Insomnia

Eirlys. Your list of N American Indian Tribes reminds me of my favourite greeting card which showed 2 bears in a cave by their fridge. And one said to the other as he was delving about in it " Well that's the Last of the Mohican, anyone fancy a slice of Sioux?"
I am easily amused.

Another sufferer here, can be slow to nod off but then wake a hour or so later and toss about for few hours. Around 6am I will get up and have tea/toast and then often get a solid block... provided no early morn appointments. I have taken magnesium for years and for other conditions. I have a podcast to listen to and set a timer. It is one of a series and he has a very soporific voice. Lately I have tried thinking of items based on letters of a random word eg RANDOM so 5 words or more starting with R then on to A. I also try to go thru the Alphabet and think of boy/girl names for each letter. These help a bit... I would also have windows open even in winter but warm bed though summer duvet in recent weeks.

Seems to be an age thing! Go to bed, read, sleep for couple of hours, wake for the loo & thats it! No sleep for 3-4 hours then can sleep when it is time to get up & get on with the day! Has been this way for many years now since my last hip replacement. Does it tie up with that? Who knows! Would love to sleep for longer but obviously not going to happen now at almost 80 years old! Whats the saying - I’ll sleep when I’m dead? Dont want that yet thanks very much!

I also often wake at 3am to go to the loo and am then wide awake. I find that Radio 4 Extra is the most soothing of the stations and put the sleep setting on for an hour. My husband often wakes in the early hours to the sound of some drama or other, but I'm usually fast asleep.

After several disturbed nights, I always turn to my trusted Phenogran - a travel sickness medication which can be bought over the counter. One of those and I know I'll sleep. Worth a try?

Phenogram does not work for all, it can have the opposite effect!

I used to worry about waking up in the night and staying awake for hours. But having read about biphasic sleep am now accepting that I’m reverting to a sleep pattern that was normal for hundreds of years until electric lights came along.

I find magnesium citrate and aswaganda helps to relax and induce sleep, taken an hour before bedtime.
Also an anti histamine now and again if I’m really suffering from insomniac and half a cup of kefir helps.

I was told once that if you have a phone or radio on in your room the signals can wake you up as it refreshes itself every two to three hours. I also find that if I can relax fully - as learnt in Yoga or Pilates, that helps me get off again. Concentrating on relaxing piece by piece stills the mind I find, which is my biggest problem.

My sleep patterns have been irregular for years and now I just go with the flow.

Being self employed with an international clientele (mostly in USA) I sleep when tired and get up when ready. If I find myself lying awake after an hour I get up and have a shower which 99% of the time relaxes me so that I drift off to sleep. If it doesnt work I just get up and treat it like morning and make myself some breakfast. I may be back to bed within a few hours but who cares? Im answerable to no one but myself.

Why make yourself miserable trying to force yourself into some routine? Retirement is for doing your own thing.

Must be an age thing all my friends are the same I am awake for ages from about 3.30am

Magnesium is great for restless legs. I listen to an audiobook to get to sleep. It works very well.

May I ask Ginny 42 where the needles are placed when you have Acupuncture.

Have you tried a walk either in the course of the day, or just before bedtime? Some people relate waking during the night and not dropping off again to too little exercise.

Others find it helpful to stay up a couple of hours longer, or to drop a daytime nap.

Crocus5 I have acupuncture to help restore my health and wellbeing after a severe attack of shingles. The points she uses include points to help extend my sleep pattern. I don't know their Chinese names!

They include one behind each ear, inner side of my wrist about an inch above my hand, the centre of top of my head and two on the inner side of my ankles.

She also does the top of the calf on the outer edge and one on the top of my foot by the big toe. My least favourite! Anyway, I'm off there later today. I was up photographing the moon at 4.30 this morning, so I hope to get some sleep sometime. I sometimes nod off with the needles in!

Hope this helps.

I am another one who cannot sleep. I do walk, but nothing is working at the moment.
I will look at acupuncture.
I hope this thread keeps going and is supportive, I am waking up with palpitations at the moment. This is being looked into. Like BigLouis I am going with the flow.

I found a supplement for sleep on the net its called Reset....its excellent, I tried everything else to no avail but this actually works. One of the ingredients is 5Htp so may not be able to take if on antidepressants