What do you do when you cant sleep?

Gerty Dancer · Guru

What do you do when you cant sleep?

Clare46 · Senior Member

GD

I've just retired 5 weeks ago and after 38 yrs of working afternoon shift and not getting home until about midnight and therefore it would be after 1am before I would get to sleep.

I now have trouble getting to sleep at a reasonable hour. I will be almost asleep watching TV and as soon as I get into bed I'm awake again. I lay there for what seems like hours and usually finish up getting up again and having a cuppa and a read. Sometimes I stay in bed in the hope that I will drop off but it is not unusual to still be looking at the clock at 4am. I have tried getting up early and make sure I don't have a Nanna nap, try to make my mind blank when I get into bed but nothing seems to help.Just when it is time to think about getting up I fall into a deep sleep and then wake up feeling terrible

If you find the answer please pass it on and I will be for ever grateful

Beth54 · Guru

For me, I have to get off the computer by 8.30. I find it stimulates my brain too much. Same with alcohol.

I've heard of having warm milk before bed, but it's no good to me as I'm lactose intolerant. I have camomile tea, I quite like it now, although it was an aquired taste.

A shower before bed works for me too. Some say it wakes them up, but not me.

Hope some of that helps you Gerty.

For me, it's the getting off to sleep. Once I'm asleep I'm fine.

Clare, I understand your problem. My Dad always had to get up at 4am for work, and it was instilled in him, right up to his passing.

goinsoon · Guru

I find a walk helps, but I guess that counts on where you are at the time and if it is safe to do so

lilly31 · Guru

I find the worst thing to do is just lie there ...I find it best to get up dont turn to many light on keep room dim lit and watch some telling or so time i fold up washing or something that dosent wake the body up to much and usullay wthin 30min to a a hour i am ready to go back to sleep again.....But sometime nothing will help at all ..

-- Edited by lilly31 on Friday 23rd of December 2011 04:14:19 PM

Firefly · Guru

I don't know if there is an answer, its frustrating as well.

I do puzzles, read, toss and turn. Some nights I just don't get tired and I will take something if thats too many times in one week.

ozi2 · Guru

Hi Gerty, many years ago I was given a relaxation tape and some very simple exercises to do while listening to the tape.

The tape was just the sound of gentle waves washing up onto shore and very light, gentle music in the background of wave sound. While listening to the tape the exercise was "tensing" hands into tight fist, also tensing muscle groups, holding for a few seconds and then breathing out in long gentle sigh, slowly releasing the tension in the hands and muscle groups.

We used to wake the next morning trying to recall the last thing we remember doing...........and we couldnt!

cheers,

ozi2

pauline · Guru

I have the other problem, don't have any trouble going to sleep but am awake usually about 4.15 every morning, doesn't matter how long I lay there, once I open the eyes that's it.......when I was younger my kids were always late to school because I always slept in, go figure, it does make for a long day though as I never go to bed before 10.30.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

ozi2 wrote:
Hi Gerty, many years ago I was given a relaxation tape and some very simple exercises to do while listening to the tape.
The tape was just the sound of gentle waves washing up onto shore and very light, gentle music in the background of wave sound.
cheers,
ozi2

I had a tape like that , made by Stuart Wild. Worked well! Oh where are you now Stuart?

Happywanderer · The Master

I go to bed watching my little TV, don't see much. I wake up in the morning and its still going.

goinsoon · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
I go to bed watching my little TV, don't see much. I wake up in the morning and its still going.

That is a good idea too, we have a timer on our tv so we don't have to get out of bed and turn it off

Elle on Wheels · Guru

I was a chronic insomiac since childhood and often had to take stuff to sleep when I got desperate. When through a period of ultra high stress 20 years ago and it got really bad. i was climbing the walls. Got that sorted with short term meds and making some major life changes. Then about 10 years ago somehow I started sleeping like a normal person - no explanation as to why.

These days I wake at sunrise and am still a night owl but mostly sleep well although shorter hours.

I still have bouts of insomnia and find the best thing is to read.

But geez I remember the frustration of being totally stufffed and not being able to sleep.

The thing that helped the most was trying to work with my system and negotiating with it - if that doesn't sound too crazy. I would acknowledge that part of me wanted to stay awake and let that happen. It seemed to take the pressure off and so less stress.

milo · Guru

some times if i cant sleep, like now ill be on hear!!
or watch tv, some good old shows on 7mate , like quantum leap, knight rider ,the incredible hulk
or put my head phones on and play my guitar for a while.. that kind of thing,
actually when i was younger (in my late teens) id be getting home right about now after playing in a band,
doing a gig some where at some pub, guess thats to blame for it,
also i listen to talk back radio and often call them for a chat...

sucastja · Senior Member

I've been waking in the early hours a lot these last few weeks, and not able to get back to sleep. I end up sitting on the couch for an hour or two and playing on my iPad, reading this forum, Facebook, etc. It's pretty frustrating! Guess I've got too much on my mind.

jonathan · Guru

.. going to bed early means I'm bound to wake up early. I try to stay awake til midnight at least ..

