What are /r/insomnia's favorite Products & Services?

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Sleep Apena. Especially if male, overweight, petite ribcage but large breasted, or previously broken nose. It can be serious as besides literally not breathing you are stressing the fuck out of your body, fucking your metabolism up, can have some major problems under anesthesia and generally just fuck your body up leading to tons of stuff.

Your GP will refer you to a sleep study, either at home or overnight at the hospital. They will hook you up to a ton of wires, if you do stop breathing and scare them you may get CPAP machine / positive airflow machine set up, which is basically a nose or full face mask that blows just enough air at you to keep you from stopping breathing at much. Also helps snoring, usually.

In Canada the thing is free, although some provinces charge for certian accessories or the filters.

He needs to cut out all caffeine. Coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate, pills (check labels), etc... No alcohol because it interferes with sleep. It may make you sleepy initially but then it backfires on you.

He needs to get up out of bed at the same time every day, 7 days a week, even if he hasn't slept. No napping. He wants his "sleep pressure" to build over the course of the day. Maintain a regular schedule in other ways too, like mealtimes.

He needs to exercise daily. But not within 3 hours of bedtime.

Check into CBT-I, it helps a lot of people. There are online courses for it.

If he's taking suboxone why is he taking tramadol? Seems like they would counter each other.

Celexa can cause insomnia. He may want to look into switching to another SSRI or even a tricyclic. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/04/celexa-might-trigger-insomnia-in-some-patients/index.htm

Xanax tends to suck for sleep because it is short acting. But the problem with taking any benzo for sleep is that they are highly addictive.

Trazodone is often good for sleep, didn't work for me. But it's also an antidepressant so he can't take it with celexa.

There are things he can do to get some rest, if not some sleep. YouTube is full of guided relaxation meditations. I like yoga nidra for sleep meditations. There are self hypnosis for sleep ones. If nothing else he's lain down for an hour and had a relax.

Hey,

try these steps (=Stimulus Control):

• 1. Lie down in bed only when you are sleepy.
• 2. Do not use your bed for anything else than sleep (and sex).
• 3. If you find yourself unable to fall asleep, get up and leave your bed(room). Don't watch the clock, but if you are in bed more than like 10 minutes, you are not following the instructions. Then do some light activity (such as reading, don't use the internet). As soon as you are sleepy again, get back to sleep.
• 4. If you still can not fall asleep, repeat step 3. Do this as often as is necessary.
• 5. Set you alarm and get up the same time every morning. It doesn't matter how much sleep you have got during the night.
• 6. Do not nap during the day.

Source: Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine:

Oh, and avoid blue light 1-2 hours before sleep. Download flux for all your devices.

F.lux is great on PC and Android! If you have a jealbroken iPhone you can actually run f.lux. The reason there aren't any of these apps in the Apple App Store is because on iOS developers do not get access to thingeys that can alter how the screen is drawn outside of their app.

I do not own an iPhone so I can't verify this but accessibility settings might have dimming hidden somewhere. This way you do not have to go through the jailbreaking process.

I can't recommend any physical screen covers to filter light. I just checked Amazon and there are tonnes of them on there so good luck with that OP.

Edit: spelling

You could look into activity trackers. My Fitbit has a vibrating alarm that I don't really use.

Here is a under-pillow vibrating alarm I found on Amazon. Hope you find something that works for you!

Presumably you're up by 8 am at the latest on weekdays. Sunday going into Monday, insomnia is common owing to a) anxiety about the week starting, or b) sleeping in late during the weekend.

Some people are more sensitive to things like caffeine and blue light, or just stimulation. You could try having a wind-down period 1h before bed away from blue-light emitting electronics, just reading in low warm lighting or doing light yoga. Blue light can suppress melatonin production up to 50% and raise cortisol, which can shift onset forward (a filter like f.lux on devices can help). Stress and anxiety can keep you up, find ways to relax and get regular exercise during the day.

Could be being a teen ager. Are you going through a stressful period with family, school, romance? I seem to dimly remember all three were common when I was young.

I look at the kids next door and the pressure on them is far, far greater than when I was in HS.

Try taking 25 mgs of generic benadryl (Diphenhydramine) on a Friday or Saturday night and see if that helps. It is available very cheaply in bulk on Amazon.

If you look at the labels of any of the over the counter 'sleep aids', you will see that they are nothing more than overpriced Diphenhydramine.

You could also try melatonin. It works great for my brother but does nothing at all for me.

Do not play video games for an hour before bed. Add f.lux to your pc or laptop and use blueblockers at night on your mobile devices.

Lunesta isn't habit-forming, but it doesn't knock you out, just keeps you asleep. I love it, but have to take melatonin with it (one dose 2 hrs before Lunesta, another dose 2 hrs after) to get to sleep. Only problem is Lunesta is $$$.

So I was reading that Lunesta was going generic (YAY CHEAP!) this year, and the article said Merck is almost finished developing a NEW insomnia drug, non-addicting, no hangovers etc, called Suvorexant. IIRC goes to FDA for approval by the end of the year. It's 'safe' because it works on your hormones:

>> Orexin is a hormone involved in maintaining wakefulness or consciousness. Blocking Orexin promotes sleep. In a disorder opposite insomnia, narcolepsy, patients have lost the ability to produce Orexin in a specific area of the brain.

So for insomnia, the drug blocks Orexin, and we supposedly sleep very naturally!

My advice is to wait for this new stuff. (I'm waiting for the Lunesta to go generic, but I might try this new stuff, too.)

I've come to the conclusion that someone that hasn't suffered from insomnia really can't understand it.

They're always like, "have a cup of coffee" or "me too, I couldn't sleep until 1am"

Try meditation. https://www.headspace.com/

The first one, decades ago, for general reading was by William Dement, one of the great researchers in the area - Some Must Watch While Some Must Sleep.

More recently, Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep' by David K. Randall is terrific. Very engaging and hitting all the high points. The part where is covers the genesis of DARPA's interest is fascinating and eye opening.

The Fresh Air podcast I linked to is very good.

Over at the Great Courses there is Secrets of Sleep Science: From Dreams to Disorders with Professor H. Craig Heller, Ph.D. Get it while it is on sale for $35!!!!!! Well worth the $$.

That ought to get you started. One for history, one for the general reader and one REALLY challenging overview.

I've been reading on this subject for decades what with my chronic sleep problems. I'm sleeping 4 or 5 hours now which is, for me, a blessing. Unfortunately, I have no schedule at all although what there is of it seems to be more of the up all night, sleep during the day variety.

I'm TRYING to stop all meds as there is more and more evidence that even OTCs like benadryl and doxylamine may encourage dementia later in life. I stay away from prescription now.

Sorry for the long link, that’s what happens when I share from the amazon app. I’ve had these since the end of February and they work great.

