What is the cure for insomnia? How do you sleep in crowded or noisy places?
Noise & Sleep
I remember staying in a hotel in Lisbon on a travel press trip. The bedroom was overlooking a busy noisy main road. I could not sleep.
The manager told me that he could not move my room becuase the hotel was full. But, he assured me, everybody who had that room said they got used to it and slept well the next night.
He was right. After my exhaustion from the first sleepless night, I fell asleep instantly the second night.
Travellers Needing Sleep
However, that might not be ideal when you want to be awake to drive or operate machinery. Drivers and pilots need to be alert. So does anybody who is going to negotiate a dangerous river or other tricky situation. You want to feel alert if you simply want to enjoy sightseeing the next day.
Sleep Disturbance
What can disturb you abroad. Noise such as city centre cathedral bells in France.
In Italy, we were kept awake by the tooting of cars and lambrettas.
In China we had hoped to sleep late on a weekend morning. But the traffic outside started early. Vehicles braked, screeched to a halt, tooted, at the traffic lights outside.
On my honeymoon in Morocco I was woken at 5 a.m. by the local mosque's calll to prayer. I leanred this when I phoned down to recetions and asked, "Is there a fire alarm?"
In Singapre a droning noise outside my window disturbed my nap. Mist was wrising. Was it a fire? I called the management office. No, the were 'fogging', which was done every Friday, to kill mosquitos..
Sleeping Pills
Some people take melatonin. Sleeping pills can leave you drowsy next day.
Coffee And Caffeine
What if you have had too much coffee? You might keep waking to go to the toilet. My doctor in London told me to drink no more than three coffees. The third should be no later than after lunch and should be deaffeinated, which is not completely caffeine free but has low caffeine.
Military And Night Watch Staying Awake
The military reputedly often rely on drugs to keep awake, when driving at night, or keeping watch, when it is dark, quiet, no movement.
Then what sends them to sleep later, in daylight, when the world around them is noisy?
Pilots' Problem With Sleep Solved
I've previously read about clearing your mind by counting sheep, counting to 100, relaxing your body head to toe, and focussing on your favourite summer or winter or cosy indoor scene.
You can also clear your room, turn off all lihts, listen to music.
Angela's Sleep System
One method is to get rid of stress. Stop watching the news or TV late at night. Watch a comedy or ready a humorous book.
Stresses Solved
If you have a stressful situation to deal with, think of three things. Worst case scenario, your lost item is gone and you report it missing and buy another one.
Neutral situation, while waiting for it to be returned, you go out shopping.
Best case scenario, your lost item appears under a towel in the bathroom. Meanwhile somebody else has bought you a better replacement, or you treated yourself to a better replacement.
I imagine phoning a friend or family member. They listen and offer sympthy or solutions. I end on a happy note not to strees them.I thank them for listening.
Than I switch places. I pretend they have the problem. I suggest solutions. If they say they've tried everything, I say soothing things.
I fast forward to the future. This time tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year, this problem will be solved.
Activity
What else do I do? I learn languages on Duolingo. This drives out all other thoughts. Gradually I get tired and start nodding off.
In bed, I do exercises, leg lifts. Then when I am tired, I take a few deep breaths, yawn and relax.
Fantasies
I indulge in my favourite fantasy. I think of swimming in Singapore. I imagine a romance.
Finally, I imagine that I have ignored a wake up alrm clock, which turns off. Then somebody is calling me to get up, but I am reluctant to do so. Instead I am hiding under the covers, keeping still, breathing very quietly, ignoring them. Sometimes, I discover this is true. I fell asleep last night and it is now morning.
In the unlikely event that none of that works, I plan my day or week ahead. I try counting to ten in French and other languages. Each time I make a mistake, or come to a blank, I start again at one.
Article Analysis
The method in the article below is, to sum it up, start physically. Relax from head to toe, think of feeling warm and cosy in each part of your body as you relax it. Then relax mentally. Visualise a calm and cosy, still setting. For example, outdoors, on land, sleeping in a hammock. At sea, floating gently, waves flowing slowly backwards and forwards. Indoors, on velvet bedspreads or cushions or pillows in a dark, black room.
Useful Websites
://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-14200749/military-sleep-method-nod-hack-expert.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_behavioral_therapy_for_insomnia
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