basically the oppositte to the imsomnia club.

what helped you sleep good last night. how much sleep did you get. how did you feel when you woke up

[Yaowen]

Dear raging vortex,

What a nice idea for a topic. I think I slept better last night because I have been cutting out excess sodium from my diet. I read somewhere that salt stimulates the part of the brain responsible for wakefulness. Not sure if it is true or not, but I seem to sleep better with less excess salt. Perhaps this is just a "placebo effect." My sleep now is of greater duration and I wake up feeling more refreshed. I hope you get many responses to your topic. Best to you.

Sincerely yours, Yao Wen

Originally Posted by raging vortex

basically the oppositte to the imsomnia club.

what helped you sleep good last night. how much sleep did you get. how did you feel when you woke up

Cool thread idea! This could be helpful for all. I will look forward to reading others' responses, too.

Although I do get insomnia when I am hypomanic/manic (if not treated properly), or in some cases when going or weaning off certain medications, insomnia is not a life-long issue for me. When my anxiety really peaks, I might also have sleep issues. Nowadays, however, I can usually sleep quite well. My usual is 7 or 8 hours, with only one rare midnight wake up. My secrets:

* Darkness. As dark as possible.

* Quiet. No TV, no music, no talking, preferably no traffic sounds. The only exceptions to this are nature sounds (birds, summer insects, rainfall, wind) and sound machine sounds (fireplace, brook, white noise). I don't regularly use my sound machine, but it does often work. Sometimes I set it for one hour, but occasionally I need it on all night long, to avoid wake ups.

* Comfort. Good bed. Right amount/type of pillows. Right temperature. Cozy comforter/blanket.

* No stimulating stuff in the evening/night. No caffeine. No spirited or angry conversations. No triggering articles/TV/internet/reading. No excessive exercise. No excessive amount of sugar right before bed.

* Stopping my thoughts. May sound strange, but I have learned how to quit thinking when I want to sleep, during more stable or mildly depressed periods.

* The right medications. Keeping my bipolar under control is crucial. Not doing anything crazy (like quitting or skipping a medication) is also helpful. If I skip my evening Seroquel XR, I won't sleep.

* PRN medication, when needed. If anxiety is preventing me from falling asleep, a little prn almost always helps. Ativan is especially helpful, but I rarely need it.

* Freshness. Umm, if I don't brush my teeth or feel at least minimally clean, I might struggle to fall asleep. Even just a once over with a washcloth makes a difference. Fresh pajamas. Fresh sheets. Night cream.

* WC and water. I try not to forget to go to the WC before bed, but also keep a small glass of water on my side table and have a few sips before sleep time. Even if I do wake up at 3 am, or the like, a quick sip helps me fall asleep again.

* Snacks that help with sleep. On the occasions I do wake up hungry at 3 am (always seems to be 3 am), I have planned snacks ready. Dairy, particularly yogurt helps me. Sometimes I keep it upstairs in a college type fridge in the spare room.

* "Tucking In". My husband is a night owl and doesn't go to sleep when I do, but some times I still want at least a little cuddling. I'll even yell "Tuck!" and he'll come from his office to kiss me, and sometimes literally tuck me in. Very comforting signal to my brain leftover from early childhood.

I slept good last night. I didn't the night before so I was tired. It was a lot cooler last night than previous nights as well. I think I got 7 hours. Was angry when I woke up. I always wake up angry for some reason.

[bpcyclist]

Originally Posted by BirdDancer

Cool thread idea! This could be helpful for all. I will look forward to reading others' responses, too.

Although I do get insomnia when I am hypomanic/manic (if not treated properly), or in some cases when going or weaning off certain medications, insomnia is not a life-long issue for me. When my anxiety really peaks, I might also have sleep issues. Nowadays, however, I can usually sleep quite well. My usual is 7 or 8 hours, with only one rare midnight wake up. My secrets:

* Darkness. As dark as possible.

* Quiet. No TV, no music, no talking, preferably no traffic sounds. The only exceptions to this are nature sounds (birds, summer insects, rainfall, wind) and sound machine sounds (fireplace, brook, white noise). I don't regularly use my sound machine, but it does often work. Sometimes I set it for one hour, but occasionally I need it on all night long, to avoid wake ups.

* Comfort. Good bed. Right amount/type of pillows. Right temperature. Cozy comforter/blanket.

* No stimulating stuff in the evening/night. No caffeine. No spirited or angry conversations. No triggering articles/TV/internet/reading. No excessive exercise. No excessive amount of sugar right before bed.

