Cure Insomnia

Hello ATS,

It's been a while since I've posted and this time I'm not posting a heated political rant. I'm going to be more helpful and share what helpful knowledge I have.

In the past I have posted on ATS about the life-crippling insomnia that attacked me for 3 years. I felt rather helpless and hopeless. Then I found that there were some lifestyle changes I could make to start to turn it around.

I went through a cognitive behavioral therapy program and, although I still have to make a continuing daily effort to fight it, my insomnia is more under control.

So, I've written a self-help article on the subject of curing insomnia. Hopefully it will benefit a few people. I've made the bold claim that you can cure insomnia in 5 weeks!

Week 1 -- Collect baseline data on your sleep efficiency. This data is necessary for Week 3.
Week 2 -- Learn about Sleep Hygiene. Your environment may be affecting your ability to sleep more than you know.
Week 3 -- Learn about Stimulus Control and begin Sleep Restriction. Basically, you've got to break your mental association with bed as being a place where you toss and turn and are miserable. You do this by limiting your time in bed. I'll walk you through it in my article.
Week 4 -- Learn to Relax! Easier said that done for an insomniac! I suggest guided meditation and provide a link in the article.
Week 5 -- Collect more data on your sleep efficiency to see where you're at. Being easing back on the sleep restriction.

The bad news is with behavioral insomnia it take a lifestyle change to cure it. You'll have to carry on some of these practices for the rest of your life to avoid relapse.

For my full detailed article click here! Thanks for reading and I hope this helps someone!

Best cure ever...Stay in bed no mater what, you will eventually fall asleep....From that base line, work yourself in to a "normal schedule or sleep pattern that works for you. total time to adjust should be no longer than 3 months.

I used to get insomnia, I once stayed up for a whole month with very little sleep. I have since learned that eating green's and turkey really helps, I would have a turkey salad before bed.##snip##

Originally posted by Fox Molder
Best cure ever...Stay in bed no mater what, you will eventually fall asleep....From that base line, work yourself in to a "normal schedule or sleep pattern that works for you. total time to adjust should be no longer than 3 months.

Well, if that worked out for you then congrats! Might be difficult for some people to do, with jobs or family obligations, however. Personally for me it would make me hate my bed and would be detrimental.

What has helped me most with sleep is valerian root and meletonin. I take both each night prior to bed (1/2 hour to hour). I feel relaxed and fall asleep much easier I also wake feeling rested.

Raist

reply to post by Raist


I didn't find valerian beneficial, but I take melatonin daily. 5 mg about 4 hours before bed. It "cues" my circadian rhythm to begin the night (dark) phase.

reply to post by spaznational


Meditation helps insomnia...

Knocks me right out when i can't sleep...

Check this out, it might help

reluctant-messenger.com...

Hello i have a cure for your insomnia, here take this pill and place it inside my trademarked G.U.N place it against your head and pull the trigger and than you will always sleep peacefully. - Alfred Hitchcock