Ahh Glorious Sleep for self healing and other benefits

I was always a deep natural sleeper. My mom said when I was a baby I slept so sound that she would check my breathe with a mirror to make sure I was okay. I could sleep on command and be in deep peaceful sleep. I also have always had lucid and full colors dreams from which I would wake up and recount the entire journey each morning at the breakfast table. My mom called them the morning movies. Whenever Id get sick I would sleep it out, yes my mom would make homemade chicken soup and make me drink liquids but she always told me she envied the way I slept and I healed so much faster the more I slept so she learned early on to let me sleep above any other treatment. It always worked well for me. Even when I finally left home and got married to my first husband my mother told him "make sure she gets plenty of sleep, its her cure all" . I could board a plane and be asleep before takeoff. Anywhere anytime at will!

Well about 7 yrs ago something really bad happened to me and it took away my ability to sleep on command. It caused horrific nightmares and daymares and since then I cannot sleep throughout the night without sleep aids or alcohol. I have noticed a decline in my health and memory when it gets really bad. When i try new methods it gets better but only for a while. I go through periods where I can sleep sometimes during the day if I have a tv on and I know all the doors are locked etc but even then the best I get is a couple hours here or a half hour there. I have tried meditation, therapy and many other ideas from friends and loved ones but very little helps and even then doesn't work for long before I can't sleep through the night again.

I miss my self healing sleep. I am always looking for new things to try for it but am afraid it may be a thing of my past. I welcome any ideas if you think I may not have tried it or I should try it with a different approach I welcome that too.

originally posted by: Thisisfun2015
Well about 7 yrs ago something really bad happened to me and it took away my ability to sleep on command.

Could you be more specific? It's obvious to me that the cause of your insomnia is linked to this traumatic event, so healing can only come through sorting this out.

originally posted by: Thisisfun2015
I cannot sleep throughout the night without sleep aids or alcohol.

Alcohol actually disturbs sleep so it will only make things worse.

I have to admit, I'm exactly the same.

When ever I get ill I just sleep for twice as long and I feel better.

There definitely is increased healing when in that deep sleep phase.

See if you are hypnotically suggestable and if you are it might be worth the money to get hypnotherapy to release this anxiety that is causing you sleepless nights.

a reply to: Thisisfun2015

Few things, get up with the sun, cut all stimulants at any time of day which includes, tea/coffee/cocoa/spices(chili,garlic,onions,overt sodium), eat plenty of carbohydrates throughout the day.

Install f.lux on all of your devices, avoid stimulation as much as you can an hour before bed, exercise first thing in the morning, go for a walk/run/cycle any of which you can sustain for an hour each morning consistently, make sure you keep busy in the day and make sure it's stimulating either physically or mentally.

Go to bed before 10 pm in a dark room, even if you don't sleep at least your resting and horizontal, make sure it's pitch black with no electronics in the vicinity.

Why do you think so many vets get busted for MJ?
Sleep without nightmares. It works!

I'm the same, can sleep anywhere anytime, and you are right, it really is the best healer. If I get a cold bad enough to bother me, I head straight for my bed, and I stay there for two days.

As for specifics, I must decline at this time, suffice it to say the offenders are still at large and what happened still affects my life in my ways physically and mentally not just through my sleep its just one of the things I miss the most.

and the alcohol has worked wonders depending on which types i drink.

as for hypnotism, haven't tried that yet but it has been on my list for a while but cost is an issue for me as well

changing my schedule to getting up at dawn avoiding caffeine and stimulants and eating carbs led to gaining 60 lbs even with exercise, and at my height that means I was quite round. I get up early anyway usually between 4-6 am even if I'm up late.

