Topic: fed up no sleep!

[grannyjanny]

Our eldest gets giddy ;D if she coffee after midday. We put it down to the fact that she had meningitis about 14 years ago.

[SamLouise]

I sought professional advice a year or so ago when my sleep went completely out of the window.

These are the things I was told:

No caffeine - including foods which might contain.
No food after 7-8pm as the body temperature rises when trying to digest for a long period of time.
If you can/want - have a hot bath - not shower - an hour or so before retiring because a bath will peak your temperature and then as it comes back down, the body relaxes and begins to go into sleep mode.
Try to clear in your head of the stresses, worries, excitements etc which may keep your brain ticking over long after you've hit the pillows (easier said than done!)
Make sure your sleep zone is a comfortable, calming and tidy one.  No piles of clothes, bags, books, toys or whatever else may be filling up your slumber space as you enter the room.
And most importantly - stick to a sleep regime.  Go to bed at a certain time EVERY night and get up every morning at EXACTLY the same time.  Whether you've had 2,3,4,5,6,7 or 8 hours sleep, make yourself get up at the same time each day and DON'T give in to power naps. Force your mind into a sleep routine and keep it going no matter how tired you may feel in the day. Watch how that works.

I sympathise with anyone suffering from sleep deprivation, at times it used to leave me in tears from being so tired and sheer frustration. Good luck to you all whichever remedy you go for! :)

[Emagggie]

What a lot of us there are :o I didn't shut my eyes until 4.30am Tuesday.I have interupted sleep maybe once or twice a week. If I haven't slept for an hour I get up and make camomile tea,read something light while I drink it, then apply lavender oil to the temples and nose and that usually does the trick. (except on Tuesday!)

Kleftiwalla, do you take statins? My husband (who is also a diabetic) found that these were the cause of his muscle pains. If this is the case, maybe a trip to the Doctor is in order.

[Jeannine]

I don't work on a 24 hour clock either. I can sleep naturally if I work on about 31 hour day which of course is not practical.

 I can't do nothing and work at something even if on a chair till the minute before I get ready for bed.

Not good but  I simply don't turn off when I should.

For some years now I take 2 tablets at 10 pm. I can still work through them if I need to, eg in an emergency but I do get to sleep.

For along time I felt bothered by taking meds but  my docter  explained to me quality of life is more important than being a purist in this case.

I have tried it all, hot baths, warm milk, a drink, a good book, a walk, music, not eating, going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time,but the bottom line is I am a poor sleeper on a rotten body clock, it happens.

XX Jeannine

[lewic]

I have the same problem. My body is set to wake when it gets light and sleep when it gets dark. Not very sociable! I am a very light sleeper and the slightest thing (usually my bladder) wakes me in the night. Things I have found helpful:

Avoiding alcohol - this always makes me wake in the early hours. I think this is due to its effect on blood sugar levels.
Avoiding any drinks after about 8pm so I don't need the loo so much
Magnesium oil - rubbed on the skin, it is better absorbed than tablets, and is good for restless legs.
A blackout blind - heavy velvet curtains would darken the room even more
Earplugs to hand for when the birds start tweeting.
In the winter I find it very hard to get up so bought a timer for my bedside lamp - it is a bit of a rude awakening though!

[Chrispy]

In the winter I find it very hard to get up so bought a timer for my bedside lamp - it is a bit of a rude awakening though!

I have 7 lamps timed to come on at 5 min intervals that increasingly light up the room, much more civilized.

I used to have a Lumie Bodyclock Advanced 200 Wake-up Light Alarm Clock (no longer working) but found it was not bright enough to wake me unless I was facing it, but maybe something similar plus your bedside lamp may do the job.

[Jeannine]

I rarely use an alarm. I just tell myself what time to wake up and I do wether it is 4 am or 7am.

XX Jeannine

[Digeroo]

I read that almonds help. So eat six roasted ones in the evening.  Unfortunately OH likes them and does not stick to six so I have to hide them.

I also found valarian useful, I ate one leaf before bed time.  Found out it must have been psycological because it is the root extract which you are supposed to take. ???  Maybe it was the fresh air while I raided the garden in the dark.

I tend to wake up at about 4 or 5.  I had one job when they did not like people being late, and I found the stress caused me to wake up off and on all night and I was actually more likely to be asleep when it was time to get up.

[Chrispy]

I had one job when they did not like people being late, and I found the stress caused me to wake up off and on all night and I was actually more likely to be asleep when it was time to get up.

