Household sleep aids?

[Kalyyn]

I've been having trouble getting to sleep when I need to lately because of my rather erratic schedule. Gotta stay up late one day, go to bed early the next. My brain isn't responding well to it. Now, staying awake when I need to isn't the problem. It's falling asleep. Awhile back I'd been using a product called zzzquil, which worked pretty well. Trouble is, I became kind of dependent on it (non-addictive my ass...), and I tended to have rather stressful dreams when I was on it. On top of that, it's like $10 a bottle which isn't bad, but adds up.

So lately I've been drinking before I go to bed a lot. Just enough to get me drowsy. That kind of helps, but I usually wake up once the alcohol starts to wear off, which is typically about 2 hours after I fall asleep. I also figured my new exercise routine would help (2 hours a day on the same days that I have to get to bed early), and it did for awhile. But now it's doing the opposite! I feel tired immediately after the workout, but once I recover from it I feel like I have even more energy

So do you guys have any tricks for falling asleep, other than what I'm doing? Otherwise, I'm going to end up going back to the sleeping drugs next time I visit the grocery store...

[Ryken]

Melatonin tablets help me immensely, I know its not the solution you're looking for though. I've tried every trick in the book, the only remote thing that has helped me in the past is listening to an audiobook while laying down.

[Obby]

Melatonin tablets help me immensely, I know its not the solution you're looking for though. I've tried every trick in the book, the only remote thing that has helped me in the past is listening to an audiobook while laying down.

my firend uses these n said i should keep some on hand my self i work 11-7 get home stay up till 830-930 go to sleep if i fall asleep before 1030 or 11 im up by 2 and depending ont eh day dont get tired till 10-1030 when its almost time to cvome to work lamo

[Kalyyn]

Melatonin tablets help me immensely, I know its not the solution you're looking for though. I've tried every trick in the book, the only remote thing that has helped me in the past is listening to an audiobook while laying down.

Oh, I'm not at all opposed to drugs. I'm just seeing if I can avoid Nyquil and Zzzquil because they make sleep kind of stressful. Like, dreaming about finding someone has burned all the grass in your yard stressful. No idea why.

[Ryken]

Oh, I'm not at all opposed to drugs. I'm just seeing if I can avoid Nyquil and Zzzquil because they make sleep kind of stressful. Like, dreaming about finding someone has burned all the grass in your yard stressful. No idea why.

Melatonin is actually naturally produced by our bodies and is considered a dietary supplement, not a drug

[Kalyyn]

Melatonin is actually naturally produced by our bodies and is considered a dietary supplement, not a drug

Well hot damn. Can you just buy it at a CVS or what?

[Joathen]

Well hot damn. Can you just buy it at a CVS or what?

Yes, it can be found next to stuff like 5HTP, VB12 supplements and all of that. Also a good environment works wonders too- electronics completely off, cold room, some people like a fan on for white noise; personally I use a medicine that the US Gov claims has no medicinal uses, despite fighting insomnia being one of the more well known uses for centuries.

Put a small nugget in the vaporizer, listen to the evening news with the dog, crash in ten minutes.

[pucGG]

1 cigarette

[Splenda]

Well hot damn. Can you just buy it at a CVS or what?

Yup, pretty much any place that you can buy aspirin you can buy melatonin. It's good stuff! I swear by it.

[Kalyyn]

Well shoot, I'm gonna have to give these things a try.

[Deleted]

Try to stay away for any kind of digestion methods, like drugs, alcohol etc to try to sleep. It will only get you addicted to it and make things worse in the long run.
Keep yourself hydrated during the day and avoid exercise close to bed time.
Try relaxing music before going to bed and stretching, might help.
Otherwise, maybe there is something that bothers you a lot? Subconscious problems, stress or some kind of worry can greatly affect you ;O

[Kalyyn]

Otherwise, maybe there is something that bothers you a lot? Subconscious problems, stress or some kind of worry can greatly affect you ;O

I have a rather... busy mind. Basically if I have anything going on in my life, my mind is working on the problem regardless of what the rest of my body is doing. So yeah, thinking too much tends to keep me awake.

Rum helps though. Rum or mead.

[Deleted]

Instead of trying to solve the problem chemically, how about you go about changing your life and environment so that your sleep comes naturally, and it's sufficient?

Wake up early, and do this consistently.
If you start waking up at, for example, 7 in the morning, you'll find that at 1 in the morning at the latest you'll be tired enough to go to bed. I unfortunately follow this rhythm personally, and it often means I need to sleep a bit more during the weekend. Still, if you do wake up early and consistently, you'll have a good basis to your day. Some of us have a daily rhythm that isn't exactly 24 hours, so you'll have to force waking up, and it can take a while to get used to. Sleeping in will just make things worse.

Obviously if your schedule is erratic, then try to make it as little erratic as possible. If someone is holding you at gunpoint to have such a schedule, then I guess it can't be helped, but at least try to fit things in so that you have around an average of 7 hours of sleep every 24 hours. You can even track the hours on paper or something.

Eat well, and eat consistently.
Eating well means eating healthy. Have at least some kind of a breakfast. That will push your energy level up in the morning, and you can waste that energy better during the day. Have a lunch and a dinner at consistent time every day. Have your dinner long before going to bed, and if you're hungry in the evening, have something healthy that won't upset your stomach.

