Allotments 4 All
General => The Shed => Topic started by: claybasket on June 20, 2012, 06:31:59
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We have been busy this last week with or garden and Lotty we are out 6hrs or more sometimes I go to the Lotty after tea for another 2hr watering etc,get home shower and go to bed around 9 read,or on computer,have a wee cup of tea at 10 then try for sleep I think by 11 am out ,then 1-30 am awake, that's me all night I may as well get up and do house work ,but don't want to wake OH up am pig sick, I'd love 1nights sleep for 7hrs on the trot anyone else suffer this s----, I will still get to the Lotty and weed I keep thinking if i get very tired i will get a goodnights sleep ???
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Perharps you keeping yourself too busy? Maybe tireing your body with work has opposite effect, instead of giving you a goodnight sleep, it just kicks in too much 'busy body hormones' that prevent you from sleeping. Are you able to let your body to get 'bored' instead of opting to do something when not able to sleep? Even if you are not sleeping is vital for you health to rest..physically not doing anything.
I don't usually suffer with not able to sleep..but there has been periods in past that reminds me of similar experiences and it is not nice.
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I agree with Goodlife, maybe you are over-tired and your body and mind just can't wind down?
I go to bed quite early, around 10ish and sometimes wake up at 2, thinking it's time to get up. I stay in bed till about 4 and then get up, luckily I do love the early mornings. :)
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I swear by magnesium supplements. something like osteocare (http://osteocare). Magnesium helps to relax the whole body muscles etc. Alot of women are low in magnesium but do some of your own research on this first.
It works for me when I can't sleep.
Duke
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You do not say your age, I always slept well until a certain age. Then I went for about four years with only a couple of hours each night, I was not in a very good state mentally during that time! And as I drive at work it was not good or safe.
I still get an odd night when I cannot sleep, mainly due to the blackbirds singing at 4 am. Anyway my tips include a "wind down period" at night, Bath with lavender oil then I spin or knit during this time. No computer, but watch telly-something relaxing or daft ( Midsommer Murders type). No tea after 7ish. a small drink of wine.
Snoring partners can be overcome by an MP3 type player playing whatever you find relaxes you - for me it is radio 4, it doesn't have to be loud, just enough to give the brain and ears something to focus on other than the snores!
(That said I was on the sofa from four this morning!)
good luck, it is so debilitating.
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Do not go to bed until you are ready to sleep.
Do have a wind down time, but do it in a room other than the bedroom, so if you normally go to sleep at 11pm then don't go to bed till 11pm.
Sweet dreams.
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I have always slept very little, this was not a problem when I was younger, but as I got older it is harder to cope with.
Recently I have been following the pattern you describe, getting to sleep easily enough but then waking up after 2 or 3 hours and being unable to get back to sleep again.
When I was younger I just didn't know how to get to sleep, and it could take hours. I'd often still be awake reading at 4, 5, or 6 in the morning.
To sleep you need your body to be tired and your mind to be relaxed.
The exercise should help with the body, but it is important not to exercise too late before going to sleep. Try a bath rather than a shower as a shower wakes up the body and mind (something to do with the flow of ions in the water), whilst a bath relaxes.
Don't do anything too mentally stimulating before going to bed, don't do puzzles or games, if you read (and I do before going to sleep) make sure it is something light that you do not have to think too heavily about. Also anything weighing heavily on your mind will not help.
And do not go to bed unless you are tired. You should only do two things in bed, and one of them is sleeping. I have spent the last week or so going to bed later and later, waiting until I am really, really tired. This has helped me sleep through til morning, although I am still only getting up to 5 hours sleep it is a massive improvement on the 2 or 3.
And now for a quick story from when I was younger;
When I was 19 and at university I was having real problems getting to sleep, and it was becoming a problem, so I went to see the doctor to ask for advice rather than drugs.
He went through a few things, and then said "Try having more sex".
Oh brilliant, "try having more sex".
I was a 19 year old male, at university, I spent almost every waking moment 'trying' to have more sex. And as I was an insomniac that was more than most. I doubt there was anyone alive trying to have more sex than I was.
It is not as if he gave me a prescription, or even a note I could show to girls.
"Try having more sex" indeed.
What's next I wondered. "Remember, keep breathing"?
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Hello chriselst,
Sounds like you have a circadian rhythm sleep disorder.
I have SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
During the winter I manage it by being woken by a sunrise simulator, and then have half an hour exercise in front of a very bright light, (and a few antidepressants as well).
The exercise/light keeps my circadian rhythm in check, so I actually sleep better in the winter that I do in the summer.
Have you tried/considered anything like that?
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A quick read on Wiki and that does sound like me. I've never managed to naturally fit sleep into a 24 hour period.
When I was younger I would sleep for an hour or two in the week when I was forced to get up for school, then up to 12 or 13 hours at the weekend if left.
I can cope quite happily on 4 or 5 hours sleep most nights, which is what I am now up to so it isn't a problem for me unless I am dropping down below 4 hours a night for a week or more.
Last year things got much better when I was regularly on the allotment, because of the exercise I assume, but there is so little good weather this year that I am not benefiting from that yet.