That is the main problem with having SAD.
During the winter it gets harder and harder to wake up, and also harder and harder to concentrate, so you are constantly in trouble for being late and not getting things done on time.
But the stress cause by this just makes it worse, so you just end in a spiral of more and more stress.

The only solution is to find an understanding boss, so this is what I have done.... I work for myself.

[Mimi]

I work full time on night duty so have to combine working at night and sleeping during the day when I'm working, with up all day and sleeping at night during my time off work...I usuall get around any problems by just resting... I make my mind up that I don't really need 'sleep' as such but need to rest.  So I think that not fretting about not being able to sleep helps me.  I stay in bed and just try and relax and more often than not I drift off again.  If its really bad I find that Nytal (the stronger one) usually gives me a good 6-7 hours, but I don't use it often.

[strawberry1]

I`ll join you. I go to bed at 10.30 every day and read a few pages in bed

 I have my last food by 6pm and only water after that. My bed is tilted slightly as even a bit of heartburn can wake me and if my tum feels `fizzy` before bed, then I take one ranitadine tablet, only maybe twice a month. No chocolate after 1pm as that  causes stomach sphincter relaxation. I used to cough at night but taking measures to prevent heartburn has stopped the cough as well as giving me better sleep. I am very careful about the last meal, no hot spices or fatty foods etc and no fizzy drinks at all, ever

I still wake at 4 ish, every day but I go to the loo and make myself stay in bed and often go back to sleep. Hip ache can make me wake as can turning in bed but I am not taking painkillers. I just turn over. I make the room as dark as possible but am easily woken by the light peeping around the curtains. I just live with not sleeping through and am much better than I used to be, when I was always up again at 3

[Emagggie]

I'd be happy to miss sleep if I didn't feel so ill the next day. If I've had a sleepless night I feel physically sick all day. :-X

[Jeannine]

I know how that feels. yesterday we were running late all day so we ate very late and it was at  a pot luck do, this affected my meds which I take at night as they don't work so well on a full stomach, plus I have a tummy problem and I should not eat late, all in all a recipe for disaster.

 All through the night I felt sick, eventually upchucked twice, very little actual real sleep, and to boot an ashthma attack.

Today I feel awful, my body is till trying to cope, I feel ill, tired, I have tummy ache, feel sick am breathless and I ache all over.

Why on earth we do the things we know we shouldn't.

I think the old term for what I feel is liverish.

XX Jeannine

[Borlotti]

Poor you.  I feel sorry for people that can't sleep, I just love my bed and my book, got to have a book.  Sometimes I take coffee and chocolate to bed, my problem is I can't get up early in the morning, and have to have a cup of tea, before I can speak or function, just hate the people that jump out of bed at 5/6 am, about 10 am is OK.  The only times I can't sleep is if I am worried about family problems etc. but can make myself think nice thoughts before I go to sleep and often have good dreams.  Have told the grandchildren to do this, tell yourself what you want to dream of and it often happens. Obviously pain doesn't help, and when I had the frozen shoulder that was terrible, but sometimes I just can't wait to go to bed.  Night, night.  ;D  Sleep tight, sweet dreams.

[caroline7758]

After adding to this thread I slept worse then ever last night! On the other hand I did finish my book at 4.30 this morning. Must say the Kindle with light attached is great for reading in bed without waking OH.  ::)

[shirlton]

Try a hop and lavender pillow. It works for me

[Linnea]

I sleep but don't feel rested. today I'm absolutely dragging and could well do with going back to bed. last night I slept for about an hour in the chair "watching" tv and felt way better than when i sleep at night

[chriselst]

After adding to this thread I slept worse then ever last night! On the other hand I did finish my book at 4.30 this morning. Must say the Kindle with light attached is great for reading in bed without waking OH.  ::)

After I added to this thread the last two night's sleep have been better than I've had for months.

Asleep after reading for a short while and woken by the alarm in the morning.

No idea why.

[Chrispy]

I sleep but don't feel rested. today I'm absolutely dragging and could well do with going back to bed. last night I slept for about an hour in the chair "watching" tv and felt way better than when i sleep at night

You can have a disturbed night, constantly waking be not remembering.
All the tips still apply, it's just a bit harder to work out what works for you as you only have how you feel in the morning to go on.

[strawberry1]

oh wow, I woke up at 6.30 today  :) I vaguely remember turning over once or twice but nothing to wake me. I had more air and a cooler room, air from the en suite window and that blind down. Trouble is that the window in our bedroom is big and tilt and turn, triple glazed wood so it is either open or closed. It is about 6` tall and open is like being in a field. En suite window is more normal size

Anyway  ;D