Lack of sleep

I have always had trouble getting to sleep at night. Recently I have been using a pillow spray and that helps a lot. I was given one made by Naom, and I know that Avon make one. I still have trouble some nights when I can't get to sleep at all and I get so upset I think that makes it worse. But I find that if I watch TV when I lie down on the settee I drift off quite quickly. Simply Infuriating!

I've suffered insomnia all my life and recently I downloaded " gastric band hypnosis" on my phone to help with weight loss , and I've slept really well ever since

I found that low rumbling noise like trains and planes actually lulled me into sleep. By accident I bought a huge fan for our bedroom which thrums cancelling out any background noise, (although little as we live in a quiet area). This also worked for me but for winter? We visited The Hive at Kew recently and the hum/thrum from the bees began to lull me again. I'm buying the CD with optimism. My poor husband can't stand the low vibration of the fan but glad not to have me twisting, turning and muttering!

My problem is I sometimes get in bed then I start to itch, no reason whatsoever, trying not to scratch doesn't work, it makes it worse, I can be awake for most of the night, the Dr advised me to take a piriton before bed, not only to stop the itching but to help me sleep, it works. Maybe I'm just weird!

I do sympathise, I regularly survive on about 4 hrs per night. Sometimes it is OH disturbing me (he's been dx'd with Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, takes medication to control it but still has breakthrough thrashing around), sometimes it is 'busy brain', sometimes it is both. Remedies? No caffeine in the evening, read half an hour before sleep, decamp to the spare room if OH is disturbing me, start off in spare room if I've had a bad night the night before, & in extremis take the Tesco version of Nightol. I would sell my soul for a guaranteed 8 hours per night.

I have spells of insomnia and it is awful. I think it is an age thing, I definitely don't sleep as well as I did when I was younger, not that I was ever one to sleep in late, I have never done that. My brain can be active all night and yet I am sort of sleeping, but sometimes I do not switch off at all. It doesn't matter so much now that I don't work, I try not to stress about it as I think that makes it worse.

I was tested for Sleep Apnoea some time ago - given a meter which had to be taped to one finger which Clinic can get readings off to help with diagnosis - only one problem I would wake every morning with part that should be attached to my finger hanging on by the tape - I must have been pulling it off in my sleep

I have radio on low, read until eyes are closing although more often than not I waken some hours later, glasses on & book somewhere !! I too have to get up for the loo at least once, I try to stay fairly sleepy so I go straight back to sleep, I only need to turn bedside light on & (stumble) walk to bathroom If I can't get back to sleep I just pick my book up again.

Now I am retired I stay up until around midnight & am usually up by 7/7.30. My last coffee is usually around 9 & last drink (marmite in hot water - ok I can hear the yuk!!!) an hour before bed. It makes no difference how much I drink in the evening to the number of times I have to go to the loo

Maybe first of all - stop worrying about not sleeping - its ok not to sleep - its ok not to sleep. Trust your body. It's doing what it needs to be doing.

With regard to your mind - it sounds like you are churning things over and over - have you tried mediation? To retrain your brain? To enjoy the letting go of worries - which are all just fabrications of our thoughts. How often does a worry actually come true? How often does a worry stop something happening or not?

If you have trouble with meditation - try counting backwards from 50 and every time you find yourself thinking about something instead of the counting just start again - and again - and again - you can do this - if you want to - but also its ok too if you don't want to. Its time to enjoy your life, to relax in the wonder of being alive and being able to move, being able to feel the luxury of your body laying in the deep softness of your bed.

