Sleepless in McAllen HA!

Take a hot shower
Read a book - snuggled under blankets and pillows
Watch a light sitcome nothing think about too much
Drink some warm tea
Get away from the computer. :)

I pray....so at least if I can't get to sleep, I relax and find some peace. The hot shower and yoga are both good ideas too...but as far as I'm concerned prayer is the best...sometimes I start with: "Hi God, it's me again"!

Blessings....

Reading with just a lamp on and melatonin for a particularly rough night.

Reading helps me. It's best if it's either very challenging or a little boring, but not really interesting to you. When I had a tv in my bedroom years ago, I would go to sleep after only a few minutes of C-SPAN!

Lately, taking a hot shower has helped me.

Unfortunately what really helped the most was taking a cruise! My husband, who never has trouble sleeping, couldn't sleep on the cruise ship, but I (and I've always had terrible insomnia) went to sleep immediately. I think it's the motion. I need a cradle. This is unfortunate because I really can't simulate that in my bedroom.

I start going down my prayer list. Who and what am I thankful for and why. If I am having a hard time falling asleep, I keep the prayers to what I am thankful for so I don't start putting worrisome or anxious thoughts in my head.

Hi, S. - you didn't give much info. Has something changed in your life? Are you stressed? I like the ideas you have gotten, I can see it affects quite a few of us! My older son had trouble when he was a teen and I took him to a noted neurologist as we were so worried. The dr. said he re-set his circadian clock, basically by getting too wound up in the evening. He was doing homework, working, texting, etc. In other words, not getting his brain ready for sleep. Dr. suggested putting most tasks earlier in the evening, leaving the later hours for a bath/shower, light reading, watching something enjoyable (not action/scary) and cutting out the caffeine after 6pm. A slowing down routine. It was hard for him to get on board, but once he did, it really helped. Hugs to you!

For a couple of months, I was having a really hard time sleeping. Not worried about anything, just could not sleep. What I did was make a cup of warm milk and drink that while reading with just one lamp on. Reading always makes me tired. Even if I can't actually sleep, just laying still with my eyes closed resting will help a great deal. I find that when I stay in bed, I toss and turn a lot if I can't sleep. So I get up and go lay on the couch to read and drink my milk. I give it about 30 - 60 minutes, then put the book down, turn off the lamp and just try to rest and relax. As long as I'm not in the bed tossing and turning, I can get enough rest to make it through the next day.

Try a 5 mg tablet of Melatonin. It's a natural hormone that is produced in the brain. I sometimes have trouble sleeping too...especially if I have had a midday coffee. The only problem with it is that it doesn't necessarily keep you asleep. I have a problem waking up around 3 sometimes (and have trouble going back to sleep then too). It's the mind of us mothers....it races.

Do yoga so that I can get into bed relaxed.

I read or watch tv while lying down. Always works for me.

P.S. I used to live, for a very brief period of time, in Edinburg and worked in McAllen. :)

So what in your routine changed? Are you drinking caffinated drinks late in the day or evening? If you are stop. Are you worried or running things over in your mind - prayer is best for those. I really can't help - the minute I'm horizonal, I'm asleep. My hubby says I'm snoring before my head hits the pillow - sign of a clear conscience. Maybe yours isn't???