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Sleep Week - post to win prizes! ?

(208 Posts)
LaraGransnet (GNHQ) Mon 15-Mar-21 09:14:00

- Are you constantly exhausted from a bad night’s sleep? ?
- Find yourself waking up during the night and unable to get back to sleep?
- Do you hit a wall during the day, and resort to sugar or caffeine to keep you going?
- And let’s not mention your partner’s snoring… grin

If any of this rings a bell, then we want you to join Gransnet’s first Sleep Week!

We’re going to be drawing on the wisdom of 350,000 monthly users to talk about sleep - what causes a bad night, how to sleep better, and what to do if you find yourself wide awake in the wee hours.

Are you a hesitant poster? Or a new joiner? Love reading our threads but have never actually posted yourself? Say hello on this thread. Tell us what you like about Gransnet and join our warm and wonderful community. This is a great opportunity to join in, not least because we have a number of fabulous prizes up for grabs, just for joining in the fun!

What are the prizes, you ask? WELL <drumroll> we have an assortment of glorious goodies including:
- a luxury spa day for two,
- a limited edition dress from Bombshell worth £269,
- a This Is Silk pure silk pillowcase and eye mask,
- a Curious Rose pure wool microwave wheat bag and matching knitted bed-socks,
- and a fabulous book bundle from Quercus!

Please head to our Sleep Week page for more information, including how to win and the T&Cs.

Posting is quick and easy - but if you have any questions, head over to our handy ‘getting started’ guide. This week we will also be running tips on how to get the most out of the site - and if you can't yet tell your DIL from your SIL, here's a handy guide to Gransnet abbreviations and acronyms.

So welcome all. Don't be shy! Do post!

We’ll be posting sleep-related threads for you to take part in every day this week (although you’re very welcome to start your own too). All winners will be announced on Won Anything thread on Mon 22nd March so make sure you’re receiving our newsletter to stay in the loop.

And if you enjoy the site but haven't yet joined (it's totally free), you can do so here.

Happy posting!

GNHQ

nabob Mon 15-Mar-21 14:17:36

I have sleep so well since 1st January. This is because I did dry January and have continued to NOT have any alcohol.
I feel at the moment that I would give up alcohol for life to maintain this wonderful sleep that I am experiencing!!!
Prior to this I used to toss and turn and not achieve deep sleep. I still like to do breathing exercises to bring on the inner calm but I can honestly say that I drift off so quickly. I can recommend no alcohol and you will soon see a vast improvement to your sleep. Good luck.

bookmark77 Mon 15-Mar-21 14:16:56

I'm finding the older I get , the less sleep I get. It made me think, is it my age, or the lack of sleep that makes me feel so bad?

foxie48 Mon 15-Mar-21 14:12:15

I generally fall asleep easily but find I wake in the early hours of the morning and find it difficult to fall asleep again. It is very rare for me to have an unbroken night's sleep. I do try to ignore it but sometimes it's quite hard and it's definitely worse if I am worrying about something.

Marmight Mon 15-Mar-21 14:00:55

I either sleep like a log for 8 hours+ or I wake at around 1am and that’s it. If I sleep to much I’m like a zombie, if don’t I’m still like a zombie. Whichever, I inevitably fall asleep while watching tv in the evening and miss the ‘crunch’ ?. I’ve been on an Oxford Uni sleep research thing for the past year filling in diary patterns of sleep and wearing a sleep watch every few months. I always sleep well during the watch wearing weeks. How infuriating. Not sure what it will achieve ?. Now spring is on its way I’m going to take myself in hand : no screen time in the bedroom and once awakened by an alarm, plan to get up immediately and not lie in bed for the following 2 hours

Loobs Mon 15-Mar-21 13:58:42

I sleep around 7 hours a night - I take CBD oil and find that helps me to have a deeper and more refreshing sleep.

Nocona Mon 15-Mar-21 13:57:50

I slept terribly at the beginning of the pandemic and have now limited the news (we had it on all day at times!) and try and read a chapter of a book before I sleep. We do not have a tv in the room which has always helped. I also have started putting my phone across the room as if I can't sleep I reach for it and start scolling/googling which is terrible! It is definitely helping not to be on gadgets so late and try and unwind a couple of hours before bedtime!

dirgni Mon 15-Mar-21 13:57:01

I sleep really badly and have done for years! I get up between 3-6 times for the toilet each night. I have found out by trial and error that not eating enough carbs during the day makes it a lot worse. I’ve tried all kinds of remedies but none have any effect. When I wake I read my kindle and sometimes drop off only we wake again later!

