sleep

[foxy1943]

how do you stop the mind from racing so you can sleep?

[foxy1943]

i found that the over the counter medicine called Midnite isn't good for depressive people. i went to buy some and read the precations. oh well i will try something else. :-)
thanks for all the responses.

[foxy1943]

thanks i will try the teas and see if they work. i have trouble staying asleep too. i saw a pill called midnite that has melatonin in it along with some other naturals. i might try that too.

[Seattle_sleeping_less_2011]

hi---
insomnia is a major burden.  There are some anti-depressant medications that are very sedating.  You can take them and it puts you right to sleep for 8 hours.  There are also many kinds of overthe counter stuff as mentioned and many naturopathic or herbal remedies.  An herbal tea is great because just drinking tea has a calming effect itself and if there is a calming herb as well, it could help.  As mentioned, over the counter diphenhydramine can help (anti-histamine).  But more than one of these give me some kind of esophogeal spasm.  There are also sleep routines that professionals give that help people to mentally get into the sleep mode.  Also, if you do not have a history of addictions, a mild tranquilizer taken only as needed (it's called a PRN) can help with sleep.  Racing thoughts can also be an indication of a bi-polar condition associated with a manic or pre-manic phase.  As far as I know, Bi-polar has two types-- "type I"  and "type II"  But only a doctor can make the determination as to what is causing your racing thoughts.  It could be any number of things.  

The skys the limit on healthy solutions-- maybe reading?
maybe read a book about relaxation techniques and insomnia--do I ever do this?  of course not... but it's still a good idea.

[MsRationalBeing]

There are over the counter sleep aides that may work well for you. You can try passionflower tea, it is a natural tranquilizer. Other natural herbs that are good for sleep: camomile, scullcap, and valerian root. Valerian root is particularly good, you can find this in pill form at natural health or vitamin shops. I wouldn't recommend taking nyquil because it contains pain killers like acetominephin and NSAIDS that are not healthy to take on a regular basis.
A warm bath may relax you, or doing some light stretching and exercise before bed can relieve tension.
Other tips:
listen to calming music
take long, slow breaths to help you relax
hum a song as you are breathing, or chant something positive to yourself, like "I am feeling calm, I am feeling tired." Over and over.

Many of the techniques to help people deal with anxiety and panic attacks work to help calm a racing mind before sleep.

[therese83]

Relaxation tapes

Paul Mckenna "I can make you sleep"

[j17c27]

You could try taking Nyquil or Benedril.  They knock you right out.