CozyPhones Sleep Headphones with Travel Bag - Ultra Thin Earphone Speakers - Most Comfortable Headphones for Sleeping - Perfect for Air Travel, Relaxation, Meditation & Insomnia - VIOLET https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012YFVN90/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CpLdAbY5TDH2G

I find white noise really helpful, and of you have an Android phone I would suggest this app. It has all kinds of different sounds, you can even customise it to play several together.

You don't need a program to go through with it. It's really just following some guidelines and strictly sticking to it. It pretty much comes down to 3 pillars

• Bedtime Restriction: Only allow yourself to be in bed for a set amount of time and only be in bed for that time. Along with making sure you get up at the same time everyday no matter how good or bed you slept.

• Stimulus Control: Only being in bed for sleep and get out of bed if you can't sleep after about 15-20 minutes, this is to avoid your body making an association with your bed and being awake.

• Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Changing your thoughts regarding sleep to alleviate anxiety about sleep, it's to help not worry about sleep throughout your day and during bed time.

That said, there is a free app for CBTi on Android and iOS. You can use that to help you with it.

The best resource is Daniel M. Ingram's book "Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha". You'll find there lots of other references.

I'm sure you'll see very good results (as long as you will exertively follow the technique). I'd be happy if you will report on your conclusions.

The biggest take-away with CBT is learning to recognize automatic negative/distorted thinking and correcting it. But your description of symptoms sounds like delayed onset, which is often mis-attributed to anxiety. Get up at a consistent time in the morning, and limit total time in bed to around 8h. This will increase sleep pressure and consolidate sleep.

Read through this

> I don't believe there is any other cause for my sleep problem. I do use electronics before bed but never affected me on melatonin, nor before i started to worry about this.

At the very least you can use a filter on your devices like f.lux. Blue light before bed suppresses melatonin production up to 50%. You cannot "feel" that happening. Even if it hadn't been a problem before, it can help.

There are a few things that can help with onset. One is pre-warming feet, if they tend to get cold at night. This improves blood flow to distal regions which allows us to lower our core temperature faster, bringing us to sleep faster.

Getting enough bright light exposure in the morning and daytime helps with the circadian rhythm, as does vitamin D3 intake. SAD lamps can be useful for this.

Regular exercise, so long as it's scheduled early enough, helps as well. As does light activity such as yoga, reading, to wind down at night.

Consuming complex carbs paired with protein for dinner is thought to help with onset. These allow tryptophan to pass the blood-brain barrier.

Use a filter like f.lux on your devices at night, and turn them off in the hour before bed.

Keep your anxiety and automatic negative thoughts in check.

Mostly, you control the waking time in the morning and bedtime will mostly follow from that. Don't get hung up about a specific time of night, just get enough sleep pressure. If that means you're 7 hours in bed instead of 8, go with that.

You've shifted your circadian rhythm way forward. The way to shift it back is to get up in the morning every day, it's just like dealing with jet lag. It takes days for your circadian rhythm to adjust.

Trying to go to bed "early" (at night) with your schedule is an exercise in futility. You have no sleep drive, it would be like asking the average person to sleep in the middle of the day for 8 hours. Just go to bed when you have enough sleep pressure. Naturally, this will mean shortened sleep in the interim, but that's utterly unavoidable.

Be aware that blue-light emitting electronics can play a part in delaying sleep onset. Blue light raises cortisol and suppresses melatonin production. That means your temperature minimum phase will start later. Typically we fall asleep during that period where core temperature falls fastest. Use a filter like f.lux on your devices.

Use temperature to your advantage. You can hasten the temperature minimum phase by warming skin surface, and ensuring your distal areas (hands and feet) are warm enough. This helps expel heat, therefore lowering core temperature faster.

Get familiar with CBT principles as well. CBTi is generally effective for improving sleep.

Are you going to bed too early? You should really only go to bed when you feel sleepy.

When you use your computer at night, try installing fl.ux, it's suppose to take away the blue light on your computer. Smartphones have something similar.

Even if you think screentime isn't THE issue, you should know that even a little bit of light on the blue side of the spectrum after dark contributes to inability to sleep. I'm a software developer so screentime is my life, after finding out about light filters a few years back my sleep patterns dramatically improved. For windows/linux look at F.lux, mac has it's own. For stock Android I'm not too sure if there're any apps that work without requiring root (F.lux does), it's also a feature in CyanogenMod.

I'm a nurse and you sound like you have a couple things going on and I'm curious if anyone suggested these following health problems to you?

One, have you ever had a sleep study done to see if you have OSA, also called obstructive sleep apnea? Read the symptoms and see if they apply to your case. If you do have OSA, they will usually order a CPAP machine that you wear at night and it pushes air into your lungs at a set interval keeping you breathing. The sound they make can be quite soothing and help you get to sleep.

Second, the burning pain/sensation sounds like symptoms of GERD. Have you tried sleeping with a wedge pillow under you head and shoulders? If the burning pain is from gastric reflux, sleeping on an uphill angle can help reduce the refluxd because it keeps your head higher than your stomach. Another option is to put wooden blocks or board under the head of the bed to raise it up. Also there are non-prescription medications for reflux that you can take. However, prescription can sometimes be cheaper than the non-prescription med.

If your a student (or have someone you can beg to get PDFs like /r/scholar ) most colleges have access to tons of science articles too. In my school you basically have to just be on campus to get JSTOR or whatever access. You also might have access to WordCat if you ever want something obscure. LifeHacker had a post on best libraries to sign up at in cities you don't live in for the free online stuff, like consumer reports or newspapers. I can't find the article though.

Also since you mentioned Dyslexia, I know someone mad an easier to read font specifically to help. If you use an ebook reader or phone you might be able to change the font to that.

I'd suggest downloading Flux. Also protip, if you can't sleep, go for a short walk. Turning on your computer/tv will only serve to make you more awake. Read a book, draw, do pretty much anything that doesn't involve a screen.

Thanks so much for talking about the podcast!!!! Here's a couple of other options in case the podcast does not work for someone these were recommended by a listener

https://librivox.org/the-natural-history-of-selborne-by-gilbert-white/ this one is a bunch of letters on natural history read by a great narrator with a British accent… https://librivox.org/ghost-stories-of-an-antiquary-by-m-r-james/ Same reader as above but with classic Victorian ghost stories…"

try meditation for you stress i suggest trying https://www.headspace.com/ for a slick app with 10min x 10 day course or https://palousemindfulness.com/ for a 8 week free online course in Mindfulness based stress reduction (lots of research on this approach)

Lately I've been trying this approach for my frequent insomnia-- I consider the issue of sleep to be under my body's command, and don't worry about mental techniques and influence. The idea is basically: 'if my body wants to sleep, it will get it, so long as I provide the opportunity. That's where my responsibility lies.' This of course is geared towards anxiety-type insomnia.

