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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Need suggestions on how to getting more sleep...
Dh has not been sleeping well, I am wondering if you have any ideas on how to help him relax to get more sleep.
(air mists, sprays?....)
W.S.
Pleasure is spread through the earth
In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
~William Wordsworth, 1806
Re: Need suggestions on how to getting more sleep...
What is causing how not to sleep? Stress, worry, something else?
I was super stressed out when I was studying for the bar exam and couldn't sleep for anything. My doctor recommended trying guided imagery and I found this CD to be really good. http://www.healthjourneys.com/product_detail.aspx?id=190. I can't remember if I bought it on iTunes or from that website but it was totally worth the money. I'd listen to it before bed and was usually out before it finished. They also have some specifically for sleep.
My doctor also suggested taking melatonin (I got this one). I usually took half a tablet when nothing else helped me sleep and it worked well.
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
I know when I increased my water intake to the recommended 64 ounces per day I started sleeping like crazy.
Maybe you can try that to see if that helps him.
Regarding sprays/scents, they say lavendar is relaxing. I have a pillow from etsy you can heat or cool that is lavendar scented that smells so good every now and then I'll just lay it on top of my pillow for the soothing smell:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/HomeGrownPillows
She also sells roomsprays and such.
Here's some general tips that I've read up on that might help. I'm a lifelong insomniac, and some of these things really have helped.
-Mediation or other relaxation techniques. If my mind is really racing, I focus on deep breathing and try to push all other thoughts out of my head.
-Make the room as dark and quiet as you can at night. I have blackout curtains and sleep with ear plugs. White noise machines can also help.
-Is he waking up throughout the night? That was my main problem. It turned out that I was getting too hot and would wake up because of it. If he is waking up, it might be because something is making him uncomfortable.
-Sleep schedule. If its possible, have him try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. Unfortunately that takes away sleeping in on the weekend, but it really helped me.
-No caffeine, exercise, or alcohol 4-6 hours before bed.
-Try to find an alarm clock that doesn't have an always illuminated face. Some people have problems sleeping if they have a constant reminder of how long they have until they have to get up.
-Melatonin. I tried it for 3 months in high school and it had no effect. But I know people who swear its the only thing that helps them sleep.
All great ideas. I have always had sleeping issues and would add:
-No computer/TV for about 45-an hour before bed.
-If you wake up and can't go back to sleep, get out of bed and go in another room and do something relaxing (read, meditate, etc.) but no computer/TV. Don't let sleeplessness get associated with your bed.
- Bed is for sleeping & sex only don't watch TV in bed.
This is a great alarm clock that emits no light:
http://www.now-zen.com/
Nice sound to wake up to & it has a meditation alarm.
Eat nutritious foods, cut back on alcohol (or cut it out entirely), don't eat too close to bedtime (no sooner than an hour), exercise more. Those are lifestyle changes that can be easily made.
If it's stress-related, he should try to manage that stress. In the meantime, he could try taking skullcap, valerian, and/or melatonin to induce deep sleep and reduce anxiety. Obviously a doctor should be consulted before beginning supplements.
In addition to what everyone else said (great tips!) I also found that not having a clock viewable from my bed helped. I would wake up, look at the clock and go "OMG! I have to go to work in 3 hours! I have to get some sleep!" Which would stress me out and keep me awake.
DH and I share a pot of tea almost every night, which really helps us sleep. We do black tea like Asaam or Earl Grey, but the caffeine probably doesn't work for your DH. I would try green tea or decaf. Something about the warm cup and the honey I put in it makes me sooo sleepy.
Also remove all distractions from your bedroom. The bed is for sleeping and sex only, that's it. Remove the TV, food, pile of dirty laundry, etc... Anything that makes the room busy, feel small, or cluttered. The serene environment works wonders.