Men: What would be a helpful way to get out some sleep or insomnia help? Through posts? 1 on 1 through PM? Skype? We can do some kind of group thing (there might be a better platform for that than Skype).
Sleep Problems - Insomnia
The most effective way I have found to get a good night's sleep is to stop drinking coffee after 12:00 p.m..
“The greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of its parents.”
Carl Jung
One way is to hit the gym after your day and focus on strength training with compound excercises. Try killing your legs with squats, afterwards cook a rich protein filled meal and tell me you're not gonna want to fall asleep. Lifting heavy weights will physically drain you and your insomnia should be alleviated to a good degree.
Thanks, guys. those are all helpful.
Sorry for the miscommunication.
For guys that are struggling with sleep or insomnia, I'd like to offer some help as I help guys with these issues in real life. what would be the best way to help those guys that are struggling with insomnia? 1 on 1 through PM? Posts on the subject? some type of skype thing? we can keep to audio only or whatever folks are comfortable with.
Sorry for the miscommunication.
For guys that are struggling with sleep or insomnia, I'd like to offer some help as I help guys with these issues in real life. what would be the best way to help those guys that are struggling with insomnia? 1 on 1 through PM? Posts on the subject? some type of skype thing? we can keep to audio only or whatever folks are comfortable with.
Quote:Quote:
The most effective way I have found to get a good night's sleep is to stop drinking coffee after 12:00 p.m..
It means you never experienced a real insomnia problem, lucky for you.
First of all, why would you not want to use this thread to answer the question? With that said...
Having good sleep habits is a really important component of health which doesn't receive enough attention. No matter what your health goal is having 7+ hours of uninterrupted quality sleep will help you and I believe it affects T levels also. I used to have a lot of trouble falling asleep and now I don't at all.
First the Don'ts:
- Much has been written about avoiding screens for at least an hour before going to bed and I think this is essential. Also don't allow the news to be the last thing you watch or read about because it's designed to induce fear and anxiety.
- Don't be dependent on any substance to help you fall asleep. If you've been drinking stay up and drink water until you're not drunk.
- Don't think about falling asleep while you're trying to do it. Don't think about identifying the moment where you cross from wakefulness to sleep or anything along those lines.
- Don't have the time visible on your bedside clock, turn it away from you.
- Don't think about what you have to do tomorrow, especially if it's work related.
- Don't spend more than 30 minutes or so trying to fall asleep. Get up out of bed and read until you feel tired if you get to this point.
- Caffeine and sugar, this should be obvious.
- I recommend having your phone off and not using it as an alarm clock but I don't know if there's any scientific basis for this.
Do:
- Practice mindfulness exercises in your waking life. Your insomnia is probably going to be caused by nagging thoughts and fears. You need to be able to just say "I'm not going to think about this now" so you can do this when you're in bed. If you must, set aside a few minutes each day to address your fears and only allow yourself to think about them during that allotted time.
- Concentrate on your breathing. This is a really simple but common meditation practice. I read about a guy who went to a monastery and concentrated on his breathing for an entire year! There are many resources out there about this and there are many ways to do it so find a way that works for you whether it's counting the time you inhale, hold, and exhale, focus on the sensations with each part of the breath, visualize different colors going in and out of your body, whatever.
- Try earplugs and eyeshades. You can wean yourself off these. The quality of my sleep improved greatly when I got thick black curtains to replace the crummy blinds in my apartment. Make whatever adjustments are necessary - also think about temperature, your pillow and mattress, etc.
- Find the position or combination of positions that works best for you. I've found that lying on my back until I start to get sleepy and then turning on my right side works best for me.
- Be consistent in your sleep habits, at least until you get it worked out.
- If sharing a bed with another person make it clear what you prefer. For example I can't sleep while being touched by another person so identify your style and enforce it.
- I can't sleep when I'm hungry or thirsty so think about your hydration but don't be so well hydrated that you'll have to wake up and piss in the middle of the night. Same goes for herbal tea.
- Consider the role of music. I don't do it often but sometimes listening to very spacy music allows me to drift off (see examples below), especially if I'm tense or preoccupied. Another option is something like orchestral music that has a lot of things to concentrate on. Experiment with this. Debussy, Bach organ music, and various types of electronic music have worked well for me. Maybe even a podcast by someone with a deep and pleasant voice.
Ultimately it comes down to having control of your thoughts and being aware of your body. The way you carry yourself throughout the day will carry over into your sleeping habits so don't think of it as separate from other lifestyle improvements
Having good sleep habits is a really important component of health which doesn't receive enough attention. No matter what your health goal is having 7+ hours of uninterrupted quality sleep will help you and I believe it affects T levels also. I used to have a lot of trouble falling asleep and now I don't at all.
