Brother, I wish I could just turn my mind off and let me sleep! Went to bed thinking about challenging myself with untried techniques - Diane Gaudynski's artful FMG, borders, how about piping, etc. It just doesn't stop! Then I'm good for nothing the next day. I envy envy envy people who can sleep well.

I did watch a hail storm at 4 AM this morning.

Some of you can probably relate.

I can completely relate!

I've always had problems sleeping, but lately I consider myself lucky if I get 2 hrs of sleep a night.

ugghhhh!

Oh no! I used to only get three or four hours and I felt sick everywhere. I told the doc I needed a sleeping pill. If it is addictive or takes a few years off my life - at least what I have will be better than this. Last night the little blue pill didn't work but I don't take another one. That's when you can have trouble. Go to the doc, you really need more sleep. Thanks for commenting.

I can. I hate it when I can't just turn off my thoughts and go to sleep!!!

Some "help" links suggest keeping a note pad by your bed and, even in the dark, jotting down your ideas as they pop into your head. The theory is that once you've written them down your mind can "let them go" instead of keep working on them since you've documented them and they won't be forgotten. It's never been a real success for me but thought I'd throw it out there and it may help someone else. :)

Insomnia runs in my family. The solution that works for me is audiobooks. I actually wear earphones attached to an iPod to bed! When I do this, I can almost always fall asleep within 20 minutes or so. It also helps me not wake up if dh happens to start snoring.

Edit: I should add that I also used Tylenol PM every night for a long time (years), but got worried about the long-term effects. Also tried OTC sleep aids. They worked sometimes, not others, and tended to leave me groggy in the morning. I do have a muscle relaxant (prescribed for back pain) that I will occasionally use to "reset" my sleep pattern when it gets way out-of-whack. Only need that two or three times a year.

I found for myself that it was critical that I get into an established pattern of falling asleep quickly once I got to bed. The Tylenol PM helped with this, and now the audiobooks are enough.

I'm a retired RN and I worked night shift for most of my 30 years of nursing. A few years ago I asked my Dr if there was anything that I could take to help me sleep at night. I was unable to turn off my brain, regargless of how tired my body was. He prescribed Ambien and I have taken it ever since. I tell my doctor every time that I see him for a refill that this pill literally changed my life. My husband completely agrees. I plan on taking Ambien till the day I die and thank God for it every morning.

Should I make a confession?...here goes...I'm such a light sleeper even with a pill that we decided to have separate rooms. My DH is noisey and restless and wakeful. So this works best for us but I don't tell anyone - it's nobody's business anyway!

have you tried any of the PM's that you can buy over the counter. I used to take Tylenol PM, tried Advil PM. They worked but still didn't rest right. Dr gave me amytriptiline and I must say that I sleep good with it. A side effect of it is that you don't have to get up to go potty in the middle of the night. It relaxes my muscles from fibromyalgia.

I usually read in bed for about an hour and then go to sleep. On those nights when sleep just doesn't come I take an Tylenol PM and that works. This was suggested to me by my Dr.

That's so frustrating!
I do that, too, some nights. If it gets to be 2-3 nights in a row that I can't sleep, I will take a "sleepy pill" so I can be funtional the next day. I seem to be so creative when I should be sleeping!

I'm lucky that I have never had this problem, but I do have a puppy that seems to have to potty about an hour or so before I have to get up and I do have a hard time going to sleep then ... soooo I mentally draw stipples or feathers or any free motion quilting design and it makes me fall alseep in no time (unless DH or dear dog are snoring too loud). What I can't think about is new projects or what I'm working on or that will really wake me up and I can't get back to sleep.

Susan

I think menopause has made this a real problem for me. I can't take anything with benadryl because it gives me hallucinations (the ..."PMs" usually include that.) I keep ambien and sonata for those times where I just can't take it anymore. I can fall asleep fine, but then pop awake during the night, nothing hurts, not worried about anything, etc. Not fun at all.

Don't laugh. When I can't sleep and my mind won't settle down, I sing to myself. Just the words running though my head - I'm not actually singing. But concentrating on the words makes all those other thoughts go away. I 'sing' whatever comes to mind. Sometimes hymns, sometimes childrens' songs. And I usually sing the same song over and over.

