Insomnia

Hi I ve been to sleep now awake probably won’t get any more
The only thing I can say is the more you worry about it and hunt for it the more elusive it becomes I accepted a long time ago that I will only get a few hours each night
Don’t blame the Gp they can’t perform miracles It’s not an illness we have to train our own bodies
Try some of the online resources there are plenty and learn to empty your mind that’s the most important as it’s that’s churning around that keeps you awake
Every time something pops into your head empty it and think of a calm scene or think of blackness with nothing going on have some low music or atmospheric sounds in the background
It takes some practice But the worst thing possible is to worry about it

My sleep,pattern has been awful since the start of lockdown! I used to get 7 hours a night although often between 2 am and 10 am - since I retired as when working I had to get up at 6 am.

Now, with less active days, I have no regular pattern at all. Sometimes I am awake until 4 am and wake up anytime after 10 am - one day it was 1.15pm! I end up having to get something to eat as I am too hungry to settle, I call it breakfast! Today, I was tired after a few nights of very poor sleep so settled down early, about 9.30 but woke up,just after 1 am and am still awake now!

I try not to fret about it and just read or play on my iPad until I get tired again. I hope that when my social life restarts, my sleep patterns will get back to normal again.

I think the irregularity is what is causing you trouble teacherann I think you have to be quite strict with yourself go to bed at a certain time and get up at certain time even if you had no sleep at all otherwise it completely mucks up the kind of regularity you need to build up so if you go to bed at 10 and awake by 12 don’t get up and go for food or anything like that and certainly don’t let yourself sleep in in the mornings because that would mess up the next bedtime as well 9 30 s way too early even if you are exhausted
I try to go to bed at the same time each night and I don’t have any trouble getting off to sleep just that I don’t stay asleep more than two or three hours but then I think it’s important to stay in bed not to eat or drink because then your body the next night is looking for you to do the same So make your bedtime 10 until seven or 11 to 8 and during that time don’t do any eating drinking or normal daytime habits if you don’t sleep just lie still because if you starts getting up, having food the next night your body is going to expect it and you re never going to get in a routine

I woke ar 3.30, having fallen asleep around midnight. I lay here till gone 4, then couldn’t bear the boredom any longer so I reached for the iPad. I didn’t expect to see anything on “Last Hour” so was surprised to see this thread.
I’m sure this bad sleeping pattern started with lockdown. I’m often awake till the early hours, sometimes till daylight, but even if I fall asleep then, wake up again by 8 or 9.. It’s more unusual for me to wake early,like tonight (this morning).

As suggested, I think if normal,life were to be resumed my sleep pattern, which has never been thst good, would return to how it was.

I don’t lie here and fret because I don’t have engagements or commitments to worry about, so I just read or use rhe iPad.
I couldn’t just lie here and do nothing, twisting and turning.

I hope everyone else gets back to sleep eventually (or got back already). Nice to chat to you!

My problem is the opposite. I get to sleep easily on the whole, around 11, sleep in snatches until the witching hour of 3. I then wake up completely And wait until after 430 to get up as DH loathes me reading or listening to the radio Which helps me get back to sleep. This has been going on for years.

Nothing to do with lock down for me I ve Bunny hop slept for years anyway I ve just had another two hours so had my normal 5 hours in two stretchers I always make sure I get up at 7am and bed by 11 I think routine is really important I still work three days a week so couldn’t go back to bed if I wanted to I do sometimes have a nap in the chair late afternoon or in the evening

Phenergan is an over the counter anti histamine, one of the old fashioned kind which makes you drowsy. It is not a sleeping tablet but gives you a great night’s sleep.
I travel a lot and cannot sleep on a plane so have used these many times. I would not consider driving the next day.

The most natural solution is Melatonin. In other countries it is an over the counter product but in the U.K. you need a prescription.

It is important to break the habit of waking early or being unable to drop off so when you find what works for you persevere with it for at least 3 days in a row then stop or cut down gradually.

P.S. Donate my £1,000 to charity.

Hey Esspee I was there before you get into the queue
??

I had forgotten about Phenergan, I used to give it to my children before long car journeys! What an awful mother!

