Memories

Ok... Last post was bout me not being able to fall asleep, now I shall inspire my readers on what I've found...

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Your mind is racing and you can't seem to get it to stop, but you don't want to become addicted to using sleeping pills, or any other medicine. So how do you cope? Not being able to fall asleep is a problem that we all face from time to time. There are several ways to improve the quality of your sleep, but what good are they if you can't even fall asleep?

1
Soundproof your room. Soundproofing your room will not only help you fall asleep, it will help you stay asleep. If you cannot block off external sounds, look into getting a white noise machine. These are relatively cheap and produce a neutral sound that can drone out other noises and still let you go to sleep.^[1]. Sleeping with a fan on will be a good idea, but you might be cold in the winter. sound... is not an issue for me
2
Read. Reading will help the mind focus on only one thing, instead of racing about the day's activities. Read something calming rather than an exciting thriller novel. Fairy tales and other fiction are good choices. Textbooks may be helpful too especially if you are in school. Read a boring part of your math or history textbook. If it doesn't work, at least you might learn something. Depends on what type... if its story book... i'll read till sun rises, if its chinese literature, then I'll definitely sleep IMMEDIATELY (but I have no such book here). For the case few nights ago, I slept after reading 1 journal.
3
Adjust the lights to a level you are comfortable with. For optimal results, a pitch black room with no lights helps you sleep better through the night. If you have an alarm clock that is lighting up half the room as you try to sleep, turn it around or cover it with a towel. Most cell phones have an alarm on them, so you can use that instead of a bright, bulky alarm clock. If you must have mild illumination in your bedroom (e.g. glowing face of digital clock, night light), remember that red wavelengths of light generally are not as disruptive to sleep cycles as blue or green wavelengths. If you need to sleep during the day, use eye covers. The ~~stupid~~ heater is quite bright and I cant survive without the ~~stupid~~ awesome heater especially in winter
4
Get into a comfortable position, loosen any tight restrictive clothing and relieve that stress. Position yourself comfortably on your back in bed, with your arms by your side. If you are uncomfortable with any way your body feels on the bed, correct it immediately, e.g., your body's weight on your arm is too strong, or your hip feels awkward--change position quickly until you're completely comfortable. Optimally, sleep nude. This might bother some people or make them feel uncomfortable, in which case, wear comfortable clothes like pajamas or a nightgown rather than tight or constricting "day clothes." Done that...doesn't work...
5
Practice deep breathing. If you're having trouble trying to sleep, try a deep breathing exercise. For example, lie on your back in bed and breathe in deeply for four counts, watching your stomach rise, and then breathe out for four counts. Your goal is to breath in and out about six times per minute. Do this for about ten minutes (60 breaths) and then switch so you're lying on your right, and repeat the breathing process. Another way to go about doing it is this:
- Breathe out a deep breath only using only 1 nostril How am I suppose to do that?!
- Now Take a deep in using the same nostril you breathed out in -.-''
- Now repeat on the other nostril swt...
- Concentrate on your breath.This will help you in inducing the sleep very quickly.
- Repeat these steps using the other nostril. Do this 60 times (at least 10 minutes) and you will feel very dizzy/relaxed. i don't want to feel dizzy... i just want to sleep! And there's absolutely NO WAY can I just breath with 1 nostril... Unless I use my finger to block the air way...
