonin? It's one of those things you are better off taking somewhat sparingly, not every night. Although, at least one person on this or another forum takes it every night. Again, one tablet just prior to sleep time and it should help a bit, although the claim is that it typically extends sleep...you get more of it because you sleep somewhat longer. For me, it's about another hour typically.

One trick I have for falling asleep quickly is 'mapping out' a favourite project. I like steam locomotives and model trains. I think about those from a hard engineering point of view, firing a steam locomotive from dead cold. Have to fill the boiler and tender, put a blower fan over the smoke stack atop the boiler to draw air from the firebox grating through the many flues and up out of the stack. From there I can build a fire whose gases and smoke will work their way forward inside the boiler tubes. And so on...but in finer detail. The numbers, how much water, how much coal, how much whatever, soon has me snoring. Works quite well.

[ghce]

Do any of you have problems falling asleep? Once asleep I'm good for the night, with sleep aides it helps ( Tylenol nighttime, advil sinus nighttime ) If I don't use one of them I don't sleep, most times I use Tylenol nighttime. My sleep habits are always the same. Any ideas out there?  
Thanks!

What works for me is Magnesium, at least 600mg daily, Vit D3 5000 IU. 

I see that the above poster has recommended Melatonin, just be aware the pill size it normally comes in of 1mg is too large and nightly you should take around 300mcg (ie a third of a pill) or you tend to be groggy the next day as the excess is a bit overwhelming.

As has been said having too busy a mind at night with such things a s financial worries or work worries or family issues will definitely stop you sleeping, having an enjoyable project to map out really works wonders.

[theMezz]

I had trouble falling asleep for about 2 weeks.
Then no issues.

Then I had trouble keeping mask on more than 3 hours, now - I can leave it on 8+ hours - no issues in just a couple more weeks.

I got used to it faster than I thought and hopefully so will you.

[chill]

My impression is that you have trained yourself to do this and to require sleep aids.  The mind is powerful and what you believe will happen can become a reality.  I know, I did that to myself over a span of years.  If that is the case, sleep compression / sleep restriction therapy can get your sleep patterns reset.  Good sleep hygiene after that will keep them that way.

[Hydrangea]

I use a PEMF type of biomat. It's kinda "out there" / alternative, but hey it works for me.

I also use cedarwood essential oil (dab it on my toe or wrist or chest, or put it on a cotton ball near my CPAP air intake), and that helps me fall sleep nicely.

I also have a nightly ritual of playing a specific game on my phone before bed (with the blue light filter set on my phone). I've played it enough before bed, I've conditioned myself to know I fall asleep after playing it.

And I've had great success with a supplement called Rescue Sleep. It comes in different forms - I've used the spray.