Sorry to hear that Teedle.

Makes sense. Care for yourself, so you can care for others.

Sorry to hear this

I have always had difficulties sleeping thru the night.  I’m looking forward to better brain health to learn how to shut my brain off at night and stop taking meds to sleep. I use essential oils, a fan in the room to keep it cool, set a time to prepare for sleep and start the relaxation process, listen to calming sounds, wake up at the same time, exercise, changing my diet, calming teas at night and breathing exercise.  I’m 57 and want to look forward to a great night sleep and Shutting my Brain OFF.

Some thoughts on turning off your brain at night and getting great sleep. Forgive the formatting.

Getting the sleep you need requires 3 simple strategies:

1. Sleep envy (you have to see it as critically important)
2. Avoid anything that hurts your sleep
3. Engage in regular sleep enhancing strategies

What Hurts Sleep 

In our hectic, 24-7 society, we could just as easily ask “what doesn’t cause sleep deprivation?” There are seemingly an endless number of reasons why millions of us are missing out on a good night’s sleep. Here is a list of some of the most common factors.

• A warm room.
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• Light in the bedroom.
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• Noise.

• Gadgets by the bed.

• Going to bed worried or angry.

• Medications: Many medications including asthma medications, antihistamines, cough medicines, anticonvulsants, stimulants, such as Adderall or Concerta prescribed for ADHD, and many others disturb sleep.
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• Caffeine: Too much caffeine from coffee, tea, chocolate, or some herbal preparations — especially when consumed later in the day or at night — can disrupt sleep.
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• Alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana: Although these compounds initially induce sleepiness for some people, they have the reverse effect as they wear off, which is why you may wake up several hours after you go to sleep.
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• Restless Legs Syndrome: A nighttime jerking or pedaling motion of the legs that drives a person’s bed partner crazy (as well as the person who has it).
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• Pain conditions.
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• Untreated or undertreated psychiatric conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, or anxiety.
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• Chronic gastrointestinal problems, such as reflux.
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• Men’s issues: Benign prostatic hypertrophy causes many trips to the bathroom at night, which interrupts slumber.

• Snoring: It can wake you or your sleep mate, or everyone in the house if it is really loud.

• Sleep apnea: With this condition, you stop breathing for short periods of time throughout the night, which robs you of restful sleep and leaves you feeling sluggish, inattentive, and forgetful throughout the day.

• Shift work: Nurses, firefighters, security personnel, customer service representatives, truck drivers, airline pilots, and many others toil by night and sleep by day. Or, at least, they try to sleep. Shift workers are especially vulnerable to irregular sleep patterns, which leads to excessive sleepiness, reduced productivity, irritability, and mood problems.

• Stressful events: The death of a loved one, divorce, a major deadline at work, or an upcoming test can cause temporary sleep loss.

• Jet lag: International travel across time zones wreaks havoc with sleep cycles.Sleep Enhancers               Here are 15 ways to make it easier to get a good night’s sleep. Remember that we are all unique individuals and what works for one person may not work for another. Keep trying new techniques until you find something that works.

1. A cooler room.
2.  
3. A completely dark bedroom.
4.  
5. Make the room noise free or wear ear plugs.

1. Turn off the gadgets by the bed, or at least turn off the sound.

1. Try to fix emotional problems before going to sleep with a positive text, email, or intention to deal with the issue tomorrow.  If you forgive the other person first, you may just end the argument.
2.  
3. Create a soothing nighttime routine that encourages sleep. A warm bath, meditation, or massage can help you relax.
4.  
5. Some people like to read themselves to sleep. If you are reading, make sure it isn’t an action-packed thriller or a horror story — they aren’t likely to help you drift off to sleep.
6.  
7. Sound therapy can induce a very peaceful mood and lull you to sleep. Consider soothing nature sounds, wind chimes, a fan, or soft music.  Studies have shown that slower classical music, or any music that has a slow rhythm of 60 to 80 beats per minute, can help with sleep.[i]  You can find sleep enhancing music by Grammy award winning producer Barry Goldstein on Brain Fit Life (www.brainfitlife.com).
8.  
9. Wear socks to bed. Researchers have found that warm hands and feet were the best predictor of rapid sleep onset.

1. Don’t drink any caffeinated beverages in the afternoon or evening. Also avoid chocolate, nicotine, and alcohol — especially at night. Although alcohol can initially make you feel sleepy, it actually interrupts sleep.
2.  
3. If you wake up in the middle of the night, refrain from looking at the clock. Checking the time can make you feel anxious, which aggravates the problem.
4.  
5. Use the bed and bedroom only for sleep or sexual activity. Sexual activity releases many natural hormones, releases muscle tension, and boosts a sense of well-being. Adults with healthy sex lives tend to sleep better. When you are unable to fall asleep or return to sleep easily, get up and go to another room.

1. Hypnosis or meditation can help.  We have audio downloads on www.mybrainfitlife.com that could be helpful. 

1. Use the scent of lavender to enhance sleep.  It has been shown to decrease anxiety, improve mood, and sleep.[ii] [iii]

1. Natural supplements, such as melatonin, 5HTP (especially for worriers), magnesium, and GABA may be helpful.

[i] Harmat L¹, Takács J, Bódizs R. Music improves sleep quality in students. J Adv Nurs. 2008 May;62(3):327-35. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04602.x.

[ii] Goel N¹, Kim H, Lao RP. An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women. Chronobiol Int. 2005;22(5):889-904.

[iii] Hardy M, Kirk-Smith MD, Stretch DD. Replacement of drug treatment for insomnia by ambient odour. Lancet. 1995 Sep 9;346(8976):701.