This works 95% of the time. It doesn't work so well when I'm really anxious about something. Then I try an OTC.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only person who gets those weird hallucinations. I force myself to open my eyes and look around to convince my brain that those things really aren't happening. I've found reading before sleeping helps me the most.

Insomnia is a real problem for me. Many nights 1 - 2 hours is the most I get. For the past two years it has been worse than ever. I just get up and do something. I worked nights for many years, which seemed to help, but now I have a long commute and can't take anything or I can't wake up enough to make the drive. Wish I had an answer for you and me both!

I have been taking a product called Reliv Classic and Reliv FibRestore and I sleep much better. It is a natural product although pricey look it up on line.

I was having times of no sleep, done this for years in the service and out. I finaly got a Doc to listen to me. Divalproex, mood stabilzation??? is what i take 250mg Sleep like a baby

I've that problem too, big time.
I got Melatonin prescribed. It's for sale 'over the counter' but then there's only 0,2 mg in the tablets, I got 5 mg. (I'm talking about in the Netherlands of course)
Melatonin is the stuff your brain makes and that's making you sleepy in the evening and wake up when it 's getting light again, so takes care of a 'normal' rythm.
It works for me, is not addictive and I'm fit and wide awake in the morning, not drouzy or sleepy at all at daytime.

Bless your hearts. I had that from about age 45 until about 55. If I slept 3 hours it was a miracle. Got lots done but was miserable during the day. Then it went away. Now when I can't turn off my brain, I say every Bible verse I've memorized throughout the years ending with the 23rd Psalm, which I seldom make it all the way through before I fall asleep. Besides Menop, my problem was being able to just relax and fall asleep.

I also wear headphones and listen to my IPod very softly. Puts me to sleep pretty quickly.

I can totally identify with you what's a good night's sleep anymore...

I haven't slept more the 3-4 hours a night for the last almost 3 yrs. It started for me after the night sweats stopped...Is there an end? I hope so however, I just haven't found one yet...A glass of milk helps sometimes but not always...Sorry :-(

You might try some exercising & see if that helps. I started going to Physical Therapy for my back, & he has given me exercises to do twice a day. I use to have trouble sleeping too, but no more! So, it's just a thought, but it sure is working for me!...

Very different than most posts so far. I take no meds but yrs ago was introduced to meletonin--from health food store. Needed them about 4 times a yr.
Don't laugh now-- but recently I read the book --The Precious Present --actually discussing living in the present moment --which I heard Oprah mention one day. So at night after reading for a few min. I tell myself to live in the moment and go to sleep because that is why I am now in bed. Small book , easy read but impactful to me.

Tomorrow I will live in the moment again even when I am driving and therefore able to concentrate on anything I am doing. You can laugh now.
Wanted to mention that before this I was like you and did so much work (in my mind ) while trying to go to sleep.
Made so so many quilts too.

I tried over the counter Melatonin and had the worse nightmare ever! I gave the pills to someone who thought they worked perfectly.

But a couple years ago I tried to teach myself to knit, making a scarf. I was almost to the end but didn't know how to bind off. I read a little and went to bed. But I kept waking up thinking about how to bind off. Finally I got out of bed and got on the computer and found out how to bind off.

And then fell right to sleep!!!

I'm sorry, but I can fall asleep almost immediately most of the time. I occasionally have problems, but only occasionally. I found out when I was a teenager (50 years ago) that I could use self-hypnosis to sleep. You should try it. It's not a hard technique to learn and it allows you to sleep naturally without pills.

I used to work in an ICU. We had a standing order to give benadryl 25 mg and if needed you can give another 25 mg one hour later. At home I buy generic benadryl 25mg and I also take 2 extra strength tylenol with it. It really helps ,with very little after affect the next morning. (tylenol pm has 25mg benadryl..generic... and tylenol in it) but I find it works better using them the first way. Good luck getting some sleep. Also...no chocolate or caffeine after noon for me.

