Insomnia

Been awake since 03.00 not glad but released that someone else is awake. Brain will not go to sleep.

I wished I'd known you were awake. I'd have let you rant to your hearts content. Been lying in bed hoping to fall back asleep since 3.40 finally got up just now. Will be exhausted by 10 o'clock and its my grandchildren day today. They come to me. I hope they don't want to go to the ball park. Those slides will be the finish of me! Any tips on how to slip back to sleep?

If I knew any tips on getting back to sleep I would be asleep.. Wish I had a sure fire way. I change beds, read, look at Gransnet, Facebook etc. can't go to get cup of tea cos that would wake the dog up and if I had a drink and went to sleep would need to wake up again to go to the loo.
When I worked I kept paper beside the bed and if I had a thought would write it down and go back to sleep. Now I just have worries!

Why not try the same technique Brenda and write down your worries through the night. Someone on here mentioned an online diary to use to store all the thoughts that go through ones head in the dead of night.

Its a comfort to know others are awake as well. Unfortunately my worries are not solvable by myself and there is nothing I can do about them but have to wait until my elder daughter finds out if she is redundant or not and then I can at least help financially if she will let me. My mother once said that small children are a headache grown children are a heartache. Very true. We love our kids whatever they do and whatever their age.

Brenda I agree with your mothers saying. I hope things work out for your DD.

I think it was someone on here who suggested saying over and over to yourself 'Don't think'. I have tried it and it works most of the time. It seems to block all other thoughts.
When I was teaching I used to plan the most amazing lessons when I should have been asleep but could never remember them in the morning. Never quite awake enough to write them down !

If thought about work are getting between me & my sleep I not them down and email them off to myself at work.

Last night my mind was full of concern for my oldest friend who has told me that she has left her husband of 40 years. She lives abroad & I long to give her a hug

I have suffered with insomnia for the last 18 years - if you find a sure fire way of falling asleep let me know!

Last night I went to bed at 11.00, was still awake at 1.15. Awake again at 3.00 then didn't manage to do much more than doze until I got up at 7.30 this morning. Some nights are better than others but the most sleep I get on a good night will be 4 hours. Doctor has given me pills but I don't like taking them so keep them for when I have had no sleep for 3 nights.

My grandmother was a chronic insomniac. Between postings abroad we used to stay with my grandparents, it was out second home. My memories of her include us having to be very quiet in the mornings until about 10am. This was because she wouldn't have got to sleep until about 3am. She used to get up and make tea, wake someone up [accidentally] and that person would end up drinking tea too. How she would have loved all night T.V.
Sadly, my daughter seems to have inherited that trait. I'm fine just as long as I am able to read for about an hour, and a cup of Horlicks, before turning off the light.

Kiora you have my sympathy - I always had a bad night before my babysitting day. Very annoying, just when you need the energy.
My grandchildren have recently moved abroad so I,m no longer needed in that department. Enjoy them while you can.

My latest bout of insomnia is because of a cough- once awake I start thinking....and thinking. I wish there was an off switch! I don,t worry about it now I'm retired but as a teacher I used to feel I'd done the day,s teaching in my head already.

By the way , Baubles - I was the one who recommended the online diary.

On a practical note I quite enjoy playing on my iPad - candy crush!
I also try to make notes of any good ideas I have - because in the morning they seem to evaporate.

Thanks everyone - glad I,m not alone although I do wish you all a good night's sleep. I think it is a leftover from early motherhood - counting how many hours you've slept to see if you'll survive. I'm nearly 64 now so it's obviously not fatal!

I always sleep badly when GC are staying and that makes me very tired for the next day. The GC are not babies but I still go into new baby mode, listening for every little noise. DH continues to sleep like a Wart hog but there again he never got up with his own babies

Rockgran I have recently heared that if you rub Vicks on your feet it stops a cough. I know it sounds ridiculous but I did try it on one of my beloved grandchildren this week and it seemed to work. I do try to enjoy them because I know how quick they grow. I only have the one today so it's not too bad. She's a sweetie. She'll be 2 at the end of January and that's a lovely age. She's repeating "melly clistmas" over and over and putting toys in and out of boxes, playing a mouth organ and laughing at herself. Sooooo sweet.

I use Vicks for that having read about it a few years ago. Had a terrible cough at the time and it did seem to help; one of those things that can't do any harm and worth a try [as long as you don't rub your eyes after applying it].

Definitely worth a try, although the cough seems better today- fingers crossed!

PING awake at 3.40. I'm seriously going to look into how to cure this insomnia thingy. Ill be tired again by 10. Still on the up side if I move quickly I might save some money at the dartford crossing if I get there before 6 . We are off to see my oldest grandchild 18 today, his brother and my very troublesome lovely dear dear daughter. She's probably part of the reason I don't sleep!

Have a nice time, Kiora, I slept quite well last night. Tried the Vicks on the feet! May just be coincidence but who knows!

3.30 for me Kiora. Family stuff of course. Just a case of one making a mountain out of molehill! All sorted out now but it is so draining..Feel as if I've had a night on the tiles but without the enjoyment

I'm often awake for a few hours during the night too. Getting more and more annoyed thinking of all the jobs I'll be too tired to do in the morning.
You read these health articles about how important it is to get a good night's sleep but they don't tell you how!
I find that if I go to bed as late as possible I sleep better, so maybe the answer is to do baking, sewing, washing etc late at night .

im a very poor sleeper and i used to get up 3-4am because i couldnt get back off to sleep....now if i wake early i put the radio on and wont get up until 7am at the earliest...

If I lived alone I wouldn't worry - I would just get up and do something useful but I don't want to wake the husband. It's amazing how much noise even something quiet like ironing can make in the night! Luckily the ipad is silent!

I am a poor sleeper and have survived on between 2 to 4 hours per night for the last year and that is with the help of Zopiclone. I am sometimes forced to take another halfway through the night (much to my doctors protestations) just to try and get some rest. I work so do need a little. I guess if the brain is in hyperdrive then sleep and relaxation will be difficult.

I never get up and do something useful. I think I have a bit of a lazy trait. I just sulk and huff & puff and bemoan my lot. I'm frightened to take the personality test on another thread just in case it tells me 'your a slovenly sulking personality. Your obsessive need to be loved makes you overindulgent with your family. You think too much and do too little. Causing you to suffer sleep deprivation. This is turn makes you bad tempered and leadings to bad decision making"....ooh err I think I'll print this off and stick it above my mirror.