Need help falling asleep

[TheShit]

I have had this problem since I was a young child. I go to bed at night and have a hard time falling asleep. I am seldom able to get more than 7 hours a night and it almost always takes me over an hour to doze off. I have tried taking sleep aids before like melotonin and tylenol PM, but i have noticed that if I take them I will sleep fine that night, but the next night I will be wide awake for hours when I hit the sack. They also make me a little groggy the next day.

Does anyone have any ideas on how you can improve your sleep patterns. I really feel like this is one of the biggest obstacles I have to putting on muscle mass.

I feel like my mind is what keeps me awake, because I am always thinking about things while I'm in bed. I can be muscularly exhausted when I hit the sack but if somethings on my mind i'll be wide awake for at least an hour or two. How can I increase my sleep time to 8-9 hours a night. Is it possible without drugs or suppliments?

Also drinking 1 gallon of water a day makes it impossible for me to sleep through the night without getting up for a restroom break at 4 AM.

Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[FitnessFrk]

do you eat a small meal before bed time ? I sleep much better when I eat my last meal vs drinking a protein shake at bed time.

 

[Mighty P]

Go to the doctor. They can give you stuff that will help you sleep w/o the side effects, like being groggy in the morning. I used to do the thinking thing too. I've found if I play games in my head it really helps. Pretend you're on an alien world or something?

 

[rgosit]

wow..sounds just like me always thinkining about stuff

 

[blaster220]

Melatonin is only suitable for a getting your "sleep clock" back on schedule... it just helps your body become readjusted to a sleep pattern rather than knock you out. I'm with Mighty P on this one, see your doctor... hell, you've been having this problem since childhood... there comes a time...

 

[MrMuscle]

train hard, and then when evening comes you will be glad to be able to finally get some sleep.

 

[TheShit]

I have to agree with MrMuscle on the training hard thing helping you to sleep better, but the problems is usually on off-days and sometimes it happens when I train too hard and my body feels like it's been hit by a truck (thats when I take the Tylenol PM). I will give my doc a call and see what they got out there. I am just a little leary about taking any kind of sleep aid. Even if they don't make you drowsy the next day you tend to become dependant on them to fall asleep.

Maybe meditation or some mind relaxation techniques would help. I also find a glass of red wine right before bed seems to help alot.

 

[tronious]

Melatonin is good but sometimes makes you groggy in the morning because you're body is now overloaded with it.

Another thing to try that I've been using lately is Chamomile tea. People may disagree with me, but don't knock it till you try it. It really works well for me. I drink a cup at about 11:00/11:30 and I'm usually ready to pass out by about 12:00. You can get it at any grocery store pretty much or a supplement store that carries a lot of herbs.

 

[flex4life]

agree w/ chamomile tea...also maybe try a little milk or turkey (tryptophan content)...sometimes I try starting at the toes & conciously relax each body part all the way up...really works...never get to my shoulders before zzzz

 

[Tuna Guy]

GHB