CleoPanda Mon 15-Mar-21 13:54:06

As soon as I get into bed I feel wide awake! I struggle to fall asleep - 20 minutes up to 2 hrs. I feel little aches, niggles, mild discomforts, can’t find a good position etc. Wake up at least 3 times during night. Often feel tired in the morning. Never wake up feeling bright or refreshed.
Have tried new bed, different bedding, herbal aids, not drinking at night, eating earlier etc etc.
Nothing changes!

gillyknits Mon 15-Mar-21 13:50:51

I often wake because of night sweats and then can’t get back to sleep. Also my husband snores and that interrupts my sleep as well. I often feel very tired the next day but try not to nap in case it makes non sleeping worse.

Gangang Mon 15-Mar-21 13:50:40

I have a history of poor sleep - as a general rule I am lucky if I can sleep more than 2 - 3 hours at any one time and consider myself fortunate if I am able to drop off again before the alarm goes off! I have tried almost everything to improve my sleep pattern to no avail. From alternative supplements, ensuring regular bedtime routines, exercise, healthy eating, mindfulness/meditation etc. I stopped wearing my fitbit at night as I become obsessive with checking how much sleep I was getting or not getting. I am aware I have a stressful job and here's hoping that when I retire from work my sleeping pattern will improve.

compfan Mon 15-Mar-21 13:48:56

I use wax earplugs (from Boots the chemist) you warm them in your fingures and then they mould to your ears and muffle sounds so I get a good nights sleep. They say single use but I do re-use them. and they are very comfortable.

Secondwind Mon 15-Mar-21 13:46:08

I fo have one tip that helps me. I read once that people sometimes can’t get off to sleep because their eyes are moving about. The article suggested closing your eyes and then focusing both your eyes on an imaginary point about an inch away from the end of your nose. It worked for me!
I gave up on ever having a full night’s sleep again almost 10 years ago now, thanks to bladder issues. My bathroom is downstairs and this was a big issue when I first moved in, but someone who was aware if my problem gave me a camping toilet which I use overnight to save me trailing downstairs. On a good night I get up 2-3 times, on a bad night, it can be up to 8 times. I usually end up falling asleep at some point during the day! I do worry about my continually broken sleep, as I often read about the negative health effects of too little sleep. I don’t think that there’s much more that can be done medically at the moment, but breakthroughs are made all the time, so I live in hope. smile
During the night, I can usually get back to sleep after a ‘visit’ as long as they are not too frequent, but it is more difficult in the summer when the sun rises so early.

Loz500 Mon 15-Mar-21 13:35:26

I have never been a great sleeper, but the last couple of weeks I have really been struggling as I’m having horrendous pain in my left knee, and it’s waking me up 2-3 times a night. It worries me that I can’t sleep as we’re told poor sleep means poor health. I so would love to sleep through the whole night without waking up at all! I also wish I could fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, but no such luck. Just before Christmas I spent £50 on some sleeping remedies which you spray on your pillow from M&S, but alas it was a waste of money, nothing has changed. I won’t do that again in a hurry?

littleowl Mon 15-Mar-21 13:09:44

I used to be able to sleep for England but not since the menopause. I get panic attacks in the night and my thoughts turn to trepidation. It’s horrible.

My tip for getting to sleep is to listen to a podcast or some sleep music. It works wonders.

Ingrid45 Mon 15-Mar-21 13:06:00

I find dropping off to sleep difficult and I wake often. i read an article about there being documental evidence that in Victorian times two sleeps were the norm. So when i wake up now, I get up and do something, have a cup of tea and back to bed for the second sleep. I have stopped worrying about it - think it helps.

silversand12 Mon 15-Mar-21 13:05:07

Really looking forward to this. I used to sleep wonderfully until I started having major problems with my bladder a few years ago. They were eventually sorted, but my sleep was forever wrecked.