In terms of results, sometimes this has led to only decent rest, and sometimes to only spells of mild sleep interspersed with periods of wakefulness, but either one was better than the alternative. It seems that REM sleep is not as immediately essential as I had previously thought.

Btw, a really nifty site I use to fall asleep to sometimes is this one: https://mynoise.net/noiseMachines.php

Lunesta really should be doing something for you. My suspicion is that you started with too low a dose for the problem you're facing. Zquil and trazodone make you groggy all day; I wouldn't recommend those. I think the most effective medicine is zaleplon though.

Don't drink caffeine at all. Some will say avoid it in the afternoons. But it really persists in your system. If you have anxiety problems, the caffeine will keep you up long after the lift you felt is gone.

Keep in mind that there are two types of anxiety. One is conscious, the other is unconscious. You can have both at the same time. CBTi is best for the conscious type, though it may ultimately burrow down to your subconscious. Exercise or saunas work pretty well on the unconscious type, though by the time it keeps you up at night, it's a little late to go exercising.

Some foods can disturb sleep. Alcohol is terrible; it always wakes me up after a short time asleep. High carb foods will also wake me up if I've eaten them for dinner. Ice cream, who knows why, will create a very buzzy feeling that is very close to that created by my unconscious anxiety.

Take a look at this book. It does a good job at defining anxiety.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QG5SW58/

Also, daylight synchronization is important. Daylight helps your body time its melatonin pulse which contributes to the feeling of needing to sleep. Dawn is the most powerful time of day to reinforce daylight synchronization. The human eye is particularly sensitive to picking up daylight signals at that time.

I know getting up in the morning is awful. I too became a night owl as an adult. But now I realize that playing to my tendency to stay up late is not helpful.

Its honestly okay to not get out of bed. I know i have been told as well to get out of bed and do something else.

Read this:

https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Book-Well-Every-Night-ebook/dp/B00L9C2IBM/ref=tmm\_kin\_swatch\_0?\_encoding=UTF8&qid=1622091170&sr=8-5

What do you think triggered her sleep problems? Does she have a history of dieting and/or overexercising? Or a period of a lot of stress?

• Some ideas:

-> Make sure your mom gets enough light exposure during the day (ideally sunlight). Sitting inside all day is not good for your circadian rhythm. Try to get half an hour of sunlight exposure as soon as waking up. If that's not possible, buy a blue light lamp, like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Therapy-Rechargeable-HF3429-60/dp/B00M3SGD4Y

-> Make sure your mother eats enough. I've seen lots of people, including myself, who got insomnia due to excessive dieting and overexercising. Eating enough in the morning and at lunch is key. Make sure every meal contains a good amount of protein, fruit and vegetables, to make sure your blood sugar levels remain stable.

-> The right kind of exercise is important. Weightlifting is a great way to improve metabolic health without exhausting yourself. Improved metabolic health is a key factor in insomnia. The increased amount of mitochondria and improved insulin sensitivity make sure your cells are able to produce a lot of energy, thus reducing levels of stress hormones. Endurance type exercise is less ideal because it can wear you out.

-> I'd also recommend taking some CBD oil for resetting your nervous system and calming you down. I don't know if it's legal where you live, but if it is, definitely try it. It's one of the best supplements there is for insomniacs.

-> Finally, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a good way to improve sleep as well. There's a number of good books on CBT that you can find on Amazon. I recommend this one to start:

https://www.amazon.com/Say-Good-Night-Insomnia-Drug-Free/dp/0805089586/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1524235804&sr=8-1&keywords=gregg+jacobs

Oh, yoooo I got a really good pair from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07S2QRBW3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GrfhFbBDZSKYS

They're pretty comfortable, and really helps when my narcissistic brother walks by my room blasting music or while walking past my room.

OP is right about noise. I can't hear my heartbeat if the fan is on.

The biggest issue I have with earplugs is that I can't hear music very well. To fix that, I bought the Sony whx1000m3 headphones, they're crazy expensive but they totally block out sound. Too bad I misplaced them, guess I'm back to earbuds again...

I’ve tried the valerian capsules and tea but I didn’t find them to be as effective as the actual extract/tincture. Plus the capsules smell terrible! At least with the tincture you can throw it back. This is also a good blend of valerian and passionflower... found on amazon. If you fancy tea, I really like the Yogi brand tea (kava).

Look into the app “Headspace” it’s wonderful. Or look up some guided meditations for sleep or relaxation on YouTube.

I’ll definitely look into it! Thanks!

So you have dysautonomia?

I took sleep meds for years because it was the only way I could sleep.

I totally understand sleep anxiety. Been there.

I also had the problem that I couldn't even get a good nap in. If I laid very still for an hour then maybe I could fall asleep for an hour, which was nowhere near enough.

If you can learn to meditate or do guided relaxation you can get some restorative rest. It's not enough but it helps a little bit. Check out /r/meditation. A good book on the subject is Full Catastrophe Living by Kabat-Zinn.

All I can say is keep trying stuff. I would have periods where my insomnia would go away for months, even a year, before it would come roaring back.

There is an app that has a checklist with all the things that can prevent you from falling and staying asleep as well as techniques that have been shown to improve sleep quality (with scientific studies supporting them): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sleep.nikola.insomniac&hl=en

> Should I just get sleeping pills?

Worth discussing with your doctor at least. They're a huge help for many, me included.

If you haven't already, maybe try using f.lux on your desktop/laptop, or twilight if you have an android phone. They adjust color temperature throughout the day, reducing blue light at night which helps to keep your circadian rhythm in check. I also have a hue bulb which I swap to a dim dark red about 30 minutes before sleep.

I've been really curious to try sleeping with one of these BedJet contraptions that blow air under the blanket. In theory you could have a weighted blanked on top and still sleep in cool air. Super expensive tho.

I remember when I first heard the message I just shared with you. I had been suffering for some long it clicked for me immediately as well. Like...yeah, of course! I just knew, intuitively, that it was true.

Befriending wakefulness is a process. The book Set It And Forget It, written by former sleep physician Daniel Erichson explains everything. It's written so that a five year old could understand it: https://www.amazon.com/Set-Forget-ready-transform-sleep/dp/B08BW8KWDJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3CY2V37V499B0&keywords=Set+It+and+Forget+It&qid=1669244999&sprefix=set+it+and+forget+it%2Caps%2C58&sr=8-1

It contains all the answers. He also as an active YouTube channel with hours and hours of good content.

Basically, the way back is to educate your brain how sleep actually works and then employ specific techniques to befriend wakefulness. The path is rarely entirely linear for most, but most people who stick with it eventually find complete liberation.

