Sleep Tricks: Where Hot Chocolate and Melatonin Meet
Tired all the time because your ADHD won’t let you get some shut-eye? Learn how taking a short walk, melatonin, a warm shower, and even hot chocolate help these readers get a better night’s sleep.
ADDitude asked: What is your best trick for getting to sleep every night?
Melatonin and a meditation exercise. I think about a leaf, then I imagine the tree it’s on, what the weather is, and the sounds I would hear near it. —Jen, Massachusetts
My trick is giving everyone else melatonin. —Anne, Minnesota
Wake up on time, work all day, exercise, have dinner, stay busy afterward, then relax and read. In other words, wear myself out and keep my stress levels low by being as productive as possible. If that doesn’t work, I resort to taking Ambien. —Kari, North Carolina
I talk to my husband. If there is something that makes my brain whirl, I don’t take it to bed with me. —Lisa, Canada
I read a couple chapters of a book almost every night. It slows down my brain. —A.M., Montana
[Get This Free Download: Mobile Apps for Better Sleep]
Before bed, think of 10 things you are grateful for. —Cate, Australia
I go for short walks. This tires me, and I fall asleep quickly. —Mary, Massachusetts
Waking up at the same time every day, no matter what time I went to bed, creates a predictable sleep pattern. If I can’t fall asleep, taking my ADD medication at night will sometimes remedy the problem. —Christopher, Ohio
I’m sleepy every night. The trick is to stay asleep. I haven’t mastered that yet. —Debi, Texas
[Click to Read: Tired of Feeling Tired? How to Solve Common Sleep Problems]
Taking a lukewarm shower and wearing a soft sleep mask does the trick. —Deborah, Tennessee
No caffeine during the day, and making the bedroom dark and cool when it’s time to go to bed. —Gail, Texas
Reading in bed. A better question would be: “What is your best trick for remembering that it is time to go to bed?” —Mary Kay, Illinois
I write down all my thoughts to get them out of my head. —An ADDitude Reader
Drinking hot chocolate and listening to Deepak Chopra. —Candace, Maryland
I listen to a guided relaxation CD every night while I lie in bed and do tension-releasing stretches. —Heather, Missouri
GABA, a natural supplement, works like a charm. I take it in the morning to balance my stress and mood, and, again, before bed to help me unwind and sleep peacefully. In my experience, it works much better than melatonin. —Jenny, Minnesota
Getting into bed knowing that the tasks I didn’t complete will be there tomorrow. —Lynn, Italy
For the last 21 years, I have slept with a box fan on every night. The whirring sound drowns out all the noises that keep me from dozing off, and the breeze is soothing. I even take a fan with me on trips. —Melinda, Missouri
[Read This Next: The Best Alarm Clocks for Sleepyheads]
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