Not sleeping.

I don't know why but for the last week or so I haven't been able to get to sleep on a night. It seems that once I am asleep I am fine and stay asleep but I spend a good two hours tossing and turning and even though I am not thinking of anything in particular it seems that my mind just wont switch off and let me sleep.

My husband thinks something strange is happening because all his friends on Facebook are posting status updates about not being able to get to sleep and he said a lot of people are mentioning it at work too!

I have tried having a nice warm bath followed by hot milky drink and even used lavender but so far nothing is seeming to help.

Can anyone suggest other things to try? Thanks.

[Lightspirit]

if you go to your heath food shop there is a herb called Valerian take about 2000 mg and try some chamomile tea. the valerian will make you sleep and you wil feel very refreshed the next day not like sleeping pills that make you drowsy. Give that a go.

This has been happening to me too. My advice: if you can read German, read some Nietzsche. If you can't read German, read it in English. Don't get me wrong, his writings are very interesting, but late at night, there is very little that can put me out like he can.
If you don't have any books by him, look for something of similar heft. The heavier, the better. Just lay down at night, and read it in bed. Before you know it, you'll find your eyes are closing all by themselves!

This brew always works for me.

Heat milk on the stove. Once hot, put it into a cup, place a cinnamon stick in it along with a pinch of nutmeg, and then cover the top. Let steep for 15 minutes. Drink up, go lie down.

There are three pressure points on the head that calm the mind. One is right in between the eye brows (where the third eye is); the other is directly above that in the centre of the frontal hair line, just a few centimetres back; the other is at the apex of the head - if you go from the tips of your ears and follow them right to the top-middle of your head, you'll feel a small, flat surface. If you're confused at all about locating these points, let me know and I'll find you diagrams - it's really quite easy.

Applying gentle but firm pressure to any of these points will help to calm the mind. If you have cooling essential oils like peppermint or eucalyptus, applying them to these locations will also help.

From an eastern medicine perspective, insomnia can be caused by a number of different things, but all of those things ultimately disturb the mind. The mind is usually disturbed at night by too much heat in the body. If you can apply cooling elements to your environment (such as opening a window, increasing ventilation, or using thinner blankets) and then apply these pressure points, that should help. The brew I mentioned earlier, it is actually warm in property and temperature, but this activates your body's cooling systems, which has the net effect of cooling you down. Anything that is HOT in properly, like hot spices (garlic, curry, etc.) before bed will make getting to sleep even more impossible. It will just push your body too much to the heat end and you won't cool down. Avoid eating anything substantial within 2 hours of bed also. When your body is digesting, the fresh rush of food energy can keep you awake; plus, digestion generates additional heat.

Acupuncture is VERY effective for insomnia and will put you out like a light. I would normally use small needles in the points I just told you about, but since you aren't trained in needle insertion, applying pressure and doing a gentle massage will have to do. I hope that helps :)

About greater trends in insomnia... I am not trying to discredit you because people are effected on a collective level, but it's also important to note that in the modern world, most people's sleep is effed up, especially those who live in urban areas. Our modern lifestyle is one of almost complete imbalance and few people get the proper diet, exercise, and sleep that they need. Chronic insomnia can mean that some aspect of healthy lifestyle is being neglected: too much work, too much rest, not enough exercise, improper diet, poor bedroom setup or sleep conditions, etc.

Yep, this is somewhat happening to me too.. we are all being re-wired.. and so for the next few years and maybe longer.. patterns were used to like 8 hours of sleep will change..

[Silver]

The new year is fraught with excitement signals a change, a hopeful change.

Buuuut, could also be deficiency in B vitamins. Take B-complex but especially the niacin (B3), stress drains B-vitamins. Try it, or a bit of turkey (small sandwich) as it has tryptophan in it, which promotes relaxation, calm and sleep.