I have LOTS of problems getting to sleep and then qa couple hours or so Im back up because of nightmares. I do lots of things to help the situation. The first thing I do when starting my nighttime routine is get something to eat. I do this because if I don't the empt stomach feeling triggers me into memory pieces (alters) and I end up spending the night eating. there is only so many times a night that I will go with the flow when stepping onto a plate of food on the way to the bathroom.

Then I take 2 benedryls. they contain dyphenhyramine (an over the counter sleep aid found in things like tylenol pm, and other sleep aids on the shelf)

After I have ate and taken the benedryl I go take a bubble bath while listening to some relaxation music and write in my journal.

When I start getting drowsy I get out of the tub and into bed. once in bed I put on my head phones and listen to the relaxation visualization my therapist and I recorded while doing it during a session. Most of the time I am out for the count befor the tape ends. My tape player/recorder does not SNAP off so I wake up just enough to hit the off button and Im right back out again.

when I wake in the night in painic attacks and nightmares I just repeat the process and Im soon out for the count once again.

Everyone has their own things that make themselves comfortable and calm for instance I have to eat before bed and sky does not recommend it.

How I came up with my routine is that I thought about what things I like to do. If you like to do it the making it into a regular routine is easier. for example if you don't like to journal you most likely won't keep doing it night after night.

Write down a list of things that you like to do. Then go through the list and mark the ones that it is possible for you to do before bed. I like to bike but Im not about to do that at 11-12 nidnight.

Once you have the list of things you like and have picked out those you can do at home at nighttime, list them in an order that goes from most active of the list to quetist and calmest. Include some sort of outlet for your thoughts so that at when you are doing the quietist and calmest activity your brain doesnt suddenly kick in gear because something is worrying or upsetting you.

After that its just a matter of turning your new routine into a habit by doing it at the same time every night.

take care