Can’t stay asleep

I feel for you all. I can go to bed after struggling to stay awake downstairs, then get into bed and could be awake 3 hours. Or else conk out within mins but ping awake after an hour.
Probably sounds silly, but I sometimes find if I push back the duvet and let myself get chilled, I feel cosy when I cover myself again and doze off for another while ?

I never had sleep problems until the pandemic hit. To begin with to try and solve the sleeplessness I’d stay up really late. As the weeks progressed and things seemed to ease so did my anxiety and I got back into a reasonable sleep pattern. For some reason this has now changed and I too am struggling. I go to bed about 11pm really tired ( pre-COVID Id be asleep as soon as head hit pillow) but it can be 1am and I’m still awake, thinking...of what I’m not sure but it’s v debilitating. I was one of those irritating people who could ‘fall asleep on a washing line’- not any more...

I feel for you watermeadow. I've got the other problem of struggling to get to sleep. Either way, it's still a poor nights sleep for us. I often go to bed tired but can't empty my mind and I start thinking about things/people/the days events. Next thing i'm wide awake and it's two or three hours before I finally get to sleep. I don't know what to do either and would also appreciate any suggestions. Is it worth giving sleeping pills a try, or is that a last resort/bad idea??

I've had sleep problems for years. I think it could have been after I'd worked nights for a few years I never got my pattern back.

Have you tried changing the time you go to bed, watermeadow?

Might help

Like annepl I too do the listing of names alphabetically and I'll also try counting down from 1000.

Maybe if you just lie awake doing some mindful thing rather than reading

I was also prescribed sleeping pills at one point which were just wonderful. I'd fall asleep in an instant and stay that way for 8 hours but these aren't for long term use.

Good luck!

Oh watermeadow that's just the same for me. No difference if I go to bed early or late; after about 90 minutes sleep, I wake with a jolt and then spend the rest of the night having cat naps. Sometimes, if I don't have to work the next day, I just get up at 03.30, have a cup of tea and then go back to bed and try again. Having a full nights restorative and refreshing sleep seems to be impossible now.

Some folk need less sleep than others and like Bluebelle feel fine with a few hours.
But if you feel you aren't getting enough you need to try to change it. Once I start reading and my brain is active I know I'll be awake for hours. So I usually try to get back to sleep for a while first. I use mindful breathing or something simple like listing names beginning with certain letters etc. while lying with my eyes closed. It doesn't always work but it helps. I also use a magnesium oil spray and a lavender spray. (deep sleep pillow spray)
If you worry it will only make it worse. Many older people waken during the night regularly and are fine.

If I wake in the night I immediately go to the loo otherwise I lie awake thinking I should go. I find I fall asleep straight away after that.

I ve bunny hopped through the night for years watermelon
I go to sleep quickly have two /three hours then an hour or more awake then another couple of hours sleep rarely sleep more than five or at most six hours in this fashion
I ve known myself go to bed at 11 and wake up bright as a button thinking it’s time to get up and find it’s 12
? I just accept it though I don’t let it bother me