Sleep / Insomnia

[shinyhappypeople]

What helps you sleep through the night?  I fall asleep fine.  I wake up in panic mode over stuff that's happening with one of my kids.  My brain gets on an ugly loop.  Any gentle things I can do to calm myself down in the middle of the night so I can get some sleep?  I have essential oils but not sure which ones might be helpful for middle of the night panic.  I'm totally open to other suggestions, too.  I'm so tired right now that my face hurts.

[regentrude]

Have you tried getting up and doing some cleaning or housework to take your mind off things and reset?

I can never go back to sleep if I stay in bed and try; I have to get up for an hour and distract myself.

[gardenmom5]

have you ever had your cortisol checked?  that can cause sleep problems.  the saliva spit test (4x perday) is the one you want, and it needs to be in the optimal range.  starts high, and goes low over the course of the day.)

[Chris in VA]

I brain dump my concerns on a pad of paper. Writing them out helps me remember things I need to do that I am anxious I might forget. I sometimes lay my hand over them and pray, giving them to God, acknowledging I don't have control. It seems to help.