I'm happy to help you out if you ever want to talk through it. Just DM me. I'm not selling anything and I'm not charging anything to help people.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ATFEUY/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_8?smid=AIJD81X9OU7K4&psc=1

I swear by these! They form a seal around the ear opening and I can't hear a thing

agmantine lowers tolerance decreasing NMDA receptors...

https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Agmatine-Inhibit-The-Tolerance-To-The-Anxiolytic-Of-Patel-Bhartiya/077ecdcea512f2298acc528f3d70944c04e8c01f

I read several years back that magnesium can help with sleep, muscle cramps / aches, and anxiety. I tried it but gave up after a few days. Sadly, I too often expect miracles after just 1 dose.

Jump forward to today. I should have kept going. Definitely within 1 week I noticed a positive change. I started taking 2 per night about 1 - 2 hours before bedtime. Deeper / better sleep.

This is the first brand I tried. See below. Read through about 20 - 30 reviews and you'll start seeing trends in regards to why people take it.

The APAP machine relates to sleep apnea. I was in a sleep study and it was prescribed for me. It's dangerous to have untreated sleep apnea. Impacts your health seriously over time.

[Doctor's Best High Absorption Magnesium Glycinate Lysinate, 100% Chelatedhttps://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BD0RT0)

You can try to avoid napping for a start and not getting to bed too early. 8h for adults, 9h for teenagers. That aside if you harbor anxiety, it can lead to onset problems, and some factors including blue light emitting electronics before bed can delay onset. You can use a blue light filter such as f.lux on your device to attenuate this.

Your circadian rhythm is shifted way forward. If you're getting up at 1pm, you won't be able to fall asleep at 11pm-12am. Your body would expect you in bed by 7 am, 8 h before. The only way to shift your circadian rhythm is to get up in the morning at a consistent time, every day. This will mean reduced sleep while you transition since you won't be going to bed "early", just when you feel enough sleep pressure.

On the noise, you can try to implement some white noise either with a machine or speakers, and use earplugs. Alternatively, you could adhere to the 2 am bedtime, which would mean you'd get up at 10 am or so. If you're a teenager you could do 9h rather than 8.

Use a blue-light filter like f.lux on your devices. Blue light suppresses melatonin production and increases cortisol, this will help alleviate that in the evening, but it's best before bed to avoid electronics altogether and find a routine to help you wind down.

More here

The most important component of CBTi is the CBT. It sounds like you're experiencing some anxiety, so that would lend itself well. CBT workbooks are widely available and some are free. This is about recognizing and rectifying distorted automatic negative thinking. Other interventions like regular exercise, increased vitamin D3 intake in the morning, and healthy eating helps as well. More on that here. The other component, SRT, may help consolidate sleep and improve sleep drive.

> Playing games at laptop before sleep. I seem to feel blue light does not affect me that much or maybe I am just being hard headed?

It affects everyone, some are just more sensitive. You could at the very least use blue light filters like f.lux or whatever's native on your system. This will help, but you'll still be somewhat overstimulated right before bed.

Reserve some time before bed away from electronics, schedule it even. Two good reasons for this. In the first place, blue light emitting electronics can suppress melatonin production and raise cortisol. This increases wakefulness and delays sleep onset. A filter like f.lux on your device can help (light has a profound impact on your circadian rhythm). Secondly, the more fatigued we get, the more likely we are to procrastinate on multimedia devices indefinitely, whereas if all you have right before bed is a book in your hands and your eyes are getting heavy, you won't have as much trouble putting it away.

More here.

Try this: in the hour before bed, do some light yoga / stretching, maybe write a journal, and read a book. Set an alarm for this so you know when to stop gaming. You can even take time to prepare breakfast for the next day, e.g. overnight oats.

> Before I go to bed at 11:00 I do light therapy

Hold on, you're flashing bright light before you go to bed? That's the opposite of what you want, light therapy should be mornings / day-time. It increases wakefulness, by spiking cortisol, suppressing melatonin, keeping your core temperature higher etc. Same for vitamin D3, you take it in the morning. At night, you should be using low, warm lighting, and a blue-light filter like f.lux on your devices. Better yet, staying away from devices in the hour before bed.

Besides that, 11 pm to 9 am is an entire 10 hours in bed. Even for a teenager, that's probably too long, to the extent that you'll have insufficient sleep pressure by 11. If you get up at 9 am consistently, i.e. your circadian rhythm is anchored there, then you won't get enough sleep pressure until closer to 12:30-1am. Most people fall asleep during the steepest drop toward circadian temperature minimum.

More here

Delayed onset and/or anxiety. Your circadian rhythm can shift forward if you sleep in late. You may also delay your onset time with exposure to blue-light emitting electronics before bed.

Best to get bright light exposure during the daytime, as this helps with both circadian rhythm and mood. In the hour before bed, use a filter like f.lux on devices or better yet keep away from them, and read a book or do some light yoga.

More comprehensive tips here

The only way to shift your circadian rhythm back is to get up in the morning every day, at a consistent time. Your circadian rhythm is currently anchored to 4 pm. It's just like jet lag.

You can also try to avoid factors which often lead to delayed onset. For instance, avoid blue-light emitting electronics leading up to bedtime as these suppress melatonin and raise cortisol. Schedule time on your devices earlier to avoid procrastinating on them late, and use a filter like f.lux.

More here.

No problem. One thing you can do for your phone is install a free blue-light filter like f.lux, it works on a timer and will automatically dim in the evening. You should still take some time away from stimulating devices, but it helps in the preceding hours.

Okay. Well 12 am to 12 pm is an entire 12 hours in bed. It's very long even for a teenager, and likely shifted your circadian rhythm forward, close to noon. This means you won't have enough sleep pressure by midnight. People generally fall asleep during the steepest drop toward circadian temperature minimum which is around 8h (or 9 for teens) before morningrise. At this time core temperature drops, cortisol drops, melatonin spikes and adenosine is at its peak. But hours earlier, this hasn't happened yet.

An irregular waking time can lead to a shaky, floating circadian rhythm as well. Consistency will help build up sleep pressure at night and consolidate sleep throughout the night. The key to improvement would be to get up at roughly 8 am every day.

There are other tips to help along sleep onset at night. You could pre-warm feet, which improves blood-flow to distal regions and helps expel heat faster, this can reduce onset latency. A wind-down routine or ritual in the hour before bed away from blue-light emitting electronics helps, as blue light can suppress melatonin production up to 50% and raise cortisol (you can also use a filter like f.lux on your devices at night). Reading, writing a journal, yoga, or some other relaxing activity.

More in-depth info here.

Well all nighters don't really work because they don't shift your circadian rhythm, they just tire you out. So that's not always enough for people to fall asleep whenever.

It takes days to shift your circadian rhythm. If one day you decide to get up earlier, that will not be enough to have adequate sleep pressure by midnight. It takes days.

