Comments on: Tossing and Turning

By: CindyS

CindyS — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:05:48 +0000

I love sleep but falling asleep is the bane of my existence. Although a definite time for bed and getting up time would probably benefit me, I have a hard time sticking to either.

I didn’t know there were people who didn’t struggle with sleep until I met Bob. Bob’s head hits the pillow and he’s out. And there is the story of him being in a hotel and it being evacuated as he slept soundly through the alarm blaring over his head (a co-worker knocked on his door until he finally got an answer thank goodness but it was also a false alarm)

And I used to think only old people or babies fell asleep sitting up. Nope. Bob does it, one of my friends husbands does it and on and on.

My family were late to bed and late to wake – except for those pesky work hours. But staying up until 3am on a weekend at the age of 10 was nothing we blinked at.

Thankfully my family and friends have just adapted to who I am. I can either be up when they need me or I’m down for the count. The good news is I normally know ahead of time what’s coming.

I wish I had things that help – but I do take sleeping pills so there’s that. And I did use a mask a few years ago and loved it – the problem is with the replacement masks I tried the elastic was too tight – the silly things that bother me.

I won’t go into my Princess and the Pea syndrome. Bob could sleep on a bed of nails. I need perfection.

cindys

By: kathy

kathy — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:50:39 +0000

I know a few people who have a fan running all night and they swear by them. It blocks out noise and is soothing.

By: LinnieGayl

LinnieGayl — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 02:20:49 +0000

Really interesting, Joe. I’ve never seen one of those before.

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 01:42:04 +0000

The Dreamhelmet combination sleep mask sound suppressing pillow has a large eye mask as well as a pillow with sound blocking material inside. It is a patented American made invention and was just featured on Good Morning America – Here’s the link:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/JobClub/sleeping-job-employers-tired-workers-power-nap/story?id=11659597

By: LinnieGayl

LinnieGayl — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 19:02:16 +0000

Lee, I’ve been curious about sleep machines, but haven’t gotten one yet. I used to have a radio/CD player that would play for as long as I wanted, and I’d go to sleep listening to music, which seemed to work.

Missie, haven’t tried melatonin, although I know lots of people who swear by it.

By: Missie

Missie — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:18:54 +0000

I have intermittent problems sleeping. When I’m having trouble, I like to take melatonin — the chewable kind, because it gets into my system more quickly. I like to let it dissolve against my gums.

Happy Camper (an herbal supplement) can also be good at calming nerves and helping to quiet your brain. I will take one (the “dosage” is 2, but 2 make me sleepy) during the day if I’m feeling tense or badly stressed. If I’m having trouble falling asleep because my brain is racing, I’ll take one at night…or, if I haven’t had any at all that day, I might take 2 at night.

By: LeeB.

LeeB. — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:04:35 +0000

I occasionally have trouble sleeping and do have ear plugs — especially to block out people talking on their lanais in the apartment complex across the street — but I only use them on weekends because I too am afraid I’ll sleep through my alarm.

I also have a sleep machine that I set to the sound of rain falling. You can adjust the sound controls and when you want the machine to shut off (30-60-90 minutes) or let it play throughout the night.