Night Owls of Gransnet

Thank you cornergran for your kind words

I am glad you received that reassurance Fanny and I hope you get some hours of sleep.
I have just started reading Cranford again as I have watched some of it on TV. I will read a bit more and then try to get a few hours sleep.

I fervently hope that I won't be awake long enough or often enough to visit this site in the wee small hours! But when I do wake and I can't sleep, what a wonderful idea this thread is!

Well done, Fanny- another success chalked up, I think.

I laughed like a drain at your comment about the Teasmade, Georgesgran. How wonderful. Revenge IS a dish best eaten cold and with your sassy attitude you'll never even need to use the blasted thing. The odd comment now and again, addressed to Aileen's pride and joy, is more than enough to make you feel better, I'm sure.

We had one in the 70's. I soon realised that it was actually quite hard work. A heavy load to transport to the bedroom each night, quite a lot of cleaning and emptying, problems with the milk unless you put it in a flask to keep cold, actually just too much stuff.
Also, being woken from sleep to what sounded like a street cleaning machine parking next to my pillows was also not a strong selling point to me. I was young then but transporting it all upstairs made me feel like a doddery Mrs Overall and an accident waiting to happen. We gave it away within a year.

So, now I would dig out a very small electric kettle, a little pot of tea bags, a couple of mugs and some little milk 'pots' - just as they have in hotels. Simple and no faff!

Pleased that your mind has been put at rest, slightly, by your conversation over your poor DH and his post Covid problems, Fanny. It may be a long haul, but if that's the norm' then at least you won't have stress to cope with as well. Wishing him and you very much better health and very soon.

Enjoy your middle of the night chats, eat, drink and relax. Fall asleep again happy. Sweet dreams to all of you.

It’s not a good start to tonight. I’m still awake and I keep coughing. I’ve had a negative Covid test recently but it preys in the mind.

I’m unsettled too mollygo, family rather than health worries. trying to read but finding concentration hard. I’m sorry you’re coughing, most coughs seem worse at night. Try not to worry, if you’ve had a negative covid test probably an ‘ordinary’ cough. If it goes on or you can’t get past the worry why not speak to someone at your surgery for advice? Hope you can rest. Oh well, cup of decaf tea for me and back to the book.

So here I am back again. I had 3 good nights so shouldn't complain. I’ve had a mug of ‘sleepy tea’, donned the eye mask, sprayed the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, counted sheep - there are 22 in the field behind the house, very elderly poor old things (shhh mutton?), eaten a banana, but nothing’s working. I wrapped 70% of the Christmas presents yesterday & had a 2 hour Zoom chat with a friend in the next village, so perhaps my brain has over activated after so much going on. Seriously I’m sure it’s the boredom and strange lockdown lifestyle making the insomnia worse, although the impending date of my wedding anniversary always upsets things and last week, my DH’s birthday. Im now older than he was when he died which feels very weird.
I hope your cough settles soon Molly. Have you tried a spoon of honey? FannyC I hope you sleep well. You certainly need it ?
Right, I’m off to count more animals. May try geese in formation this time ?

I’m still awake too. Head like a washing machine on fast spin. Hope you’ve managed to count yourself to sleep marmight. Suspect a long night ahead here. It could be worse, I’m warm and comfortable, have a selection of books to read and music to listen to. I’m going to try to relax a bit and enjoy being quiet. Hope the rest of the owls are sleeping.

Thank you so much again everyone for your kind thoughts.
Mollygo oddly, a cough doesn't seem to currently be a major symptom of you know what.
I've been reading a lot of threads on Mumsnet by folk who have recently tested positive.
A headache seems to be the current thing, and the loss of sense of smell and taste is still very common.
Symptoms of the virus appear to be changing rapidly. It is a very strange virus.
I really don't know whether I've had it or not.
I do hope that you feel better soon.

I've just made a hot chocolate for me, and Beef Bovril for MrC, as the Nurse said that he needs lots of protein.
I'm now going to tell you a very boring tale about Bovril; which is almost a public service, as it may well cure your insomnia.
Due to Mad Cow Disease (I can't remember the proper name), several years ago Bovril stopped making it with beef. Which was good news for me as I love salty, savoury things but don't eat meat. So for a couple of years I was a happy devotee to the delicious beverage.
However- a celebrity chef (not that well known, I can't remember who) got wind of this and made a big song and dance about it not being right that it wasn't made of cow.
Bovril ran with this publicity (which it may have cooked up itself) and started making it with British Beef again.
I was so distraught that you could no longer get veggie Bovril that I rang the Bovril Hotline (yes! Such a thing exists) to see if it was still available. Alas: it was not.

