Friend Has Insomnia, Sleeps 2-3 Hours

[paganpoet]

Hello everyone;

I have a friend with insomnia who sleeps 2-3 hours a night, 5 hours at best. Any spells, charms, tips?

Thank you so much!

[Blackthorn]

It would be helpful to know what your friend is already doing to try and combat their insomnia, if they've seen a doctor, etc. There are a lot of things that can contribute to insomnia; a lot of the time it's a symptom of something else and that would determine the most effective ways of controlling it.

I've had insomnia for over half my life. Due to the nature of what I go to school for, sleep medications are not an option for me anymore. But I had the best sleep of my entire life when I was taking them. I've tried (and had success) with multiple methods, mostly mundane but some magickal. I'd still advise for your friend to see a doctor if they haven't already.

So what has your friend tried already? Is it chronic, or does she have episodes? Did it just start, or has she been experiencing insomnia for a long time? Does she know if it's in relation to another condition she has?

[paganpoet]

It would be helpful to know what your friend is already doing to try and combat their insomnia, if they've seen a doctor, etc. There are a lot of things that can contribute to insomnia; a lot of the time it's a symptom of something else and that would determine the most effective ways of controlling it.

I've had insomnia for over half my life. Due to the nature of what I go to school for, sleep medications are not an option for me anymore. But I had the best sleep of my entire life when I was taking them. I've tried (and had success) with multiple methods, mostly mundane but some magickal. I'd still advise for your friend to see a doctor if they haven't already.

So what has your friend tried already? Is it chronic, or does she have episodes? Did it just start, or has she been experiencing insomnia for a long time? Does she know if it's in relation to another condition she has?

My friend isn't close with her parents, so it's doubtful that she visited a doctor. She just can't fall asleep, from what I've heard; it sounds chronic. She's been able to function normally. I have no idea how long she's had insomnia. It might be related to the psyche; again, a guess.

[Blackthorn]

Oh I see, so she is a teenager living at home? I don't know her living situation, but my advice is still for her to speak to her parents about going to the doctor. Sleep deprivation during the teenage years can have growth-related consequences. It's always better to rule out medical causes for these things first.

That said, trouble sleeping is so common amongst teenagers. It's still important that she tries to combat it. She may feel like she's functioning normally, but she might soon noticing her concentration slipping, her temper flaring easily, her reflexes dimming, etc. Regular exercise helps me with sleep. Does your friend take PE? Maybe she can try going for runs, or even looking up exercise videos on youtube that she can do in her room at home.

Another thing is having a balanced diet. This one might be hard if she's living at home and doesn't buy her own food. It's something to consider. While I'm on food, when I had a normal work/sleep schedule, I would try not to eat anything after 7pm. This helped me a lot. It's harder now, because I work a job where I come home at 4:30am so my schedule is a bit whacked. But the key is not to eat anything a couple of hours before she goes to bed. Also, obviously not to drink a tonne of liquids so she isn't waking up in the middle of the night with a full bladder.

Also, caffeine. It's common for people with sleep issues to compensate with caffeine, but then they drink too much caffeine, too late in the day and it affects their sleep and it becomes a vicious cycle. I'm in love with my tea and coffee, but I try not to have it about 8 hours before I intend to sleep.

Electronics in the bedroom, and other distractions, can be very detrimental to sleep. If she has a mobile phone, she should keep it well away from her bed. Laptops and computers off. No TV (these are just suggestions; some people find falling asleep to the murmur of the telly to be soothing but I find it just plain distracting).

This is a weird one but a very useful one: never use her bed for anything other than sleeping. Don't sit in it to watch TV, don't sit in it on the computer, don't read in it, etc. If she only ever uses her bed to sleep, this helps her brain say, "Bed = Sleep".

Related, and the biggest one that I can possibly recommend: having a routine at night and sticking to it. When she does her routine, her brain will know, "OK, time to settle down and go to sleep". Mine is: First, I like to study in the dark with a lamp and a candle, maybe some incense and chamomile tea. Usually this is when I study witchcraft or spirituality. Then, I like to do my nighttime grooming routine (showering, brushing teeth, etc.). I meditate. I get into bed with a book, and I read until I fall asleep. This routine now is very simple, but I used to have a more complicated one that helped me shut down my mind and body.

She might be having difficulty sleeping due to anxiety or something else. If this is the case, I have to reiterate my recommendation to see a doctor, because I'm not a medical professional. But, I also have anxiety and sometimes I can't sleep because I just can't shut my brain down no matter how hard I try. My mind goes into obsessive thought spirals and before I know it, I'm sitting up, wide awake. Combating this form of insomnia, to be honest, was very hard for me. It took me many years. I still struggle with it. I had to strengthen my mind and my will, so when I told myself to calm down and I'll deal with it tomorrow, every part of me listened. I wish I could say that I've overcome this completely, but I still have nights where I just can't quiet my anxiety. Anxiety is different for everyone, but for me, right now, at this point in my life, it's a lifestyle thing. My job involves me making a lot of people unhappy with me, and I receive a lot of negative energy from people. I can't really prevent it- it comes along with what I do. Occasionally, I'm also involved with breaking up physical altercations; I've had to restrain people to the point where I was hurting them so they wouldn't hurt me or anyone else until law enforcement arrived, etc. Sometimes I'm pretty bad at shielding it, and I take it home with me. On nights like this, I go to bed with a lepidolite crystal, or even a citrine crystal. Sometimes both if it's really bad, lol.

I'm not an expert on crystals so maybe someone else can chime in on good ones to use. Herbs can also help, I mentioned chamomile above but there are tons of others. It might be hard for your friend to make, but I plan on trying this sleep tincture:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYTYhwrcO3U

(Obviously, your friend can replace the vodka with something else- IIRC Ember HoneyRaven has a suggestion in the video)

Anyway, I have written you a novel so I'll end it here. I hope anything I've said helps her. I understand how hard insomnia can be.

Edit: Wait! One more thing to add! Journaling also really helps me! It's very helpful to let feelings out. It helps me feel more at peace, even if all I did was write about how something was bothering me that day.

[Vesca]

Someone else who writes novels.

I think Blackhorn has covered everything I would have, but I'm just going to underline the importance of your friend talking to their parents about being unable to sleep properly. Just in case it is medical in nature.

Does your friend take any naps throughout the day? That might be a good option for the time being. It's not really a long-term solution, but it will help.