Help for those with insomnia

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Feel free to add your own tips

This will not include the basic tips such as light, meals, temperature etc. You can find that help easily on the net

Tips on sleep:
  • It's not the lack of sleep that hurts you, it's the worrying about it.
  • Winding down in the evening is very important, don't do really exciting things
  • Do not predict poor sleep, just let such thoughts come and go, they are not necessarily the truth.
  • Avoid frustration and worry, just let those thoughts and feelings come and go.
  • As much as you can, when you're awake at night be gentle and slow, physically and mentally and be kind to yourself, self criticism in times like that is unnecessary and unhelpful.
  • Avoid moving too much when you're in bed, get comfortable and stay still as much as possible, watch itches come and go, only move if you really need to. Don't toss and turn in frustration.
  • Try not to consider your situation a problem, notice and let go of resistance to it as resistance only keeps you awake.
  • Treat sleep time as important, not as a time to elaborate on thoughts and to do lots of thinking.
  • Do not build sleep up as a big deal, do not put pressure on yourself to sleep or relax.
  • Do not force yourself to sleep or relax, it's more of a letting go of resistance and desire. Surrender to the present moment.
  • People say get up and move around if you can't sleep for a while, from personal experience I mostly disagree with this.
  • If the mind is very active then try gently and slowly counting backwards, in your mind, from 1000. Picture each number in your minds eye as you slowly pronounce each syllable. If you get lost in thought, gently go back to where you were. It's not a race to 0, enjoy exploring the sounds of each syllable in your mind.
  • Do not try to stop thoughts or thinking, let them come and go in the back of your mind.
  • Try the app named headspace, it has a pack related to sleep, or other apps such as insight timer, simple habit, calm, wysa. Just be sure to get a night mode filter app if you use your device at night
  • Nofap sleep thread https://www.nofap.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-sleep-advice-thread.150641/
  • Will add more if I think of any
Supplements that might help, consult your doctor blah blah:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi buddy, since you asked so kindly, i will with great pleasure tell you what my heavy experience with insomnia learnt me, which almost destroyed me 100 %, how i finally healed it, and will try to keep it as short as possible so you get the point. I will just say that you can take my word for it, and if there is someone in this world qualified, experienced with insomnia and insomnia healing, that is me. You don't need to look further.

My experience with this issue has been such a determining factor in my life that i assure you i am not talking lightly. All i learned i learned the hard way, on my own. I mean, and i really mean, i know what i am talking about like someone who has been in jail for 10 years know jail life, and escaped from it. I will not elaborate further, but it was a very dark and painful place for a longtime.

im_broken said:
Feel free to add your own tips

This will not include the basic tips such as light, meals, temperature etc. You can find that help easily on the net

Tips on sleep:
  • It's not the lack of sleep that hurts you, it's the worrying about it.
  • Do not predict poor sleep, just let such thoughts come and go, they are not necessarily the truth.
  • Avoid frustration and worry, just let those thoughts and feelings come and go.
  • As much as you can, when you're awake at night be gentle and slow, physically and mentally and be kind to yourself, self criticism in times like that is unnecessary and unhelpful.
  • Avoid moving too much when you're in bed, get comfortable and stay still as much as possible, watch itches come and go, only move if you really need to. Don't toss and turn in frustration.
  • Try not to consider your situation a problem, notice and let go of resistance to it as resistance only keeps you awake.
  • Treat sleep time as important, not as a time to elaborate on thoughts and to do lots of thinking.
  • Do not build sleep up as a big deal, do not put pressure on yourself to sleep or relax.
  • Do not force yourself to sleep or relax, it's more of a letting go.
  • People say get up and move around if you can't sleep for a while, from personal experience I mostly disagree with this.
  • If the mind is very active then try gently and slowly counting backwards, in your mind, from 1000. Picture each number in your minds eye as you slowly pronounce each syllable. If you get lost in thought, gently go back to where you were. It's not a race to 0, enjoy exploring the sounds of each syllable in your mind.
  • Do not try to stop thoughts or thinking, let them come and go in the back of your mind.
  • Try the app named headspace
  • Will add more if I think of any
Supplements that might help, consult your doctor blah blah:
Click to expand...