You can help this along in a few ways. Pre-warming feet can help reduce sleep onset latency. Warm distal areas promotes blood-flow there, allowing you to expel heat more efficiently and lower your core temperature faster. Besides that, avoiding blue-light emitting electronics before bed, and using a filter on your devices such as f.lux. Blue light suppresses melatonin production up to 50% and raises cortisol. Winding down with a relaxing activity before bed in low, warm lighting can help increase sleep pressure.

Waking up in the night is pretty normal, so even if you wake after 2-3 hours you should be able to fall back asleep.

More on all of this here.

> I’m just curious if actually getting out of bed and doing things has helped others or if it becomes even more detrimental to the ability to get back to sleep.

This may be an individual preference. Some people find it too stimulating. Personally if I find myself tossing around, I will sit up in bed in the dark for a couple of minutes (far less than 20) until I find myself yawning again, then try once more. You may have to experiment and see what works for you. Sometimes improving sleep means getting out of our comfort zone.

> I have a very hard time turning off my mind/worry/random songs that pop into my head for no reason... and I feel like getting out of bed would just exacerbate that issue.

Well anxiety in itself is something worth addressing, and the CBT component of CBTi helps with that, recognizing distorted thinking. There are other lifestyle factors that help like regular exercise. If you've shifted your circadian rhythm forward, you'll be in a more aroused state when going to bed, which is why it helps to keep waking time consistent. Some people are more sensitive to blue-light exposure. Blue-light emitting electronics can suppress melatonin production up to 50%, and raise cortisol, which delays onset and keeps you in a more aroused state. A filter like f.lux helps, or just staying away from blue light in the hour before bed. More in-depth tips here.

If you had been going to bed late and getting up late, your circadian rhythm is shifted forward. To shift it back you get up in the morning, which is what you'll be doing with school anyway. It will take a few days but you will adjust, it can take time. The key is to get up at roughly the same time every day.

If you try going to bed too early relative to where your circadian rhythm is anchored, it won't work. You won't have enough sleep pressure. Just go to bed when you feel sleepy enough, and try to avoid too much stimulation ahead of time from blue-light emitting electronics (use a filter like f.lux).

Read more here.

> I’m afraid of going to bed later will only make me go to bed later in the night making it more challenging to sleep and making me more anxious

It is precisely the opposite. Going to bed too early means hitting the sack with insufficient sleep pressure, which can keep you up for hours. Most people fall asleep during the steepest drop in core temperature, toward circadian temperature minimum. Your circadian rhythm dictates this happens approx 8 hours before morningrise.

You can hasten sleep onset latency by warming up feet prior to bed, as the increased blood-flow to distal areas help you expel heat. Conversely, you can delay onset with bright light / blue-light exposure, so it helps to use a filter like f.lux.

Relaxing wind-down activities are helpful, and also learning to recognize distorted negative thinking can help you reduce anxiety.

If you're accustomed to marijuana use at night, tapering off means temporarily experiencing onset issues. It's an adjustment. CBD itself may help with onset, but it also leads to overall poor sleep quality much the way alcohol does. Anything you might replace this with, you could develop a tolerance to anyway, so it's not sustainable long-term to rely on that constantly.

If you're in an aroused state at night it could just be delayed onset. When do you get in and out of bed? You could increase sleep pressure by restricting total time in bed and adhering to a consistent schedule. Can also help to avoid blue-light emitting electronics in the hour before bed as these can suppress melatonin production up to 50%. A filter like f.lux on your devices helps. Most people fall asleep during the steepest drop toward circadian temperature minimum, and going to bed before that occurs makes sleep difficult. Read more tips here.

> But i always have before, and it hasn't affected my ability to realize when i should head off to sleep.

Can happen at any time. There could be other factors involved (including anxiety), but sleep also changes as we get older.

If you must use the computer before bed, try a blue-light filter like f.lux. But it's advantageous to keep away for a little while before bed. Try finding ways to reduce your anxiety levels, including yoga or journaling.

If I'm understanding, you're in bed by 9pm, fall asleep by 5 am and get up at 9 am? 9 to 9 is 12 hours in bed. Even for a teenager, that's long enough to shift your circadian rhythm forward.

Sleep changes as you grow older. Teenagers tend to need more sleep than adults. Around 9 hours is probably right, maybe a bit more. If you intend to get up at 9 am, you would head to bed by midnight. If you intend to go to bed at 9 pm, you would get up at 6 am. Keep your waking time fairly consistent.

There could be other reasons behind onset issues, like anxiety. Some people are more sensitive to blue-light emitting electronics, which can suppress melatonin production up to 50%, so use a filter on your device at night and try to stay away from them in the hour before bed. Read more here.

It'll come on its own. Bear in mind that blue-light emitting electronics can suppress melatonin production up to 50%, so it helps to use a filter like f.lux or stay away from them before bed. Melatonin is just a small part of the equation as well. Approaching onset, most people fall asleep during the steepest drop toward circadian temperature minimum. So you have lower core temperature, cortisol is lower, adeonsine is high and melatonin spikes. If your circadian rhythm is shifted forward, that may not have happened yet by the time you hit the sack. See more here.

Keeping a journal, regular exercise, yoga, being mindful about distorted negative thinking and replacing these with a more realistic outlook.

Prior to bed, having a relaxing wind-down routine away from blue-light emitting electronics, or at least using a filter like f.lux.

You've shifted your circadian rhythm way forward. It's just like jet lag. The only way to shift it back is to get up in the morning every day, and try to limit your total time in bed. You'll have reduced sleep at first but will adjust after a few days.

Some things can inadvertently delay onset at night. Blue-light emitting electronics can suppress melatonin production up to 50%, and raise cortisol. Stimulating media can also keep you in an aroused state. Use a filter like f.lux on your device at night and turn it off in the hour before bed.

That is like 15 hours in bed. It's beyond excessive. Your circadian rhythm is probably anchored around 11 am, such that your body doesn't expect onset until 3 am, maybe 2 am if you're a teenager.

Keeping a consistent waking time, and limiting total time in bed to around 8-9 hours, will help consolidate sleep and increase sleep pressure which is probably non-existent at 8 pm. Sleep pressure tends to climb with adenosine levels, which rise through the day and fall at night. Core temperature is meant to fall before onset. Most people fall asleep during the steepest drop toward circadian temperature minimum. Around this time, your melatonin levels are spiking, and your cortisol levels are dropping. The conditions are ideal for sleep. But hours before that, none of these have occurred and sleep is practically impossible.

One thing that can help is limiting blue-light emitting electronics before bed, or using a filter like f.lux on your devices. Blue light suppresses melatonin production and raises cortisol, which can delay onset. Stimulating media can keep you aroused as well. It helps to have a relaxing wind-down period away from these sources, and this also lessens the likelihood of "sleep procrastination" on devices.

Get up at a consistent time in the morning and limit total time in bed to 8 hours. Keep away from blue-light emitting electronic devices 30-60 min before bed and/or use a filter such as f.lux. Have a relaxing wind-down routine.

