[KawaiiCandie]

anyone know any?

i've been sleeping really fitfully recently, and i was reading this diet book and one of the things it said was that when you eat healthy foods, you sleep better, but i've been dieting all week and i have yet to see this happen so...

help!

[TXGirl487]

I have heard strawberries help. Not sure if they are working or not but I love them and they are low in calories!

If you need something to work faster you can get melotonin supplements from the store in the vitamin/supplement section. They work really well.

[josey]

I don't know any foods sorry. As far as I know you should try to eat more than two hours before going to bed, not later.
Teas are great though e.g. camomile, lemon balm or try some of the mixed herbal one like Sleepy Time (Celestial). Hot milk with honey supposedly works too.

[KawaiiCandie]

TXgirl, thanks! i'll look into those supplements! unfortunately, it's pretty much impossible to get strawberries here (Japan) at this time of year... also they cost an arm and a leg... but i love them too!!

josey, oh, i know about the tea stuff. i was just wondering about the food. but thanks

[amyleigh]

i'm not so sure about foods but i have nights when i wake up about every 15-20 minutes. here are a few things i've found really help me sleep better

yoga-10 minutes before bed (especially if you can find a pm yoga video) really calms me down to get me into a good mind frame before bed and helps me stay asleep through the night

white-noise- i know it sounds cheesy, but it really works. especially if you live in a noisy area (i live on a lake with bullfrogs and crickets...i used to live in the city...so much worse). a lot of times small noises wake us and we don't realize it. putting on a fan or even d/l a white noise ap on an ipod (i like whale/ocean sounds) will drown the small ones out and help you stay asleep

turn off all the lights-even small lights like the cable box, your laptop, power strip, etc. can effect the body's levels of melatonin (or so my doctor told me). i put electrical tape on them to blackout my room

lavendar spray- the smell of lavendar is really relaxing. i picked up some lavendar body spray at the dollar store and spray it on my pillow. even if it doesn't work, it smells really good

i hope some of these work for you. also, i try not to eat anything within 2 hours of bed. i find on nights i do, i wake up more frequently.

[kelly315]

I agree with TXgirl on this one- melatonin is the best for a good night's sleep.

[KawaiiCandie]

thanks amy! i'll look into some yoga videos! the other stuff doesn't affect me too much, but thanks for the info.

[kariatari]

Originally Posted by amyleigh

i

lavendar spray- the smell of lavendar is really relaxing. i picked up some lavendar body spray at the dollar store and spray it on my pillow. even if it doesn't work, it smells really good

I swear by this. The Healing Garden used to make a really good one...not sure if they still do, but that's the bottle that I'm still working on. Once that's out, I'm going to buy a lavender hydrosol from a local all natural herbal care place. They've got some lavender soap that I love!


Turkey has tryptophan in it, which supposedly causes drowsiness.

[amyleigh]

kawaii, i didn't think the other stuff affected me at all until my doctor suggest it to me. i was shocked at what a difference it made. after taking his suggestions (that i listed for you) i had my first full nights uninterrupted sleep that i ever remember having. it's worth a shot, if you're still not sleeping well.

[KawaiiCandie]

ok, i'll give it a try then! everything but the lavender though, cuz i really hate that smell!! am i weird? lol.

[amyleigh]

hahaha then def avoid the lavender. if you hate it, it'll keep you up! they say chamomile and sage have the same effects as lavender, but i've never tried them. if you don't have spray or oils (or don't want to waste the money in case it doesn't work) you can always make a cup of tea with chamomile or sage and leave the empty mug by your bed for the night. just watch out for ants

[mimi86]

I second (or third) the Melatonin, but I'd never want to rely on a supplement--even a natural one--for more than one or two rare nights every couple of months. Anything that makes you sleepy can be habit forming if you have an addictive personality, even if it's not chemically addicting.

I noticed I really started to sleep better once I started working out. Are you just dieting or are you working out too? If you're not exercising you might want to consider trying a short exercise DVD a couple of times per week to get your blood pumping!

[Michelle2008]

I agree with mimi86 - at the start of my diet I just lay awake thinking about food! Since I have been exercising I am out cold for eight hours every night! Even on nights I haven't been to the gym.

[Rainy Day]

Rice. It seriously just knocks me out to the point where I try not to have any during the day time.

[KawaiiCandie]

lol. i exercise too

i had nightmares last night again. this is really soooo weird... i never have nightmares normally, and since i started dieting, i get them almost everyday. i really wonder wtf is going on...