6
Imagine yourself sinking into the mattress, starting from the very tips of your toes. When you loosen all your muscles, it gives the effect that you're sinking in. In your mind, begin to "acknowledge" everything around you that all your senses are experiencing. For example: Say to yourself (not out loud), "I hear the clock ticking. I smell the lotion I just applied to my hands. I feel my legs' weight on the bed. I hear my spouse/partner breathing. I see different shades of black. I hear the dog barking in the distance. I hear myself in my own mind talking.", etc. This should help to clear your mind by slowly acknowledging everything and subsequently dismissing it. Stay on your back, sunk into the mattress until you feel it is time to roll into your desired position. I hear myself in my own mind talking??!! o.O
7
Meditate. Whatever is on your mind is probably there for a reason. If meditating, visualize yourself addressing your thoughts and resolving them. Or, meditate on a calming word or phrase. As you do so, it helps you to lower your heart rate and relax your muscles, making it easier for you to lay down and fall asleep. Many times this will work because you no longer have that burden on your mind and you can relax enough to fall asleep. Tried relaxing... but my mind keeps thinking non-stop... *Next*
8
Use the Best Me Technique of self-hypnosis to involve your whole person in the process of going to sleep. With or without an actual hypnotic induction (but preferably after one), slowly repeat the following suggestions to yourself. When you get to the last two steps, repeat them over and over like a mantra, as long as necessary until you drift off. (By this time, you should be quite relaxed and the entire experience should be a very pleasant one.) You don't have to use these exact words, of course -- just use whatever words are most meaningful to you, as long as you cover all of the steps outlined below. Since each step begins with one of the letters of the words, "Best Me," you can remember them very easily, just by thinking of the words themselves. As you would do with any other type of suggestion, believe it will happen, expect it to happen, and feel it happening.
- (Belief systems) Imagine, or picture in your mind, that you are reaching down into the depths of your unconscious potential for feeling drowsiness and sleep.
- (Emotions) These feelings of drowsiness and sleep are flowing out from innermost depths of your unconscious potential like water from a hundred secret springs.
- (Sensations and physical perceptions) Feel this drowsiness and sleep flowing into every muscle, and nerve, and fiber of your body, growing stronger and stronger with every breath you take.
- (Thoughts and images) Sinking down, and shutting down, and sinking down, and shutting down. Sinking down, and shutting down. Shutting down completely.
- (Motives) Now, think these last two steps to yourself, matching your thoughts to your breathing, until you fall asleep, "And the deeper I go, the deeper I want to go."
- (Expectations) "And the deeper I go, the sleepier I will become."
- If you prefer, you can have someone else whom you trust hypnotize you and give you the suggestions just described, substituting the following suggestions for the last two steps:Motives: "And now you will just keep on going deeper by yourself, until you fall into a deep, peaceful sleep. Expectations: You will awaken naturally at the proper time, feeling completely refreshed."
- If you should feel yourself starting to wake up during the night, keep silently repeating theThoughts and Images step to yourself over and over like a mantra, over and over until it takes on a life of its own. As long as you don't try too hard, this will help you get back to sleep.
  