Have a consistent bowel movement.
Try to evacuate before bed. It'll make you sleep much better. I've personally found that a rhythm of one in the morning, one in the evening tends to work well, although obviously this depends a lot on the person.

Spend your energy during the day.
Don't sit at the computer all day, even if that's your job. If it is, have a couple breaks and walk around, breathe in some fresh air, once in the morning hours and once in the afternoon. Also, leave your job during lunch if possible, and go by foot. Perhaps to buy lunch, or to eat somewhere. Don't eat at your work computer. If you're unemployed, try to move during the day nonetheless. If you simply sit at your computer and do nothing, you won't be spending much energy, and you'll stay jacked up.

Be clean when you go to bed.
Take a shower and let yourself cool and dry off a while before going to bed. Getting sleep gets harder if you're dirty or sweaty.

Make sure your sleep environment works for you.
Different people like different things, but here's some obvious ones you might want to do:

Cool the room down, and make sure there's plenty of oxygen. There shouldn't be a breeze though. Make sure the room has a neutral odor and that the air in it is fresh. Make it as dark as possible and comfortable; if you're not comfortable in complete darkness, have a very dim soft light somewhere that you can see. Make it as quiet as possible, and as quiet as you like. Some people get sleep better with some white noise, especially if living in an apartment building with lots of sounds coming from all over. Having your PC on might help, and it might not. You have to try both. Also, having music, or some nature sounds on can be soothing. Turn off ticking clocks and anything else that's distracting.

Try to keep your sheets and pillows clean and smooth, and be mindful of the bed itself; if it's not comfortable, change it. Same goes with the pillows, and their thickness. Try sleeping under a simple sheet instead of full thick covers, and try sleeping in the nude. At the very least, remove your shirt, as it can be very constraining.

Make sure where you sleep feels safe. It should be a room where you don't have to expect nobody or nothing to come in while you sleep. Tell your family to stay out, kick out all pets, kids and spouses from your bed and your bedroom.

Get your mind off things.
Try to develop of habit of delving deep into fantasy and your own imagination as you're trying to get sleep. Imagine what it would be like to do something, anything. Try to finish anything that's on your mind during that day, and if you can't, then simply decide that you'll get on it first thing tomorrow after you've gotten a good night's sleep.

Get yourself off.
It's a natural release of a bunch of very nice things. It'll help.

That's all the tried and true methods of getting sleep I can think of right now. Just remember, chemical "sleep" isn't sleep at all, it's unconsciousness, and that isn't the same thing.

[Video Games]

Asmr. Fucking love that shit. Tons of it on youtube. Put it on your phone and listen to it while you to to sleep.

[Kalyyn]

That is quite the set of instructions, Sydano. Definitely some good advice in there, though.

[Deleted]

That is quite the set of instructions, Sydano. Definitely some good advice in there, though.

Yes, well... They're not really instructions that you have to follow, more like common sense things. I mean, if you can't follow a "wake up in the morning, go to bed in the evening" -kind of a schedule, that's not really an option, but most of the other things are, and doing the opposite is just silly.

I mean, why would you have dirty sheets and pillow? Why would you have an uncomfortable bed? Why would you go to bed when you're dirty? Why would you sleep in a room that's too light, too dark, too noisy, too quiet, too hot, filled with distractions such as people, pets, ticking clocks, and other shit like that? I'm sure you wouldn't, and thus they're just common sense "duh" -kind of things on the list.

Eating badly also definitely makes you sleep badly, and have bad quality of sleep. Alcohol doesn't help at all. It might you put you under for a bit, but you won't go through the natural sleep cycles the way your brain requires you to. Sleep aids put you in a chemical stupor, and they also inhibit you from progressing through the sleep cycles naturally.

Anyways, I hope some of those things help, and if not you, then someone else who might read them. I used to have lots of trouble sleeping, to the point where I went through a phase of using pills as well. I managed to adjust things in such a way though, that I found sleeping to be a blissful part of the day rhythm, and I now fall asleep within like 5-15 minutes and sleep well through the night.

That's is, when I'm not binge drinking or eating just before bed, of course.

[Payday]

Try the soothing fragrances of Febreze Sleep Serenity. I saw a commercial for this last night..i'm a bit skeptical. I have been having this same problem for a while, but recently started waking up at 5:30 for work..now I can hardly stay awake past 11. After years of not being able to fall asleep before 2 or 2:30 every night, it's very refreshing to just go to bed and pass out in 5 mins. The Neuro Sleep drinks have worked for me too, but I'd guess it's a lot cheaper to grab a box of melatonin pills instead.

[Deleted]

1 cigarette

Yes sir, as a smoker i agree with you, before i go to bed i smoke 1 cigarette and i fall asleep within 15 minutes.

[Deleted]

The most effective sleeping aid I've ever had is Roselle tea. It knocked me out before I even finished half the cup.

Unfortunately I hear you develop a resistance to it if you drink too much too often.

[Deleted]

Yes sir, as a smoker i agree with you, before i go to bed i smoke 1 cigarette and i fall asleep within 15 minutes.

Does really not work for me, its the opposite