sleep or not, night owls.

The b*£%@y cat kept me awake, in and out of the bedroom and onto/off the bed like a jack-in-a-box, then shoving his whiskery face into mine, purring his nuts off. I could have closed the door and shut him out but I didn't. DH slept through it all. 😴 So I'm bug-eyed today!

handbaghoarder

Another poor sleeper here. Factor in restless leg syndrome and there’s no chance.

🙌 Indeed, extra misery! My husband has it and increasingly over the years (he’s 77) it’s eroded his sleep, and invaded his waking hours.

I used to be a regular on the night owls thread and then I stopped taking my ipad to bed. It actually stimulated me which, of course, was not the plan. Still wake up regularly but listen to Ella Fitzgerald or Nat King Cole and drop off again more readily.

I find that I don’t sleep if I have coffee or tea after 2pm in the afternoon - though I often forget not to drink any caffeine after 2pm. I was awake until about 3.30am the other night and I realised I’d had tea about 4pm. I read my kindle while DH slept.

My sleep has improved since I started taking a magnesium glycinate tablet two hours before bed .It takes a few weeks to work but it has worked for me.

Using screens if you wake up in the night is bound to keep you awake for longer. The advice is no screens for an hour before bed, something to do with the type of light emitted I think. If you wake up in the night and can't get back to sleep reading is probably the best option, but not on a Kindle or such like.

Dr Michael Mosley has written about this non-sleeping problem. He suggested a "ritual" could help. I follow this by making lists that I repeat nightly. I started with simple subjects like fruit and flowers and listed them alphabetically. Bored, I chose other subjects and I now list, not alphabetically, 40 detectives in fiction (books and TV) . I find this makes my little grey cells work and, hopefully, helps me retain my memory.
I also spray magnesium oil on my feet and calves to try and prevent cramp. Magnesium helps one sleep and, touch wood, I don't get that awful cramp these days.
My cat tries to sleep with me but starts waking me around six ; also he likes to leave the bedroom and then reappear noisily. Keeping him out has also helped!
If I wake up and really can't go back to sleep and start thinking the 3 a.m thoughts I read my Kindle, or get up and make a cuppa. (I even had mulled wine one morning! As I'm 93 I think I can be excused for this!!)

There is no way to Edit my previous post but I should have added that I ensure my iPad is on Night Time Display when I read my Kindle book. Because of AMD I need the Kindle!

Definitely OK to drink mulled wine in the morning when you reach 93 congratulations on that Eirlys I make alphabetical lists in my head as well and then if that doesn't work I pick a 7 or 9 letter word and see how many other words I can make from the letters. No screens in the bedroom for me.

I used to be a night owl, but not now, really.

I do agree that it's an "age thing", so something to be endured. Like juicylucy I sometimes dread going to bed now. 'They' say that the more you worry about it, the worse it gets so I think we have to teach ourselves just to go with the flow. I tend to try to keep all my doings to mornings and then when I can't sleep I tell myself "it's only the morning you have to get through - you'll do it. Sleep in the afternoon.". 'They' also say if you're worrying about something, write it down. Then your brain thinks you've done something about it and relaxes and lets you sleep. What do other insomniacs think?

Here’s what happens to me - I didn’t sleep a wink last night, either. But I know we are entering a “full moon phase” (on the 24th) and I always have restless sleep or very little when the moon is doing its crazy gravitational pull.

When I worked in the hospital everyone (patients, staff, visitors ) felt it too, for some more than others, and some not at all (I wish…!) But it’s a real thing. Lasts for a few days.

My cat is always prowling around at night (in the house) till we all settle down when it’s at its zenith. Then we sleep like babies again.
USA Gundy

missdeke people CAN actually use their Kindle’s in the dark in the middle of the night as a method of drifting off to sleep.

All you have to do is switch it over to DARK MODE - that will switch the background to black with white lettering. It cuts waaay down on the light emitted by a device, making it less disturbing for sleep.