I usually awaken about 0430 - 0500 each day which is normal for me. If I'm tired and worn out the night before, I could easily crash out at 7.30pm which means I'll be wide awake well before midnight .. so its usually a tv movie or the radio to distract me for a while .. then back to bed leaving the radio running in the background. Seems to be my best action.

Jon

(currently in Parkes,NSW)

villatranquilla · Guru

I use a book light as it doesn't disturb hubby. I used to wake up (nothing necessarily on my mind) 3-4 hours after going to sleep but since taking magnesium I sleep right through nearly every night -its magic

Beth54 · Guru

villatranquilla wrote:
I use a book light as it doesn't disturb hubby. I used to wake up (nothing necessarily on my mind) 3-4 hours after going to sleep but since taking magnesium I sleep right through nearly every night -its magic

Oh yes, I forgot to mention Magnesium. I've started taking it, but not long enough yet, to see if it works. Also good for restless legs apparently, which I also suffer with ocassionally.

Ma · Guru

Magnesium is fantastic for restless legs AND cramps

Vic · Guru

Ma wrote:
Magnesium is fantastic for restless legs AND cramps

Also good for heart arrythmia (subject to medical advice).

I have a lot of trouble sleeping at night, try not to have a day nap but sometimes just can't keep my eyes open, some of the meds I take cause drowsiness during the day which doesn't help. Have been known to pull off the road sometimes to have a short nap.

I find it no good trying to sleep, tossing and turning etc, so get up, sometimes have a weak cup of coffee (believe it or not, in my case it seems to help me get back to sleep rather than keep me awake) or hot water, maybe watch a bit of TV or look at the forums or whatever until I feel tired again. I have sleeping pills but they don't work for me most of the time.

Beth54 · Guru

I'm like that when I travel too Vic. Often need to pull off for a cat nap...doesn't need to be long, just need to shut those eyes for a bit.

Unless I'm travelling with friends who will take over driving for me for a bit.

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Yes forgot about magnesium - have been getting a few cramps lately. Time to stock up.

jules47 · The Happy Helper

They do say that as we get older we need less sleep - but I have always been a person who sleeps about five hours - a friend can go to bed while it is still daylight, fall into deep sleep then wake up about 6.30 (in Qld - so no daylight saving) - someone else I know goes to bed at 9 (well, mostly) wakes up at 9 - don't think I have ever slept 12 hours in my life, unless I was sick, or on antibiotics, then I can sleep anytime day or night. Depends on your body clock I suppose.

animalcarer · Senior Member

A couple of panadol helps for restless legs and make one feel sleepy. My nana used to have warm milk with nutmeg sprinkled on it, I have tried it and it does knock you out, sleep that is. Mind you as we get older our bodies tell us we dont need as much sleep, but try telling that to our brains. I guess we will have to google this one.
Night night Have a lovely christmas day, elle, gerty, milo, jonathon, goinsson, grannie, happy wanderer , beth54 and everyone else who has been so lovely and friendly to me over the last couple of months.

Vic · Guru

Beth54 wrote:
I'm like that when I travel too Vic. Often need to pull off for a cat nap...doesn't need to be long, just need to shut those eyes for a bit.
Unless I'm travelling with friends who will take over driving for me for a bit.

Sounds like me Beth, the eyelids start to droop so I pull off before I fall asleep at the wheel, just a short nap, then a walk around and off again...... aww

Grey Nomadz · Member

Hi.

If sandra is not asleep by 1or2am she will have a hot chocolate drink but i have to have a sleeper tablet.

Regards Dave.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Thanks to the people who recommended Magnesium tablets, I had forgotten about it! Just had my first full nights sleep in weeks.... maybe I should wait to see if its a permanent fix, but am hoping.

Rip and Rosie · Guru

I listen to News Radio, on the snooze cycle it switches itself off in 1 hour. I have the volume very low, and the content bores me enough to drop off most times.
If I can't do that, I get up, crank up the computer and spend some time doing something other that stressing about how I can't sleep.
This last 2 weeks I have tried some herbal tablets, which take ours to work, but keep me asleep once I get there.
Rosie

Beth54 · Guru

Ah! You just reminded me...I also got rid of the clock from the bedroom. I found I'd kept looking at it, 'oh it's now midnight and I'm still not asleep' etc. That's helped too. Now there's nothing electrical in the bedroom, which is apparently a good thing.

Geoff n Jen · Senior Member

You people make me feel normal

Esmeralda · Guru

Usually get up and make a cup of tea, do a sudoku puzzle, then roll over and sleep. Don't know why but it works; as does slowly counting backwards from 99 - if you forget where you are up to or make a mistake then you must start again. Either of these methods stop you thinking about anything else because you are concentrating on the numbers!!