  Reading this at 3 something in the morning was... Too complicated... *skip*
9
Don't count sheep! Your mind is like your body and exercising it is stimulation. Clear your mind of thoughts, or if that's hard, focus on something relaxing and even repetitive, be it trees in the wind, rain on a window or maybe something as simple as your own breathing.
- Find something in your head to expect for tomorrow. Either it's talking to a friend or seeing those coupons in the mail. But don't get too excited. That could make you more awake rather than drowsy and expectant. This is precisely why my mind keeps thinking non-stop
10
Think of something very calming. Picture a waterfall. It is very calming and you will fall asleep quickly. This makes you calm. This also gets your mind away from distractions of life. But, if you're one of the people who associate waterfalls with urinating, be sure to use the toilet before doing this! You may also have a good dream. Pretend that you are floating on a river. Look up and see the blue sky and feel the water below you. Picture your ideal fantasy and try to play it out in your head. Also, try imagine that you are in a perfect room. What would it look like? What color is it? What's in it? Imagine yourself lying in it. Why is it so relaxing to you? Imagining yourself in this perfect room focuses your mind on relaxation. I somehow dont get calmed by water essence... Hydrophobia? Or maybe there's the sound of water running in the room already...
11
Start the habit of using your bed only for sleeping. Do not play video games, etc. because then your body will be used to doing those things while in bed and make you more awake. Always been doing that
12
Sing a song in your head. Pick a song that you know very well and sing all of the lyrics in your head. If that doesn't work, act like you are typing the lyrics on an imaginary keyboard. Or, if you know sign language, you can sign all of the lyrics. Pick a song that you know every word to and you are familiar with. If you sing, sing a calming and relaxing song. You can also plan to listen to music while you sleep. Listen to the softer songs of your favorite band. If you have trouble blocking out sounds around you (especially in an apartment building) then wear a set of ear bud headphones to bed with some language tapes running. Listening to the language tapes provides you with a soothing voice that is talking in a very mellow tone and has the bonus of reinforcing your knowledge of the language while you sleep. Doesn't work either... keeps my mind thinking
13
Think about a story in your head. Make it light and happy like a fairy tale; you can make it up. (Suggested) and what really helps is to picture the story in your mind. This may or may not help but do try it if you are having trouble falling to sleep. And also, if you have an easily teachable mind, or you do not have trouble with thinking hard (or simply do not have a very limited mind) you can make your own beats, tunes, and dances in your head. Making those beats tires the mind, leading to an imaginary world, bringing you to sleep. Doesn't work... too much thinking...
- Start relaxing and stop thinking about falling asleep. Relax your mind and think about what you want to do tomorrow. Do not think about falling asleep, this will stop you from doing so. Try chilling your pillow for two minutes in the fridge. Even on a cold day, it will relax your head and the rest of the body will follow. thinking thinking thinking... Izit me or does this web page likes ppl to keep their mind active?
14
Have a three hour fast. If you want to sleep easily and soundly, the time for dinner is 3 hours before bedtime. However, if you are very hungry and you just HAVE to eat something, choose a banana because it is high in potassium and potassium can help you fall asleep. I remember waking up feeling a bit hungry, but.. I personally sleep better with a full stomach.. means, sleep right after meals!
15
Practice solitaire. The card game solitaire was designed to send you to sleep. Undemanding, repetitive, and requiring concentration but little mental effort. It will soon lull you into a numbed state. If you can resist the urge to believe your next hand will be the complete one, you will find this pastime both relaxing and tiring. Sadly... my laptop has no solitaire
16
Train your bed. You can train yourself to associate your bed with restfulness rather than wakefulness by the practice you adopt. Sleep-inducing bed permit only two activities:sleeping and napping. All other activities -jumping, talking, school work etc - should be banished from the duvet, preferably to another room.
17
Think of impossible things. Think of the most strange impossible things as fast as you can and don't stop. For example, imagine purple Twinkies™ walking on the walls then they grow red wings with yellow fishhooks dangling from them..., etc. Just think of the most weird strange thing you can and let the thoughts keep getting more and more strange and make less and less sense. You are guaranteed to fall asleep fast. o.O Impossible? Maybe the "little boy" will change into a super extremely good looking + rich prince charming when I wake up tomorrow.... but... it keeps my mind more active! *interesting... but... Fail*
18
Explore a place in your mind. Get into a comfortable position, relax your eyes, and breathe. Then begin exploring and walking in a familiar and calming place in your mind and pay attention to every small detail. Be sure to block out any other thoughts. Focus only on walking. If something pops up in your head, ignore it. Eventually you will drift off into sleep. Nope... not for me...
19
Make up an imaginary friend. Discuss your days events with them. talk about your feelings etc. Think of what your imaginary friend can say back. It's calming and very good for troubled minds.

