EPTOn July 04 2010 03:02 QueueQueue wrote:
Look into melatonin. Melatonin is naturally created in your brain from serotonin when your body is preparing to sleep. It's essentially your body's way of telling you to sleep. Melatonin supplements can actually be purchased at any pharmacy.
Why melatonin?
-No side effects like sleeping pills (unless you take too much, in which case you can have grogginess the next day).
-Not addictive like sleeping pills.
-It provides your body with the full REM sleep that you need. While sleeping pills put you to sleep, that does not necessarily mean you're actually getting restful sleep.
Any night I have difficulty sleeping I take some, and I am sleeping within 20-30 minutes. I have recommended this to numerous people and each one has come back to me absolutely shocked with how effective it was.
One thing to note, a lot of the tablets you purchase come in doses much higher than anyone actually needs (the bottle I have contains 2mg tablets). To ensure I do not have grogginess the following day, I crush a tablet into fine powder, and simply touch the tip of my index finger into powder so that there is a very tiny amount. I place my finger under my tongue to dissolve the powder. 1 tablet can effectively last me 20+ doses this way, and still be very effective. Understand that people will require different dosages for effectiveness, but I recommend starting as small as possible.
Ensure you are doing the obvious like refraining from eating high amounts of sugar before bed time, or consuming caffeine after the early afternoon. Make sure you do things that are relaxing prior to going to bed. For me, if I am playing something like starcraft immediately before going to bed, my mind is far to stimulated at that point to sleep. I need to refrain from activity that keeps my body and/or mind very active. I tend to read a book to help relax. I know this is probably one of the most overstated things in regards to health, but it rings true... EXERCISE. Not immediately before bed of course, but vigorous exercise at least 4 times a week can be life changing in not only sleep, but in all aspects of your life.
Do whatever possible to avoid sleeping pills or drugs that induce drowsiness as reliance becomes a huge issue.
Also, note that it's not healthy to depend on any substance for sleep over extended periods of time, even if it is something like melatonin. Sleep problems tend to be the result of issues that need to be addressed. Make sure you are doing everything necessary to address them; for the sake of your health.
Look into melatonin. Melatonin is naturally created in your brain from serotonin when your body is preparing to sleep. It's essentially your body's way of telling you to sleep. Melatonin supplements can actually be purchased at any pharmacy.
Why melatonin?
-No side effects like sleeping pills (unless you take too much, in which case you can have grogginess the next day).
-Not addictive like sleeping pills.
-It provides your body with the full REM sleep that you need. While sleeping pills put you to sleep, that does not necessarily mean you're actually getting restful sleep.
Any night I have difficulty sleeping I take some, and I am sleeping within 20-30 minutes. I have recommended this to numerous people and each one has come back to me absolutely shocked with how effective it was.
One thing to note, a lot of the tablets you purchase come in doses much higher than anyone actually needs (the bottle I have contains 2mg tablets). To ensure I do not have grogginess the following day, I crush a tablet into fine powder, and simply touch the tip of my index finger into powder so that there is a very tiny amount. I place my finger under my tongue to dissolve the powder. 1 tablet can effectively last me 20+ doses this way, and still be very effective. Understand that people will require different dosages for effectiveness, but I recommend starting as small as possible.
Ensure you are doing the obvious like refraining from eating high amounts of sugar before bed time, or consuming caffeine after the early afternoon. Make sure you do things that are relaxing prior to going to bed. For me, if I am playing something like starcraft immediately before going to bed, my mind is far to stimulated at that point to sleep. I need to refrain from activity that keeps my body and/or mind very active. I tend to read a book to help relax. I know this is probably one of the most overstated things in regards to health, but it rings true... EXERCISE. Not immediately before bed of course, but vigorous exercise at least 4 times a week can be life changing in not only sleep, but in all aspects of your life.
Do whatever possible to avoid sleeping pills or drugs that induce drowsiness as reliance becomes a huge issue.
Also, note that it's not healthy to depend on any substance for sleep over extended periods of time, even if it is something like melatonin. Sleep problems tend to be the result of issues that need to be addressed. Make sure you are doing everything necessary to address them; for the sake of your health.
On another note. Ensure that your window is covered as much as possible. In short, the brain produces melatonin naturally when it is in darkness. As said in my quoted post, melatonin is essential for falling asleep. Even just a little bit of light can inhibit the production of melatonin, so much so that for a lot of people, the light from one's monitor can keep someone awake if they are on the computer prior to going to bed.