Maybe find 'music' that has 'binaural beats' which can relax and quiet your mind - they are a little odd but very effective - listen with earphones though to get the full effect. Take small steps to practice finding your peace. Wishing you joyous discoveries Shanma. :D

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgwd_3k3pOw

This has worked for me, and it's to do with making sure thoughts are unrelated. You choose a letter, then think of the first object that comes into your head beginning with that letter, then another unrelated one, e.g.: L. Lemon lilo, lozenge, letter and so on. The theory is that because these thoughts are unrelated, i.e. you aren't going over concerns or unpleasant thoughts, you will drop off. Another method that sometimes works for me is telling myself stories where I am the heroine: I've been Che Guevara's girlfriend, a heroine of the French Resistance, a governess in 1920s New Zealand etc. Good luck

Try Lavender Oil on your pillow

This may seem weird, but I can't sleep if I'm in pitch darkness. Always had a problem sleeping, until I went in hospital for a couple of weeks, and the lights were left on dimly all night - slept like a baby. Tried it when I got home - result .... guess I must have been scared of the dark for all those years!!!

It's hellish I know only too well. One night a week I take two zopiclone sleeping pills to give me some sleep, other nights I lie till four a. M.!

I think worrying is your problem not sleeping.
I have no problem sleeping,( although I used to) as I now have done/ do the following. I bought a digital radio and using ear plugs, ( if I wake in the night I put the earphones in the radio is rechargable and stays under my pillow) and listen to radio four extra. Or I listen to it before going to sleep and it sends me to sleep. It is full of stories/humour/ plays. IF awakened they send me back to sleep in minutes.
I have also stopped worrying about not sleeping/ sleeping. If I do have a bad night I take a nap at four in the afternoon for 10 mins. It can be in the car or wherever.

I have invested in a Apple iPad and I download podcasts, Desert Island Discs etc and listen to them. If I go abroad, I check there is internet access and listen to the radio through BBC radio iplayer. TV BBC I player does not work abroad but I download BBC programmes before I go. I can watch them in bed, through ear phones without disturbing my husband.

Don't go to bed to early and take lots of Physical exercises. I am a OAP and can walk ten miles easily on the flat, six miles with climbing. Exercise tires you out.
Resolve to think ' my life is short' and try and stop sweating the small stuff.
As the buddists say YOU DIE IF YOU WORRY AND YOU DIE IF YOU DON'T WORRY....so stop fretting.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea some years ago, and am sure that is what is causing my sleepless nights. I too often get up to make a cup of tea in the early hours of the morning, then go back to bed. Unfortunately this means that I get up late, the cause of much hilarity in my family, but honestly on the occasions when I didn't sleep in, I am absolutely useless for the whole day.
I have Zimovane (zoplicone), but rarely take it, as I know it can become addictive. I have no answer truthfully, as wht works for one will not for another, but the relaxing of the muscles in the body in slow order does work, as does counting backwards from 100.
Sorry not to have been more help.

Me too, its universal isn't it?
I agree with all the things others have said and would add that what has helped me enormously is to expect it, and then when I am laying either listening to the podcast or what ever on the radio is not to stress about how little sleep I am going to get.
Then somehow I am relaxed and likely to at least be more rested, sometimes even nodding off again

Just another suggestion, have you tried playing one of the tapes for sleep insomonia? Like a bird singing

I used to lie awake for nights, but that was mainly due to the medication I have to take.
Shanma, recently I found if I eat a lot not long before I go to bed does affect my sleep.
Not many of us can just fall asleep like we used to do when a child. So what I do is just think of one object and keep my mind on the object, it nearly always gets me to sleep and,as people have mentioned, after a few hhours, if you haven't, don't just lie there, read a bit.

I do sympathise with you Shanma. I have had sleep problems all my life as far back as I can remember. Unfortunately I have no solutions for you, I have tried everything including sessions with a consultant at a sleep clinic. Lack of sleep got worse the older I got and trying to do a job when I hadn't slept for several days on end was a nightmare. I'm now retired and the long nights with trying to fill my days is hard plus I'm very irritable.

I have the radio on or a podcast during the night which helps to wile away the long nights but the usual presenter has moved on and now all they talk about is Brexit!

Sorry I cannot help you.