> i've been doing it for probably 3 months now.

> I still always end up sleeping late though

If you mean sleeping in late, then you haven't been doing it. If you mean falling asleep late, that could be due to other factors. Among these is stress and anxiety. You may be going to bed too early as well. Sleep propensity is strongest toward circadian temperature minimum. Prior to this it's difficult to fall asleep. It's possible to inadvertently delay onset with blue light exposure from electronics, or stimulating activity. A filter like f.lux helps. Don't allow yourself to be fatalistic and overly negative in your thinking surrounding sleep right before bed, that will just keep you up. Have a relaxing wind-down period away from electronics.

He's spending between 9 to 11 hours in bed. That's very excessive. It just shifts forward the circadian rhythm, such that sleep onset comes later. It helps to keep a consistent waking time, and limit total time in bed to 8 hours. If he wants to shift back the schedule to daylight hours, it would require getting up in the morning and getting reduced sleep for awhile.

Blue light has some level of impact to the extent that it can raise cortisol and suppress melatonin production. Filters like f.lux can help. When we're tired and on media devices, we're more likely to procrastinate on sleep. It's very common for people to stay up late, sleep in, then consequently shift forward their schedule.

That's 10 hours in bed. It's excessive, which would explain the state of arousal going to bed. Our sleep propensity is highest towards circadian temperature minimum, at which point cortisol has also dropped and melatonin spiked. It's exceedingly difficult to sleep before any of this happens. Limit yourself to 8 hours in bed. You can try to avoid a common pitfall of blue-light emitting electronics delaying sleep onset by using a filter such as f.lux, or avoiding screens 1h before bed.

You can also help lower your anxiety levels with regular exercise, yoga, being mindful not to catastrophize.

9-10 seems doable for the age, though in the interim you may benefit from restricting the window to improve sleep pressure. No need for it to be 5 am. For that to work, you'd get up at a consistent time in the morning.

What happens leading up to sleep onset is adenosine should be at its peak, core temperature drops, cortisol drops, and melatonin spikes. If it's too early this hasn't happened yet, but notwithstanding that there are factors that can delay onset. Blue-light emitting electronics can raise cortisol and suppress melatonin production up to 50%, before bedtime. A blue light filter such as f.lux on devices can help, though you could also eschew devices during a wind-down period if you find you're overly stimulated / aroused. If you consume a lot of caffeine this too will impact sleep pressure at night.

Besides that, regular exercise in the day helps. And, other ways to reduce stress/anxiety.

Not sure what you mean by "your anxiety prevents you". You can try reading instead, substitute with another relaxing activity if you want to try something else.

Another option is to use a blue-light filter on your devices at night, like f.lux.

> I try to watch tv to fall asleep and feel more energized than I have in the past.

Sleep changes as we get older. Light could make it harder than it once did.

> So maybe I need to walk even longer, like four or five hours.

Diminishing returns.

Exercise helps in various ways, like reducing stress and increasing serotonin levels. It's vital for good health. During periods of chronic sleeplessness we're more susceptible to over-training, such that, too much exertion can lead to cortisol levels higher than normal. It's relatively common to sleep worse on over-strenuous days for this reason, but better the next day.

There's a reason the cardinal rule is not to exercise within 3 hours of bed time. Exercise will temporarily bring up your cortisol levels, before they fall later. You're not going to fall asleep right after a long walk, if you're the average person. Physically fatiguing is still energizing.

You might have to look to experiment with other things, such as reducing stress levels at night, or your schedule. When do you get in and out of bed? Some light yoga in the evening can do well.

At sleep onset, you want these phenomena to occur: your adenosine is high, your cortisol drops, your core temperature drops, and your melatonin spikes. If your circadian rhythm is delayed, all of this goes wrong. Blue light also raises cortisol and suppresses melatonin production, to some extent it can help to use a filter like f.lux

When do you get up in the mornings? It sounds like delayed onset, or possibly owing to anxiety.

The phone doesn't tire you out well due to blue light. Blue light exposure at night raises cortisol, suppresses melatonin production, and delays your drop in core temperature. It's best to use a filter like f.lux if you're going to use it before bed, but ideally you give yourself time to wind down away from electronics, relaxing with a book or the like.

> I can only sleep when it’s 6 or 7 AM and it’s light outside.

It sounds like you've shifted your circadian rhythm. If you're getting up late, you won't fall asleep at the appropriate time of night. You won't have enough sleep pressure. Your circadian rhythm anchors to a waking time, and your adenosine levels build up throughout the day. That's what leads to sleepiness. Spending excess hours in bed will make it difficult to both fall asleep and stay asleep.

Teens tend to get more sleep than adults do, but that trend still applies. So for instance if you were getting up at 11 am, you'd be going to bed at approx 3 am. If you want to go to bed at midnight, get up by 8 am every day.

There are other factors that could influence onset, to varying degrees. Some are more sensitive to media and blue-light exposure. If you're exposed to stimulating media and blue-light emitting electronics right before bed, that could raise your cortisol levels, suppress melatonin production, and delay the drop in your core temperature (a blue-light filter such as f.lux may be useful). It's helpful to give yourself a period leading up to bed time away from electronics with a relaxing activity, like reading or yoga. It doesn't have to be very long.

2 to 10 is alright, although that cumulative time in bed starting at 11 pm could have a negative impact anyway. Often blue-light emitting electronics and stimulating media before bed can keep us in an aroused state. Even just blue light does 3 things: increases cortisol, suppresses melatonin production, and delays your drop in core temperature before bed. This with media could keep you up, some people are more sensitive to it.

You could endeavor to use a blue-light filter like F.lux on your device. You could also give yourself a grace period of 30-60 minutes before bed away from electronics, just winding down with a book. And don't be prone or even in bed, you want to associate it with sleep. Head to bed when you're ready to initiate sleep.

That is a pretty decent schedule I'd say. If it is delayed onset it would be from some sort of overstimulation, blue light exposure from electronics to some extent (this raises cortisol and suppresses melatonin production), but that wouldn't explain the anxiety. I use F.lux on my device, free donationware blue-light filter, but it helps in the hour before bed to wind down away from electronics.

If you've never tried yoga I like to do a quick routine before reading at night, it reduces stress and ritual in itself can help quiet the mind and prepare you for bed.

> I work nights thankfully but I’m still only getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night if I’m lucky.

