White Noise?

[TriedandTested]

Plenty of iPod/iPhone apps for this sort of thing. One called 'asleep' I think - lots of choices on it.

 

[p4radox]

How warm/cold is the room, the colder it is, the easier it is to stay asleep.

This is true. If you leave your window open slightly so your room is slightly cooler it's far easier to sleep.

 

[Raymond Lin]

I find all these "methods" counter intutive as in the end you'll end up relying on it, be it ear plugs, white noise or whatever chemical you use.

Just turn off the light and go to bed.

 

[MikeHunt79]

Make a white noise CD, this can easily be done in Audacity...

White noise is known to help people who suffer from tinnitus also...

 

[Daniel]

I sometimes find that my mind goes on overdrive once I try and get to sleep. I start thinking of something I need to do the following day or something I need to remember. If this happens to you then keep a notepad next to your bed and write down these things and let them go out of your mind...They will be on your notepad to remind you in the morning.

Don't let your feet get too hot...Pull the duvet up and let your feet hang out the end. Hot feet will wake you up.

Also a cheap way of getting white noise is to put a fan on a low setting and just leave it running. This will help block out any other little background noises. Avoid tea and coffee and cola too late in the evening. Some people find hot milky drinks help...Cocoa, Horlicks and Ovaltine etc.

 

[gc4170]

how about an old fashioned metronome?
works a treat for me when i need it. doesnt ever need batteries and it wont wake you up on sunday morning if you forget to set it !

 

[Glaucus]

don't drink any tea/caffeine after say 5pm, and no sugary snacks either

do some exercise or go for a run at say 9pm, have a shower, then try and read a book in bed -as opposed to playing an FPS, just before bed.

this, also don't forget other caffeinated drinks either. Caffeine lasts for about 4 hours.

 

[Ben M]

don't drink any tea/caffeine after say 5pm, and no sugary snacks either

do some exercise or go for a run at say 9pm, have a shower, then try and read a book in bed -as opposed to playing an FPS, just before bed.

This is the exact advice I was going to offer, no caffeine after late afternoon, and read in bed.

 

[V4NT0M]

lol check it out;

http://www.simplynoise.com/

You can generate brown noise

 

[SourChipmunk]

Make a white noise CD, this can easily be done in Audacity...

White noise is known to help people who suffer from tinnitus also...

Tinnitus is the reason I have to sleep with a fan going. It generates just enough noise to keep the ringing out of my ears. Helps drown out background sounds, also, such as doggies barking in the neighbourhood.

Whirring of computer fans won't cut it, though. Has to be a proper room fan.

 

[Solari]

Cheers for the suggestions chaps I'll give Audacity a go later and try some white or pink noise. I already hang my feet out of the bed, don't drink anything with caffeine in it late in the day (only drink tea in the morning and rarely touch cola).

I'll give some of the other suggestions a go but I don't see how writing stuff down will stop anxiety about things that I need to do, or being on edge about being woken up by a work call etc etc...

The metronome is an interesting suggestion but not sure if this would work for me - it's a constant, repeating pattern which I'd think most people's brains pattern-recognising abilities would lock on to and stay awake to

It's easy for people to say "turn the light out and go to bed" when they don't have a sleep problem

If all else fails, there's always methadone (j/k)

 

[SourChipmunk]

lol check it out;

http://www.simplynoise.com/

You can generate brown noise

Excellent site. OP, check that out. There's also a 60 min. downloadable thunderstorm there. http://www.simplynoise.com/download.html

 

[Solari]

Excellent site. OP, check that out. There's also a 60 min. downloadable thunderstorm there. http://www.simplynoise.com/download.html

Will check that when I get home as it's blocked from work. Forest/Rainforest noises and the like might work I'm guessing? I remember sleeping really well out in the middle of nowhere in Aus when camping despite random creature noises, wind through trees and the like.

I'm quite capable of making my own brown noise though

 

[Raikiri]

You can generate brown noise

I am both relieved and slightly disappointed at the moment.

 

[Knubje]

Touch yourself.

Probably the best advice in the thread, tbh. Instant sleepy time.

 

[Solari]

Probably the best advice in the thread, tbh. Instant sleepy time.

Sex/Masturbation always sends pretty much anyone off quickly.. hence..

Her: "I want a cuddle..."
You: "ZZzzz..."

Still doesn't solve the issue of *staying* asleep for an extended period

Saying that, I find sharing a bed with your OH is one of the worst things you can do for your sleep cycle - numerous studies have shown it to be detrimental to a bloke's sleep pattern

 

[SourChipmunk]

This thread totally got me wiki'ng different sound types, and I ran across auditory illusions. This is interesting stuff!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_tone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octave_illusion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsch's_scale_illusion

 

[Knubje]

Sex/Masturbation always sends pretty much anyone off quickly.. hence..

Her: "I want a cuddle..."
You: "ZZzzz..."

Still doesn't solve the issue of *staying* asleep for an extended period

Saying that, I find sharing a bed with your OH is one of the worst things you can do for your sleep cycle - numerous studies have shown it to be detrimental to a bloke's sleep pattern

I've done it for years and always sleep like a baby It's in my nature though.

Answer to the problem is staring you in the face, when you wake up, bash one out again

Have you tried something like Nyteol (?) the sleeping drug stuff. My mum uses it on weekends because my old man snores like a train and it actually puts her to, and keeps her asleep. Only problem is GL with waking up if you need to be at work early or something

 

[Sol]

You could try Nytol, it does work for some people; only downside is you usually wake up feeling like rubbish/groggy as a result, or at least I did!

 

[Barks]

Don't go to sleep unless you're actually tired. I personally find going to bed early results in me lying trying to get to sleep where as hitting the sack at say midnight I drift off immediately.