Insomnia. How well do you sleep?

I hadn’t finished this and posted it by mistake. My doc prescribed zoplicone which was so strong I tried to get up to go to the loo and fell out of bed and cracked 3 ribs. I was basically still asleep.

I find listening to an audio book helps. I don't try to get back to sleep as such, I just rest and listen . I usually nod off pretty quickly but if not at least I'm resting and I don't feel too bad the following day. I hope you find something that helps.

I have restless legs and they prevent me from sleeping. It can be 6 o'clock in the morning before I finally fall asleep. I get up, make breakfast for DH and me, then I have a sleep for a couple of hours.

I have sleep aids - codeine phosphate, sleep gummies, but nothing really works.

I am 73 and none of this bothered me until about 3 years ago.

It's very tiring, and trying.

During and since my divorce, 20 years ago, I have been on Zopiclone 3.75mg. It is beginning to lose its efficacy now. So I might ask to increase it 7.5mg.
Last night I went out for a meal. I had a glass or 2 of. Prosecco. I noticed I slept better 😂

I do think “sleeping well” is something that changes with age. I used to sleep like a log for 8 hours, nowadays at 76 I will wake up feeling quite fine and refreshed after 6 hours.

I will occasionally take an over the counter sleeping aid when my brain is working overtime, this does happen once or twice a month.

I have great sympathy for insomniacs, I see how my sister struggles to get “a good night’s sleep”.

I’ve had terrible insomnia for the past year due to severe arthritis pain in my shoulder. At one point I was waking in agony every two hours. Since my shoulder replacement my nights have got better, but I still wake a couple of times. I have a lot of shut eye to catch up on ! I will be thinking of you all when I wake at 2.00! It’s wretched I know.

For those who really need GP help with sleep....

Zopiclone, yes it is addictive and I am hooked

but...if you only take it just one in 3 or 4 nights it does give you some respite without getting hooked. I'm sorry you had a fall on it, Quietlife, but it does actually work.

My night vary a lot depending if I am troubled in my mind, there is something big on and off atm so some long nights are very difficult and sympathies for others struggling

I sleep well most nights. I have a bedtime tea around half nine with a bit of toast.

No caffeine after three in the afternoon.

I get ready for bed when I feel myself dozing and put on my Spotify Get sleepy stories. They work like a dream lol.

I don't always get up in the night but if I do go for a wee I'm straight back in bed and straight to sleep.

Maybe I'm lucky but I think building habits like this has worked for me.

My first DH and our son DS can drop off like logs whenever wherever. Most annoying for those of us who don't sleep well. I was talking to a friend about it and we both thought on the whole more men seem to be able to "just drop off" and compartmentalise tricky thoughts elsewhere.

anyone else found this?

My sleep pattern has changed over the different periods of my life.

When I was young (late teens/twenties) I could sleep anywhere - and did so in some strange places. Once I had children, my sleep was much lighter - (I suppose always on the alert for a cry). I learned to be able to doze off whenever the opportunity presented itself, but got used broken night. I also fostered new-borns, so the 2.00 am feed and the 6.00 am one was a normal part of my life.

As my children went into their teens, I began a better pattern of night=time sleeping, but was never fully asleep until they were all back home at night. And, always, the slightest noise around the house would wake me. Normal for Mums.

As time went on, and children all left home, I returned to normal 8 hours a night, and was always able to fall asleep quite easily once light was out and i was tucked up in bed.

As I grew old(er), I started the normal age related thing of needing to get up for loo once or twice each night, but went back to sleep each time quite quickly. Also, as an ostomist, often needed to empty my bag at those times.

Over the past few years I have developed a mild form of insomnia. I would be tired, go to bed as normal, and then toss and turn and not fall asleep. I found that if I actually got out bed - usually went into my Living room in my riser/recliner chair and turned on tv to watch something quite boring (found shopping channels quite good for this), then would start to doze off and return to bed and would fall asleep.

Now I use a CPAP machine each night, I have started to go to bed much later, always get up at same time, no matter how good or bad I have slept. One of the good effects of this machine for most users, is to cut down the number of loo visits required during the night. For the past few years have been so tired all of the time (Sleep apnoea finally diagnosed), so would spend so much of my waking hours falling asleep - now with CPAP, only need a short 45 minutes sleep after my lunch. In my mid-80's feel that is not too bad. So, most nights I have about 8 hours of sleep with one trip to loo. Still get a bad night (about every 5 or 6 days).

