Sleep

Oh yes!!! with bells on.
I believe its very common and one has to learn strategies to cope. I have got better at recognising the symptoms - knowing when I'm just not going to drop off naturally so I just give up, go down stairs make a cup of tea and 'enjoy' some alone time with something gentle on I-player or a good book. Fighting against it only makes me more stressed and more grumpy the next day.
Nowadays I make sure I get physical exercise everyday - even if its just a prolonged 'dead heading' session in the garden.
We eat supper at 6ish and I do not eat again till breakfast, drinking only tea in the afternoons and evenings.
I do not watch anything too stimulating or upsetting on tv last thing and always go to bed between 10 and 11 reading something a little dull or familiar (History or classic literature works for me). Our bedroom is a sanctuary of calm colours and definitely no technology apart from a phone extention.
Sleep is so important to me - I've had real problems with severe stress and know its not helped by lack of sleep.....sleep deprivation is used as a torture fgs....so I treasure every good night where I drift of naturally and barely come to all night....waking up with a dog pushing gently against me to tell me is daylight outside!

Same here. A good night's sleep and I'm a different person. I can tackle anything.
With me it seems to be one good night followed by a bad night.
I've tried lots of things, but not sleeping tablets. My doctor won't prescribe them for me.

We have got ourselves in a cycle of waking early and being ready for bed by 9pm.

Me too GandTea bring on darker mornings..

Sleep is often difficult for me but Mr C can sleep for England, or in his case Wales . He can manage 12 hours easily, I think he has my share as well. As Hilda says strategies are the key to staying sane. After trying all sorts I find that if I give myself an hour and am then not asleep I accept its a non-sleeping night, then either get up and watch tv or read or stay in bed and use the ipad for iplayer, a book on the Kindle app, listen to music or have a go at some Mindfulness stuff. Ear buds are of course used! No idea if any of that helps me sleep, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't but it does stop me fretting about not sleeping, keeps me fairly relaxed and stops me being bored. It is horrid, though, and seems so unfair when watching Mr C sleeping (or snoring!) the night away. Its a problem I've had since my early 40's, so sort of used to it now. Hope you find your own strategies, honeypot and can get some sleep soon, you are right, lack of sleep plays havoc with the view of the world

cornergarn, sounds like you have adopted a similar approach to me. I even mentioned it to a Councillor I was seeing at the time - was I doing the right thing, getting up and not fighting the sleeplessness. She was firmly in favour of it especially as we had talked about my childhood experiences of nightmares and being afraid to wake my very strict father. So now I give myself a good hour to drop off - trying a few gentle mindfulness techniques in the dark at first - then I get up, and enjoy the freedom I have nowadays to go downstairs, make tea, watch whatever I enjoy and, even if I am still awake while the dawn comes up its far less stressful than tossing and turning and praying to sleep. Admittedly I might be a bit washed out the next day but I will always keep bed-times the same and only allow myself a tiny five minute power-nap if really shattered. For power-naps I just make myself comfy on the sofa, relax and think of something nice but get OH to keep an eye that I do not properly drop off...or set an alarm.

Yes I'm in that club as well. Strategies for coping are better than tossing and turning. I read that the light from Kindles, tablets, phones prevent sleep. I read a good old fashioned book and ensure the room is at a good temperature for me ( cold). My husband & I have separate rooms now so I don't need to worry about disturbing him. I have a nap in the afternoon if I am too tired and don't feel guilty about it any more.

I don't very often have problems getting to sleep, but quite often wake up suddenly in the middle of the night with some awful thought buzzing round in my head that I can't get rid of. Gawd knows where they come from. By the time you get back to sleep it is almost time to get up and that's a night's rest down the pan! If I haven't slept, I am a bear. DH can sleep anywhere, anytime.

Try piriton (make sure its the drowsy one)
I use the cheaper variety from home bargains.

Same here for me. Oh how I miss being able to sleep all night and lie in in the morning. Sadly it's long gone. I don't really know how and when my sleep changed. Somtime in my 50s. I too have my own strategy. I don't get in a state about it now. I just except it. I never go to bed before 10.30 often later no matter how exhausted I feel. If I do I'll be up at 3 in the morning. A really good night and I'll wake at 6 mostly it around 4.30-5. I'm hoping when I retire my sleep will improve. I'm not holding my breath though. I often visit the can't sleep thread on G.N makes me feel better that I'm not the only one.

Grantea exactly the same for me. Asleep by 9.30 and awake at 5. I usually get the iPad and do Gransnet etc whilst DH continues to sleep. He always wakes at 6.
We have a lot of wood pigeons near us and they make a lot of noise first thing. Think I'll buy a catapult

christinefrance, know what you mean about the blue light from electronic items, the iPad has a night shift setting, it changes the screen to a more yellow tinge and seems better for me. Might be worth a try. I like it because I can read without the light being on and disturbing Mr C.