Tips For Getting Good Sleep
 

While out of town on business last week, I found a book in my hotel room. It was a small book on getting good sleep and eliciting something called the Relaxation Response. I don't remember what the book was called, but I took the portion on the Relaxation Response and wrote it down, as it seemed like good advice. I thought I'd share it here.

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To Elicit The Relaxation Response:

Step 1: Find a quiet, private place where you can sit or lay down and not be disturbed.

Step 2: Play relaxing music.

Step 3: Consciously feel the muscles throughout your body relax. This is accomplished by closing your eyes, then feeling relaxation gradually spread throughout your body. Silently talking yourself through this process usually helps (i.e. “I feel my toes becoming very relaxed/warm/heavy.”). Starting with the feet, feeling relaxation spread up to the head seems to work best. Feelings of relaxation may vary from warmth, heaviness, tingling or floating to nothing specific.

Step 4: Establish a relaxed, deep breathing pattern.

Step 5: Direct your attention from everyday thoughts by using a mental focusing device that is neutral and repetitive: a word such as one, relax, peace or heavy, or any word you chose. Or focus on the rise and fall of the abdomen as you breathe. For many, it is helpful to repeat a word silently with each exhalation. In meditation, this is called a “mantra.” If your thoughts return to everyday concerns, this is normal, but gently let those thoughts vanish and redirect your focus to your mantra.

It is best to elicit the Relaxation Response for about 10 to 20 minutes per day. More is fine, and you may find that 30 to 45 minutes provide a very deep state of relaxation and awareness.

Things That Help Bring On Better Sleep

1. Exercise – walking. 30 minutes at a brisk pace in bright sunlight each morning or evening.
2. Yoga
3. Expose yourself to sunlight
4. Wind down one hour before bedtime – avoid phone, arguments/emotional discussions, work-related activities, computers, bills or unpleasant TV programs. Try music, a hot bath (2 hours before bedtime), hot and kept hot for 25 minutes.
5. Make your bedroom a cue for sleep – use the bedroom for sleep and sex only.
6. Make sure you feel drowsy when you turn off the lights to go to sleep. If you don’t fall asleep within 20-30 minutes, don’t lie in bed tossing and turning. Go to another room or sit up and engage in a quiet, relaxing activity such as reading a book until drowsy, then try to sleep again.
7. Keep the bedroom cool and quiet.
8. Get out of bed around the same time every day.

I actually have been doing that for almost a year now (with or w/o the music), but now I've grown natural to just falling asleep. I used to have thoughts constantly running through my head, keeping me from sleep, but now I *crash* when it's bedtime.

rubbing one of and/or smoking a dooby works for me. :D

lol, i like you attitude miko, but why not be just be doubly sure and do both?:p

i found a good book a while back that covers everything about sleep (from the origins of, through the biological aspects of, to dreaming), all i laymens terms which helps.
i'll try and aprehend it back of my grandparents some time and post some stuff from it.

As miko implied (i think, rubbing one off :p ), masturbating or sex works well. Also a few minutes after intensive excercise when you're literally fucked is also helpful :)

I also like the relaxing music one though, sigor ros and aphex twin are good for that :)

I do usually fall right asleep after sex, but when it's, uh, just me, I find that my heart rate is too high to really fall asleep.

As for music, I tend to listen to the classics: Bach, Mozart, Debussy.

I don't know whats wrong with me but after I have a good session of sex I'm wide awake. Even if I don't want another round it usually takes me quite a while to get to sleep after some good sex. Even an hj/bj/tj keep me up.

I usually watch TV in bed, but the problem with that is i find something interesting on and its SOOOO hard to fall asleep. When I sleep alone it takes me twice as long to fall asleep as when I sleep with someone else. I think its because when there is someone else there the TV is off and then I can just focus on going to sleep.

All in all, lotsa good tips there. Falling asleep can be quite tricky sometimes...

I have done this since I was a kid when I was having trouble sleeping and it helps a lot. Another thing that makes a big difference is getting a GOOD bed. A couple years ago I got rid of the $100 bed I had been sleeping on and bought a $1200 stearns and foster matress set and I can say it has actually improved my life. I used to sit up late watching TV in bed and since I got that mattress I can't do it anymore. If I'm in bed, I fall asleep. If I want to watch TV I have to sit up on the bed or go out to the living room cause I just can't stay awake in that bed hehe.

You only buy a mattress once every 10 years, so it definitely doesn't make sense to go cheap on something you're gonna spend 6-8 hours a day on every night for the next 10 years.

Taking a melatonin supplement can also help to knock you out.

For the past 4 months music is a big help for me... i just focus on the music. i sleep better than i have in a long time.

when i have trouble sleeping at night i go to sleep during the day although that kind of schedule can be bad for work and/or school

sex sex and more sex

that works too, in fact, i like it better than my idea

See, if I am watching tv in bed and something comes on that I want to watch, I am out like a light. Though I retain the audio from the show, I retain nothing else. I can remember snipits of shows that Traff watches long after I am sleeping.

Something else that helps me fall asleep is reading or getting a nice cold glass of something I want to drink. Basically, I am not tired until I plan on doing something.

You're forgetting a good bed, pillows, and nice blanket make a big difference too.