I am sorry to say, but all what you said will absolutely not help you. It might make it worst.

The only simple advice for sleeping is : no excitants, no excitation before bedtime.

So now, first of all, INSOMNIA WILL TOTALLY FUCK YOU UP. No need to lie about it. Believe me. When i stopped being insomniac, in a few years i gained muscles mass, better life, better mood, better situation, better health.
Insomnia is very very bad.
But you are telling yourself the opposite to try to appease your anxiety about an issue you have not managed to handle yet. I have experienced death like fatigue, borderline madness and social isolation due to insomnia. All your thoughts here written are vain attempts to fix the issue. This is not how you do it. I have done the same thing you are trying to do. For me insomnia was a death sentence.

-Why you don't sleep: because you are "unbalanced" when you go to bed. That's it. Unbalanced means physically, mentally, energetically. Your body and mind goes through a myriad of states during your life. A few times you are balanced and feel good. Anything that is not like that will mess with your sleep.
So if you take 15 minutes, sit down and listen to your emotions, thoughts, you will witness they are not okay. Maybe you will witness tension in the body.
So bad energy/unbalance = bad sleep, and the insomnia loop also tell you that bad sleep= aggravated mental and physical unbalance.

Okay so how do you stop this cycle?
Rebalance. I mostly rebalance by rest (sitting down), long breathing sessions.

So how you are going to heal insomnia:
1) learn to know yourself, and sense yourself, body,mind, mood, a few times a day. Become aware of what is going on.

2) When inbalanced : you will pay attention to it and start balancing. Feel the relaxation. Let go. rest body and release tensions or unbalances. Look for peace, well-being, relief. Feel the problem. Start working on it. Otherwise no sleep. For me it had a lot to do with chest tension and pain. It takes a week to go back to normal, but if i work on it and rest i could escape an insomnia loop. The chest pain has never been so bad as it used to be, but before i had to spend 2 or 3 hours releasing the tensions.

3) You will be patient because it is a several years work. The difference being that you will no longer go on insomnia loop or rampage, because you will understand why you don't sleep and link this to your inner state.

Think that's it.
 
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This is extremely unhealthy but on days where none of the above work for me, I take a dose of diphenhydramine. It's an ultra-cheap OTC med for sleep. It's the same stuff they put in Benadryl, which is an anti-histamine for allergies. It doesn't knock you out, but it makes you drowsy enough to fall into a deep sleep. It's about 100 doses for 8 bucks at Walmart.

When my insomnia gets REALLY bad, I'll pull an all-nighter then take a dose then sleep. I'll wake up at 5:00AM and hopefully maintain that sleep schedule until I have to do it again, which is about 2 times a month.

Yes, I know it's shitty.
 
Vedas_fr said:
how is your insomnia doing @im_broken ? have you thought about what i said?
Click to expand...

Yes thank you very much for your story and advice.

The overarching point of my post is to not resist the present moment. This doesn't mean you should not run away if someone's trying to mug you though, I think resistance and action are two different things, resistance is more like fear and craving, fear of the situation and an unproductive craving for something to be different.

I too have been through death like fatigue due to insomnia and anxiety, bedridden, barely being able to move around or lift things like cups, or my arms, lol, and loved ones being mostly unsympathetic to my situation.

For me it was due to health anxiety, always holding myself tense and PMO.

I have read about people with issues such as pain preventing sleep getting by, albeit with much much reduced energy by meditating to drift in and out. This is part of the reason for me saying that worrying is a big part of the problem.

I should definitely include more in my post about things that can be done in the daytime and the time before bed, as you rightfully recommend.