Most work places are filled with lighting that destroys natural melatonin. I would get something like these glasses and put them on 2 hours before getting home, whatever time that is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H44C8DT

Then leave them on when you get home or switch to red only lighting until hitting the pillow

I see a lot of people recommending just using an iPad or iPhone. For me that absolutely does not work. Those devices can’t provide true white noise. The sound is too concentrated, doesn’t actually fill up the room, and some of it loops. I have something called the LectroFan. It is still very portable so you can take it with you when traveling to have consistent white noise wherever you go. It has a few different options so you can find what suites you and of course you can adjust volume. It might be considered a little pricy but i totally recommend.

here’s the link

If you do try it, invest in a Fitbit, use the sleep cycle app in conjunction to monitor you sleep for abnormalities. To be extra safe, you can buy one of those timed kitchen things from Amazon to make sure you don’t go for a midnight joyride in your sleep. Beware, that safe CANNOT be opened in anyway except for destroying it or the timer running out.

I also looked into getting a bed monitor (because I take a DORA med which has the same sleep walking side effect but much rarer) that lets out a screech, but since you’re not really ‘sleepwalking’ and instead are in a more ‘blackout’ state it doesn’t appear it would work (just read some horror stories and realize how much you can go through without becoming lucid)

Hey bud.

These are the plugs I use:

Ear Plugs, 60 Pairs, Ultra Soft Foam Earplugs, 38dB Highest SNR Earplugs, One Size Fits virtually Every Wearer Comfortable Ear Plugs for Sleeping, Snoring, Studying, Travel, Concerts, Loud Noise https://www.amazon.com/dp/B095RGHQN7/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_B7WTV3ZCYH2PKHJR7BJZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I'm a pretty light sleeper, doesn't help that my cat wakes me up at 4am to piss. I bought these cause my neighbor's dog barks all night and all it but blocks all the sound. They're very comfy too, just make sure you squeeze/twist them well before you insert.

I used this one

LectroFan High Fidelity White Noise Machine with 20 Unique Non-Looping Fan and White Noise Sounds and Sleep Timer, Global Power Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019GAFJEG/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_T44W7FP4B5MP3W01N7DZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

You can pretty much hear it anywhere in the house. It has fan sounds too.

She might want to try different ear plugs. Most don't block out snoring for me. The only ones that do are the reusable ones. Problem is, they hurt a bit.

If she can tolerate the noise from the lectro fan, she definitely won't hear you snore. If you have the money, you can even get two, and place them in different spots.

This happened to me all the time, for decades. Nasal strips seem to be helping quite a bit. I say 'seem' only becasue I have experienced periods where sleep gets better (although never normal) only to relapse. I have bought many different kinds, looking for balance between cost and what works and the ones I link to are by far the best I have tried.

If there is a sleep study doc/program near you that might also help. Sometimes this problem requires a CPAPA machine. There are several areas in the respiratory area that can lead to sudden sleep interruption.

Good luck! There is not nearly enough enough attention being paid to the ultra serious and widespread problem of sleep deprivation.

Amazon Basic Care Sleep Aid Tablets, Doxylamine Succinate Tablets, 25 mg, Nighttime Sleep Aid to Help You Fall Asleep, White, 96 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079HXLZGY/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_JNECBX57H3JSE59VEEQA

needa get you some of them amazon sleeping pills, those mofos don't play games

https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Care-Doxylamine-Succinate-Tablets/dp/B079HXLZGY/ref=pd\_lpo\_1?pd\_rd\_i=B079HXLZGY&psc=1

I had some of this last night. I got 7 straight hours of sleep despite having an afternoon nap yesterday. Having said that, I don't need to get up for anything this week so I don't have the threat of sleep anxiety.

Not sure if you saw the wall of a post I made about my similar experience, but here's the link to the sleeping headphones I wore over industrial strength ear plugs. It would be great if you could find a nose cancelling version if they exist... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082NZCHD3/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_049800YJA1G0K2FZVS68

Consider “sleep restriction.” Worked well for me. Basically, don’t go to bed at 10-11 if you aren’t ever falling asleep then. Stay away until 1am intentionally to build up your sleep drive. Do that for a week-ish. There’s more to it than that, but that’s the easy version.

Try passion flower as a supplement. I’ve tried tons of supplements and 2 of these has a noticeable relaxation effect: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002J0KCQ6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_Q31PHP0RBHGE4D46AVNR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Most importantly, you need to teach yourself to turn off your thoughts! Dr. Andrew Huberman said it best: “It’s hard to control the mind with the mind. Look to the body instead.”

You can’t “think” your way to letting go into sleep. Instead focus on the body. Deep breathing is an easy start. Yoga Nidra is even better. Just Youtube yoga nidra and choose a 20 minute session. Don’t expect results the first time. Just use it to learn the ropes to the practice and after a few times try implementing it yourself without actually listening to an audio recording.

Really you shouldn't be on any screens at night.

Try F.lux, for everyday--it switches the light on your computer screen to a more amber light.

https://justgetflux.com/

But in the hours before bed, maybe a sepia/low light setting.

You might suffer from a psychiatric condition, please go talk to a Medic.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167

Try https://mynoise.net/noiseMachines.php

You can't remove all ambient noise, but if you raise the noise floor you can avoid hearing it.

Try fiddling with the EQ to mask the specific frequency ranges that are preventing sleep. There is a 'speech blocker' preset that works well for blocking voices.

Could be! I used to sleep with socks on as well but it didn’t keep me warm enough.

Magnesium Glycinate 500mg per Caps, 120 Veggie Caps, Chelated for Maximum Absorption, Non-GMO, NO Gluten Dairy & Soy, Supports Muscle, Bone, Joint, and Heart Health, Stress Relief https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K5WDLBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_YN2QFZH78TQ1E5HYARG1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

This is the one I take. I get vivid dreams from it but I don’t think it necessarily makes me sleep worse. I read that magnesium makes you stay in REM longer which makes you dream longer and more.

This is the exact one I’m taking:

Magnesium Glycinate 500mg per Caps, 120 Veggie Caps, Chelated for Maximum Absorption, Non-GMO, NO Gluten Dairy & Soy, Supports Muscle, Bone, Joint, and Heart Health, Stress Relief https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K5WDLBG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_RX40TF9VFF7EWRXRSJEX?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Apparently Glycinate helps with sleep as well! So I got this instead of one with citrate but not sure how much glycinate is helping.