What destroys me the most is the constant waking up - I feel like I've won the lottery if I get about 3 hours in one go. Waking up every 1-2 hours is very normal. Sometimes it can then take hours to get back to sleep - especially if allergies then kick in and I start sneezing!

Constance2018 Mon 15-Mar-21 12:54:15

I have bi-polar disorder and menopausal night sweats so I sleep badly - 4 hours at a stretch is good. I wake at around 2 feeling great and very wide awake so since retirement I’ve just gone along with this early wakening, and start my day - no noisy hoovering though! Makes for a difficult evening socially as I’m knackered, but not worrying about needing enough sleep for work means I’m generally more relaxed so it’s ok. It is difficult in the winter but I have a SAD light and that helps a lot.

cathisherwood Mon 15-Mar-21 12:50:29

I find it really easy to go to sleep but often wake around 4.30. Then I usually resort to variations on counting sheep to get myself sleepy again but if that fails I'll read for a bit. My husband seems to manage to sleep all night even after a post lunch siesta and dozing through the evening to!

Sjonlegs Mon 15-Mar-21 12:39:35

There's not a massive amount of sleep happening around these parts! With three teenagers in the house and one with special needs. I'm an incredibly light sleeper, going through the menopause to boot, and my husband is a loud-snoring starfish! We chose some time ago to sleep separately and I've never looked back. My room is cool, fragranced with lavendar, with clean cotton bedding and no light. I still struggle, even with every step taken to help things I'm lucky if I get 4 hours broken sleep ... but more recently found a CBD infused drink (Three Dots) which taste great and are very calming and I swear that they're conducive to a good night's sleep. Since using these I can get 6 to 8 hours unbroken and I'm definitely a better person for it! I'm trying to just use them 2 or 3 nights a week, but they make such a massive difference, I might just have to up the ante!!

jocork Mon 15-Mar-21 12:37:49

My sleep problems began when I was in the process of splitting from my ex husband. He was having an affair with someone he met on the internet so not local. I agreed to ket him stay in the house as if I'd kicked him out we'd have had to sell the house to get our own homes. He agreed to move into the spare room but not until he got a new bed as he wouldn't sleep on a sofa bed. I knew if I moved in there I'd lose my bedroom and ensuite, so I started falling asleep in the chair downstairs. By the time he'd kitted himself out with a new bed and moved to the spare room I'd got out of the habit of going to bed properly. Eventually the woman moved closer and he moved out but my sleep patterns have never recovered. We've been divorced for years but I still sleep downstairs on the sofa more often than I go to bed. Lockdown hasn't helped and retirement too, so I don't need a routine so much. I end up napping during the day if I've not slept properly at night. I do go to bed if my daughter comes to stay as she nags me about it but of course she can't come to stay at the moment!

sodapop Mon 15-Mar-21 12:37:36

I sleep badly as well. Trips to the loo, but the worst thing is my feet and legs become burning hot and I have to remove the bedclothes until I am cold. My Dr prescribed magnesium tablets so I will see how it goes.

AliBeeee Mon 15-Mar-21 12:29:30

I generally sleep well, but think I am suffering a bit from lockdown fatigue and it’s affecting my sleep. Every few weeks I have a night where I just can’t get to sleep, I was awake until 3:30 on Sunday morning. I think there is a straightforward solution though, it is getting my life back post lockdown. My 1st dose of vaccine tomorrow will the first step along that path.

Hazeld Mon 15-Mar-21 12:28:55

I'm normally in bed at 12 and up about 10.15.It takes about one and a half hours to actually get to sleep and then during the night I wake up about 3 or 4 times having around an hour to an hour and a half's' sleep in between. I obviously need a stronger strength of Amitriptyline smile

wallers5 Mon 15-Mar-21 12:25:55

I wake up so early. I try to do deep breathing before going to sleep. I have a silk pillow case & sleep sprays. Nothing works to keep me asleep though. I have had throat cancer & this hasn’t help because my throat is always so dry. I wake up & sip water.

Flossieflyby Mon 15-Mar-21 12:17:20

I go through phases of good sleep and then may have a few nights of poor sleep. I do try and not nod off during the day after a bad night or it perpetuates the problem. I have camomile tea at night and no tea/ coffee after 3.00pm.