Help How do you guys manage to sleep with the pain in your head?

[Thingsneverchange]

I usually take 2 sleep inducing meds. And if that's not enough I take melatonin and if that's not enough I take my emergency med. I've done all of that. I still can't sleep. I hate my life and my body. It's almost 4 AM. I probably won't be able to sleep at all.

 

[ven]

In the past I used medication. I found better success developing an ironclad routine. I start with processing my thoughts before entering the bedroom. Usually this involves a mental note, but if a thought is ruminating excessively I'll write it down and evaluate whether it's worth thinking about. Most of my ruminating thoughts are not worth thinking about, much less losing sleep after.

After running through my thoughts, I floss and brush my teeth, then immediately enter the bedroom to sleep. There are no electronics in the room besides my alarm clock. I usually falls asleep within 5 minutes. If sleeplessness persists, I'll focus on creating a detailed 3d image in my head and normally I'll fall asleep.

Routines are great for conditioning the body, seems to work for me.

 

[everydayiloveyou]

Usually the physical feeling of sleepiness, or a crying-induced headache will make me to doze off. However I don't have insomnia, I just stay up very late sometimes.

ven is very right about routines. Poor sleep hygiene is often a factor in bad sleep quality. Have a sleep routine, don't go near your bed unless you're gonna sleep in it, and avoid eating/lights close to bedtime. Don't oversleep too much on weekends, don't lie there and stare at the wall if you're too sad/stressed to sleep. It might not change that much about your sleep but it could help a bit.

 

[AntHydra]

For me, loud noises in the background help. I usually put on youtube videos as well as something that makes a consistent whirring noise, like an AC. Then I turn on my side, hug my blanket, and (this is probably not applicable to most people) think about my characters instead of myself and try to forget I myself exist. That way, I can push out all the painful thoughts. Most of the time.
It obviously doesn't always work.
If I can't push my thoughts out this way, I write everything I am thinking down in the notes app on my phone, probably crying the entire time, for about an hour. Afterward, I will probably be so exhausted that the other method should work.

 

[xLosthopex]

Valium

 

[Darkmoon Queen]

I don't, I just keep waking up. I refuse to take tablets for it because Big Pharma is mostly a scam and I don't exactly trust them after they got a whole generation of housewives hooked on benzos.

 

[UseItOrLoseIt]

Valium

Two valiums.

 

[Flippy]

I don't really sleep properly anymore, I'm just awake until some ridiculous time then when the last of my energy runs out, I fall asleep. It's like I've got permanent jet lag and the pain I get too is horrible. I never get things done anymore. Not like I used to.

I'm afraid of asking for meds, partially because I think the usual things ultimately wreck my mood in the end. So it's just going to cause sleep problems later. The other issue is that they won't prescribe it without first making me feel like some drug seeking time waster. I've had enough of their games. I'm not going to debase myself to "get help".