Insomnia

Hi there, I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with going back to sleep. Many people experience difficulty falling back asleep after waking up during the night. Here are some tips that might help:

Stay Calm:
Try to stay calm and avoid watching the clock. Obsessively checking the time can increase anxiety and make it harder to fall back asleep.

Mindful Breathing:
Practice deep, slow breathing. Inhale deeply, hold for a few seconds, and then exhale slowly. This can help calm your nervous system.

Create a Relaxing Environment:
Make your bedroom conducive to sleep. Ensure it's dark, quiet, and cool. Consider using blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine if needed.

Avoid Stimulants:
Limit caffeine and nicotine intake, especially in the evening. These substances can interfere with sleep.

Get Out of Bed:
If you can't fall back asleep after about 20 minutes, get out of bed. Engage in a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book or listening to calming music, until you feel sleepy.

Establish a Bedtime Routine:
Develop a relaxing bedtime routine to signal to your body that it's time to wind down. This could include activities like reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation exercises.

If you continue to experience problems with falling asleep despite trying these techniques, it may be beneficial to seek guidance from a healthcare professional or sleep specialist who can provide personalised advice and support.

There’s an organisation called Overcome.org.uk who are offering free CBTi sleep therapy as part of a study, in fact, they pay participants £10 for feedback. You can sign up at bit.ly/overcome-insomnia
I hope you find these suggestions helpful, and that you're able to achieve more restful nights of sleep soon. Take care!

Thanks for the replies hope tonight will be better. I’ve had bad nights for around seven years since being estranged from my daughter. I am not allowed to see her children. It is hard to sleep with a broken heart.

The dentist was fine! Two implants fitted at vast expense!

Me too. Woke at 2:30 for a wee, read for a while. Went to sleep for an hour and am now wide awake again. Seems to be a regular thing now, so I don’t worry about it. Might have a little snooze after lunch.

I’m always awake by 0500. I try to have a nap after lunch.
This morning, I could have screamed - an Aussie friend texted me at 0330 and woke me up. When I protested, she suggested I could silence my phone! Perhaps she could be more sensitive?

Another one awake here! I woke thinking it was early morning - a bit light outside -and went for a wee. Then found it was only 3-30 and couldn't get back to sleep. Decided to come downstairs, have some hot milk and enter Bridge scores from last night on laptop - I'm one of the scorers for club.

Now I'll go back to bed and see if I can get a few hours sleep before morning.

Bloody miserable Sallywally1 & Nanderin. Have either of you tried asmr? It might help you if certain things, like soft voices or the sound of tapping, soothes you.

Sounds a bit mad I know but I've always been susceptible to the soft spoken cadence of someone's voice - think Joanna Lumley or Una Stubbs was particularly soft spoken. Asmr - or Autonomic sensory meridian response to give it it's full title - is the feeling of tingly drowsiness that occurs if you're sensitive to it, a bit like if you react to having your head massaged with one of those prong things.

It's a massive trend online and there's quite a bit of weird stuff like the sound of people chewing - no, doesn't do it for me but not knocking it if it helps someone with the curse of sleeplessness - and it's not sexual, it's just sooo lovely if it works for you and you find a great asmr artist, as they're called, with a gentle soft voice to get you back off to sleep.

My go to is southern asmr but there's loads out there to choose from. Happy tingles and drifting off if it helps for you.

Yes it is I worry about everything too kids grandkids. I'm sure you'll be fine at the dentist.

It’s miserable isnt it. I am now worrying about the state of the world, the dentist tomorrow, my other half’s rages and what to do with the rest of my life as recently retired

Tried to do wordle then said hi to my friend she's not replying so now wide awake.

Hi yes I have just done exactly the same thing.