Question
I've had this problem for awhile now and i've tried figuring out but have not been able to so far. Every night the same thing happens. Right around 9pm or so, I begin to get tired as any normal person would from a busy day at college. I begin to relax watching tv, finishing up homework or reading. I'm usually in bed around 11pm on a typical week day if I don't go out. Before I go to bed, i'm very tired and ready for bed. Right when I get to bed, i'm wide awake and ready to begin work again and usually can't fall asleep until 2 or 3am.
I usually wake up around 7:30, eat breakfast and work out and go about my daily classes, homework and friends ect and am back in bed around 11. I can keep up with myself for about 4 days before i'm so exhausted that I can finally fall asleep at a normal hour, then it begins all over again.
I've read a few of your previous answers that sodas, coffee and caffeine seem to be a problem. I don't drink coffee on a regular basis, don't drink soda ever (diabetes runs in the family) and usually stay away from energy drinks or other caffeine sources. I would say i consume less than 10 cups of coffee a week, usually around 12 noon.
I'm stumped as to why I am awake as soon as I go to bed and can't fall asleep but an tired leading up to bed. As of right now, its 1:40 in the morning, only about 1 hour to go ironically.
Thanks for any help you can give,
Nick
Answer
What happens in the body gets so relaxed that we have time to think about the days activities and so it gets anxious about things we did or problems we have. For you try deep breathing techniques when you get into the bed, then pay close attention to the tips below especially the part about getting out of bed after 20 minutes and going into a different room.
Try these tips religiously for about 6-8 weeks but many have seen results
in as little as 2 weeks.lYou must go to bed and awaken the same time each day regardless
of how little or how much sleep you got the night before.
This starts to reset your sleep clock.
3 hours before bedtime stay away from
tea, coffee, caffeine, caramel colored soda like, coke,pepsi, ginger ale,
or root beer, chocolate and exercise .All these make for restless sleep.Do the following religiously for 4-6 weeks although some have seen changes in as little as 2 weeks.
Make sure room is quiet and dark. When you go to bed if you start to
twist and turn or if you wake up in the middle of the night and cant
go back to sleep, twist and turn for only 20 minutes, then get up, go
into a different room and read a book or magazine only! No computer!
When you start to doze immediately go back into the bedroom.This retrains
the brain into thinking that the bedroom is for restful sleep only. Do
this as many times as you awaken thru the night, it will lesson.
30 minutes before bedtime take a hot bath and immerse hands under the
water.Latest research states that the palms of the hand when immersed
in hot water send signals to the brain to relax. 15 minutes before bedtime\
drink a glass of warm milk. Milk when heated contains tryptophan, a natural
amino acid sleep inducer should do the trick. If this fails you should consider seeing a sleep center.
Your local hospital can refer you. Also go to sleepnet.com click on disorders insomnia
for more tips. Feel free to email again karel