Absolutely I can relate. As a teenager/young person I could blissfully surrender myself to sleep...sometimes probably too much according to my mother. But then I began a career in nursing - shift work, weekends, holidays, 12hr shifts, double shifts, extra shifts. That did me in. The last few years of my career, as menopause invaded, I worked 7PM to 7AM. So, I too, am lucky to get much more than 4-5hrs a night and that's usually broken up by trips to the bathroom. I am lucky, I can catch a nap during the day, I have friends who say they can't sleep in the day but I actually sleep better in the day.

After working Home Health Care all my life in the early sheft I'
find my mind and body are still in the same mode. So a good
book by the bed side helps to get me to sleep. But up at dawn
is the pits. I guess we all have our own built in amount of sleep
we need. 5 hours and I'm up and going. At 73 you'd think I
could sleep more. NO!!

FLO in NNY

I tried ambien too, just didn't work for me. Didn't really help me sleep any better because of nightmares and I felt sluggish the next day. I am glad it worked for you.

May I suggest you have a saliva test done? Ask your doc about it, and if he doesn't do them find someone who will.
Made a world of difference to me! I found out my cortisol levels were messed up, thus affecting my sleep--or lack there of!
Saliva tests give more accurate results as to what hormones, etc. are in your tissues, and being used by your body.

sad to say i'm part of your club, but i'm retired so i say ...take a nap.....sleep in....catch up any way you can and keep loving the quilting life!!!!!

I take Melatonin every night, doesn't seem to bother with my heart medications. Once I open my eyes I am wide awake, so I go to bed early, I also like the morning quietness but not to much starting at 4 but I figure from 9 or 9:30 the previous night, I get good sleep. I sometimes fall asleep for an hour or so in the afternoon. Usually when I am watching something on TV. - J

I have problems turning off the brain, too. I used it to my advantage (well, not really to MY advantage) when our guild was making quilts to donate to flood victims when our downtown flooded in 2008 (Cedar Rapids, IA). I made four queen-sized quilt tops in five weeks! I'd pop out of bed around 2:30 am and go back to work.

Sleep? What's that? I'm in the same boat you're in. My mind simply sill NOT shut off at night. I can be so sleepy, I can hardly keep my eyes open, but let me go to bed and BAM!! I'm wide awake.

Audio books work for me too! I don't usually have a problem falling asleep, just staying asleep and once I wake up, going back to sleep is nealy impossible unless I put on my IPOD and listen. (Make sure you jot down you started listening so you can get back to that place when you want to finish your book!)

I have used Benidryl, a allergy pill, for years. It's not addictive and is quite cheep at Costco. I also start thanking God for all his goodness and I just drift off to sleep.

I am a very light sleeper. My husband snores something fierce. I use ear plugs. It is the only way I can get some sleep. The older I get the less sleep I get. I now use an over the counter pill from Costco. It is the Kirkland brand and it called Sleep Aide. If I remember to take it about an hour before I go to bed I usually drop off right away. If I don't it will take me longer to drop off.
Also you have to turn your mind off. If I think about quilting I can't sleep. I force myself to think of something relaxing. My relaxing thought is walking on the beach in the warm sun. I can hear the waves, feel the sun and the light breeze. Try it, it really helps.

My quick fix? I have a bottle of Lavender lotion next to my bed. I put a bit on my hands and arms..and the next thing I know, its morning! You can get a spray for your pillow or put a drop of essential oil on a cotton ball on a dish on your night stand. I have never been a believer of aroma therapy..but this works for me! Sweet dreams!

Last fall I had insomnia for 3 months. It was so strange getting a 2nd wind at midnight while the rest of the world slept. Was falling asleep anywhere between 2 – 4 am and waking at 6 or 7 am, usually averaging 3 or 4 hours. I found a link about foods for insomnia and gave it a try. I can’t say that it worked but it made me feel sleepier. I spoke with my DSIL and she said she had used Melatonin and it helped her. I was going to give it a try but oddly enough I fell asleep that night at 11:15 and slept through the night. It’s been better since then. Maybe the change in eating helped over time? I don’t know. Here is a link that can hopefully help some of you. It isn’t the exact one I had before but basically the same info.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/940930...-today_health/