Believe me I'm not in denial, but my point is really that, although you should absolutely do things to better your chances and situation beyond that there is really no point in worrying about or resistance to these situations, and there is especially no point in craving for things to be different.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
im_broken said:
Yes thank you very much for your story and advice.

The overarching point of my post is to not resist the present moment. This doesn't mean you should not run away if someone's trying to mug you though, I think resistance and action are two different things, resistance is more like fear and craving, fear of the situation and an unproductive craving to be somewhere else.

I too have been through death like fatigue due to insomnia and anxiety, bedridden, barely being able to move around or lift things like cups, or my arms, lol, and loved ones being mostly unsympathetic to my situation.

For me it was due to health anxiety, always holding myself tense and PMO.

I have read about people with issues such as pain preventing sleep getting by, albeit with much much reduced energy by meditating to drift in and out. This is part of the reason for me saying that worrying is a big part of the problem.

I should definitely include more in my post about things that can be done in the daytime and the time before bed, as you rightfully recommend.

Believe me I'm not in denial, but my point is really that, although you should absolutely do things to better your chances and situation beyond that there is really no point in worrying about or resistance to these situations, as it serves no purpose.
Click to expand...
What you say is interesting.... I went through this non resisting phase too. It is not enough, you need to learn from thoses issues and end them.

I too have had 2 majors issues in my life, and i have only resolved one to this day, the other only partly. It was insomnia and anxiety/anguish/obsessive behaviour.
Because of it coming and going, you think you resolved your issue but in fact you did not. I resolved insomnia, when hitting rock bottom, i decided to meditate deeply on its causes, and fix the problem or kill myself.
After 12 years of insomnia, i finnally achieved what i feared i would never overcome in my whole life. With anxiety, i notice the same pattern. I naively believe it will improve on its own, just escaping bad situations, bad moments... But i know from my experience with insomnia that this approach brings 0 results. So i started doing the same with anxiety that i did with insomnia. Just hoping it will get better, telling yourself i am done with it, i want it to stop... does not bring results.
In order to heal and resolve fully an issue of this kind, will is not enough. You have to consciously perceive what is going on, why it is going on, what you should be doing differently in order to achieve a different result. If you don't do this, you can go in loop like i did for 12 years constantly reviving the same patterns in your life, even though you would cut your arm if it could allow it to stop you.
In fact while writing this i am starting to realize how much patterns apply in my life. Once i escaped the horrible insomnia pattern, i saw other negative patterns i was stuck into coming back in my life, most notably anxiety and being unable to make choice. It's like peeling an onion.
The core of my message is that things never go away on their own. The only solution is not time passing by, it is conscious exploration of the issue and its mechanisms, and why things happen. It is very difficult at first because we have no clue about why something is happening, but we still blame ourselves "why am i so anxious?" "why do i suffer from insomnias? i really want this to stop". Then if you do like i did, elements will start appearing one after the other.
But i blamed and hated myself for so long because of those issues. The truth is that we just don't have awareness of what is going on and why it is going on, and until we do we are doomed to repeat the same patterns endlessly.

I think if i had one teaching to let to the world, one thing to share in my life it would be that experience and its lessons. I am sure you can integrate them.
 
Vedas_fr said:
What you say is interesting.... I went through this non resisting phase too. It is not enough, you need to learn from thoses issues and end them.

