One really needs to get the requisite eight hours of sleep
at night. Not getting that sleep prevents your eye muscles from getting the
necessary rest (and this can lead to eye strain building up and becoming
chronic) and a lot of other health problems.
I've faced this problem where I'd suddenly wake up at 4am and then wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. And then I'd feel very sleepy at my workplace, but had to work, so wouldn't be able to sleep. This "sleep debt" kept building up for many months and caused me health problems.
Recently, I was advised the use of castor oil for application on hair. I tried it, and noticed that it also gave a very calming effect. It made me feel more sleepy. Now I no longer wake up suddenly at 4am. I get a full night's sleep. Moreover, ever since I've started using castor oil, I've never got a cold (flu). So I continue using it everyday for three days at a time or so and then I don't use it for a day, just to break the pattern.
Castor oil doesn't have any bad odour (if you're using the one from Jyothi chemicals. I found that another brand had a bad smell), so you can wear it the whole day. Make sure it reaches your scalp. Wash it off just before going to bed but if you have to go to bed with it (it happens if you had to apply the oil late at night and washing your head with water will take away the sleepiness for about an hour), place a newspaper sheet on the pillow.
You'll get castor oil at the chemist's shop. There's a medicinal variety (which you can drink if you want to clear out your entire digestive system) and a non-medicinal one (which you shouldn't drink; it may be poisonous). Take the non-medicinal one for applying on your head. Sweet dreams! :)
Update: November 2013: Although the castor oil helps a bit, for the problem I described above what you really need is your sleep cycle to break. My sleep cycle broke when I was prescribed 0.25g of Anxit. A single tablet helped restore my sleep cycle, and I've been getting sufficient sleep since.
I've faced this problem where I'd suddenly wake up at 4am and then wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. And then I'd feel very sleepy at my workplace, but had to work, so wouldn't be able to sleep. This "sleep debt" kept building up for many months and caused me health problems.
Recently, I was advised the use of castor oil for application on hair. I tried it, and noticed that it also gave a very calming effect. It made me feel more sleepy. Now I no longer wake up suddenly at 4am. I get a full night's sleep. Moreover, ever since I've started using castor oil, I've never got a cold (flu). So I continue using it everyday for three days at a time or so and then I don't use it for a day, just to break the pattern.
Castor oil doesn't have any bad odour (if you're using the one from Jyothi chemicals. I found that another brand had a bad smell), so you can wear it the whole day. Make sure it reaches your scalp. Wash it off just before going to bed but if you have to go to bed with it (it happens if you had to apply the oil late at night and washing your head with water will take away the sleepiness for about an hour), place a newspaper sheet on the pillow.
You'll get castor oil at the chemist's shop. There's a medicinal variety (which you can drink if you want to clear out your entire digestive system) and a non-medicinal one (which you shouldn't drink; it may be poisonous). Take the non-medicinal one for applying on your head. Sweet dreams! :)
Update: November 2013: Although the castor oil helps a bit, for the problem I described above what you really need is your sleep cycle to break. My sleep cycle broke when I was prescribed 0.25g of Anxit. A single tablet helped restore my sleep cycle, and I've been getting sufficient sleep since.
