Do you ever suffer from insomnia? How do you deal with it when you need to sleep?

2018-03-12T01:08:21-04:00

Response by SMSgt Lawrence McCarter made Mar 12 at 2018 1:34 AM

2018-03-12T01:34:55-04:00

I used to sleep right through the night but not so much now. Seems trips to the bathroom are part of that. Sometimes I'll just come here to the computer until I'm tired again. Sometimes just have too much on My mind almost like I forgot how to relax. There are times i'll take even naps when I usually didn't in the past to make up for lost sleep.

Response by SN Greg Wright made Mar 12 at 2018 1:48 AM

2018-03-12T01:48:08-04:00

I do. It's what turned me to drinking. I drink to sleep.

Response by SGT Jim Arnold made Mar 12 at 2018 5:08 AM

2018-03-12T05:08:26-04:00

melatonin and 2 beers and it's off to lalaland but only for 4 hours which is better than less

Response by SSG Warren Swan made Mar 12 at 2018 5:16 AM

2018-03-12T05:16:52-04:00

until you get used to it.....

Response by SFC Rodrick Carter made Mar 12 at 2018 5:47 AM

2018-03-12T05:47:59-04:00

I had problems sleeping when I first returned from Afghanista in 2011. I would stay up until I couldn't take it anymore and I would crash. Problem was I would only sleep for about 2 hours. After I retired, i was diagnosed with sleep apnea and received a c-pap machine. Later I was introduced to a multi-level marketing company called Limu. The flagship product of the company called Limu Original has been awesome. I finally started sleeping through the night with no issues. I'm no salesman but I do stand by the product as a Limu Promoter. http://rjcarter.iamlimu.com

Response by SPC Joseph Wojcik made Mar 12 at 2018 7:39 AM

2018-03-12T07:39:54-04:00

CBD oil works for me.

Response by CSM Richard StCyr made Mar 12 at 2018 9:44 AM

2018-03-12T09:44:28-04:00

I get up and roam the farm, check the animals and that usually does the trick.

Response by MSgt Stephen Council made Mar 12 at 2018 10:02 AM

2018-03-12T10:02:20-04:00

SGT Joseph Gunderson I have battled mild insomnia my whole life. If I can get to sleep, it is usually after about 45 minutes of trying to calm my brain. If I awake after about 3 hours, I am up for the day. I have tried all of the over the counter fixes both pharma and natural. I am currently taking Trazadone each evening. It helps, but not a lot. BTW: Ambien is straight up F*#king EVIL!

Response by SFC Greg Bruorton made Mar 12 at 2018 10:19 AM

2018-03-12T10:19:19-04:00

My mind seldom stops when I lie down in bed. There's so much more to do. Consequently, I'm back up within minutes to work on genealogy, play a few tunes on the guitar, even Solitaire. Scripture reading helps as well. Often, the time is 2:00 a.m. by the time I get back to bed for the third time.

Repeated bathroom visits don't help either.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 12 at 2018 1:42 PM

2018-03-12T13:42:28-04:00

-I do my best to limit excess light exposure leading up to bed. Sometimes I do some light reading, nothing too heavy
-I try to eat at least 3 hours before bed and no fluids 2 hours beforehand
-I try to keep the bedroom cool, quiet and dark as possible
-I started using a weighted blanket about a month ago and I think it helps
-I started using the Headspace meditation/mindfulness app. They have specific modules for falling asleep and also sleep sounds
-Sometimes I use a white noise app

That's what I can think of off the top of my head.

Response by MSG Charles Turner made Mar 12 at 2018 2:14 PM

2018-03-12T14:14:19-04:00

SGT Gunderson,

I have since early on in my military career. Seek medical help.

~ole Sarge~

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Mar 13 at 2018 11:57 PM

2018-03-13T23:57:14-04:00

I tried the alcohol method, never lasted (and had to pee a lot)!
I watched movies until I couldn't keep my eyes open...
Took Melatonin, which worked really well, but I didn't like taking meds all the time....
Now, don't laugh, but I tried a breathing exercise and it works like a champ. You may look and sound like an idiot, but it worked. Now, I only need to think about doing the exercises and I am out. Here is the link (not original I used, but the same exercise): http://www.medicaldaily.com/life-hack-sleep-4-7-8-breathing-exercise-will-supposedly-put-you-sleep-just-60-332122

life-hack-sleep-4-7-8-breathing-exercise-will-supposedly-put-you-sleep-just-60-332122

Response by SSG Dale London made Mar 18 at 2018 8:53 AM

2018-03-18T08:53:06-04:00

I used to have a real problem with insomnia. It started with post-deployment bad dreams and eventually got worse when I got into the habit of staying in bed even when I wasn't able to sleep. I'm still not the greatest sleeper but I have learned a few techniques that help.
1st - and perhaps most important: If you're in bed and haven't fallen asleep in 10 or 20 minutes, get up for a while until you feel tired. You do not want your body to learn that it's okay to lie in bed and NOT sleep.
2nd - Avoid caffeine and/or other stimulants for at least 8 hours before bed.
3rd - Start slowing down a couple of hours before you need to go to bed. Let your body naturally start to relax.
4th - Try active visualization. That is, lie down, relax, and imagine yourself performing a lengthy task. For me it can be as simple as washing dishes or as complex as pre-flighting an airplane. It is important that you focus on the task you are imagining doing, as if you were really doing it. I find that now, I am asleep before I finish the task. But for a while I had to do two or three things before I finally shut off enough to sleep. A key to this is to lie in the posture you normally sleep in and then to focus completely on the imagined task.
5th - Do not "try" to sleep. Just let it happen.
I hope this helps.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 18 at 2018 12:44 PM

2018-03-18T12:44:47-04:00

No homo, so I take these melatonin gummies 15mins before bed. I also have this eye mask I wear so it makes everything pitch black so my body naturally produces even more melatonin. Sleep like a hibernating bear.