I too have had 2 majors issues in my life, and i have only resolved one to this day, the other only partly. It was insomnia and anxiety/anguish/obsessive behaviour.
Because of it coming and going, you think you resolved your issue but in fact you did not. I resolved insomnia, when hitting rock bottom, i decided to meditate deeply on its causes, and fix the problem or kill myself.
After 12 years of insomnia, i finnally achieved what i feared i would never overcome in my whole life. With anxiety, i notice the same pattern. I naively believe it will improve on its own, just escaping bad situations, bad moments... But i know from my experience with insomnia that this approach brings 0 results. So i started doing the same with anxiety that i did with insomnia. Just hoping it will get better, telling yourself i am done with it, i want it to stop... does not bring results.
In order to heal and resolve fully an issue of this kind, will is not enough. You have to consciously perceive what is going on, why it is going on, what you should be doing differently in order to achieve a different result. If you don't do this, you can go in loop like i did for 12 years constantly reviving the same patterns in your life, even though you would cut your arm if it could allow it to stop you.
In fact while writing this i am starting to realize how much patterns apply in my life. Once i escaped the horrible insomnia pattern, i saw other negative patterns i was stuck into coming back in my life, most notably anxiety and being unable to make choice. It's like peeling an onion.
The core of my message is that things never go away on their own. The only solution is not time passing by, it is conscious exploration of the issue and its mechanisms, and why things happen. It is very difficult at first because we have no clue about why something is happening, but we still blame ourselves "why am i so anxious?" "why do i suffer from insomnias? i really want this to stop". Then if you do like i did, elements will start appearing one after the other.
But i blamed and hated myself for so long because of those issues. The truth is that we just don't have awareness of what is going on and why it is going on, and until we do we are doomed to repeat the same patterns endlessly.

I think if i had one teaching to let to the world, one thing to share in my life it would be that experience and its lessons. I am sure you can integrate them.
Click to expand...

I agree and thank you again for your knowledge, time and experience, I am always learning, always a beginner
 
I think if you can't sleep you aren't on the move enough. Exercise as much as you can, do as much work and physical activity as you can. Don't over-eat and over-drink. Don't do stupid stupid like take pills or caffeine at night. Get off any devices at least 3 hours prior to sleep if possible. If not possible don't fret and go to bed when you are tired, don't force it. Nap in the day if necessary. Split sleep up if necessary.
 
Two things worked for me:

1. My work life was (and is) a bit dull, stressful and not to my liking. I haven't found a way to do what I really want to. This was a major cause of insomnia and affecting my life overall. Realising the adverse health affects and some warning signs of a deteriorating health, I made a deal with myself. I would not worry about my work for 1 year - even if it means losing everything (absolutely everything) I have in business. I said to myself - it is much better to take a 1 year mental break (if needed), than to lose possibly 5 to 10 years of my lifespan due to bad health (and spoil remaining life as well). This resolve somehow worked like a charm for me in getting rid of a lot of stress.

2. Taking half to one teaspoon of turmeric powder with warm milk before going to bed. This has worked magically for me as well, and for the first time in many years, I have had no to very little trouble sleeping since last 2 to 3 months.

Cheers
A&A
 
PrimeMindset said:
I think if you can't sleep you aren't on the move enough. Exercise as much as you can, do as much work and physical activity as you can. Don't over-eat and over-drink. Don't do stupid stupid like take pills or caffeine at night. Get off any devices at least 3 hours prior to sleep if possible. If not possible don't fret and go to bed when you are tired, don't force it. Nap in the day if necessary. Split sleep up if necessary.
Click to expand...

I second each one of these points. Practical and effective.
 
im_broken said:
Feel free to add your own tips

This will not include the basic tips such as light, meals, temperature etc. You can find that help easily on the net

Tips on sleep:
  • It's not the lack of sleep that hurts you, it's the worrying about it.
  • Winding down in the evening is very important, don't do really exciting things
  • Do not predict poor sleep, just let such thoughts come and go, they are not necessarily the truth.
  • Avoid frustration and worry, just let those thoughts and feelings come and go.
  • As much as you can, when you're awake at night be gentle and slow, physically and mentally and be kind to yourself, self criticism in times like that is unnecessary and unhelpful.
  • Avoid moving too much when you're in bed, get comfortable and stay still as much as possible, watch itches come and go, only move if you really need to. Don't toss and turn in frustration.
  • Try not to consider your situation a problem, notice and let go of resistance to it as resistance only keeps you awake.
  • Treat sleep time as important, not as a time to elaborate on thoughts and to do lots of thinking.
  • Do not build sleep up as a big deal, do not put pressure on yourself to sleep or relax.
  • Do not force yourself to sleep or relax, it's more of a letting go of resistance and desire. Surrender to the present moment.
  • People say get up and move around if you can't sleep for a while, from personal experience I mostly disagree with this.
  • If the mind is very active then try gently and slowly counting backwards, in your mind, from 1000. Picture each number in your minds eye as you slowly pronounce each syllable. If you get lost in thought, gently go back to where you were. It's not a race to 0, enjoy exploring the sounds of each syllable in your mind.
  • Do not try to stop thoughts or thinking, let them come and go in the back of your mind.
  • Try the app named headspace, it has a pack related to sleep, or other apps such as insight timer, simple habit, calm, wysa. Just be sure to get a night mode filter app if you use your device at night
  • Will add more if I think of any
Supplements that might help, consult your doctor blah blah:
Click to expand...
 
