Can't Sleep For Good Reasons

[silliemillie]

I am having trouble sleeping at night. It's not the usual worrying or anything like that, in fact, it's the opposite.

Apart from my health issues, which I just get on with, I have absolutely nothing to worry about, I enjoy my life, have a great , loving family, and have loads to look forward to.

This is what's keeping me awake! I'm like a child looking forward to an outing, I toss and turn waiting for morning so I can get on with all the nice things I have planned.

But of course by morning I'm exhausted.

Strange one,I know, any thoughts?

[Buenchico]

Try reading a book in bed. It will divert your thoughts away from 'real life', allowing you to gradually start to doze off naturally.

[woofgang]

Do you have a winding down routine? How much caffeine do you have in a day?

[Peter Pedant]

morning chunder ?
the herbal tea I mean - morning thunder

the is another herbal which contains valerian a natural hypnotic
sleepy time tea ?

[silliemillie]

Thanks for the book suggestion, haven't read for a while but could give it another whirl.

I don't like Coffee and my last cup of tea is usually around 7pm so don't think it's that. By that time of day I'm exhausted so usually watch TV and use my iPad till bed time.

[Smowball]

I'm a complete insomniac to the point I went to my doctor the other week for help, he told me to go swimming every day for an hour lol. I've done it for the last two days and I ,use admit it's helping a tac

[MantaRay]

Staring at light sources, i.e. monitors, tablets etc can stimulate the brain, so it's best to gradually wind down with reduced lighting as the evening goes on.

[Pigletion]

The tv and iPad won't help - it is advisable to avoid sources of blue light around bed time, as it interferes with sleep. Exercise, if possible, is helpful. As Buenchico says, something calming, like reading, is ideal - it provides a distraction from your mind racing, but you can fall asleep whilst doing it (avoid hardbacks if you might drop them on your face :). I find focusing on just lying still in the dark and focusing on breathing usually works, not worrying if sleep is not instant (as lying still and being calm is restful in itself) and telling myself that the sooner I go to sleep the sooner I can get up, rested and ready to enjoy the day.

You can also get clocks that have a timer, so the light is dimmed over a period from on to off when you go to bed. The light gradually dimming aids in going to sleep. They can be set to work the opposite way for waking up.

[jno]

if I can't sleep I just get on with the work I've got waiting for me, then go to bed again when I'm on the verge of dropping off. Might be tricky if you've got to fit yourself into the living patterns fo the rest of your family, though.

[Old_Geezer]

Perhaps you could try to find a music source, played low, that'd stop your mind wandering with thoughts of anticipation of exciting events tomorrow, which are preventing you slipping into a state of relaxation and ultimately sleep. Needs to be pleasant enough to stop the mind wandering but low enough and soothing enough that you don't start anticipating or analysing it. You just relax and drop off. Or maybe other soundtracks can do the same thing. Waves washing onto the shore, babbling streams, rain falling, whatever.

[Old_Geezer]

Or maybe put on Freeview channel 131 ?

[elliemay1]

I do that too millie but I content myself with the fact that I'll be so tired that I'll sleep the next night.

[jennyjoan]

there are valerian tablets (if I remember correctly) I bought them from Hollands and Barretts some years back - God remember opening the bottle and nearly passed out with the smell - truly smelt like sh&t. So no I aint going to eat sh&t to sleep - never buy them.

[Smowball]

I'm the same every night - I've just given u now lol. I read on my iPad which I know you're not meant to. I watch films, anything till I'm half asleep then if I'm lucky I'll get maybe four hours sleep, often less.

[silliemillie]

Thanks for all your suggestions, Smow, I am the same, even if I do fall asleep I wake within 3-4 hours and the whole process starts again.

[MantaRay]

Ha-ha Old_Geezer, love that comment!

[Smowball]

Given in I meant!! Lol

[jno]

sleeping for a few hours, waking for a couple more, then sleeping again used to be quite common a few centuries ago. People would just visit the neighbours, have sex, read the Bible, whatever, then go back to bed when they were tired again

"What would our sleeping patterns be in the sort of ideal sense? Well, it turns out that when people are living without any sort of artificial light at all, they sleep twice every night. They go to bed around 8:00 p.m. until midnight and then again, they sleep from about 2:00 a.m. until sunrise. And in-between, they have a couple of hours of sort of meditative quiet in bed. And during this time, there's a surge of prolactin, the likes of which a modern day never sees. The people in these studies report feeling so awake during the daytime, that they realize they're experiencing true wakefulness for the first time in their lives."
http://www.ted.com/talks/jessa_gamble_how_to_sleep/transcript?language=en

The talk's here
http://www.ted.com/talks/jessa_gamble_how_to_sleep

Apparently one of the things is that if you think of it as normal rather than as an affliction, it all becomes less stressful - and you sleep better..

[Smowball]

Interesting Jno. That's sort of what's helped me - by just accepting this is just the way I am and not getting obsessed by it.

[jd_1984]

I have had this before.
Anticipation of something positive can keep you awake, although I would take that over stress and anxiety any day.
The usual advice - eat at regular times, exercise to your own ability, hydrate, cut down alcoholic drinks and sugars....
Take a book to bed or watch a bit of TV and try and concentrate on that rather than your over active thoughts!!
Failing that you can take it up a notch and introduce some medication, over the counter stuff such as tea's and Nytol etc.... But they are hit and miss and shouldn't be a long term solution as dependency can become an issue

[rsvp]

I have no problems sleeping but a friend who does says having a very light snack (non fattening/sugary!!) just before turning in has helped him.