What works for me is - in no particular order - Audiobooks, telling myself (in my head) the story of favourite books I love and know well,relaxation or hypnotherapy cds ( Paul McKenna does one and you can get sleep in headphones),not dozing in the chair in the evenings ( having a hobby like knitting, crochet or sewing helps here ), just accepting that I don't sleep like I used to and not stressing over it. If you work, then not stressing is difficult, I know. I think we can get into a habit with sleep as with anything else. I also think that amending the diet as suggested above and taking a good walk helps. I hope you can get the better of it - it sounds as though you are in a real spiral with it.
For all those who can get off to sleep but regularly wake -
if you live alone have you considered sleep apnoea? Do you know if you snore and this wakes you? Your doctor can arrange a hospital investigation if this might be an issue. You just sleep there and are observed. Sorry if I'm going over things you know about. Here's to quiet minds and sleep filled nights for us all.

I have periods of sleeping badly and I take something called Quiet Life, obtainable on line. It was recommmended to me years ago,and I find that two three tablets before bed work well for me. Hope you manage to sort this out as there's nothing more wretched than insomnia.

Has anyone tried Pukka Night time tea? I find that a mug of this about 20 minutes ahead of when I want to settle down, helps enormously. I use it less now as it has liquorice extract which loweres BP and mine is already on the low side, as I have to take beta blockers for atrial fibrillation. But in times past Pukka Night time was my 'go to' drink every night - have recommended it to many people who have had excellent results. The taste does take some getting used to, not unpleasant,at all, but quite 'different'. The teas are available through the website or in most supermarkets...

www.pukkaherbs.com

Hope that this is helpful.

Poor you, Shamna. I get this in bouts so what it must be like all the time . Very debilitating. Echo what others have said. No caffeine after two pm. Just a thought, if you work from home are you getting enough fresh air?
Do make sure you have a good walk in the day. Went to a sleep yoga day recently. If you have restless legs, magnesium can help. Also I was so aware after that day about sleep problems,I coukdn't sleep. I found the Pukka night time teabag they had give us very soothing and dropped off soon after.

I often suffer this too although last night I slept very well. Sometimes I get up lots of times for the loo but that's possibly related to my blood sugar levels. I need to be mindful of what I eat after 6pm. I only have caffeine at breakfast. I do find any hypnosis MP3 is really good for relaxing completely and drifting off to sleep. I must say though, I give my husband strict instructions not to come into the room whilst I'm listening or I cannot relax into it. There are many available online. Good luck, insomnia is truly miserable.

I am a sufferer too. I have tried all the OTC remedies, avoiding caffeine after 4pm and as little as possible before that, reading, relaxation techniques, exercise, hypnosis and sleep apps. Nothing has worked for me so I now just accept it knowing that I can function pretty well the next day (luckily I don't work now but I was working with this problem previously). We have some worries which of course escalate in the middle of the night and I wish I had a brain switch! I can offer no suggestions I'm afraid but it sometimes helps to know you are not as alone with this problem as you feel at 4am!

I can identify with the impact this has, I suffered from a dreadful lack of sleep as a result of a very stressful job and then latterly the break up of my son's marriage.

The latter causing far greater impact than the former. I have been taking Magnesium Relax. See this link www.philrichardsperformance.co.uk/index.php/magnesium-relax.html and it has helped me enormously. I did the thing of the radio or tv and although the radio helped it didn't make me feel at all relaxed. The magnesium certainly has had a very beneficial effect and I have been taking it for several months now. The product needs to be high quality and not bought from a high street chemist, herbal/health shop, as the contents are combined with lesser ingredients. I have used this brand exclusively, which ironically was recommended by my health and fitness expert son.......

It takes a couple of weeks to kick in, is not cheap but the results are very good in my experience. I would strongly urge anyone with sleep problems to try it. It has lessened the tendancy towards panic attacks also, which can overcome you in the dead of night when sleep evades you and your mind goes into overdrive. Advice is to check with GP first , but unless there is a medical reason, i.e. Conflict with existing meds, don't be put off by anyone pooh poohing it as a stupid idea. I am so glad I have got some relief from the horrible endless nights awake.

It hasn't solved the devastation of my son's marriage breakdown but it has helped my health.

I have taken two capsules about an hour befor bedtime.

Hope this helps.