* Stopping my thoughts. May sound strange, but I have learned how to quit thinking when I want to sleep, during more stable or mildly depressed periods.

* The right medications. Keeping my bipolar under control is crucial. Not doing anything crazy (like quitting or skipping a medication) is also helpful. If I skip my evening Seroquel XR, I won't sleep.

* PRN medication, when needed. If anxiety is preventing me from falling asleep, a little prn almost always helps. Ativan is especially helpful, but I rarely need it.

* Freshness. Umm, if I don't brush my teeth or feel at least minimally clean, I might struggle to fall asleep. Even just a once over with a washcloth makes a difference. Fresh pajamas. Fresh sheets. Night cream.

* WC and water. I try not to forget to go to the WC before bed, but also keep a small glass of water on my side table and have a few sips before sleep time. Even if I do wake up at 3 am, or the like, a quick sip helps me fall asleep again.

* Snacks that help with sleep. On the occasions I do wake up hungry at 3 am (always seems to be 3 am), I have planned snacks ready. Dairy, particularly yogurt helps me. Sometimes I keep it upstairs in a college type fridge in the spare room.

* "Tucking In". My husband is a night owl and doesn't go to sleep when I do, but some times I still want at least a little cuddling. I'll even yell "Tuck!" and he'll come from his office to kiss me, and sometimes literally tuck me in. Very comforting signal to my brain leftover from early childhood.

You transported me to another continent, referring to it as the "WC."

[bpcyclist]

All the stuff mentioned above I have found useful at times. For me, though, the bottom line at the moment is, I sleep when I am sleepy. Last night, I got tired around 1020 PM or so and went to bed. Fell asleep in an hour and woke up at 6. Back to bed and then, woke up for good at 8. Really great for me.

Good thread.

[*Beth*]

I'm taking pain medication post-surgery (an opiate). It causes me to be very sleepy. So sleep has been decent lately. Today is my last day of the med, though. For the past few weeks when I can't sleep I take melatonin. I find that if I take it every night it stops working. So I'll take it for, say, 3 nights then skip a couple of nights.

I sleep a lot, in pieces. 3 hours here, 3 hours there, awake and up for an hour in between. If I don't get enough sleep I'm a mess.

[Fuzzybear]

Hello.

[swimmingly]

I use a CPAP machine. Getting diagnosed with Sleep Apnea was a game changer for me. I sleep a lot better when I sleep. Great topic idea.

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by swimmingly

I use a CPAP machine. Getting diagnosed with Sleep Apnea was a game changer for me. I sleep a lot better when I sleep. Great topic idea.

THANK you for this illuminating post. You are a GREAT addition to this Bipolar forum

[swimmingly]

My wife and kids got me a weighted 15-lb blanket last year for father's day. It was a really nice surprise and it helps me get comfy for sleep.

[Fuzzybear]

A good friend suggested this to me. thanks for the reminder.

Great thread rv. You are one of the best at creating community threads here on pc and also in this Bipolar forum. You also create fresh ideas .... (as a member who is no longer on pc noted long ago)

Hugs and respect to you and to All

[bpcyclist]

Originally Posted by swimmingly

My wife and kids got me a weighted 15-lb blanket last year for father's day. It was a really nice surprise and it helps me get comfy for sleep.

Glad it is working for you, swimmingly. I got one with high hopes, but, sadly, I have this badass Periodic Limb Movement Disorder now, where my ankle and foot jerks, kicks, when I try to sleep. For some odd reason, having the WB on that foot makes it much, much worse that if nothing is on it. Weird.

[bpcyclist]

Just wondering if anyone else is at the sleep place where they just kind of have to sleep when they can. Meaning, a sleep schdeule does not really work for them. I basically just have to sleep when I get tired, whenever that is. Occasionally, it is at bedtime. But usually, it is just at random times.

[downandlonely]

I take melatonin and drink chamomile tea before bed. I'm not sure if it actually helps or is just a placebo.

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by bpcyclist

Just wondering if anyone else is at the sleep place where they just kind of have to sleep when they can. Meaning, a sleep schdeule does not really work for them. I basically just have to sleep when I get tired, whenever that is. Occasionally, it is at bedtime. But usually, it is just at random times.

Yes, a sleep schedule does NOT currently work, for me. It’s a bit like having a few new babies to look after. (with no help, from another adult or sometimes at all)..I have to sleep when they sleep. Or not at all.