Sleep Week - post to win prizes! ?

Since menopause my sleep is very poor the main thing for me is not making an enemy of this sometimes not easy. I will lie there and visualise one of the many walks I have done especially all day walks from holidays. Such happy memories and hopefully will be able start on the south coast path journey again.

I have always had difficulty with sleep I drop off quickly - but wake within 2 hours. Getting to sleep, waking up through the night umpteen times, and I wake because I need the loo. I now use a lavender pillow mist and it works very well. I have tried quite a few different ones, some didn't work for me, but this one is great.

I have for many years been a bit of an insomniac which due to my arthritis has become worse, most nights waking many times due to the pain. I prefer not to take medication as I hate the zoned out feeling that goes with it that you get the next morning so use herbal remedies alternating warm milk & Ibuprofen a few nights a week. Always have my Kindle and a magazine at hand so when I wake and cannot get back to sleep I just read. Not ideal but just try to cope with it as best I can. I do think I can manage on less sleep than many seem to require.

I usually have a goodnight sleep, I think my daily walks help me and if i wake up during the night i usually stay there with closed eyes and do my breating excercise and i eventyally fall asleep. I don't like checking the time or using the phone during the night, it really distracting me from going back to sleep.

I too am a great believer in a good walk every day. As the evenings are becoming lighter I really like to walk on the moors where we live after my evening meal.

I rarely get a full nights sleep.

I'm a chronic insomniac, sleeping approx 10hrs a week.
I've got underlying health conditions that don't help but I've struggled with sleep since the age of about 5.

my animals are the reason I struggle to sleep! two dogs and a cat alongside me in bed is a nightmare.

I listen to The World Service all night on earphones so as not to disturb OH. It sends me to sleep though I do wake a few times in the night.

I work night shift so my sleep pattern is terribly erratic. Its not helped by my husband and daughter working from home at the moment so I don't get peace to sleep during the day. I recommend earplugs!

I’ve never been a good sleeper, even worse now I’ve hit the menopause and feel like a zombie when I’ve only had a couple of hours. I’ve read all sorts, bought all sorts, been to the GP but nothing has really helped apart from this ‘Calm’ app I have on my phone. You can listen to soothing music or short stories, all designed to help the mind switch off from everyday life and help you drift off to a lovely place. If I’m particularly stressed though, nothing will help, or perhaps maybe chloroform? Lol ?

i do not sleep too bad, i go to sleep at about 11.30pm but usually wake aroud 5.0am. after a visit to the bath room I'll probably be awake for 20 minutes before dropping off. sometimes my mind fills with things I've got to do which is annoying as if it keeps me awake too long i have to get up.

Sleep varies night on night. Definitely worrying about anything keeps me awake as does alcohol. I can sleep eight hours one night and only two the next. It's very frustrating...

I'm very lucky that I sleep very well but my husband wakes up several times a night. We have our room very dark and the best bed and bedding we can afford which all helps!

I have difficulty getting to sleep, but usually have a reasonable 6-7 hours after I do. I don't wake up full of vim and vigour these days!
I'm stressed at the moment, so I'm putting down my restless nights to that ( DH diagnosed with Alzheimer's and a second form of cancer plus an imminent house move).
I quite often use a pillow spray, but think I'm becoming used to that now as it doesn't seem to work as well as it did!
A large G&T can help!!!

Sleep is literally a nightly challenge - between my husbands snoring and the need to go to the loo during the night (something I didn't have to do in past times) I find that I get disturbed sleep a lot. My general approach which seems to help is to keep any waking periods as short as possible - do what I need to do - and get my head straight back down. Sometimes I may wake my husband up :-)

I have heart failure caused by a cardiac arrest in 2015. Sleeping seems to become more of a problem as time passes. I need to sleep propped up now because of fluid retention etc. I managed to buy quite a nice wedge shaped pillow from Dunelm that really helps. My other problem because of fluid retention is needing to pee throughout the night. It is so difficult to get back to sleep. I really sound like an old moaner but I am so grateful to still be here it’s a small price to pay.

I find i'm fine if i have the window open all year round - the fresh air really helps me sleep.

I usually sleep quite well but the worse time for me is if I wake when the birds are singing then I struggle to get back to sleep.
Caffeine is then the order of the day!

Are you constantly exhausted from a bad night’s sleep? ?

Occasionally when I am awake overthinking things - I worry about my family and the pandemic which keeps me awake

- Find yourself waking up during the night and unable to get back to sleep?

Quite often - I will come down stairs and put youtube on and watch videos on cooking !

- Do you hit a wall during the day, and resort to sugar or caffeine to keep you going?

Yes lots of coffee before 12 - but none after.

- And let’s not mention your partner’s snoring

Yes sleeping next to a walrus who won't admit he snores is frustrating - One day I will record this on my phone

I will be reading this as i very rarely get a good sleep- i can't drop off, so read till i nod off,(but more boring books do that quicker)? But i wake usually a few times in night for the loo, regardless of how little or what i do/don't drink, and when i do wake i can't drop straight off again.If its early morning often am awake all day then, (never been one to be able to sleep-in once i wake in the day!) and end up starting to drop off watching tv, only to be wide awake when i do get to bed.Its quite ridiculous!??

I have arthritis in my back and knees, and am awaiting a knee replacement, so sleep is really hard, I use CBD oil, and breathing and a comfort pillow between my knees and usually get between 5 and 7 hours a night, I will drop off during the day which helps with the sleep deprivation.

That sounds like a good tip, dramaqueen. I’ll be trying it tonight.

I recently discovered a fabulous trick to getting to sleep quickly. I have so many things whirring around in my mind, it stops me so this was a total revelation. If you say "the" under your breath every two seconds, you won't be able to stay awake. It's a word without emotion so doesn't let your mind wander. Try it, it's amazing. Takes seconds to slip away

Very poor sleeper especially at the moment and then fatigued and lethargic during day time- no amount of sheep counting helps !