trouble sleeping?

Do you have trouble sleeping?

If you do what do you do to get you through the night

Re: trouble sleeping?

I have periods where sleep is an issue. I don't have any real fixes but I do sometimes try listening to sounds if the sea, rain, wind chimes or other calming sounds. Other times I listen to an audiobook with a sleeptimer in the hope that I fall asleep some time during the narration. It doesn't always work but it's the best I can do without resorting to medication. Been there and done that after my hubby passed away and it was a vicious circle and hard to break.

Re: trouble sleeping?

Sorry to hear you lost your husband Tracy

I have a friend who listens to calming sounds too.

I've tried it myself but it doesn't work for me especially when my mind won't shut off because too much going around in my head.

I don't suffer all the time with insomnia but it is horrible when you can't sleep and I find it a very lonely time so I sometimes come on the net then go back and try again.

My sister was addicted to sleeping pills, the doctor kept just writing repeats, I have heard if you take sleepers you never get a 'real' sleep

Re: trouble sleeping?

The sleep I used to get from a sleeping tablet was deep but felt drugged and left me feeling very fuzzy and not at all refreshed. The only purpose it served was to stop me staring endlessly at the ceiling at night but ultimately didn't cure my problem, if anything it made it worse. Now I just put up with those nights, frustrating as they are, as I know eventually I will get so tired I WILL sleep. Nights can be lonely and I do get overwhelmed at times but I'm learning that it's okay.

Re: trouble sleeping?

I can fall asleep ok but most nights I wake in the early hours. When I was a young un it was the opposite, I'd spend hours sometimes trying to nod off. For me that was much worse than waking at night. The doctor put me on temazepam at 22. It's a wonder I am not a drug addict. But the tablets were like a godsend. You'd take one and feel like you were floating with the angels. These days I take kalms one a night. Then some paracetamol or a nurofen plus or some ranitidine. Between that lot they take care of whatever is ailing me at 3am!

A restless mind leads to a restless body IMO. If we cannot sleep then we just have to accept that's the way we are designed. Ever alert for danger.

Re: trouble sleeping?

I too listen to calming sounds such as Tibetan bowls or bamboo wind chimes which shut off after fifteen minutes by which time I'm well away.

Re: trouble sleeping?

If I were to do that I'd start reading weird things into the wind chimes and start having morbid fantasies that there's something sinister underlying the music.

I need complete silence and total darkness and a really comfortable bed. So we have blackout curtains and I always use really good earplugs.

Thinking of getting a new mattress. Someone I work with recommended a Tempur. Anyone try that?

Re: trouble sleeping?

Yes I sometimes suffer from insomnia but I never take prescribed sleeping pills. My husband used to be prescribed those and got hooked on them. Then he tried Benadryl but he’d end up with drug hangovers.

I use cannabis and it usually works but if I’ve eaten a bunch of chocolate before bedtime then no it doesn’t. Since I don’t drink a lot of black tea or coffee I’m not used to having much caffeine in my system so having one cup of coffee or too much chocolate, sugar before bedtime keeps me up.

Some people find white noise helps some.
Spraying a bit of lavender on my pillow at night helps me sleep. Sleepy time by celestial seasonings is a nice bedtime tea.

Not exercising or watching the news too close to bedtime are good habits to get into to help establish better sleep patterns.

Heated milk has L’tryptophan and magnesium in it that help aid in a sleep.

Reading before bedtime.

Counting sheep?

Re: trouble sleeping?

When insomnia gets the better of me - out comes my sad lamp.

It was originally invented to help people suffering Seasonal Affected Disorder. (S.A.D.) Basically it's winter depression through lack of sunlight.

It was discovered that it also helped insomnia. I did a lot of research on the net & decided to buy one.

At my worst it helped me go from 4 hours sleep a night to 6, so I can't complain.

I haven't used it for a while but it's there in the cupboard should I feel the need.

Re: trouble sleeping?

I've never heard of a sad lamp Carol - what sort of light does it give?

I think it helps to sleep if you can make your bed and bedroom a place you want to go to. I surround myself with books, music, radio and a soft lamp and try not to go to bed until I feel sleepy. A cosy quilt and a perfume you like can also help. A cool bath and a bit of a pamper before getting into bed is also good. Something to relax into before getting into bed. Also, I like a cool room so I have to snuggle down into the bedding.

Being retired I don't worry much about not sleeping. If I have nothing pressing to do the day after it doesn't matter. Sooner or later I will sleep. One of the worse things, I think, is feeling there has to be a routine when you go to bed and get up and then it can become a worry if you don't sleep when you think you should. The radio can be good company during the night and if it gets boring enough - off I go to sleep.