Sleep problems

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I'm not a very good sleeper, I usually get a couple of good nights and then a run of bad ones. However, today I was so relieved at getting a call from Social services saying that my dad would be going to a nursing home, and not sent back to live on his own, that I thought it would be a good night tonight.

Here I am, can't stop thinking!!

I had sleeping pills for excrutiating sciatica but was not allowed them for more than 3 weeks. Now I sometimes take Valerian capsules, the pure powder, not mixtures. They are very calming and are good when grandchildren are visiting.

If you wee more in the night than the day, this is a problem of an ageing heart and kidneys which don't get their work done during the day.

I am sleeping so much better in the last week, after giving up caffein after lunch. Doh. Why didn't I think of that before?

I have always had difficulty sleeping. The owner of our local Lavender farm suggested that a drop of lavender oil on the soles of the feet will always work. I tried it. Still didn't sleep but the bed smelt lovely.

Ah but em when it is expensive wine I can call myself a connoisseur, not a lush.

Hope you sleep well Ariadne. As for you Elegran - you have the audacity to question my drinking standards then confess to such debauchery! You wanton woman!!

Well, I was up at 4.15 today, and really resisted an afternoon nap, so in theory I should sleep...

I can have a week or so sleeping well, then it's as if my body thinks it's had enough and I have these days of waking up at silly o'clock. Still it was worse when I was working and panicking about how I was going to get throughout the day!

And there's usually a Gran to talk to!

em - forgive the frivolity - it's getting late!
Elegran

Talking of wine bottles - DD1 paid us a flying visit at the weekend, bringing 4 bottles of wine from a case which had been given to SIL by a grateful business client (not as a bribe, I hasten to add, just a wee pressie well after the job was over) They don't drink sweet white wines so these 4 were going spare. Drank one and it was utterly delicious. Then looked it up online and found it cost £45 a bottle!!!! Three more to go!!!!

Now, now you two! I had a couple which sealing pretty bubble bath bottles, 2 old champagne corks from goodness knows when and one from a bottle of balsamic vinegar! I am well aware that many wine bottles come with screw tops but haven't tried them as medical aids so don't know if they'd work as well! Why did you two latch on to the number of corks instead of concentrating your thoughts on why on earth they should be effective??

Now that so many wine bottles have screw caps, where do you get all these corks anyway? Oh, I forgot, it must be all that champagne we had at the Blackpool party...

em I read that as 45 corks and wondered how you had that many lying around ....... No wonder you had leg cramps!

I have found that wearing warm bootees before I go to bed and bedsocks once I get there, I now rarely have cramp. Could it be that this keeps the circulation in my feet going? I almost always sleep like a log for 7 hours.

Away back in July I read a thread on Leg Agony and it was suggested (by Helshea) that putting corks into your bed might help ward off night-time cramps. Some of us were a bit puzzled but thinking it could do no harm I did indeed round up 4/5 corks and slipped them between sheet and duvet at the foot of the bed. Since July I have had no night cramps at all. I cannot offer an explanation and when I admitted to this rather odd behaviour, my DS's girlfriend (about to graduate in medicine) guffawed loudly. Try it and see!

PS. Darkness causes the body to make melatonin. They slept longer before artificial light.

Don't go to bed until you can't keep awake. But we sleep in 90 min cycles which is fine when you are younger you just come a bit lighter and go off again. We make less melatonin when we are older so don't sleep so deeply apparently they sell it over the counter in usa but then like all these things if you take the supplement your body makes less catch 22. Don't go to bed until you can't keep awake.

Try lavender - either a drop of essence on the pillow or nightdress or, as I usually do, find a good lavender hand cream or body lotion so that you are sniffing the aroma whether you lie on your back or sides or front!. Doesn't necessarily extend the number of hours, especially if the occasional pilgrimage to the loo is required, but I find it does relax me a bit when the stresses of life play on the mind! Why does the brain always go into overdrive when you are trying to settle! When DH is on nights I tend to put on a relaxing CD and drift off (nothing better than going to bed with Daniel O'Donnell!!! Good luck!

When people are honest it is surprising how many admit to sleeping apart from DH - I tend to move in and out of spare bedroom depending on how he is sleeping. I started after each of his operations as bikergran says, you listen out for every twitch llike with a new baby.He gets up at least 3 times a night, yawns deafeningly loudly when coming back to bed, tugs the duvet right over and sighs or lies awake sighing (again) until I can take no more!! I moved out of 2 months and have just moved back in as frankly our bed is comfier!! But I love my sleep and hate being disturbed because once awake I fret about life, the universe and everything. Oh and every so often the dog decides she needs out at about 4 so I have that to contend with too. He has been in hospital last night and tonight and dog is in kennels so I was looking forward to an early night - could I get to sleep last night? No way!

sleep ahhhhhhh ....I remember when I used to go to sleep about 10-30 and sleep right through until about 7-7-30 ish.......but since hubby became ill may yrs ago then I don't really think you ever sleep properly again as you are listening all the time..but like having a baby, I found the only times I have slept is when he has been taken into hospital and I suppose your mind knows he/they are being taken care of.

any one try sleeping pills?

I have a travel memory foam mattress. I bought it for holidays as so many beds these days are too hard, causing me to wake up in joint pain. But I find it so comfortable that I lay it on top of my bed at home. It's brilliant. When I go away I merely roll it up, tie it round with one of my husband's old ties or a pair of tights, and put it in a tote bag. Problem solved!

I consider sleeping from 11pm till 4am a good night's sleep. I dose after that until about 6am then get up and have a soak in the bath. I have suffered from hot sweats day and night for 13 years or more and found a memory foam topper did not make them worse. What it did do was lessen the sore hips from lying on my side. I do, however use starched cotton sheets and no other covering, even in the winter (plus a window open).
I have never seemed to need a lot of sleep and they say you need less as you get older.

I got muscle cramps when I was taking an asthma prevention drug. Since it didn't prevent any asthma symptoms, I stopped taking the medication. The cramps departed.