Hi ,

I don't know if this will help anyone.
I had really bad insomnia during covid, came out of the blue (no worries or anything). Was on zopiclone and antidepressants for about 2 years . Worked some nights, others zero sleep.
I hated being on medication, so decided to wean myself off them.
One thing I found that does help and I still take every night is certazine, a non drowsy hayfever tablet. I sleep 100 per cent better now, but still have the odd night were it is bad.

Yes, Nytol has 2 options, herbal or anti-histamine, and the latter does work for quite a few people.

I never sleep for long hours at a time, but never have, as having horses, it was always an early start to feed, muck out and ride, before going to work. My neighbour, 15 yrs younger than me, sleeps a good 8 hrs and also goes to bed for an hour or two in the afternoon!! I rarely go to bed before 1130 p.m. and on waking early read my Kindle. Once Spring, and lighter mornings come, then I get up early and out with my dog. At 90 years I think I am now too old to change!!

More so recently. It is either too hot, or too cold, or my pillow isn't comfortable. I get about five hours solid sleep and drift for the rest of the night. What keeps me awake: trips down memory lane to my grandmother's house and my primary school, the first boy who I went out with and could not remember his name, work situations from 25 years ago and so all these scenes are revisited in the small hours. It's all still there but hidden away in the noise of life.

I’m not going to risk saying that I sometimes sleep really well.
That’s a sure invitation to have a bad night. Last night was a bad night till around 2.37. Thats the last time I saw the clock.
I wonder if it’s because I tried Zen Colouring app yesterday afternoon- do it for at least an hour a day and you’ll sleep well. Can I sue them for misrepresentation?

Have you tried magnesium citrate for your restless legs? Works a treat for me.

I am a seasoned insomniac and also been on Zopiclone for many years.

Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.
It depends on the brand. I’ve had all of them over the years and I swear some are better than others.

Promethazine tablets which are over the counter used for allergies are also useful. If you can get hold of them.

I’m very lucky that I don’t have to get up in the night for anything.
If after all that, I cannot nod of then I resort to breath counting.

I have always been an early bird, from ayo7ng age.
Getting to sleep is never a problem; it’s staying asleep which bothers me. Since menopause, accompanied by frozen shoulders, I napped through the night.
Now? I sleep deeply, full of bizarre dreams, but once awake, any time from about 3 am, after between 3 and 5 hours sleep, the problem is being wid3 awake.
It used to bother me, it now I accept that I’m never going to sleep much.

Occasionally, hugs

I’m not a great sleeper and was prescribed Zopiclone for some time, but like a lot of drugs the more you take the less effective they become. I now take diazepam when I can’t sleep which I find effective if not used too often. Not a sleeping pill but a tranquilliser which just makes me feel tranquil! Melatonin is quite effective but not available in the UK, not sure why as you can buy it over the counter in the States. Before I had children I could sleep anywhere. On the other hand my DH has trouble staying awake. I’m very grateful to have my own bedroom!

me too Peggypatch I find certrizine helps me, not every night, but mostly.

I have never been a good sleeper. My late mother told me that she took me to the doctor when I was a baby because I slept so badly. Now at nearly 80 I have to get up at least twice in the night for the loo, but I usually have a nap in the afternoon. Funnily enough I find that I don't sleep so well at night on the days that I don't have an afternoon nap.

At 74, my sleep pattern isn't always great. However, what has really helped is taking a Magnesium supplement about an hour before bedtime. I often wake once to go to the loo, but then drop off listening to Farming Today on BBC catchup..... We're not farmers!

I'm a Magnesium taker too. I was given some medication, with a known Side effects of disturbed sleeping with nightmares, oh boy they did, luckily for just a few months, but even after I stopped them, I had problems.
My dear chum is a GP Practice manager and she was telling me that her GP's are now suggesting Magnesium before they give sleeping pills.
As they are a Mineral they are fine to take, with other meds.
They worked for me, I take mine mid day as I found that's more effective than just before bed.
Worth having a go?