[wiretwister]

Someone here the other day said they thought bipolar may in fact be a sleep disorder ... for me that maybe true ... I used to sleep like a baby ... long , deep and restful ... it's been four years now that I almost never have a "good" nights sleep ... mind set , meds, I don't know ...

so my question to you guys is as follows: .... what habits , rituals , or methods do you find helpful to sleep ... for the moment let's leave rx meds out of the list ...

my biggest issue is not getting to sleep but staying asleep more that 2 hours or so ... any suggestions welcomed ....

please share ... what you do maybe someone else's answer to a prayer .... Tigger .

[sw1mfast]

I usually sleep pretty well. Haven't been sleeping past 2 weeks but not tired. What helps me sleep is earplugs--the wax ones you wear for swimming if you are susceptible to earaches. They block out all the noise that keeps me awake, and I hear my breath extra loud and it kinda lulls me to sleep.

[NoIdeaWhatToDo]

I start with taking Natural Calm, a magnesium supplement, about 30 minutes before bedtime. I have been taking it for years, initially because I struggled both to fall asleep and to stay asleep. I sleep much better getting the magnesium, though it's still not perfect.

My other sleep routines include making sure the ambient temperature is cool enough to have a blanket on top of me; the weight of a blanket helps me to sleep, so when it's warm I have a harder time sleeping. I also have a worn, feather pillow that I can put over my eyes and tuck around my ears to eliminate the light and sounds that can make it hard for me to sleep. Light, especially, is a challenge for me. The nightlight in our kids' bathroom, though dim, makes it hard for me to sleep. A phone charging in our bedroom - either the one with a soft orange light or the digital green light - makes it super hard to calm my system enough to sleep.

The other thing that is critical for me is actually going to my bed at a reasonable time and not taking any devices with me. I can fall asleep, but if I'm watching something, my brain can't shut it off or interrupt that stimuli. It's the primary reason we don't own a TV. Now, with laptops and streaming content, it's hard for me again. If I can shut it off by 10 and go to bed, I'm in pretty good shape to get a decent night's sleep.

[LucyG]

I agree with NoIdeaWhatToDo.

Magnesium is crucial for sleep both in getting to sleep and staying asleep so make sure you're getting enough. And be sure and take a good magnesium that is easily absorbably like magnesium citrate which is what Natural Calm is. You need to take calcium and vitamins D3 and K with it as the 4 nutrients work together. Another highly absorbably form of magnesium is magnesium chloride. DON'T take magnesium oxide as it's so poorly absorbed that all it's going to do is give you raging diarrhea.

One thing that I use when I'm a little wound up is to wear my orange CSI type glasses that block blue light. The reason I do this is because it slows my brain down by blocking the blue light so my brain thinks I'm in total darkness.

I also have high cortisol levels late in the day so I take a supplement called Seriphos that helps lower it so I can sleep. A few years ago I had a 24 hour cortisol test that showed this, and helped explain why I could be exhausted all day but not be able to sleep at night.

[Wanderlust90]

Earplugs, a weighted blanket & black out curtains.

[Coffeee]

I make sure there's no light at all, my pillow is fluffy and I'm comfortable and I follow the same getting ready routine every night at the same time ish so my body knows it's time to wind down. I also use the herbal supplement melatonin to help sleep when I can't. It works in half an hour and is recommended by my pdoc.

[Unrigged64072835]

The biggest thing for me is to calm my mind before I go to sleep. If I have racing thoughts I won't sleep.

The other thing for me is keeping my feet cold. If they get too hot I have this prickly sensation that interrupts my sleep.

[Christopher1990]

Never heard magnesium. Yes Ive always said its definitely more of sleep disorder for me I dont remember the last time I got a solid 8 hours without waking up. Its horrible I just want to stay asleep. I wake up after two or 3 hours even with 2 ativans and elavil. I usually go right back to sleep but wake up at least 3 times a night. So im never feeling well rested. Idk. still searching for sonething to work

[LucyG]

Originally Posted by Christopher1990

Never heard magnesium. Yes Ive always said its definitely more of sleep disorder for me I dont remember the last time I got a solid 8 hours without waking up. Its horrible I just want to stay asleep. I wake up after two or 3 hours even with 2 ativans and elavil. I usually go right back to sleep but wake up at least 3 times a night. So im never feeling well rested. Idk. still searching for sonething to work

Low magnesium levels are associated with insomnia and a host of other issues. Meds, high protein diet, white flour and sugar, fluoride in the water and a host of other things deplete magnesium levels so most people are deficient in magnesium.

[Nammu]

Routine, very important to me. I know you said to leave meds out of it but I'd not get to sleep without them. I go to bed about the same time every night usually midnight, eat a bit of cheese and read for 30 minutes ( it's important for me to set a limit on reading or I'd read all night)

Staying asleep....that's where the routine comes in. I've trained myself to stay in bed and just breath......in, out...in out.....in, out...and stare at the ceiling somehow the act of trying to keep my eyes open makes it hard to keep them open and I can usually fall back asleep with in an hour.

Also do what others have said, cool, dark and no TV for about an hour prior.

Sleep is definately part of my illness. I fear it's more complicated but sleep is always off in episodes. At least I think so...pretty sure but not entirely.

Warm baths, herbal tea, comfy Jammie's, comfy bed, very dark (not even alarm clock light). Blackout curtains. Read something absolutely boring.

I wish I had a weighted blanket! I've always needed weight on me when I sleep, heavy blankets and covers....pure cotton has a nice heft.

[ComfortablyNumb5]

People will say this is bad but I cannot sleep unless the tv is lighting the room a dark blue. I don't know where this stems from but ever since I was very young I was terrified of the pitch dark. I need a glow in the room. And then on top of that I often sleep with headphones in and listen to my fav radio morning show for that day. I only get about 15 min in before the seroquel knocks me out. Without my seroquel I will be awake for days. When I was a teen is when my insomnia started. My dad found empty bottles and pill packs of NyQuil in my bedroom and was very alarmed at the amount I was taking. That's when he first took me to a pdoc where I was Dx'ed and have been on seroquel to sleep since. 12 years now! I'm afraid I'll never get a natural sleep again unless I'm stone cold drunk. Been there many times too.