Cannabis before bed used to help, but I'm not sure it was a good long term solution and it's been quite a few years now. ;)
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I need my sleep & fall apart without it. When I first got ME 18 years ago I went for 18 months catnapping day & night. I slept in the spare bed so as not to disturb OH who was working then. I'd had a cough for the 18 months saw a homeopath who sorted the cough out & I slept again ;D. I still have periods where I don't sleep or wake early hours ::).
Perhaps cutting out caffeine say at midday might help. OH always amazes me if he gets up because he can't sleep he makes himself a coffee :o ::). Valerian is supposed to be good for sleep.
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I do agree with the "once you feel tired, go to bed, but don't go to bed until you are tired" theory Do you sleep in the dark? I mean is there sufficient difference between night and day light levels?
DO you have an iPod or smartphone? There are a lot of apps that you can get like "Sleep cycle" - put them under your pillow at night and they will monitor your sleep cycles - the idea is that they set off your alarm at the "ideal" time, but it is also a good way to monitor how you are sleeping. Your cycles may be a little mixed up.
There are lots of herbal remedies, it may be worth looking into...
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Try and think back to why you got a guilty concience, put that right and bingo! a good nights sleep.
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As a diabetic I thought all my nocturnal trips to the loo were due to the diabetes. But after long and in depth consideration, I've come to the conclusion it is muscular pains in my shoulders and arms that was waking me up and "As I'm awake, I may as well have a wee".
I think I'm coming down with Arthur Ritis or Screwmatics. I hope not, Mam had it and her hands finally ended up looking like claws, but it never stopped her knitting, tapestry work, embroidery and some types of needlework I don't have a name for.
The local T.V. station sent a team round and filmed her 'managing' with her ailments. I wish I had a copy of that short piece of film. I have a son who never saw his Granny.
Cheers, Tony.
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No caffeine at least two hours before you go to bed. :-\
A sex note from the doctor, I might try that one. :P ;)
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An interesting thread. I have the same kind of problem, Claybasket, and hve had for years- no problem getting to sleep, but can't stay asleep. I keep thinking of going to the doctor, but as I don't have any other symptoms i think i'll just get fobbed off. I've tried most of the suggestions in this thread but I'll certainly look up magnesium.
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Lack of magnesium can affect your muscles which can result in disturbed sleep, particularly if you have had an active day.
Try taking a couple of ibuprofen, see if that helps you sleep, as that will counteract the effect of the lack of magnesium.
If the ibuprofen does not help, then it is unlikely to be a lack of magnesium, but if they do help then it is worth giving magnesium supplements a try.
For us blokes, when looking for magnesium supplements in tescos, you will find them under supplements for women.
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I think there could be problems with dosages. Some cheap supplements will have a low dose in them others could be a lot higher. There is a healing dose which is often much higher than the recommended one. I hope that makes sense ;D. My daughter takes magnesium & swears by it too. I wish I could take it but with supplements I get terrible indigestion. It's amatriptyline for me in a low dose ;D.
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Thanks all for the advice, am,I drink coffee during the night when lying awake ,I find the brain won't switch off ,but will stop the coffee and put the computer away early , and the Magnesium sounds good .Its surprising how many pepole are suffering with this ,and its amazing all the help pepole have giving me your all so kind the more sex thing sounds good if I can remember what its all about ;D
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We went caffeine free when my blood pressure was sky high. My brain goes fizzy if I have any now. I will have a cup if I need to stay awake during the day but, if I have more than one, I wake at about 2 a.m and have to read for hours :)
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I am reading the book and using the CD of Anxiety Free: Stop Worrying and Quieten Your Mind - The Only Way to Oxygenate Your Brain and Stop Excessive and Useless Thoughts Featuring the Buteyko Breathing Method and Mindfulness (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0954599640/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=aldershomodel-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=0954599640) (The title is enough to send you to sleep ;D).
It is about how to quieten your mind by controlling your breathing.
It seems to work, but the problem with any of these type of CDs is they all tend to work for a while because they give your mind something new to think about, but this only lasts so long.
It's early days, but I will stick with it for now and see how I get on, but I will need to give it a month or so before I can tell if it is good or not.
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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.
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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! :)
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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.
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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
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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!
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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 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000WE54B4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=aldershomodel-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B000WE54B4) (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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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. ::)
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Try a hop and lavender pillow. It works for me
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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Guess everyone has trouble sleeping from time to time, worst is waking up 3-4 am and lying there with brain racing knowing if you don't get back to sleep will feel lousy all day. I tend to have a catch up afternoon snooze on weekends if it's been a problem during the week - strangely can sleep like a log after lunchtime sandwich or even just bit of a read and do feel better for it.
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I have been wakeful for two nights again , this time from waking up far too hot. Tonight is not going to be any better, looking at the temperature and humidity expected. Doh, it does make the night very long and makes me very sleepy in the afternoon. I am not getting up, apart from bathroom visit, as it is all too easy to get into a waking habit. Last cup of tea was at 4. Light food at 5 and now just water until about 9