My favorite new article on Dollar Stretcher this week is Cheap Sleep - because I have trouble sleeping quite often. One thing I didn't think of was that pain medications may contain caffeine and that can keep you awake. I will watch that more closely from now on. 

Do you have trouble sleeping? Got any frugal remedies other than what's in the article?  

I suffer from severe insomnia and have tried a number of things. When its mild insomnia, yogic breathing techniques work.  Valerian root works for dear bf, especially if he's pulled a muscle and in pain.  You can get 100 tablets for $2.99 at our local Walgreens. Its an herbal supplement.  I've yet to go through a severe bought while we've had it in the house, so I can't say how well it works for major insomnia (I consider 'major' my 10th night in a row with less than two hours sleep). Supposedly it helps with anxiety, which I would say is probably my root insomnia cause since I have anxiety disorder, and once my panic attacks slowed down I started getting insomnia more often.  So I'll definitely give it a shot next time. (Hopefully that's a ways off...I hate being a sleep-deprived zombie )

Watch out for excess sugar--revs you up, or excess salt 'cause it makes you thirsty so you drink more liquid and then you have to get up to go, keep the room dark, try a "white" noise maker,(my dh has a CPAP so that works for us), keep a window cracked a bit to let in cold/cool fresh air, be sure your feet are warm, make sure teh weight of the blankets isn't too heavy--add extra jammy attire so you don't need so many blankets, flip/fluff your pillow to the "cold" side, lay a cool washcloth across your brow.  If all fails, get up and read!

arianasilver:

I hate being a sleep-deprived zombie

 I do, too! I'm sometimes afraid to drive and avoid social situations because I can't think straight from lack of sleep. 

rolo:

If all fails, get up and read!

That does help sometimes. I've tried many things, but opening a window just makes the city noises louder.  

Pat:

arianasilver:

I hate being a sleep-deprived zombie

 I do, too! I'm sometimes afraid to drive and avoid social situations because I can't think straight from lack of sleep. 

Hi! I'm the definition of that right now. I have been losing so much sleep for the past month. Most of it is due to the fibro and found I can sleep when I take the muscle relaxers or when not in pain, antihistamines (buying the cheap kind at W). For me when the pain comes in, the fog does too, so I'm even more of a zombie (DON'T ask me to remember what was said at that time). Going on 4 hrs sleep right now... (drinking can of dr. pepper to avoid a nap). Will crash tonight at 9pm and wake up around 8am tomorrow.

(I haven't had time to read the new articles yet and wouldn't understand them if I did right now anyway).

 I sleep  very restlessly, tossing and turning all night.  So I typically need at least 10 hours to actually feel rested...lately I have been dreaming about being at work, so it has been emotionally wearing because I feel like I haven't had any time off at all!

 LL, My Mom has fibro and we notice that sometimes she gets very confused and cant remember things. She complains about the lack of sleep too. She tries to avoid the pain meds but really needs to use them some. Babs

I admit that I am an insomniac. The only thing I do is take antihistimines. I buy the cheapest ones I can find because they do double duty. They put me to sleep, but also keep me from waking up all plugged up in the morning. I tend to be a worry wart and can't seem to shut my mind down at night. I know I suffer from anxiety, but truthfully I don't worry about it unless I were to start having panic attacks again.

Doesn't this subject make the case for "good old fashioned hard work"? I bet people didn't have as much trouble sleeping 100 years ago. I bet they were just too tired to not let it wait until the next day. What do you think? I have no statistics to prove or disprove my theory though.

Dear All, I take my medications at 4:15PM, & it knocks me out so that I fall asleep by 5:30 most nights.  My most restful nights sound strange -- I awaken almost every hour, right in teh midst of a dream.  If I don't do that, I sleep fitfully all night, tossing & turning -- until teh wee hours -- & finally awaken when the alarm goes off at 4:30AM, but I generally sleep in on those days, anywhere's from 5 till 6:15AM.  On the other hand, on those restful/dream-filled nights, I have no trouble getting up at 4:30AM -- or even earlier.  BTW, folks ask me how I can fall asleep with the sunlight outside my blinds.  (They are NOT light-proof.)  I'm so used to it that I have no problems.

Yours in Him, Deb