Now, if that's not got you nodding off, I don't know what will...

cornergran what are you currently reading?

Marmight I'm sorry to hear about your husband.

Popped in to say ‘hello’. So glad my Teasmade tale (all true) amused you. I was never tempted to use it - after all the years, I’d probably have electrocuted myself then MIL would have had the last word, as usual!!
Have been watching shopping channels again - mainly jewellery! I’ve never bought much from them - just ear rings and the odd necklace. I’ve slim fingers, so rings would have to be altered at additional expense. I did buy DD a diamond circle of life pendant when DGS came along - quite expensive, looks lovely and she’s had no trouble with it.
As for QVS - it’s mainly Yankee Candles, L’occitane and Elemis stuff I go for. Much cheaper than in stores and can be sent back for any reason, however bizarre. Must get some shut eye, having DD2s dogs tomorrow while the decorator finishes off their new extension.
Hope everyone has a rested night.

Well, I've just given up trying to sleep for the second time. I make myself lie there for an hour because I think that that gives me a rest at least.

Now it's coming up to 4 am. Perhaps I shouldn't have watched Midsomer Murders. I'm glad I don't live there. They usually get a string of killings (about 5) and they are often performed in imaginatively horrible ways.

I seem to be getting sleep problems more and more probably due to inactivity because of covid.

Do things like Nytol actually work?

Nytol works for me.
But note that they make two different types.
There's Herbal Nytol that you buy off the shelf - this does nothing for me.
It's made mainly from chamomile I think.
The other Nytol is made from dyphenhydramine. It's an antihistamine. You get it over the counter in any pharmacy. Most pharmacies do their own brand too.
This is the one that works for me. You do get used to it though.
Nightnurse works too, it's powerful stuff!

That was in reply to boat.
Anyone else have any recommendations?
Up until recently I've been taking Amitriptyline which seemed to be helping sleep wise.
But I've been feeling a bit dodgy mental health / emotion wise (which is hardly surprising I suppose) so I've knocked it on the head for a bit.
It's quite an odd drug I've heard.

Thanks FC. That's very useful.

Morning everyone my husband just woke me up going to the bathroom. ?

Morning everyone my husband just woke me up going to the bathroom. ?

My favourite is diazepam but gp only prescribes one packet but agreed to prescribe phenerghan instead . Initially 25 mg which left a bitter aftertaste so cut down to mg which work enough to give me a reasonable if interrupted night.
Mytilene over tue Counter did nothing for me,
I had 6 hours last night without meds. It was interrupted 4 times so I generally wake feeling tired with gritty eyes. This morning it was 4.45. Might take a phenerghan tonight. Here’s to a good zzzzzzz

I cut down to 10 mg phenerghan

Sorry it’s zopiclone not diazepam, which are the sleeping ? pills ?, I am
Tired and not thinking straight.

'Evening all night owls.
Yes - I was going to say - diazepam is the same as valium. They're like hen's teeth now, GPs won't prescribe them.
Had a horrible day today. I felt incredibly nauseous, not just queasy, but about to be sick.
The more I think about it, the more I think that I've had covid (autocarrot wants to capitalise it, but I won't give it that aggrandisement).
DH still very poorly, but I'm sure that he is slowly getting better as he is not permanently freezing cold as he was before.
I hope that we all have a decent night, but I'm pretty certain that I'll be back here circa 2am - even if it is because the DDog is arguing with the foxes

Sorry to hear you have had such a rotten day Fanny. I hope you get some sleep tonight and I hope your DH 's progress becomes more marked soon.
I had a slightly better night last night but was still awake for several hours around 2pm. Still reading Cranford but it is not gripping me.Sometimes when my back is painful I take paracetamol but am wary of anything else as I am on Warfarin.

As I have been sleeping so badly I have treated myself to a zopiclone which I hope will allow me 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Wish you all a good night too.

Sorry you are having a bad time Fanny. I hope tonight will be a good night for you.
I have challenged myself, “Tonight I am going to sleep through!”. It worked last night till 04.17, but I’d left my phone downstairs and it was too chilly to go and fetch it so I read for a while instead of posting. Wish everyone a good night.

Feeling much better at the moment, thank you.
Chocolate ovaltine tonight, and Murder on the Orient Express on Audible. Very cosy!
Hope everyone is currently sleeping soundly.
I've been lying here thinking about Christmas decorations.
I usually have a real tree in a pot, but I don't think that I will this year. It takes too long to dress and undress, and neither of us has the strength to lug it about (although I did find a place that delivers).
I've got loads of other decorations, so I'll go overboard with them instead.
Christmas really does seem to come too early these days - it doesn't seem Wintery enough yet.
I think it should be moved forward to the end of January/ start of February when it's really cold.