Excellent initial post, I'm_Broken. You mentioned taking CBD in the mornings. I've tried CBD but was told to take it at night, and I felt little to no benefit. Have you had personal experience with taking it in the morning and feeling some benefit come nighttime? Any suggestions on dosing? Any daytime grogginess or sleepiness? Thanks!
 
WasZeusWrong? said:
Excellent initial post, I'm_Broken. You mentioned taking CBD in the mornings. I've tried CBD but was told to take it at night, and I felt little to no benefit. Have you had personal experience with taking it in the morning and feeling some benefit come nighttime? Any suggestions on dosing? Any daytime grogginess or sleepiness? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Good hemp extract CBD tends to have a wakefulness to it, but people do get used to it, that's why I suggest the morning. For me CBD is a long term thing, just helping relaxation a little bit everyday.

There is no grogginess on CBD (unless its CBD isolate). I take a maintenance dose of 1 - 4 mg of actual CBD (some people will say they take 300mg, they're probably talking about the whole product, hemp seed oil included - measuring your actual intake of the CBD molecule is required). Some epileptics take 40mg CBD
 
Vedas_fr said:
Hi buddy, since you asked so kindly, i will with great pleasure tell you what my heavy experience with insomnia learnt me, which almost destroyed me 100 %, how i finally healed it, and will try to keep it as short as possible so you get the point. I will just say that you can take my word for it, and if there is someone in this world qualified, experienced with insomnia and insomnia healing, that is me. You don't need to look further.

My experience with this issue has been such a determining factor in my life that i assure you i am not talking lightly. All i learned i learned the hard way, on my own. I mean, and i really mean, i know what i am talking about like someone who has been in jail for 10 years know jail life, and escaped from it. I will not elaborate further, but it was a very dark and painful place for a longtime.



I am sorry to say, but all what you said will absolutely not help you. It might make it worst.

The only simple advice for sleeping is : no excitants, no excitation before bedtime.

So now, first of all, INSOMNIA WILL TOTALLY FUCK YOU UP. No need to lie about it. Believe me. When i stopped being insomniac, in a few years i gained muscles mass, better life, better mood, better situation, better health.
Insomnia is very very bad.
But you are telling yourself the opposite to try to appease your anxiety about an issue you have not managed to handle yet. I have experienced death like fatigue, borderline madness and social isolation due to insomnia. All your thoughts here written are vain attempts to fix the issue. This is not how you do it. I have done the same thing you are trying to do. For me insomnia was a death sentence.

-Why you don't sleep: because you are "unbalanced" when you go to bed. That's it. Unbalanced means physically, mentally, energetically. Your body and mind goes through a myriad of states during your life. A few times you are balanced and feel good. Anything that is not like that will mess with your sleep.
So if you take 15 minutes, sit down and listen to your emotions, thoughts, you will witness they are not okay. Maybe you will witness tension in the body.
So bad energy/unbalance = bad sleep, and the insomnia loop also tell you that bad sleep= aggravated mental and physical unbalance.

Okay so how do you stop this cycle?
Rebalance. I mostly rebalance by rest (sitting down), long breathing sessions.

