Advice on a good night's sleep?

[Miacoda]

So, I'm a bit of an insomniac. I take melatonin supplements a lot of nights to help me sleep but tonight's a bit different.

My cat Tucker is not a lap cat. I've tried to get him to cuddle with me for years and he just won't have it. So tonight he randomly decided to curl up on my chest and it sort of freaked me out. Sounds absolutely silly, I know. I'm most likely just overreacting but sometimes my paranoia gets to me. So anyway, he's a big cat so eventually I had to make him move so he curled up at my side but still kept a paw on my chest, which added to my slight freak-out. And now my dog seems like he wants to stick close to me but that could just be because he is sensing my mood. He's very sensitive to the feelings and moods around him.

But yeah. If this ever happens again I'd like to know some good ways to calm me down. I'm thinking maybe I should get some herbal teas but if there's any advice on how to keep calm when paranoia strikes.

I don't know why I'm do bothered... All because of my silly cat. >.< it's 5:30 AM and I'm trying to distract myself by being here on the forums.

[Worba]

Sounds like you and your cat both suffer from the same issue, he's just coming to trust you - that's absolutely wonderful. Now you have to trust him. Once you do, his cuddling will be a comfort.

Otherwise on a more general level you might want to have a cup of chamomile tea before bed, and if something more is needed, talk to your doctor - personally I take a couple Advil PMs and it knocks me out, but I only do that when I'm having serious insomnia, and that's not going to work the same for everyone.

[GormanGhaste]

One, you might want to consider not having Tucker in your bedroom at night. We used to let the cats sleep with us, but the other half is a light sleeper, and they would wake him up too much; also, I breathe easier now without cat hair on my pillow!

Two, a technique I use when I'm having a hard time settling down to sleep is visualization. Doesn't really matter what, as long as it's calming. I know someone who has been planning a restaurant, everything from decor to the menu. I enjoy designing houses in my head. Sometimes I'll go on imaginary Azerothian road trips! You might want to visualize a safe haven for yourself.

[cowmuflage]

Have you tryed um...how to put it. Pleasureing yourself before bed? sorry if it's a bit adult but that useally gets me to sleep quick.

[Teigan]

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[GormanGhaste]

OP is an adult. And as masturbation is a healthy alternative to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, it would seem unethical to discourage it.

And I agree with Cowmu, great stress relief!

[Worba]

OP is an adult. And as masturbation is a healthy alternative to sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, it would seem unethical to discourage it.

And I agree with Cowmu, great stress relief!

Yes fun for one and all!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUeN6LZNPVQ

EDIT: it's also good for headaches....

[cowmuflage]

Well she wanted sleep help so I gave some. XD

[Finduilas]

I would also recommend the scent of lavender. It is known to have a calming effect on people. There are several options about it.
1. Take a bath before you go to bed, with lavend bath salt or whatever. This will make you warm and cozy and you probably will sleep better.
2. Light a lavender scented teelight candle or something I know as an "oil burner": a teelight candle under a cup of water with herbal oil in it. Both will make your room smell slightly like lavender. And you don't have to worry about blowing them off - put them in a holder and on noncombustible ground and they will just go out eventually.
3. Dried lavender blossoms in a small satchel either under your pillow or in your closet (so your laundry smeels faintly of it).

I also like to read before going to bed. It takes your mind from things you did on the computer (be it work or fun), your eyes get accustomed to the darker background and you will eventually just drift over to sleep. Sometimes it takes 100 pages to read, sometimes only 5.

Then I would not be so freaked by my cat. I have a cat too, and she never wanted to cuddle, until recently: two weeks before I left them back with my fiance in Germany. She had known something was off with me and just wanted to comfort me. This was so sweet of her and I felt really guilty for leaving her.
Let your pets comfort you, they know best.

[Miacoda]

Funny how I wake up and think "Why was I so weirded out?" xD
I dunno, I think my biggest paranoia was... you know those stories where people have pets that can sense when something is wrong with their owners? Well I hear those stories a lot it seems and so not it just gets me a bit paranoid... rofl.

I've heard about chamomile tea but have yet to go and get some. I totally forgot about lavender, though!

As for my cat, I dunno... I'm starting to think more logical about why he could have all of a sudden, out of nowhere, been like "I think I'm gonna crush momma's chest with my heft muscle weight" xD He's starting to get older so perhaps more sensitive to cold. But then there's that thing where cats are just so random and unpredictable... XD

I feel so silly but hey, I figure that maybe other people need sleep advice as well. ^^

[Kalhoun]

I'm prone to insomnia and anxiety so I know how you feel. I try to have absolutely no caffeine past 8 pm. and try to stick to a "bed time" every night - having a set schedule helps your brain begin to shut down in preparation for sleep. Refraining from drinking alcohol may help if you're having a bout of insomnia. Don't nap during the day; you want to be tired at night. This may sound silly, but I've found that certain types of video games actually puts my brain into a state where it just won't shut down - in WoW, PVP does it (doesn't matter how great a time I'm having or how relaxed I feel while doing it. I guess the rapid movements and intensity just gets my brain all active). So if I've been PVPing, I make sure to stop a few hours before I plan to go to bed to let my brain calm down or whatever it needs to do.

You may want to not let your cat sleep in your room when you're in bed - it just eliminates the issue. But that's very sweet that he's gotten snuggley. The cat I grew up with wasn't very cuddly until he reached a certain age, then he was always in my lap.

I hope you get some sleep soon! I know how frustrating it is!

[Teigan]

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[Cerele]

fans always help me sleep,

[Impulse]

Here's something basic things to keep in your mind:

1. Try not eating your dinner (or even snacks if possible) at least 4 hours before sleep. Food will make your body active, even if it makes you feel sleepy afterward you will not likely to fall into "deep' sleep. Also bad for digestion.

2. Try to get in a relaxed state before sleep, such as watching TV, movie or reading a book. Any sort of competitive gaming will not help at all since it will fire up your brain. I am not sure about "pleasure" activity but I guess the exhaustion afterward is what people are trying to say

3. Don't drink too much liquid before sleep, even if you manage to fall asleep, having to wake yourself constantly to use bathroom isn't good.

4. Maintain a specific temperature where you are most comfortable for sleeping. Personally I like my room to be slightly below the average room temperature.

5. A nice pillow that can keep your head in a proper posture is definitely a plus. There are many options out there, personally I invested a brand latex foam pillow.

P.S. IMO, sleeping is one of three most important things to keep yourself healthy. Other two are eating properly and maintaining good digestive activities.