longing to sleep.

i have been suffering from Insommnia since the beginning of this year, when I talked a friend through a bad suicidal depression.(I was afraid to go to sleep in case I didn't hear the phone)
I have constant pain and my GP has given me something to help me sleep, it is a pre-med, so it relaxes me rather than knocking me out. It doesn't work every night, certainly not last night.
It just seems to allow me to relax then I drift off to radio 4/World service.
I have found that after a few days without sleep, the pain intensifies, I am happy with 5 hours a night and really feel better.

How old are you kiora? I also suffer from lack of sleep, and can date it from when I began the menopause. My mother also suffered this way, but as she got older her normal sleeping pattern returned. I hope mine will one day, but probably not until I finish my early morning cleaning job, ( start at 04.00, get up at 03,00).

I certainly can empathise with the brain 'ping'! I find that if I can force myself to imagine I'm going down a long tunnel on a train, for example, focusing on just a dot of light in the distance, I will eventually go back to sleep. Guess is a form of self-hypnosis and sometimes can do this easily, sometimes seems to take a lot more concentration, might be worth trying?

Yes, I think its an age thing. I also think that tiredness has nothing really to do with your amount of sleep. It is that your body is older than it used to be, and gets more tired doing what it used to take for granted.

If you are warm and comfortable and relaxed, and don't have any pains to keep you awake, is it that important that you are not actually asleep? You can learn relaxation techniques so that your body is not tense, but resting and recovering from the previous day.

As for your brain - there are techniques for removing anxieties from your mind and letting that rest too. The worst thing for insomnia is worrying about having insomnia -try to get rid of that.

Or you can accept that you are awake, and you might as well be up and doing something - reading is one occupation that fills in the time without effort.

Yep I just wish I could sleep more. The kind I had when I was younger. I used to have to literally force myself awake. I'd be dreamily half conscious for a few minutes and could even snuggle down and drift off again(oh bliss) Now after four or five hours PING fully awake. I'm not really complaining just wondering if it's an age thing and others are the same.

I sympathise with you Kiora as I am exactly the same. Very tired when I go to bed (shattered even). I have no problem falling asleep and then I wake up after only an hour or two and the pattern starts. I am often awake 2-3 times a night and find myself wandering around the house, making a cup of tea, going to the loo (to pass the time) and generally tossing and turning.

When I wake it's like a switch being flicked and my brain goes into overdrive with worries. Of course when it's really time to get up, I am so tired I want to tun over and to sleep but have to get up for work etc.

Are you saying you think you don't actually need more sleep ("not that kind of tired" — there are kinds of tired?) but just wish you could sleep more?

Did you used to sleep more?

I'm the same but have decided to take it to my GP as I now feel so sleep deprived- I think unfortunately that depression is at the bottom of mine so its time to get some help in my case.

Nope don't think its that sort of tired. I don't feel ill at all. On the very very odd time that I sleep longer than the 4-5 hours I'm raring to go...well perhaps that's an over exaggeration but I feel better.

If you are always tired, kiora, perhaps you should talk to your GP about it.

I am the same Kiora. I wake around 3am and then can't shut my brain down. The difference with me is that I have been the same since doing an early morning paper round as a teenager. I always have a long soak in the bath when I get up, so I am at least relaxing, with a book, and it passes the time until a more 'normal' start to the day.
People take great delight in telling me that I have something in common with Margaret Thatcher!