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Difficulties getting to sleep

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Bluelighter
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I don't know why this is suddenly becoming a problem but I work overnight shifts at this department store and i'll come home at 6 in the morning and its like I need to eat sleeping pills in order to get a good nights rest without any problems.

Most to almost all the time I will lie in bed awake for hours on end constantly thinking about all the shit thats been troubling/bothering the most recently, I try to think calming thoughts or try to think of something, anything else but I always come back to that.

It doesn't even matter how tired I am after work, it sucks because there's times when I feel like I could just lie down instantly and go to sleep while im at work, but whenever I go home and try it im fucked unless I eat 2 Tylenol PMs which is practically a guaranteed 8 hour nap for me.

There has to be some drug-free way to help ease myself to sleep, can anybody help me?

Note: I'm not prescribed to any sort of medication at the moment, or ever have been. I smoke pot during the day sometimes (long before I go to work) and drink moderately on the weekends or during special occasions
 
Ear plugs, black cloth over eyes, complete darkness, no lights.

Don't get up, don't move, don't think.
 
difficulties getting to sleep

Try a dark room and listening to soft music,or spray a small amount of lavender on your pillow,or a glass of warm milk with a shot of brandy(or whiskey)
 
This time of year neurotransmitter levels are at all time low.

I have a number of clients that suffer the same.

There are a lot of factors to take into consideration before dumping a bunch of Melatonin in your mouth.

As melatonin is linked with serotonin, however you could actually have adrenal fatigue (low cortisol). You could have High Glutamate - which is in whey protein powders & soy (excitatory ) .

The human body is fascinating as it is always trying to compensate for lacking. The problem is with neurotransmitters, it doesnt work out as well. The inhibitory response, GABA, Melatonin, etc etc often times is over powered by excitatory function.

I'll keep it simple for now. I'd recommend having a neurotransmitter test performed.
 
Oh! I'll chime into the music idea.

Except I listen to Hypnosis - Lloyd Glauberman


He is genius, strongly recommend it for anyone for everything - but particularly anxiety and sleep.
 
tabs,

I came to this forum to ask about valerian root. I just bought some valerian root tea, and I must say it works. I have the same exact problem, and I was taking tramadol to put me to sleep. I'm trying to quit that and I took valerian root tea last night. If you just have a problem falling asleep, then this seems to work for me so it may for you also. My only problem (which is why I came here to ask the question) is that I woke up in the middle of the night so it doesn't last the whole night. I had a weird ass dream which woke me up, so maybe that was the problem. I'm trying it again tonight. You might want to look into it. It only cost me $6 for 24 tea bags at my local vitamin shop.
 
what works for me:
hydration (timing intake of water to slow down near end of day)
marijuana
regular bedtime (midnight usually unless I'm with a friend)
working out during the day
doing something that fulfills me intellectually that day
 
Good advice from the posters above....I know it is difficult to establish a normal sleep pattern when your work schedule keeps you up for most of the night, at those hours when you're supposed to be sleeping and your liver regenerating (ideally, you are supposed to fall asleep between 11 pm and 3am, the hours when your body will benefit the most from the renewing effects of a good , deep sleep.)

Some other helpful tips that work for me:

*Make sure that your bed and bedroom are comfortable - not too hot, not too cold, not too noisy, appropriately dark.

* CLEAN SHEETS! And make sure your bed is just that..for sleeping. No books, no magazines, no clutter on your bed.

*Make sure that your mattress supports you properly. It should not be so firm that your hips and shoulders are under pressure or so soft that your body sags.

*Take some time to relax properly before going to bed. I find aromatherapy to be very helpful, as well as hot shower right before bed. If something is troubling you, and there is nothing you can do about it right away, try writing it down before going to bed and then tell yourself to deal with it the next day.
 
Heard some interesting stuff on the radio about trying to sleep. Take it or leave it, but I'm trying it out.

1) Make sure your room is no warmer than 70 degrees F. Warmer temperatures inhibit melatonin.

2) Stay away from bright flourescent white lights. The white lights keep you awake. Stick to yellowish colored lights at night especially before going to bed.

3) Don't wear tight clothing to bed. Wear very loose clothing, because again it keeps your body too warm and inhibits melatonin.
 
You ever go to those casinos where the dining areas have faux clouds and sunlight, making you think it's day to go on gambling?

Maybe the bright department store lights and your being up are finally taking effect. Constant graveyard shifts create adjustments in the rhythms of your body. Your body responds to sound and light. A good idea would be perhaps moving your bed time to before your shift starts, rather than after, would be worth trying out.

You might also want to cut down on excess sugar, smoking (cigs), coffee, or stims that may put more stress on the nervous system. You can better deal with these if your rhythm is normal and you are sleeping during the usual rejuvenating time.

It might also be good to help your body deal with the "stress" or change if you are able to take some herbs that are "adaptogens" for your adrenals. Indian triphala or non-Indian stuff like ginseng, rhodiola, milky oat seed, schizandra, astragalus might help.

Try also to keep your eyes closed when there are lulls in your work :)

On top of that, light a joint and enjoy before you sleep, if you are so inclined. This helps a lot.
 
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Recommend that your employer not overlight the workplace, which is a huge waste of energy (mention money for them) as well as a health problem. Chances are you can just unscrew many of the lights and still see fine.
 
Chaca chaca man!! Didn't see if someone else mentioned it, but try rubbin one out before nightime if there's nobody availabe to aide you with the matter :) Going to sleep satisfied is always easier than the opposite!
 
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