I just bought a 20 lb. weighted blanket from LLBean. It came on Thursday but I haven't tried it yet. I am going to do so tonight. I find the heavy, leaded apron they put on you at the dentist very soothing and comforting, so I think I'd be a good candidate for a weighted blanket. (Many people on the autism spectrum like deep pressure, and I believe I am on the spectrum.) I also have been browsing for eye masks on Amazon. Many report they don't like having their eyelashes squished, etc... I think I will try this one, which has a lot of good reviews, and it has these contoured eye cups that won't have the mask right up against your entire eye. https://www.amazon.com/Contoured-Sleeping-Blindfold-Concave-Meditation/dp/B07KC5DWCC/ref=pd\_lpo\_3?pd\_rd\_i=B07KC5DWCC&psc=1

I'd use this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-Hue-Ambiance-Bluetooth-Assistant/dp/B07YQHQ892/ref=asc_df_B07YQHQ892/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=399576151383&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11155834530816712041&hvpone=&hvptwo=&h... as it is less bright ? Just a red ambience. Its is switchable to any colour so try blue when you wake up. Red light= natural sunset = melatonin build up. Blue light = natural morning = removal of melatonin :)

I just found this really good deal you might want to check out on cooling pillows! https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-cool-blue-memory-foam-pillow-2-pack?utm_campaign=UserReferral_mih&utm_source=TouchShareTreatment&utm_medium=clipboard

I dunno much about CBT but I am interested in it. One thing you can try that has helped me is a program called flux: https://justgetflux.com/. It allows you or at least me to use a computer whenever I want. It tints everything to different shades during the time of day and I'd rather browse reddit than wriggle around in bed. Avoid florescent lights for the same reason too.

the thing about screens is because of the blue coloured light emitted by computers, tablets, phones and stuff, https://justgetflux.com/ this app adjust your screen and removes blue light corresponding with the sun in your location. it's really good, i find screens fuck with my eyes after excessive use and this helped with that, it is kind of more chilled to look at in the dark as well so i guess it doesn't keep me awake as much but i can't say i've noticed much difference in my sleep because of it.

I might challenge that there is not some undiagnosed disorder perpetuating the insomnia and that you are absolutely not stressed waking up and being exhausted every day. That alone I enough to cause depression or anxiety disorders. Heck, low level daily functioning is basically the definition of MDD.

In any case, the best insomnia resource I ever came across is The Insomnia Answer book, it really goes through all the different types of insomnia and what to do about them individually. It certainly addresses early morning awakening and what to do about it. But if there is a comorbid anxiety or depressive disorder then the insomnia is unlikely to get better until you address those.

https://www.amazon.com/Insomnia-Answer-Personalized-Identifying-Overcoming/dp/0399532978

Read this: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0735213615/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_PK6E7BDZ98HNTH9ZTFJB

Research. Crazy how mouth breathing is the worst thin ever for us.

Flippable memory foam mattress topper you may like:

FLEXPEDIC Flippable Coconut Shell Carbon Memory Foam mattress topper Shop Now:https://www.amazon.com/FLEXPEDIC-Flippable-Mattress-Charcoal-Removable/dp/B09FF3LRDG/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=flexpedic&qid=1637311355&sr=8-3&th=1

All good stuff I generally agree with. Just a few things I want to add.

With regards to exercise/dancing keeping you up, if you are doing it within 4 hours of bedtime that could be a negative sleep factor.

As an IT guy myself I use Flux to dim screens at night. Supposedly it blocks blue light which inhibits melatonin release. If anything it is easier on the eyes at night.

One thing you didn't mention was sleep debt. This is IMO the most important aspect of insomnia, because chronic sleep deprivation (I.E. accumulation of lots of sleep debt) has many effects on the body in addition to acute sleep deprivation effects. For me, it is easier to get a good nights rest if I have gotten good sleep the last few days as well. One bad night can quickly turn into a week of bad sleep. Basically, chronic insomnia is self-perpetuating, and sleep debt must be "payed back" before one bad night doesnt disrupt the next. It's a catch-22 though, as how does one get good sleep when good sleep is a prerequisite to good sleep? That is the struggle we live with.

So, you might have tried everything and still sleep poorly, or go in cycles like you mentioned. The key is to stick with good habits and find a way to live that allows good sleep. As little as 8 months ago, if I had a completely sleepless night, I would go from half-zombie to complete zombie. Today, I wouldn't say my sleep is perfect, but is much better, such that I might describe my normal condition as mildly fatigued. A bad night now takes me from mildly fatigued to medium fatigued, but certainly doesn't feel like it did when my insomnia was worse.

So to the OP, I would say, continue your sleep-promoting habits, and maybe a year down the line you will be able to smoke a cigarette now and then without disrupting sleep.

>Meditation is so difficult for me because I can't stop my mind from racing (I daydream compulsively), though I suppose it's worth a try.

Wait so what you are describing is the very definition of someone who needs meditation. I would focus on mindfulness, which is really about being present and aware and not aiming to 'think nothing' or force the mind to be still.

Try this one: https://www.headspace.com/

You can do it in 10 minute blocks and even they are really, really good. And it's free.

> here are even times when I'll wake him up from a snore-fest, and he'll claim that he couldn't have been snoring because he "wasn't even asleep!"

Ahahahahaah. I do that all the time to my wife, claiming there's no way I could be snoring because I knew I was right in the middle of a thought!

This is actually a thing, it means your sleep is very shallow, and you are not in a deep restful state, and the mind is still hanging on to the last thought, while the body is actually dozing. It's called micro sleep I think, but it is a thing - and I do it too. It's really annoying because even if physically you are asleep, mentally you feel awake.

Anyway, good luck.

I've been using Noisli with much success lately.

My computer is in the room next to my bedroom, so I just crank it up and it does a great job. Very customizable too!

It's free. You can use it directly from the website, as a Chrome extension, or have it right beside you if you own an iPad or iPhone:

https://www.noisli.com

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/noisli/klejemegaoblahjdpcajmpcnjjmkmkkf

zzzzz

Are you around any bright lights at bedtime? I knew at least one person who would always have trouble when they worked late in a lab with fluorescent lights.

Waking up could be a sign of untreated sleep apnea, which alcohol would make worse. Does your partner mention abnormal patterns in your breathing at night?

Anyway here’s the light restriction portion of what I’m doing for my delayed sleep phase disorder.

2 hours before bedtime (eg 10pm)

Avoid any “bright white” (5600K color temperature) or fluorescent light. Replace them with “warm white” (2600K color temperature) lights.

Use night shift and dark mode on all computers, tablets, and phones. Install the Dark Reader extension on your web browser.

Being familiar with sleep hygiene is good too.

Use a small screen, turn the brightness down, turn on night shift mode in the operating system, and use something like Dark Reader so 90% of the screen isn’t blazing away with pure white.

Yeah, I have seen a therapist and it was good for rending more objective thoughts and having an objective sounding board. I don’t think there should be a stigma for it.

Thanks for the recommendation for meditation 👍

Yes, Bluebonnet is the brand that worked for me! You don't want to get the cheapest brand. I've tried some that didn't work.

Bluebonnet's Buffered Chelated Magnesium was the first I tried and it worked. They also have another version of pure magnesium glycinate. Not everyone reacts the same way to certain types of magnesium, so don't lose hope if you try one and it doesn't work.

My opinion is based largely on "Say Goodnight to Insomnia" by Dr. Greggs.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805089586/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_YETBQQKQB2AFG8CBKZW1

He says that the half-life of many of these drugs spill over into the waking hours... therefore, you wake up still drowsy because the drug is still affecting you. He is against the use of sleeping pills for other reasons, but that one was compelling enough for me.