Broken sleep

Flutey, congratulations on beating reflux!

If you are plagued by worries and unhappy memories when lying awake in your bed, you can try the following techniques that help me .

My favourite mind trick that I always go to is to deliberately to tell myself a story as if telling it to someone else who doesn't know the story . I usually choose scene from a favourite film.

The other thing I sometimes do is think about my bed and the ways it is just right for me. The way I have arranged the under blanket, and my pillow, the pattern on my pillow case (which i have to remember as I can't see it)how I have chosen just the right sort of cosy covers for me including my favourite soft throw. And so forth.

Regarding the taking of anti-histamines, which I think includes Night Nurse and Nytol, long-term use is probably not a good idea. Please be aware that "anticholinergic medicines have short-term cognitive adverse effects ..(and) it is uncertain whether long-term use of these drugs is associated with an increased risk of dementia." JAMA Intern Med. Published online June 24, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0677. To be frank, I don't sleep well, but I would not be taking anything which might risk my brain health now or later. yggdrasil I too listen to the World Service through the night. Isn't it annoying when you finally drop off during a really interesting programme!

It makes no difference what time I go to bed I am always wide awake at around 4pm I make a cup of tea and watch TV for a while before trying to go back to sleep and get a couple more hours I also nod off about 4ish in the afternoon so have tried to make myself busy and not sit down which is fatal for me.

I try ear buds and a story CD, I always fall asleep before the end.
As an alternative, perhaps hypnosis would help you break the habit. Hypnosis helps me to eat less when I need to reduce my weight, and I have known it help a friend with fear of flying.
I think it's important not to stress over it.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I have a very similar sleep pattern, often sleeping for 3 hours then awake for 3 hours and (if lucky) sleeping again for 2 or 3 hours. I found an article at www.sleepopolis.com on Biphasic Sleep which describes this pattern, and although it makes no difference to my actual sleep I’ve found that being able to give it a name helps me be more accepting of it. Hope this helps a little.

I’m the same as Yggdrasil- the world service is fab but so often miss the end of something interesting but you can’t have it both ways ?

Worrying about not sleeping is arguably the biggest cause of insomnia. I agree with some other suggestions. I sometimes take 500mg paracetamol which sends me off. The radio tuned to a programme with a quiet babble of voices also helps me. I've tried the older antihistamines but they give me a hangover. A glass of sherry helps some people. Wine definitely helps me. Not napping helps too. Years ago, folk had two sleeps, and got up in between. I would do that if I lived alone. Good luck.

Phenergan was prescribed for me by my doctor and was fairly effective. However, I'm not keen on taking medication every night. Those advocating Night Nurse need to be aware of the ingredients, you will be taking a high dose of antihistamine and paracetamol so beware, it's not magic. One natural solution that has been good for me is Sleep Easy Tea by Clipper.

NanKate......if you are advised to turn off all electronic devices half an hour before bedtime, how are you then falling asleep listening to stories on a costly downloaded app? Just wondering!!

Melatonin and probable every other night a sleeping pill .
Sometimes if I am really struggling i a sleeping pill each night for a coupe of weeks.
If I am coping with the lack of sleep I don't fuss. I read my ereader (on night mode to not wake husband , he sometimes has issues as well ) .

I've read about this too minxie. Apparently they went to bed when it got dark so there was no way that they'd sleep until dawn in the winter, it makes a lot of sense. I also read that they had a meal! Doesn't eating some carbohydrates aid sleep?
I also wake around 3, regardless of when I go to bed. I've found that putting on the radio (turning off automatically after an hour) often helps me to drop off again. I tend to worry about ridiculous things in the early hours and this distracts me.
Also my DH wakes and gets up at 5 and I find that I can sleep much better after that.
I like to sleep in a completely dark room, even the light from the alarm clock display irritates me.

Travel sick tablets called Phenogran. They're available over the counter. I keep them in the house for when I get desperate because I know that if I take one, I will sleep through the night.

I have a hiatus hernia and take medication every day however my sleep pattern has nothing to do with that I just am a very bad sleeper and have tried all sorts to no avail . Just use to it now although by mid week im very tired and iratable..??

I think sleep patterns are something so many people have difficulty with. No matter what time I go to bed, I wake up at 3am and then can’t get back to sleep. I now just make myself comfortable and tell myself that my body is resting (sometimes I then nod off).

Back in I think the 17/18th century. People used to have what was called a first sleep and a second sleep. They would naturally wake up and get up and do whatever before returning back to bed for a second sleep. I sometimes wonder if this imbedded in us as sometimes I wake in the night for no reason. It’s an interesting subject

I find Asda's, Sleep Aid tablets are very good for me. In desperation, I will take a half tablet & usually find that it's enough to get me off to sleep. The full dosage is for two tablets.....I've never, ever taken the full dose. I keep them in my bedside drawer & I know that they're there, a my back up plan.....??

I never had this problem when I was working, probably too exhausted, now I do wake after visiting the loo about 4 o’clock and can’t go back to sleep. So I get up, make myself a cup of tea, browse or read till I feel sleepy, then go back to bed for hour or two. If you are not working or don’t have commitments for the next day, then it doesn’t matter. Naps in the afternoon/evening are very refreshing too!

At times horrendous sleep patterns. The word accept helps more than anything with me in that I accept this is the way I sleep during the night and just go with it. If you become anxious about this it makes it ten times worse. So at 72yrs. I just ACCEPT and when I have a great nights sleep appreciate this. Have gone thro, all the advice but nothing works.

Nytol 'one a night' has an antihistamine in it! the blue pack! is a sleep aid!

Sleep patterns are a matter of habit. You need temporary help to break the pattern.
I normally sleep like a log but if upset it can disrupt this.
I use Phenergan. Half a 25mg tablet gives me a great undisturbed night. Two or three nights is usually enough to get me back to a solid 8 hours a night.
Phenergan is an anti histamine. I order mine online. One packet lasts me about four years.

Thank you all for your kind and interesting suggestions/ideas. Actually am just pleased that I am not the only one. This pattern of sleep has been continuous for several years, so I doubt things will improve much. But - I am going to try the Lavender on the pillow etc. Once again, thank you all so much for sharing.

I use the alphabet system too. 4 o'clock this morning it was cakes! I also do makes of cars, flowers and anything different that I have to think about.

It usually works!

I am the same and even working full time in a fairly manual job doesn't help and this is after having a day surgery op for haitus hernia which I really recommend .

Oooo My sleep has been a bit hit and miss lately. I forgot about the Night Nurse at the back of the cupboard!! Thanks who suggested it. ??