As for going to bed with no electronics on and laying there until i fall asleep nope thats when my daymares kick in worst and it feels like psychosis until i turn on something else to listen to and clear my mind then. But without a distractor to the main fears or flashbacks I lose it within minutes. Best Ive found so far is a nova show of some sort where the narrator has a good monotone voice. It doesn't work if I haven't seen it before as I get interested in the topic and stay up to watch it so I choose episodes I have seen many times so I can tune in enough to clear out the icky thoughts and then i focus my mind towards sleep and usually within a half hour I am asleep but it doesn't last long. an hour here 3 hours there.

so again trying to go to bed by 10 with no pills or alcohol or as another suggested mj (which I'm not a fan of i just end up eating everything in sight lol)

Yesterday I sleep 5 hours total that was 3 short naps and one nap of 2 &1/2 hours Thats pretty good for most days anymore.

I appreciate the help and ideas everyone and thank you very much for the input, Maybe Ill try a few of these ideas again, but I for sure need to try the hypnotism as soon as I can afford it.

Please keep the ideas flowing though I need all the help I can get some days.

originally posted by: Thisisfun2015
As for specifics, I must decline at this time, suffice it to say the offenders are still at large and what happened still affects my life in my ways physically and mentally not just through my sleep its just one of the things I miss the most.

I hope you are getting therapy for this because it's obvious it's the root cause of all your problem.

When you want to truly heal from a sickness you deal with the cause, not the symptoms.

HTH.

a reply to: Thisisfun2015

You really should avoid anything more than one short power nap a day. I am not sure what happened to you, but its clear you have PTSD. I would look into how that is treated.

I'm very sorry to hear of your problems and am not sure I can be of much help, but I've had problems with sleeping for a long time and if it isn't one thing that keeps me awake something else conspires to thwart me

I understand that you need to feel safe in your environment before you can be in with a chance of sleeping and wonder if you are trying to sleep alone?

Do you now have a husband, partner or friend who can be with you and maybe hold you or just stay close. Possibly read to you?

I like to sleep with an animal in the room, if I can. I'm not fussy what sort of animal, it just feels comfortable and familiar.

I hope you can find some peace and a solution to your sleep problems. It isn't only physical healing that can be hindered through a lack of it.

Have you tried taking 5-HTP?

I used to sleep very poorly due to stress. Was always irritable. And had really inconsistent sleep hours. On top of it whenever I did get a lot of sleep I still felt like I had gotten no rest. Thought hey maybe I have a serotonin imbalance and tried taking 5-HTP an hour before I went to sleep. Felt a difference almost immediately. I felt rested in the morning. Could tolerate a lot more stress during the day and my anxiety reduced a lot. I also used to drink a lot of beer when I would get home after work. Alcohol also wrecks your bodies ability to produce serotonin. I haven't quit drinking beer. but that one pill of 5-HTP sure seems to work despite the beer. You can find 5-HTP at any pharmacy or store that sells supplements. I get mine from CVS.

Try it, it seriously worked for me.

I feel your suffering..you may have tried many "things", but the dis-harmony is trapped "within".....who is it that holds it in?.....i send my best loving wishes

Eh op, have you tried progressive relaxation?It's helped me before. The technique basically involves flexing, and holding the muscles from the tips of your toes, up to the top of your body.Flexing them in groups, and working systematically upwards.As you hold the flex, the muscles relax on release.Your body should start to feel heavy, this sensation often makes it easier to fall to sleep.If I still find myself awake, I rinse and repeat.For tunes, check out some of the more ambient stuff on youtube, like rain and natural sounds.

I found swimming to be a great exercise for times like this, idk if that's an option.I used to hit the early bird lap pool swims.They were cheap, & I can be shy.

Another idea to consider is worries.Often worries would nag me, even though my body needed rest.It was so bad sometimes, I would rather stay up, then lie down at least.I started to practice imagining, throwing my worries down a well, as they arose.I kept doing that until I fell asleep.Silently, or using an affirmation to remind me sleep is mandatory.

Hopefully, you are able to sleep easier.It's good that you are looking to get it naturally.

I've just found this article for a breathing technique.

I haven't tried this, so I can't vouch for it:

www.dailymail.co.uk...

I hope it's helpful.