Let me try to portray a scenario...

Hi, I'm Shulin.. what's your name?
Wow! you have the same name as me too!
What?
Your birthday is ALSO on dec 15?
How old are you?
WOW!!! you're same age as me!
o.O OMG....
Did you just said that you are my evil twin from hell?!!

Heck... NO this does NOT work...

20
Think of your best dreams that could happen. Imagine yourself in the wildest places. Imagine yourself playing in the Super Bowl. You could think of yourself as a star figure skater dancing in front of thousands of people. A good method is to imagine yourself and your spouse, girlfriend/boyfriend, lover walking, perhaps, maybe walking on a prairie peacefully. Hmm... another reason to start to get the mind thinking... again!
21
Play an instrument before sleeping. If you have one, of course. This soothes you, calms your mind and forces you to focus and concentrate on a task. But try to play classical music or slow music, because rock won't really help. Don't have one... at least not yet
22
Make up a story. Every night, in your mind, think up parts of a story or a "movie." Eventually, you'll get bored and will fall asleep. Continue your "story" the next day and keep going on like this. O.o Can I get someone else to read me a story instead?
23
Avoid clocks. Turn all your clocks away from you and make sure that they don't tick when everything is quiet. This constant reminder that time is passing and you are still awake raises your stress level and makes it harder to sleep, plus its just annoying. Alternatively you can concentrate on the ticking noise and fall asleep. Clock ran out of batt.... Which reminds me that I should get some batteries soon too
24
Get up and do something boring. If you haven't gotten to sleep for the past 15 minutes then get up, read a boring book, or watch something boring on television (e.g. test card, be sure to turn off the sound!). Truth is: if you can't fall asleep for a long period of time, laying there isn't going to do anything. Getting up to do something boring will soon make you sleepy -- and when it does, catch that wave like a surfer and go back to bed. You should be out in no time! Did it and I must say it must be one of the best way ~~to torture yourself~~ that WORKS!
25
Create a calm area. It's much easier to get to sleep if it's quiet and dark. Close all the blinds tightly and wear earplugs if needed. A peaceful environment helps you have a peaceful sleep. My environment is relatively peaceful... If the "little boy" don't slap his had into my face...
26
Tell yourself you are tired. This may not work for some people but for others it is very effective. Convince yourself that you are really tired and your brain will follow these signals and actually make you tired. Tried, but didn't work... made me feel groggy instead...
27
Compile a playlist. If you have an iPod, compile a playlist of relaxing and soothing songs. Try not to include songs that will make you want to sing-along. Turn the volume down as low as possible but make sure the music is still audible. Used to try that in Dubbo... Kinda worked , but later on I kept singing to that song for the WEEK
28
Focus on the toes. Get into a comfortable position, close your eyes, and relaxing your jaw, tongue, and face. Then, starting with your toes... Focus on your toes and focus on relaxing them. Then move to your ankles. Then calves, knees, and on up. If your mind wanders, always get back to relaxing inch by inch. The focus clears other thoughts from your mind as well as relaxes your body enough to sleep. If this doesn't work, try imagining you're erasing your body. Again, start with your toes and work your way up. The torso and head are the hardest. What's with
29
Think of your favorite people Thinking of your favorite people, This will make you sleep and get the good dream. But don't think too supernatural. One of my fav is already right next to me, and yet I cant sleep...
30
Try ambient music. Ambient music is supposed to give natural background noise, and with a little searching, you will likely find one thing that works. Another option is space music, a type of ambient music that brings up images and feelings of floating. It's much rarer, however, so you'll probably need to search around for it. If you want something a LITTLE! more extreme, try the "Daudi Balders" by Burzum. The album's songs are set up in a certain way for you to drift into another world (dreaming) If you have satellite and get music channels, try Audiovisions. It's has that spacey, soothing music. I have the sound of water trickling in the room already~
31
Try not to eat carbohydrates too close to bed time. Eat a reasonably light meal of protein, fat, and vegetables for your evening meal--save carbs for earlier in the day. I didn't eat much before heading to bed
32
Defeat your insomnia. If everyday you take 3 hours or so to fall asleep, then you may be suffering from insomnia. What you can do is take strict bed times: go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time, even on weekends. When you don't fall asleep in half an hour get up and do a low active activity like reading. Then, in half an hour go back to bed. If the problem still persists just keep repeating. There are also tricks like turning the alarm clock so you can't see it or keeping the room cool and dark. Insomnia can be caused by many things like stress, work problems, drugs, etc. Visit insomnia sites for more information. Good luck. Mine is just a one of thing
33
Watch a movie. If you have a Sony PSP, iPod or something small to hold that you can watch movies on, its a good idea to try watching a movie. Not the entire movie, just skip to a part that you like and watch until you are tired. It has to be a movie that you have seen many times so that you know what is going to happen and it doesn't keep you on edge, a movie that you enjoy also helps. By watching one it helps to clear your mind of other things which lets you fall asleep much faster. If you experience eye fatigue, you should probably turn off the movie and try to go fall asleep, because at that time you're probably sleepy enough to easily fall asleep. Tried last time... Didn't work... instead I stayed up watching the whole show
