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What do you do when you can't sleep...
Diet & Health / 7:56 PM - Wednesday March 18, 2009

What do you do when you can't sleep...

I usually don't have problems falling asleep it's the staying asleep that's my problem. I will usually wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep for hours. Because of this I'm so tired during the day. What are some of the things you do when you can't sleep to help you get back to sleep or even better stay asleep throughout the night?

- Asked by summer74, A Sportif, Female, 36-45, Los Angeles, Other Profession

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Hi summer74,

We just covered this in the magazine. Specifically, our writer, who has the same problem as you--that is, she falls asleep fine but wakes up several times in the night--looked at an online course called Conquering Insomnia Program. Read about how it worked for her: click here I hope this helps, and good luck getting some sleep!

Best,
Jen

- Response by GH_Jen, Female, 29-35, Internet / New Media

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I've been having that problem since we changed to Daylight Savings Time! I wake up every 2 hours and go back to sleep. It has made me tired. I've tried taking Melatonin but it makes me groggy when I wake up, and drinking wine still wakes me up. Perhaps having a bowl of cereal with some milk might help before bedtime, that seems to calm me down or some warm milk.

- Response by hulagirl55, A Sportif, Female, Who Cares?, Who Cares?

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read something boring or listen to really mellow music while relaxing

- Response by poeticlove08, A Thinker, Female, 18-21, Student

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Exercise, if nothing other than going for a fast-paced walk. It's enough to wear my body out and Tylenol PM (non-habit forming).

- Response by uasked, A Thinker, Female, 46-55, Administrative

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I wish I had the answer.

I am having the same problem. I go to sleep and than I start waking up every hour, on the hour. I'm so tired I don't know if I'm coming or going.

One thing I know, don't take any sleeping pills. I tried 1/2 of one that the Doctor had prescribed me and I had the worse nightmares I couldn't escape all night.

I'd rather just stay awake than go through that again.

- Response by ddn1958, A Sportif, Female, Who Cares?, Who Cares?

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Get up and do something for an hour and then go back to sleep.

- Response by llafsroh, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 46-55, Boston, Science / Engineering

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talk to your doctor. They have meds to help you stay asleep. Good Luck

- Response by barbb, A Thinker, Female, Who Cares?, Who Cares?

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I have takne benedril in the past because I will find my self sleeping only about 2-3 hours a night and I start to burn

so one or two nights with benedril gets me sleeping 5-6 hours again.

when I am waking frequintly threw the night I go to bed later and when I do sleep 3-4 hours I feel a little more rested

- Response by morningdust, A Creative, Female, 46-55, Self-Employed

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This is going to sound a bit crazy....but.....I don't sleep a solid 5, 6, 7 hours a night. I normally take what you would call "mini naps" throughout the night....maybe totally 5 hours at best. That's it! I have to take mini power naps at work to compensate....maybe 5 or 10 minutes here and there. It's weird...and people ask me how I do it....but I've been doing it so long, it's become a habit. I'm use to it. Some people take a Tylenol PM to help out. It just doesn't work for me. I guess working out and having early morning jogs at 4 in the morning help out.

I would suggest maybe....trying power naps throughout the day....to compensate......it's a shot in the dark...

- Response by richard77, A Creative, Male, Who Cares?, Self-Employed

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I'll often be up at 3 am, so I take a couple of aspirin. It usually lets me go back to sleep.

- Response by chesterdad, An Intellectual Guy, Male, 56-65, San Francisco

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Eat Cereal. It really helps me.

- Response by curiouswoman, A Thinker, Female, 46-55, Science / Engineering

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Don't drink coffee after 2:30pm. Don't drink alcohol before bed time. Meditate... to clear your mind of stressful thoughts that keep you awake. Clear your room of anything that doesn't promote sleep... the TV or computer... so your mind associates your room with sleep and nothing else.

I suffered from insomnia for three years. I've been sleeping soundly at night since 2000! It helped to quit the job that was stressing me out so much and get a better one!

- Response by mariposa222, Female, 36-45

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Not that I always follow my own advice, but here it is: Most likely the restlessness is due to stress and too many things on your mind. If that's not it then it could be your bed - you may need a bed that is more comfortable for you. You might even think your bed is comfortable, but it's not allowing you to stay asleep. If it is that you are stressed then the logical advice is to do things during the day/evening that are stress relief (excersize, sports, walking, visiting with friends/socializing, watching movies/tv, whatever works for you as stress relief). If ideas keep going through your mind when you wake up then you need to stop worrying so much about them and realize that you will be better able to deal with issues if you get a good night sleep and focus on the issues during the day. One other possibility is sleep apnea -- it tends to affect people who are overweight, but not always. This is a condition that keeps people waking up at night usually due to stress or poor breathing and heavy snoring (a simplified explaination of this medical condtion). My guess is it's basically just stress that you need to figure out what your best ways to reduce your stress is -- what works for you -- what activities help you to reduce stress?

- Response by markm, A Guy Critical, Male, 36-45, San Diego

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