In the last couple of months, I've had a serious problem with sleeping. It's getting really bloody ridiculous now. I'm 17 and I'm in Sixth Form (Kinda like college) and it's beginning to impact my learning and my grades.

I've listened to a lot of ASMR videos, such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWZCbq7ITyEand http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B43E7mjPhI0. They helped a little, but it kinda loses its relaxing element when you listen to the same thing multiple times.

I will never take any medication as it can be potentially dangerous and I generally don't like taking any medicine unless I'm very ill.


Also, the thing is that I feel kind of tired during the night, but I can't sleep, but in the day I feel so exhausted I literally can't stay awake, which seriously messes up my sleeping pattern. I sometimes can't sleep until 3 AM. Which svcks when I have to be in school by 8:30 AM...

Coffee lots of coffee lol

Hell is filled...with people like you...

Your too stressed. Take a vacation this spring break.

Their is plenty of harmless OVER THE COUNTER medicine that helps you sleep. Go to Walgreens and ask about it.

I wonder if sleeping gas would work.. Went to the hospital once and they gave me it, was the best..

Yeah and if your not trained (have a degree and specialization) in anasetsia you could sleep forever!

I've been the same way for a few months now. I usually blame it on winter / lack of sunlight = low vitamine D / my diet svcks without fruite (I live up north, so winter fruite doesnt happen).
As of right now, I'm basically only living off of coffee. Else I would be totally asleep.

It might be your not getting enough nurtience. Try some vitamine pills?

If your at a University, visit the sleep lab. They can tell you if there is a medical reason for this (sleep apnea etc) or they can suggest relaxation techniques such as:

Taking a hot bath before you go to bed (shower could work but you need to elevate your core temp as it is the drop that triggers sleep)
Refraining from certain activities 2 hours before sleep (studying, watching action movies etc)

I had a movie that for some reason I would always fall asleep watching it, when i could not sleep I would pop in the movie, and in 5 minutes be asleep.

This is actually simple but likely complex if you are lazy. Exercise. It helps balance everything out. It can just be playing Sports or swimming or whatever. Just physically tire yourself. You seem like you are suffering from mental exhaustion likely because your brain doesn't shut up at night. I had the same problem. I have it now because I don't have much time for my physical activities anymore. It has been sooooo long since I surfed goddammit!

More excercise, cut caffeine from your intake (at least after noon) and don't get stressed if you can't sleep - read a book, play a game, do something for half an hour and try again then. Also, doing something where you try to say awake tends to make you more sleepy.

Computer screens simulate sunlight, dont use the computer before bed.

Thats what his girlfriend could do.. Perhaps he should turn his life into a controlled experiment.. Which is a good idea in my opinion.. Change up the variables a bit everyday. For one night, turn on the light and try sleeping.. Next, listen to music and try sleeping. Make the room cool for one night and see if that works.. Try making the room really warm for a night.. Try different drugs that are somewhat involved with it.. But I would talk to somebody to find the reason.

Fix'd

Let's keep our responses to those that lay people can do, such as exercise, relaxation, activities.

Let's not dispense with prescription or medicine advice on these boards. Only a qualified Doctor should do that.

First, you should know insomnia is not in itself a disorder...more like a symptom. If you can't find the source of this issue you really should see a doctor/therapist.

I suspect that it could be poor diet. I rarely have breakfast (when you're up all night, you normally don't have time in the morning) and I don't eat properly for lunch. (There's an Asda/ Walmart next to my school...)

I exercise 3 times a week in Thai-Boxing though.

And what was this movie...? Who knows, it might help me as well.

Drink a bottle of wine and you'll be lights out quickly.

Amadeus actually. Don't know what it is about that movie, but the first time I watched it, it put me right to sleep. Now, I can't get more than 15 minutes into it before I get all sleepy. I think I was just super tired the first time I watched it, now it is just a trigger in my mind with this movie. Baseball and Golf are sports that always put me to sleep.

Alcohol actually disturbs your sleep cycle and hinders REM sleep which is when you internalize the memories of the past day.

Don't drink alcohol just to fall asleep.

I have some pretty bad insomnia, so I have to have medication for it. None of the typical stuff worked for too long. I've never been good at the whole sleep thing, so most of my advice probably will just seem like calming techniques. See what genre of music or what specific band/artist/composer/whatever you call a musician these days calms you and listen to it. If it's purely situational, then do the same thing, just figure out what works for the situation. I find black metal to be the most calming thing for me, especially depressive black metal if I'm depressed.

Maybe you are on your computer too much. Try using electronics in smaller amounts when you wish to sleep. I tried seeing if it could be related to being overly stimulated, but Google keeps giving me results involving babies. The kind not involving babies, autism, ADD, or ADHD or even just it in general may cause issues with sleeping. Maybe you're extremely stressed.

Try Melatonin. It's supposed to promote natural sleep and can usually be bought at the store over the counter with other vitamins and the like. Although it's not a vitamin.

I'm one of those people who doesn't find most music relaxing enough to go to sleep by. But sometimes a monotonous (but not unpleasant) noise helps, like a fan, or ocean wave sounds, or gentle rain.

I also like to sleep with a very faint light on. No, I'm not afraid of the dark. It's from all the nights I've fallen asleep with a reading lamp or TV on...I'm just used to it and it feels weird ... a disturbance of routine/signal ... when it's completely dark in the room. The association is only with a "bedroom" and "bed" tho ... camping in a tent, I require no extra light to fall asleep. Habits and associations are odd things.

Edit: and yeah, don't drink caffeine after noon or so, avoid spicy foods before bed, and don't exercise too close to bedtime.

Water.

Water fountains make me fall asleep like I've entered a coma.

Time for another sleepless night...



Ta-ta guys.