Tips for insomnia
[IMG]shadow of woman on bed with slats of light over her[IMG]
You know right now so many of us are struggling, able bodied or with chronic illness we are all in the same situation. I have seen a lot of people talking about struggling right now so I thought I would share some tips for insomnia that work for me.
I have had insomnia my whole life, I remember as a child being put to bed and then reading, or just laying there. When my parents came to bed I would pretend to be asleep but most nights were spent alone in bed waiting to fall asleep and wishing the morning would come.
Now with this pandemic that is happening in the world, people have lost their jobs or been furloughed. This had left people with a lot of time on their hands, worries about getting sick or how they will pay bills etc, as well as anxiety over getting groceries and having to stay inside.
The virus has completely changed people’s lives, and we are all feeling it aren’t we? So if you are struggling right now with sleeping and getting settled here are some tips for you:
Tips for insomnia
- Plan your week – So many are working from home or off work and it really can make everything feel out of place. Planning out your week and using a diary or making lists of things that need doing can really help. I plan every week out and have for a long time, knowing the day you are on means a certain job needs to be done really helps.
- Establish a routine – Getting up at a certain time and doing the same thing every morning as well as going to sleep at the same time every night help insomnia so much. Getting ready to sleep with a routine is established in toddlers and children so they can sleep better, keeping this going even as an adult certainly helps me to relax and sleep better.
- Avoid electronic devices – My husband and I found we were staying up late watching TV so we took it out of the bedroom. Now we watch TV on our kindle, but we have the blue light filter on which helps a lot. However, even then it is good to get off any device for about half an hour before trying to sleep.
- Meditation – I know I know you tried it once and it didn’t work but hear me out! I often listen to storytime meditations, they help you to relax ready to sleep. Listening to things like this can help so much because while you are listening, you cannot be listening to those anxious thoughts that invade when you are trying to sleep.
- Stop watching the news – So this one is something I have done for years now, stop watching the news. The news is there to tell us the worst things that are happening, it is good to know what is going on but be careful. Anxiety can be a big trigger for insomnia and so being careful and avoiding the news will help keep your anxiety down.
- Get money advice – If things are getting difficult, you lost your job or you have been furloughed get advice. Call your bank and ask for help, often they have plans and ways to help but people think they don’t care and let things get out of hand. Get advice, worry is only going to keep you awake asking for help is always a better way to go.
- CBD – Lastly I would like to talk about a big game changer for me and that is CBD capsules. I was gifted some CBD capsules to try and I took one every night as part of my night routine. I usually take them around 9pm and by 10:30-11pm I am struggling to keep my eyes open. They relax me and help bring down my anxiety so much that those worrying thoughts are gone and I can rest as well as it helping my restless legs and chronic pain. Go click the link to try some CBD and to see if it can help you.
I really hope that these tips for insomnia help you, if you have any tips and tricks that work for you leave me a comment. I hope you are staying well
Namaste xxx
One Comment
Jean
My concerns/ difficulties during this Pandemic, and prior, & with worsening symptoms from severe illnesses/diseases, and due to prescription interactions, — my time, my mind, of course, are all screwed up! The lack of “feeling good” really destroys the hope of being able to sleep?
1. Fibromyalgia, bad, exacerbation of many symptoms plus other commoridities such as Diabetes, GastroParesis, since 2007,—-COVID19 isolation, lack of any human contact(except for doctors who don’t understand and don’t care), even a call, a text, an email, etc never comes!
2. Other diseases/maladies like GERD, Diabetes, Severe GastroParesis, severe clinical depression and anxiety, CFS, Lichten Plantis(spelling), Sjogrens, IBS, chronic Pain from fractures from falls caused by dizziness, (perhaps caused by prescriptions; 6-9 vertebrae) right shoulder/arm, pelvis, left shoulder, all fractures, etc , from which I have no relief for, UlcerativeColitis, diverticulitis are “killers”!
3. Inability to sleep because of pain,& a Pain Clinic doc that simply says, “I don’t prescribe narcotics”, particularly for people with fibromyalgia, & doesn’t help with nerve blocks, steroids, etc or ANYTHING! He and his nurse don’t care if you have pain, chronic or acute and TELLS YOU TO TELL YOUR PCP TO TRY PAMELOR!
Pamelor, like Cymbalta , has been terrible on my body and psyche,- making me have suicidal thoughts, causing severe dizziness causing falls that cause fractures, bone contusions and so on!
Another issue is children who have their own lives and don’t understand, care or even comprehend what diseases, severe, constant pain due to your body, your mind, etc. and don’t communicate like I would “like” them too! No other family or support are available.
4. My meditation, medications, lack of “control”, my faith, have all diminished so lack of sleep screws my mind and body so it seems hopeless!
5. I certainly am not different than lots of older Americans who can’t get out, can’t get prescriptions in a timely manner, etc., have no communication, but ,the fact that I have so many medical and psychological problems makes this “living”, if you call it that so much more difficult than most!
I had a very successful life and career, working
In health care for over 40 years, a BS, 2
Master’s, 2 wonderful, successful children, etc., I always was also working full time since the age of 17 and at the same time, getting wonderful exposure to “people and the world! I worked with Dr. Thomas Starzl during his first liver Transplant at Presbyterian University Hospital (now UPMC); I helped to recruit and set up all needs for his HIV VIRUS RESEARCH, for Dr. Robert Redfield,—now Director of the CDC, and on and on!
Now,—-I have no human interaction, difficulty getting groceries, prescriptions, medical products, a “shot out” or “are you okay” communication, etc.
With all of the above issues, I cannot sleep and even find difficulty concentrating, praying, meditating, whatever! What I need is a good, caring, PCP to “listen, react, coordinate all patient needs,— doctors for mental needs, pain doctors, will refill prescriptions timely, schedule “needed testing” , listen, listen, listen! I know they are busy and dealing with isolation, etc. But, they have escapes; they rarely have pain, I think, but can order pain support easily for themselves or families; they have resources and communications connections from family or staff, and so on! They can take “stuff” to sleep if they need to!
I’m sorry this is so long, but I just want you, or people in general, to understand that it is not as easy as praying or meditating or exercising, etc.! Medical, psychological, spiritual, and emotional issues are often difficult to overcome or have treated in order for some people to stabilize to “normal”!
You