Getting Good, Sound Sleep When You've Got Ulcerative Colitis

Though it's not my greatest problem, sometimes my ulcerative colitis symptoms prevent me from getting good, sound sleep. Furthermore, when I don't get good sleep, my stomach feels terrible the next day, and I feel sluggish, my metabolism lags, and the smallest little things get under my skin. So of course, any sane person would advise, "Get some sleep!" Yet it's not so easy, especially if my stomach is hurting.

I must say, though that my symptoms are least bothersome at night; I don't know if it's because I'm calmer and less worried about the day. Mornings are the worst for me, and when I would have full-time office jobs or be in school, I'd always be "sick to my stomach" worrying about the numerous trips I'd have to sneak in during the stressful morning hours. It seems like nobody's tolerant and understanding in the a.m. It's weird that my stomach flares worst in the morning; our digestive fires are supposed to be strongest when we first wake up, and decline throughout the day. Rather, I can eat more without getting a vulnerable stomach in the afternoon and evenings.

However, there are times when my stomach is hurting at night, and I'm lying there thinking way too much about the next day, so I decided that I needed to do something about my inability to fall asleep:

Melatonin. This is wonderful stuff really, and I get the cheap kind, the Now Foods kind (which, by the way, considering the prices, is a relatively good brand and compares to the high-end natural products). I always take it on an empty stomach (which is a good thing to remember as you shouldn't be eating at night anyway). I feel a mild buzzing sensation in my belly, and it even feels warm and comforting. I always fall asleep really quickly. Some people claim it doesn't work, but perhaps they aren't taking it on an empty stomach. Also, I've always had messed up sleeping cycles (often I would wake up in the afternoon, groggy and mopey), but ever since I've been taking melatonin (from time to time, not necessarily regularly), my sleep cycles have become regulated!

Passionflower, valerian, hops. These are the common sedative herbs that are known to induce sleep. For me, valerian was ineffective, yet passionflower and hops (when steeped as a tea) and coupled with melatonin, put me through a fabulously long, deep sleep.

Deep breathing exercises. If your mind is racing, try this trick. Take a few breaths through your belly, make sure they flow through you deeply. Imagine you're on the tenth floor of a building, and step onto the elevator. It often takes time to visualize this. Then, tell yourself that you're going down, and when you reach the bottom floor, you will feel peaceful enough to fall asleep. Then watch the numbers slowly go down, 10, 9, 8, and so on. When you reach the first floor, you may feel significantly calmer.