First the Don'ts:
- Much has been written about avoiding screens for at least an hour before going to bed and I think this is essential. Also don't allow the news to be the last thing you watch or read about because it's designed to induce fear and anxiety.
- Don't be dependent on any substance to help you fall asleep. If you've been drinking stay up and drink water until you're not drunk.
- Don't think about falling asleep while you're trying to do it. Don't think about identifying the moment where you cross from wakefulness to sleep or anything along those lines.
- Don't have the time visible on your bedside clock, turn it away from you.
- Don't think about what you have to do tomorrow, especially if it's work related.
- Don't spend more than 30 minutes or so trying to fall asleep. Get up out of bed and read until you feel tired if you get to this point.
- Caffeine and sugar, this should be obvious.
- I recommend having your phone off and not using it as an alarm clock but I don't know if there's any scientific basis for this.
Do:
- Practice mindfulness exercises in your waking life. Your insomnia is probably going to be caused by nagging thoughts and fears. You need to be able to just say "I'm not going to think about this now" so you can do this when you're in bed. If you must, set aside a few minutes each day to address your fears and only allow yourself to think about them during that allotted time.
- Concentrate on your breathing. This is a really simple but common meditation practice. I read about a guy who went to a monastery and concentrated on his breathing for an entire year! There are many resources out there about this and there are many ways to do it so find a way that works for you whether it's counting the time you inhale, hold, and exhale, focus on the sensations with each part of the breath, visualize different colors going in and out of your body, whatever.
- Try earplugs and eyeshades. You can wean yourself off these. The quality of my sleep improved greatly when I got thick black curtains to replace the crummy blinds in my apartment. Make whatever adjustments are necessary - also think about temperature, your pillow and mattress, etc.
- Find the position or combination of positions that works best for you. I've found that lying on my back until I start to get sleepy and then turning on my right side works best for me.
- Be consistent in your sleep habits, at least until you get it worked out.
- If sharing a bed with another person make it clear what you prefer. For example I can't sleep while being touched by another person so identify your style and enforce it.
- I can't sleep when I'm hungry or thirsty so think about your hydration but don't be so well hydrated that you'll have to wake up and piss in the middle of the night. Same goes for herbal tea.
- Consider the role of music. I don't do it often but sometimes listening to very spacy music allows me to drift off (see examples below), especially if I'm tense or preoccupied. Another option is something like orchestral music that has a lot of things to concentrate on. Experiment with this. Debussy, Bach organ music, and various types of electronic music have worked well for me. Maybe even a podcast by someone with a deep and pleasant voice.
Ultimately it comes down to having control of your thoughts and being aware of your body. The way you carry yourself throughout the day will carry over into your sleeping habits so don't think of it as separate from other lifestyle improvements
Good points above. Have you been checked for sleep apnea? Millions have it without knowing and it will definitely mess with your sleep/wake cycle.
Another problem could be a fatty liver. I found after doing a herbal liver detox my insomnia was not nearly as bad. Drink a warm glass of water with lemon in the morning as well. Sweating through exercise or an infrared sauna are also beneficial and will help with getting the body in a more relaxed state in the evening.
Of course one of the best things you can do is having the same routine of going to bed and awaking the same time everyday. You may want to experiment with leaving your blinds partially open to let sunlight naturally wake you up. A good tip above is reading a book. I have found that has helped as well.
Another problem could be a fatty liver. I found after doing a herbal liver detox my insomnia was not nearly as bad. Drink a warm glass of water with lemon in the morning as well. Sweating through exercise or an infrared sauna are also beneficial and will help with getting the body in a more relaxed state in the evening.
Of course one of the best things you can do is having the same routine of going to bed and awaking the same time everyday. You may want to experiment with leaving your blinds partially open to let sunlight naturally wake you up. A good tip above is reading a book. I have found that has helped as well.
Strain 3 TSP of Valerian (herb) in a teapot and drink 3 cups per day. You will relieve nervousness, over-thinking, stress, and insomnia. Quality sleep for sure.
Hi fellowhuntsman. It looks like your thread was strangled in the crib somehow. What is your background in this field?
I struggle with sleep issues so this is an interesting topic for me. I usually fall asleep with no problem. I wake up to piss every couple of hours and often have trouble going back to sleep. I have a magical combination of prostate, sinus and anxiety issues. I'd love to hear your input.
I struggle with sleep issues so this is an interesting topic for me. I usually fall asleep with no problem. I wake up to piss every couple of hours and often have trouble going back to sleep. I have a magical combination of prostate, sinus and anxiety issues. I'd love to hear your input.
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »
Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)