So how you are going to heal insomnia:
1) learn to know yourself, and sense yourself, body,mind, mood, a few times a day. Become aware of what is going on.

2) When inbalanced : you will pay attention to it and start balancing. Feel the relaxation. Let go. rest body and release tensions or unbalances. Look for peace, well-being, relief. Feel the problem. Start working on it. Otherwise no sleep. For me it had a lot to do with chest tension and pain. It takes a week to go back to normal, but if i work on it and rest i could escape an insomnia loop. The chest pain has never been so bad as it used to be, but before i had to spend 2 or 3 hours releasing the tensions.

3) You will be patient because it is a several years work. The difference being that you will no longer go on insomnia loop or rampage, because you will understand why you don't sleep and link this to your inner state.

Think that's it.
Click to expand...
Troubling with insomnia from 12 years.
I'm 29 now.. It is 5am ,early morning, still unable to sleep...getting irritated...effecting all my schedules..
I chose being busy to overcome my PMO addictions of more than a decade..
I have mentally occupied day, studies,job,gym.....not a 5mins time with no thought..

I badly need help or killing myself type situation... These stupid skin allergies, itchings wont make me sleep..one more issue.

Finally as you said, we cant escape from pain, we should learn how to deal with it. Will try to implement your methods...If you can still make simple for me, i will be grateful
 
rishi123 said:
Troubling with insomnia from 12 years.
I'm 29 now.. It is 5am ,early morning, still unable to sleep...getting irritated...effecting all my schedules..
I chose being busy to overcome my PMO addictions of more than a decade..
I have mentally occupied day, studies,job,gym.....not a 5mins time with no thought..

I badly need help or killing myself type situation... These stupid skin allergies, itchings wont make me sleep..one more issue.

Finally as you said, we cant escape from pain, we should learn how to deal with it. Will try to implement your methods...If you can still make simple for me, i will be grateful
Click to expand...
Hello, just read your message, i can help you.
I have suffered the insomniac hell and found the way out of it. sorry i didn't reply early on. Are u here so that i can developp?
 
I'm following. Have had insomnia for 9 weeks now, since my last relapse. Many nights without sleep at all even though I seem to be totally relaxed and no thoughts going on whatsoever. Body just does not doze off. It sucks big time
 
Indigo said:
I'm following. Have had insomnia for 9 weeks now, since my last relapse. Many nights without sleep at all even though I seem to be totally relaxed and no thoughts going on whatsoever. Body just does not doze off. It sucks big time
Click to expand...

Are you trully sure you are relaxed. You might be tense without being aware of it. Or maybe over agitated. Or feeling uneasy on some level.
 
Vedas_fr said:
Are you trully sure you are relaxed. You might be tense without being aware of it. Or maybe over agitated. Or feeling uneasy on some level.
Click to expand...

Well, feeling uneasy because of insomnia after now 11 weeks, one might say. It is definitely related to withdrawals since insomnia started right after my last relapse. There is an excellent book by Dr. Patrick Carnes "Don´t call it Love", in which he stated that for sex addicts like me insomnia is one of the biggest problems in terms of withdrawals. I can tell now...
 
Vedas_fr said:
Hello, just read your message, i can help you.
I have suffered the insomniac hell and found the way out of it. sorry i didn't reply early on. Are u here so that i can developp?
Click to expand...
Hey, I started trying to adjust Body mind Soul balance...after seeing your post in january, i started implementing it....
Trust me, it worked................Years of insomnia, gone and i could maintain healthy sleep for atleast few days..and 1-2 months......
But things got messed up in this lockdown period......It is 3.17am, and i couldnot sleep.......yesterday after so many days, i had 2 wetdreams because of imbalance...i lost my habits, may be because i'm sleeping in day time, again i lost bodymind balance, due to lockdown in home......Now this imbalance is hurting my goals, i'm 29, still not married, because i dont want to marry, unless i fix my mental,psychological problems......
 
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