Sleep Week - post to win prizes! ?

I go to sleep very easily and usually sleep well until around 6am, but lately I am waking around 3:30am and can not go back to sleep. I am try a mediation app a friend recommended.

After suffering periods of poor sleep for most of my life I’ve almost finished an NHS six week , online insomnia course called Sleepstation. It hasn’t been easy but has certainly helped me to fall asleep more quickly and to stay asleep for 6 to 7 hours. You can refer yourself but have to pay - there are three levels according to how much personal support you receive. If your GP refers you and you’re accepted, it’s free. There are articles to read, videos from a doctor and lots of personal support from sleep coaches. It’s certainly working for me.

Something that really relaxes me is specific scents, such as "The Comforter" , a Lush body spray that's very soothing to me. uk.lush.com/products/body-sprays/comforter
If I find myself awake in the night, I spray it on my wrists, have a sip of water and put some lip balm on. I fall asleep quickly with this comforting scent.

If I get restless legs, I have a spray bottle in which I've mixed some (magnesium sulphate)/Epsom salts and lavender oil with water. Magnesium is really good for treating restless leg syndrome naturally and dissolving Epsom salts in water is good way of getting these. The Lavender oil makes it more relaxing. I mist my legs with this if I need to, or on a hot night I might mist myself all over.

The menopause has changed my sleep, I wake up on average three times a night. I have cut down on coffee to two cups a day and started drinking allot more water, exercise is helping also

I just love sleep, and want to do as much of it as possible. I have to have my bed socks on though.

One thing that can be bad for sleep is cats
They seem to miaow a lot and play at night.

I have got better at sleeping since watching comedies before bed. I think the laughter must do something to the brain. Also, cuddling with my husband helps me relax and have better sleep as does stroking my pets.

If I go to bed before midnight I just toss and turn and eventually have to get up again, so watch TV for an hour or so, then go back to bed and fall asleep immediately! I've tried going to bed a little earlier and it just does not work! Worst part is, I could then sleep in until 9-10 each morning! Not the best start to a day!

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

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

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

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.

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!??

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 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!

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

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.

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 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!!!

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!

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 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.

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 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 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.

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