When you get used to it you may not switch it back. So much easier on your eyes (the glare is gone!) especially if you have glaucoma, like I do. I’ve even switched my iPhone over on my major reads. I love it!

For those troubled with 'restless leg' a nightly Rutin tablet can be recommended. I'm waiting for a word with the surgery Pharmacy to find out about changing Statins again, the tablets given keep me entertained with nightly cramp!

I read a suggestion is to try and go through names of boys and girls in alphabetical order . Your brain needs to switch off from any day to day worries. I'm finding it the same with towns in alphabetical order

Gundy

missdeke people CAN actually use their Kindle’s in the dark in the middle of the night as a method of drifting off to sleep.

All you have to do is switch it over to DARK MODE - that will switch the background to black with white lettering. It cuts waaay down on the light emitted by a device, making it less disturbing for sleep.

When you get used to it you may not switch it back. So much easier on your eyes (the glare is gone!) especially if you have glaucoma, like I do. I’ve even switched my iPhone over on my major reads. I love it!

Obviously they must have been developed further since I bought mine, I really couldn't get on with it at all, I'd try again they would probably help with my arthritic hands but I do so love the smell and feel of a real book, just a bit old fashioned I suppose.

I wake up a couple of times in the night, it's so annoying! I do sleep better in a cold room, in a warm but not too warm bed and I take a Nytol original if I get really sleep deprived. I'm a bit addicted to listening to the radio if I wake up and tbh I don't think it helps!

I have always taken ages to fall asleep, even as a child. I have found a 30 min walk and some physical work eg raking grass, mowing lawms, etc help me sleep better that night. I find it impossible to have a nap during the day even if I am very tired.
Occasionally I resort to Nytol if I am really struggling but end up with a very dry mouth. Strangely the two prescription meds I take at bedtime don't help me nod off and the side effects are drowsiness!

Ever since I was a teenager I've always had trouble getting to sleep in the first place, then waking up in the early hours and mithering about any problems.

Recently, I've tried a breathing exercise and it's wonderful! Do it with a positive attitude to a lovely restful sleep.

When you lay down take a couple of deep breaths and relax your body then just inhale for a count of 4 then exhale for a count of 6. (You can adjust the counts to suit yourself, just make the exhalation a little longer than the inhalation) Do this a few times and drift off to sleep.

The key is to empty your mind of anything except the counting in and out
and imagine yourself physically pushing away ANY other thoughts.

If you wake in the night or after bathroom breaks, do it again.

Night night x

Yes Chrissie that's my solution too. Concentrating on breathing makes no demand on the brain. But it's whatever works for you, isn't it.
And I definitely agree with the power of the moon reaching its fullest - it definitely has a bad effect on sleep patterns. I had thought full moon was away away and couldn't understand this bout of insomnia. Then I realised we were still in February and there's a full moon on Friday! So it's not 'psychological' as some folks say.

Ive had at most 3-4 hours broken sleep every night for 20 years….even sleeping tablets didn’t put me under….apart from a little insane …I’m fine🤷🏻‍♀️

Coming up for 5 years on essential steroid treatment for me, and sleep can be only 2 hours a night. I find plenty to do.

Night owl here, I went to bed 3 am and did not sleep,my mind was racing. I have been like this since I retired last year.
I always manage to get on with my day, cleaning, shopping, meeting friends, and meeting my Grandson from School. I am tired all day but awake all night. Any tips about what you take or do would be gratefully recieved.
It seems my day has turned around.

Since my separation/divorce, 20+ years ago I have not slept well.and since then,I have been prescribed sleeping tabs Zopiclone 3.75mg - Occasionally, I top it up with an antihistamine, which I buy from Tesco. I’m probably addicted to it. It doesn’t bother me - at my age, I don’t care.

My friend said that her insomniac mother, did all her housework, in the middle of the night. Ofcourse, she lived alone ….