34
Limit daytime naps. In order to get yourself on a proper sleep schedule, try to limit naps. A nap in the daytime should consist of no more than a 15 minute power nap. Anything longer than that can cut into your sleep cycles and make it much harder to fall asleep in the evenings. Sleep depriving yourself in the day time makes it much easier to fall asleep at night. oh right... i heard of that... power nap rocks! =)
35
Imagine a pendulum in your mind. Try closing your eyes and imagining a swinging pendulum. If you are relaxed, you should feel the sensation of "falling into the mattress" and fall asleep. Should try this next time...
36
Try singing a peaceful lullaby in your head. To calm yourself down. I am calm.. just that I just cant stop thinking...
37
Think up movie scenes. Some people are calmed by romantic kissing scenes, and they feel at peace when they see one. Or some other kind of movie scene. Play a movie scene you like a lot (not a funny one) over and over until you fall asleep. It would make more sense if 'the other half' is in it too... but imagining him being romantic? GUess that's a ~~100%~~ rather impossible task
38
Try a small fountain or some smooth jazz. Many people who find themselves uncomfortable or simply unable to sleep, find the constant sound of gurgling, babbling water or soft, smooth jazz calming, often inducing deep relaxation and sleep. On a night when your desperate to catch some Z's, plug in a fountain or switch to a smooth jazz station on the radio. oh oh oh, there IS a small fountain in the room! =)
39
Stretch while laying on your back. You may be experiencing stress in your lower back, caused by tension in your legs that reaches up to the back of your neck. While on your back, raise up one leg at a time and attempt to bring your knee to you chin. Once raised as close to your chin as possible, hold your leg with your arms close to you until you feel your lower back and the hamstring of your leg begin to stretch. Do this for the leg and repeat until the tension begins to subside. The looser your muscles get will give you a good indication that your body is beginning to relax. This stretching method should help you refocus your mind on resting. Stretching makes me feel... awake?
40
Do not change your bedtime. This may cause your body to feel more awake at night. Will keep that in mind, but no i didn't change my bed time...
41
Ask your doctor about non-addictive sleep aids, if nothing else works. Luckily I've managed to sleep well after that...
42
Try plain antihistamine products (the ones that cause drowsiness) that are safe when taken without extra ingredients: no pain reliever, nor decongestant nor expectorant, etc. (Read the labels. Note: Check with your doctor if you take prescription drugs.). First try only 1/2 or even less of the usual dose to have less morning/daytime drowsiness. Half one kind with half of the other may prove desirable: eww... hate hate hate medications / supplements of all sorts!
- Corcidin-HBP (Generic: chlorpheniramine maleate, include ChlorTrimeton, or Equate Chlor Tabs)
- Unisom-1 (Generic: doxylamine succinate, include Equate Sleep Aid)
- also some people find Benadryl helpful for some time, but eventually becoming less effective as you build a tolerance (Generic: diphenhydramine-HCL, includes Sominex, Unisom-2,Equate Allergy Medication). This med should be used with care because you fall asleep quickly if you're sensitive (have not built up a tolerance), similar to passing out--so lie down to sleep.
43
Imagine you are a computer.Think to yourself the same process that your computer goes through when it shuts down, or something along those lines: "I am shutting down, falling asleep. All excess functions are being shut down. I am only breathing, and my heart is beating...." Great... now imagine that I'm a robot/computer? what's the world coming to?
44
Use caffeine to your advantage. Consume something with a LOW amount of sugar or caffeine, e.g. Coca-Cola or tea, at least three hours before your bedtime. Chemicals like these will make your body active for a certain period of time, but once it wears off, you will be more tired than before. Note how long it takes for your body to wear down, and drink your soda at least that long before you go to sleep. Er, no... does not work that way for me...
45
Put a warm towel over your eyes. Put a washcloth in the dryer and put it over your eyes. It will relax your eyes, making you fall asleep faster. ooOoo... that's sooo gonna work... if i can get the towel to stay warm and not cold...
46
This helps! relax your toes, then feet, then ankles, then legs... and thats ALL you think about, mess up and start again! huh?
47
Only think of the air coming in and out of your nose been there, done that!
48
Think about your day and how much you have done and tell your body that its time too sleep. Did that too..
49
Get a box fan and place it in a chair beside your bed,(preferably next to your head) and turn it on Low. As you're trying to fall asleep, pay attention to the sound of the fan. It's actually quite soothing! o.O really? I have a fan running but nope, doesn't helps
50
Clear everything out of your mind, try not to think of anything, and you will fall asleep faster.For people who own iPod Touch or an iPhone: There are many apps which can play calming noises (like quiet rainfall, wind, etc.) to help you go to sleep. Another option is to listen to guided sleep soundtracks - a meditation to help you relax and fall asleep. i think i always do that, but this time it just doesn't works

So that's it! time to have some panadol to get rid of that pounding headache...

Adios!

*~*~*Sue*~*~*

Memories

Thursday, August 19, 2010

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