https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 05:00:28 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357709 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 09:05:13 +0000 bushelandapeck 2357709@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hellobeeboston: My DH also takes Clonazapan for sleep. He has parasomnia so he will wake with nightmares because he hasn't fallen into a REM state of sleep. The medication is the only way any of us get any rest! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357662 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 08:19:23 +0000 hilary 2357662@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Learning some meditation/breathing techniques helped me a lot. The Headspace app has the first 10 sessions free and I just reuse those when I need guided meditation but it helps to know how to deal with a busy mind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357641 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 07:36:24 +0000 ms.line 2357641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I both deal with insomnia on-and-off, and I have terrible nightmares. Having a cool, dark room with constant white noise helps. I also take klonopin before bed which helps quite a bit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357632 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 07:06:53 +0000 blackbird 2357632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Unisom always helped me stay asleep! I couldn't take it while breastfeeding and after 6+ months now, I've adjusted to not using it. Sometimes I find that changing my whole bedtime routine up helps because it's mental for me, or I get anxious about my to do list </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357629 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 06:42:28 +0000 Tanjowen 2357629@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My doctor suggested 5HTP, which can be found in herb or vitamin shops in my area. It's the same thing found in turkey that makes us sleepy. She suggested using it for a week or two to reset. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357627 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 06:23:27 +0000 Rocker2014 2357627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: sure! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357595 Mon, 16 Nov 2015 00:07:30 +0000 MrsSCB 2357595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@noelani: that medication sounds like it would be very helpful. Did you have to do any kind of sleep study or did your PCP just prescribe it? I haven't talked to my doc yet about sleep issues, but I've been wondering if they'd want me to do one of those overnight sleep tests. Does not sound ideal to me... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357591 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 23:57:59 +0000 MrsSCB 2357591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have this problem, and unfortunately melatonin does nothing for me. It does help to wear ear plugs and an eye mask because our room isn't dark enough. I still never sleep all the way through the night, so I think something stronger may be necessary, but I don't love the idea of having to take medication to sleep for some reason :-/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357590 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 23:52:50 +0000 noelani 2357590@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: I've never been a great sleeper but experienced a serious spike in insomnia triggered by anxiety following our loss in May. I reached out to my doctor and he prescribed a low dose of Ativan/lorazepam to take before bed every night. </p> <p>I took the medication for about 6 weeks in combination with a lot of other relaxation techniques like deep breathing. I think a while back an HB blogger wrote about the 4-7-8 technique? Those numbers might be wrong but the basic idea is you breathe in for a count of 4, hold it for a count of 7, and then breathe out for a count of 8 and repeat the pattern for a while. I would try to remember to do the deep breathing during my commute and definitely before going to bed. I would also do it during nighttime wakings. </p> <p>The combination of medication and deep breathing was life-changing. I stopped waking up in the middle of the night and this gave my body a chance to "reset." I'm not taking the medication anymore and I'm able to fall asleep again if I do happen to wake up during the night.</p> <p>There are a lot of good suggestions already in this thread, I really hope he finds something that helps. Sleep is so important! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357544 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 21:58:37 +0000 danda 2357544@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe white noise? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357538 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 21:47:14 +0000 YogiRunner 2357538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A simple meditation technique might help. Breathe in, then breathe out thinking the number "10". Then count down to 1 with each out breath. Helps me after getting up to pee multiple times a night and was recommended by a mind-body specialist. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357534 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 21:42:13 +0000 regberadaisy 2357534@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rocker2014: thank you! I will look into it. Do you mind if I wall you about this? DH obviously isn't an adolescent but maybe you'll have other pointers.</p> <p>@jhd: thanks :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357488 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 21:03:18 +0000 jhd 2357488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DH has cut way back on caffeine because although it doesn't prevent him from falling asleep it seems to affect the quality of his sleep and can also make him feel anxious. I don't know if this would help, but thought I'd share just in case! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357482 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 20:56:06 +0000 Rocker2014 2357482@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work with a lot of adolescents who have bad dreams (often from traumatic events). We often prescribe a medication called Prazosin, and many report that it has been very helpful with improving their sleep and decreasing nightmares. It's not OTC, but could be worth looking into. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357463 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 20:44:44 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2357463@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I often have bad dreams. I found that what I watch on tv in the evenings before bed effects my dreams. I have to avoid things violent or scary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357447 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 20:38:11 +0000 Smurfette 2357447@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Melatonin helps me sleep better. No bad dreams. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357442 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 20:34:13 +0000 regberadaisy 2357442@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tofuwad: I was asking the pharmacist and he said melantonin can cause bad dreams. And since that's why my DH is waking up so often....I didn't think it was a good choice! I think his problem is the nature of the dreams/nightmares wake him up and then he's just mentally consumed by them and can't go back to sleep. :/<br /> That YouTube video does sound creepy! LOL </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357438 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 20:31:36 +0000 tofuwad 2357438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband has this problem too and he will take melatonin which occasionally works, and having white noise on has helped him recently. But the only way to guarantee he gets a full night's sleep and doesn't wake up at 3am for the day is for him to do more than moderate exercise (meaning more than just a walk or a quick run). Which is almost impossible to do every day because he has an hour commute (each way) and he's a teacher so he works from 7-4 and then has grading, lesson planning, meetings and emails to deal with. Basically our solution is just move closer to work so he can have more time to be active. :bummed: </p> <p>I don't usually have problems falling back asleep but my solution is to listen to an audiobook with headphones in bed on my phone. oh and there's this thing called ASMR. Go to YouTube and type that in and it's basically videos of people whispering, or playing with plastic and it's supposed to be relaxing to some people. It's so hard to describe and it's super weird and frequently creepy but when I was having major anxiety last year it helped me a lot. It's so hard to describe too.</p> <p>Here's an article from the NY Times about it:<br /> <a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2014/07/28/rustle-tingle-relax-the-compelling-world-of-a-s-m-r/?referer=" rel="nofollow">http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/well/2014/07/28/rustle-tingle-relax-the-compelling-world-of-a-s-m-r/?referer=</a></p> <p>Sorry this is a long reply but my husband is up for the day at 3am at least three out of five work days, so i totally feel your pain on having a tired DH! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357406 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 20:02:21 +0000 Mrs. D 2357406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Waking up is normal, we all actually do it but don't remember because we roll over, fluff our pillows snuggle in and fall back asleep.<br /> Some of us, like your husband, never figured out how to relax back into sleep,<br /> How much light is in the room? We have black out curtains. Too much light, even from phones, can prevent our brains from relaxing. Maybe try changing the bulbs in the bedroom, and using less light at night through out the house before bed. My inlaws actually have NO lamps in teor living room, which too me is extreme, but they sleep well!<br /> Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357374 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 19:37:45 +0000 regberadaisy 2357374@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@kitty: thanks - interesting. He does run hot but he sleeps in boxers and we keep the bedroom level at 65/66. His bad dreams are because of other things. :/</p> <p>@hellobeeboston: can you find the name for me? Do you know / have you noticed side effects? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357373 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 19:33:01 +0000 kitty 2357373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think lavender is supposed to be calming. Is it possible he is too hot? I heard that bad dreams could be caused by being too hot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357371 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 19:32:05 +0000 hellobeeboston 2357371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: my husband has this issue. His whole family does actually. He takes a prescription pill that helps. It's not ambien, it's like a lorazepam or something. It works great. He only takes it when he really needs to sleep though, maybe 1-2x a week. He tried lots of other things and no luck. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-tips-for-staying-asleep#post-2357349 Sun, 15 Nov 2015 19:15:03 +0000 regberadaisy 2357349@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH doesn't have trouble falling asleep. It's staying asleep that's the problem. Or even if he gets 7-8 hours of consecutive sleep he doesn't feel rested. Sometimes he's woken up because of bad dreams..</p> <p>Any suggestions on something OTC or all natural to help? </p>