Sleep Hah!

S

Sleepless in AZ

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I'm an 84 year old and I'm having a terrible time getting to sleep.
As I lie in bed my mind is working 1000 Mph. I'm thinking about what I'm going to do tomorrow,
what I did last week, How many segments are lit on the LED clock, why in hell can't I get to sleep etc!
Once I get to sleep all is well. If I have to get up and take a leak I go back to sleep easily.
Here in AZ that means I'll not be able to fly as Summer approaches. If I wake up at 8:00 AM it'll already be 90+ outside with the winds picking up.

If I simply stayed up until I was exhausted, ready to drop, I would wind up converting to graveyard
shift which in unacceptable.

Ideas please. An elixir that would make me 20 again would be ideal.
 
I take supplements. I don’t need them for sleep, but I have noticed they definitely do the trick.

Total Human by Onnit is good. You get a daytime pack and nighttime pack. Pricey, but it’s quality stuff. I think the factor in the nighttime pack is melatonin, 5HTP and a few other things.

Also, exercise during the day helps.
 
do u have and watch a tv in your bedroom? stop doing that.....if you're watching tv at night, watch in the living room or whatever and when it's time to go to bed, turn the tv off and go to bed. also a nice hot shower (in the winter anyways) 30-60 minutes before bedtime could help. also, medical mary jane could help, a friend told me so. finally, watching a @Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe video should knock you out in no time! :goofy: :happydance:


I kid, I kid, Cap'n....
 
I have the occasional bouts of sleeplessness myself. Usually comes from not getting enough exercise during the day. Laying in bed watching the minutes tick by is the worst thing I can do. I'll get out of bed and read a chapter of a good novel, then go back and that usually helps. Yeah, you commit to losing an hour of sleep, but that's better than watching three go by on the clock. I also try to relax every muscle starting at the feet, while imagining myself laying on a tropical beach, gentle waves rol.......zzzzzz.

When I was younger I practiced TM. It's nothing more than repeating a meaningless sound over and over in your head, and when you get bored with it and your mind wanders to other places, gently bring your mind back to that sound. It works, great way to disengage the racing, sometimes random thoughts keeping you awake.

If you find that elixir thing, let me know :).
 
Also, as I age, I find that I have a decreased tolerance (or a greater effect from) caffeine. I literally need to stop drinking it by noon or I won't get to sleep. My brother can drink coffee and go to bed.
 
I get up at a set time in the morning and stick to it, even if I am sound asleep and did not get much sleep during the night.
 
Half Fast said:
I have found chamomile tea and passion flower to help. Or you could try reading the FAR/AIM at bedtime.....
Click to expand...
Perfect. Back in college I would keep a skinny math book at my bedside. It had proofs only. No examples. I could pick that thing up, look at one page, and the book would hit the floor about the same time my head hit the pillow sound asleep. Still have it somewhere. It would be way better than any sleeping medication and cost-effective, too.
 
There are plenty of websites out there with sound advice on approaches to insomnia.
Usually they touch on diet, exercise, sleep environment, good sleep habits...and some supplements or medication.
In general it is best to use the non-medicine items first ie, don't jump to medication first, because you will do much better if you address the other things first.
Having said that, (if I am not flying for a while) I find a quarter of one of those tiny doxylamine tablets (antihistamine marketed as an insomnia aid) about knocks me out. If I take it after 10pm however, I am groggy at 7am, so I almost have to predict(!) when I will have insomnia.... and use it early that evening.

Are you napping in the daytime? Knock that stuff off right away.
 
I have only rarely had the problem so I don't really know, but one time I read something that seems like it might be helpful
based on the left brain right brain idea
if you're laying in bed thinking about something analytical, force yourself to think instead about something creative. If something creative is keeping you up, force yourself to count sheep or do something analytical

Another idea that seems plausible to me is an old fashioned thing apparently people used to do regularly but our society has gotten away from
the idea of a first sleep, second sleep, etc... Basically my understanding of it is "ignore the clock". Working full time and family obligations have kept me from trying it but still, to me it kinda makes sense. Apparently a lot of old timers that got a lot done such as maybe Leo Davinci, Benjamin Franklin, Michael Angelo, etc.. would just get up when they woke up and go do something for a bit....insomnia kicks in at 2AM, get up and go work on an art project, or clean the fridge, whatever for a short time, then go lay down when you're tired again...
 
I don't have any suggestions, but am following along because once in a while I'll have the same issue, and it drives me nuts.

Ok, one suggestion. That is that sometimes people will stay awake specifically because they're thinking of all the things they need to do the next day, next week, etc. So the solution to that is the obvious one. Get a notebook and write all that crap down, prioritize the top three, and then put the list down.
 
I’ve discovered that when wide awake at 3 am a small cup of coffee will put me to sleep. Awoke very early ( for me) and fixed a coffee. Fell asleep with cup on hand. Tried chamomile and that doesn’t work . Why?
 
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