Sallywally, if you ask your GP to refer you to Sleep Station it is a six week CBT course and it works. If your GP doesn’t fund it the you could contact them and subscribe (£250) it worked for me and I’d suffered from insomnia for 10 years. Good luck x

Stay off social media during the night

Insomnia is so frustrating I usually get up and make a herbal tea, don't always drink it but is something to do as a distraction. I try counting up to or down from 100 in 3s or 4s also stops me going over the same things and so boring seems to work! Hope you find something that works for you.

I also suffer from insomnia. I go to bed at 10 then wake at 3 and end up listening to World Service Radio for 4 hours. Sometimes this sends me to sleep. Just lately I have been using Jones the Bones natural products for sleep and they do seem to help. They do a Morpheus range and I also use Soothe the body oil infusion in the lavender bottle. It might seem expensive, but it last for ages as you only ver little. They use 100% natural products.

I have not slept properly for years surviving on 2 to 3 hours of death sleep a night. Im 61 years and still going. I blamed the shift patterns of nursing, nights and days in same week on occasions. I've recently retired and now manage 4 to 5 hours on good nights. I've tried loads of things and nothing works. Learn to live with it. X

I’ve downloaded loads of my all time favourite chilled music on my Spotify account. Laying listening to such beautiful songs always relaxes me and helps me nod off again.

I would reiterate Augusta's advice. I had chemotherapy for cancer a few years ago and that totally messed up my sleep pattern. I tried Melatonin without any success, saw an article about CBT and got referred. All it took was 2 sessions and I am now sleeping 6-7 hours most nights.

Hi I have suffered for 10 years sorry but have not yet found any thing that actually helps, but try not to use any electric devices white light definitely wakes up all your senses. I found listening to audio books or the radio keeps me relaxed until hopefully I drop off but only use small Bluetooth earphones no cords as it could be dangerous. Good luck and if you find a full proof method please share

I suffered from insomnia for years and years. Then I saw a nutritionist who recommended I go gluten free. That was nearly seven years ago now. It's a bit of a nuisance, especially as I am also a vegetarian but my insomnia is very rare now, so it has been worth it.

I have always been a bad sleeper from early childhood with night terrors, into adulthood restlessness, anxiety, pain from arthritis & fibromyalgia, prolapse bladder, once lock down started , I was having panic attacks - hyperventilating, palpitations, nausea. Lucky to get more than an hour or so at a time, wake up tired every morning.

I have tried everything CBT, Piriton (causes drowsiness) lavender sprays, herbal remedies, hypnotherapy, you name it, I tried it! Nothing worked for me.

I attended our local pain support meeting and a guy was giving a talk about the benefits of CBD oil including pain relief and helps sleep - calms you down, relaxes you. So as a last resort during lock down I ordered some from him, UK based supplier - no hidden nasties from abroad, all tested to UK standards, with certificates.

I have to say I am having the best sleep I have ever had in my life - wonderful refreshing sleep. I cannot recommend it enough as it has changed my life honestly, only taken me 50+ yrs to find it! Better sleep means I cope better with my pain during the day, so many benefits.

I started on 10% oil, two drops, three times per day, now on 20% two drops , three times per day, under tongue or even in food/drink.

Does not even cost £1000!
Hope it helps you as much as it helped me.

I have a 5% discount code maria16 and the company I got mine from is www.medivita.co.uk/?ref=16

Hi SallyWally1
I’ve been sleepless for years now, but before it became this bad, I used to listen to audio books and they didn’t fail me.
You usually fall to sleep somewhere in the middle because you’re interested in what happens. Worth trying!

Every now and then I take a drowsy antihistamine and it works a treat at knocking me out if I've had a few sleepless nights. I don't take them often.

Citirizine is the main ingredient, and you can get them in the supermarket. Look at the no name brands as they are way cheaper but are just as effective.

Otherwise have a look at getting some melatonin from Holland & Barrett.

Good luck!

thank you so much for the link COOKIE Monster!
I often look for things mentioned here on Gransnet, but so often cannot find them,

this is fantastic.. thank you

Some people worry about what is actually a historically normal pattern that we have been taught to view as a problem. I read that some places/times a pattern of two periods of sleep with a more wakeful gap of an hour-ish, was normal. I put the world service radio on (earbud). If I'm not 'engaged' by it I fall asleep, otherwise hear some really interesting stuff. Would agree with those who say regardless of tiredness you must have routine!