Insomnia? or a weird bodyclock?

I am a terrible sleeper. My husband has nicknamed me 'Elvis' because I wander around the house at night making drinks and watching TV, anything to try to help me sleep. I rarely feel tired to be honest. Sometimes I have an afternoon nap for an hour or so which seems to help.

I'm another bad sleeper. In my case it's since I retired. Before that I would have to drag myself out of bed when the alarm went off. I believe it's recognised that you need want less sleep as you get older.
I very often get up about 4am make a cuppa and read. Sometimes I will drop off again but not always.

All I can say to you all is 'I feel your pain' .

It became a bit of a joke with the DSs when we were all still under one roof, but I do wonder if there is a slightly genetic thing going on too.

My Dad was a bad sleeper, but was a very busy man, and seemed able to cope so long as he had his afternoon snooze on a Sunday.

I have been known to manage for months on 4-5 hours (if I was lucky) with no ill effect, but tended to nod off for an hour in the armchair at weekends.

And DS1, from the age of 0, only managed 4-5 hours in every 24 although a very contented, smiley little chap. He is still the same 32 years later, and has been known to go 3 days with possibly 2-3 hrs sleep, and his eldest boy DGC1, is following the same pattern.

The only saving grace for me these days, being on my own, is that no matter what the hour, I can find something on the TV, or muck about on the laptop doing crosswords or playing games, which help to make my eyes tired, and so help me get a couple more hours later on.

I think my worst problem at the moment is that is half-term. Normally I am on the go from 6.30am to at least 6pm, sometimes 9pm if I'm going on to one of the other PT jobs, so I tend to sleep better on those days, or just pass out, not sure which lol.

But hey, I got another 2 hours early this morning, and am now up and ready to be doing....I do have a busy day ahead today, so maybe I can catch up a bit tonight.
Hope you all get some sleep too

The programme was called Goodnight Britain. Read about the participant called Gwen.

I often have problems with sleeping (or the lack of!),
Many a time when the hours of darkness drag on, and I am restless, I go and make a brew and get ou my laptop, go back to bed and Google.Helps me.
I sometimes take a sleeping pill, but I regulate them.

I have begun to have a lie down in the afternoon, some days; helps revive my stamina.

Like Baubles I can only manage about 4 hours at a time. I slept from 3.30 to 7.00 this morning but will go back to bed again now and try for another 3 hours. I have RLS (restless leg syndrome) which keeps me awake if I try to sleep between say 19.00 and 3.00am but allows me to drop off instantaneously in daylight hours. If it fits into your life I think the most natural sleep pattern is late to bed, early to rise and a long siesta in the afternoon. Would suit me but who would look after the DGC?

There was a programme on BBC on insomnia fairly recently where a chronic insomniac was recommended to go to bed much later than normal, 1am, and then to wake up much earlier by setting the alarm clock for 6am and gradually over weeks, setting it later. It worked! Google BBC programme on insomnia - sorry don't seem to be able to get the link.

Can't give you any help I'm afraid. Despite drinking night time teas, etc. I still manage between 4-5 hours and am permanently tired.

No tips from me I'm afraid. Four hours seems to be the norm for me, I feel exhausted most of the time