Do You Have Trouble Getting a Good Night's Sleep?
I find it hard to fall asleep. Not only am I very distracted by any sounds that aren’t relaxing, I’m also pretty wound up before I go to bed. I do most of my writing at night, and often the ideas are still buzzing around my head when it hits the pillow. Many times I’m not even sleepy. I’m only going to bed because I know it’s past time.
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| My Son Asleep on Floor of Motel Room, © B. Radisavljevic |
Some people, like my son in the picture, can fall asleep almost anywhere, as he did on this motel room floor. My husband is another one who can fall asleep the minute he puts his head on the pillow. Sometimes he even falls asleep in his chair. Not me.
Here's What I've Done to Start Falling Asleep Faster
Nutritional Supplements that Help Me Fall Asleep
For some time now I've been taking a couple of nutritional supplements that have helped me relax if I take them about half an hour before bed every night. One is Natrol® Melatonin 5 Mg, 250 Fast Dissolve Tablets Strawberry Flavor. It has worked better than any other Melatonin product I've tried, and I've tried a lot of them. I usually buy mine at Costco, but I have linked to Amazon here in case Costco isn't convenient for you. I also take an amino acid, Nature's Plus L-Tyrosine with B-6 500mg/50mg - 60 - Capsule. I'm not so fussy about the brand for this. This combination helps me relax.
Noise Blockers
I am also very sensitive to noise, and noises can keep me awake even when I'm relaxed and very tired. Before I moved here, my
computer was in my bedroom and I didn’t like to turn off more than
the energy- hogging display. If I tried to put it to sleep, it didn’t
do any good, because for some reason I haven’t yet figured out, it
suddenly woke up anyway. So as I was trying to sleep, I heard my
computer working in the background, making those distracting little
clicking sounds. Sometimes there were animal noises outside or the
neighbor on the hill was having a very late party. Now that I've moved to the city, there are even more outside noises, as well as clicking sounds from my windows when the sun comes up.
It
seems the thing that relaxes and soothes me most when I am lying in
bed is the sound of rain on the roof. It doesn’t matter how loud
the rain is; it’s like a lullaby to me. I finally got the bright
idea that I should look for CDs that make rain sounds. But they were
hard to find. Almost all the nature sound tracks I found had more
than rain in them. They had orchestral accompaniment, bird song, and
other things included that although meant to enhance, only disturbed
me and broke the steady sound of the rain falling.
It
was only after I’d bought and tried about five other CDs that
didn’t work for me that I saw Rain and Relaxation on Amazon and bought it. It’s made a great difference. If I go to bed
tense or still full of creative fervor that wants to leap back to the
computer and write more, I just play the CD, which I keep loaded in
my CD player in my clock radio. All I have to do is press the button in
the dark to start the process of calming down enough to sleep.
This
also works after my early morning bladder wake-up call. At 6 AM the
sun is about to rise or has already risen. The birds start making
noise outside my window swamp cooler, and sometimes the neighbor’s
dog is barking. Later my husband is in the kitchen making his breakfast
or talking on the phone. I want to keep sleeping until about nine
after my late night writing, so I play the CD again, loudly enough to
block out the other noises.
I
highly recommend this solution to others who find it hard to fall
asleep at night or who fall back to sleep in the middle of the night
after using the bathroom. It’s made a great difference in the
quality of my sleep. It’s also made a great difference in my
temperament in the morning when I wake up.
When
Rain Alone Doesn't Do the Trick
Sometimes
I need something a bit different than rain alone to put me to sleep.
I have shared some of the other recordings I have used below.
Although you may also feel the need for white noise, maybe something
different like ocean, night nature sounds, or even electronic
relaxation is what you need to do the trick. Check these out, as well as some others that may be suggested as you look at them.
One more hint. I have a repeat function on my CD player, but it only repeats one track. It really helps to get a CD with everything on one track. The last suggestion here, Summer Evening Serenade, is the one I currently use, since my rain cd wore out and I haven't remembered to replace it yet. It has everything on one track, and I keep it repeating all night. It used to be when a CD ended, it would wake me back up with its whirring sound as it shut off. When it keeps repeating, it doesn't do that. Some of my suggestions below are also available in digital downloads if that works for you.
Recently I also decided to buy a white noise machine that does a fantastic job of blocking out louder sounds than the CD's can cover up. Read my review of the Marpac DOHM-DS.
If you have a way to watch a video on your computer until you fall asleep, I would suggest this one. When I try to put it on my computer the display goes out and I can't hear it anymore, either, so I need to use the CD's.
If You Need to Sleep During Daylight
If you sometimes need to sleep after the sun is up, I have found another useful product. I have had two surgeries in the last year that required me to move into a one-story house to heal. Fortunately I inherited one I was mostly using for storage and entertaining from my mother , but it's in a neighborhood in the city limits, unlike our rural home. It is much noisier than in the country, and my CD's have become even more important with noisy vehicles parking outside my window and then leaving before even the roosters wake up.
This house also has lots of windows in my bedroom and they face east. Once the sun is up the room is flooded with light.
After many mornings trying to keep my head under the covers to block out the sun, I finally broke down and bought this set of eye shades that comes with ear plugs -- Bedtime Bliss® Contoured & Comfortable Sleep Mask & Ear Plug Set. Includes Carry Pouch for Eye Mask and Ear Plugs - Great for Travel, Shift Work & Meditation.
I could kick myself for not getting it sooner. When I had my second surgery last December, I took them to the hospital, and you know how hard it is to have it dark there. The sleep mask was a great help in keeping light out of my eyes, though it couldn't keep the nurses from waking me up. I wasn't quite as happy with the ear plugs, but I've tried every ear plug I've been able to get my hands on, and none of them do much for me.
Begin Now To Sleep Better and Longer
If you have trouble getting a good night's sleep, I hope one of the ideas or products reviewed above will help you.
Before you take any supplement, especially if you are on any prescription medications, it's best to check with your doctor first. Just because something is right for me might not mean it's right for you.
The sleep mask and music I believe would help anyone. Why not click some of those links now and begin sleeping better very soon. Believe me, a good night's sleep is worth every penny it takes.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
