Insomnia Sufferers in here!

i was listening to podcasts trying to get to sleep. it used to work but only to a point then i was up all night, they weren't distracting me from my stupidly busy mind, just keeping me awake.
now i've tried to back off listening to anything. if i don't fall asleep within the hour i get up and read or something until i feel tired again. it's easier said than done but i think it's better than lying in bed in the hope of sleeping. the mind is the enemy for me, i'm not getting to sleep so my mind starts to worry about not getting to sleep which feeds the cycle.
i've also started going for a walk at lunch time most days, as well as my usual exercise. i find i'm feeling tired around 10pm or after now and generally get down to sleep.
i'm still waking up during the night a few times but that is very normal, and i can usually get back to sleep.
 
CircleFaust said:
now i've tried to back off listening to anything. if i don't fall asleep within the hour i get up and read or something until i feel tired again. it's easier said than done but i think it's better than lying in bed in the hope of sleeping. the mind is the enemy for me, i'm not getting to sleep so my mind starts to worry about not getting to sleep which feeds the cycle.
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This is exactly what the insomnia clinic recommended I do, and it works. It's much more difficult now that the house is cold at night though. Getting out of bed is much more challenging!
 
I used to sleep like a baby, but due to work... I went from day shift rotations that some weeks ended at midnight, then others would start at 7am, to working to working 5pm to 2am, on some days I would do overtime till 6am.

When I left that company I did weekly rotations of 6am til 2pm or 2pm till 12am..

My advice to anyone starting work and needs to work stupid patterns/hours.. make sure the money is worth it, as it messes up your sleep pattern for the rest of your lifes.

I don't sleep well now a days, sometimes I take herbal sleeping pills that helps me get though the night.

I did read something intreasting last night when I should have been a sleep. The natural sleep pattern is 4 hours then 2-3 hours of being awake then another 4 hours of sleep.
This is what most animals still do... and what people used to do in Winter.

This is what I tend to do, go to bed around 9pm wake up at 1-3am not being able to sleep for a few hours then dead as a log.

It's only since we started using candles and light bulbs we try to sleep for 8 hours straight.
 
Sadly after never suffering from insomnia in my life, I had Covid in wave 1 which has destroyed my sleep. Initially we thought as I had pretty much been out of it for 16 days it was a reaction to that but it never went away and 3 yrs later if I can get 25hrs in a week, I have done very well, 20hrs is more normal.
The issue isn't falling asleep, staying asleep for more than 2.5 hrs is the hard part. If I doze for as little as 10 mins in the evening, that is enough to keep me up for the rest of the night.
NHS have been absolutely useless, endless blood tests, CT scans, sleeping tablets every 3 months which will get me 4-5hrs but life is really grim. When you don't sleep it is hard to feel part of anything as you are living a different reality to everyone else :(
 
Something that a lot of people are alarmed at when I tell them, is that I hardly ever sleep "through the night". I will always wake up at least 2 or 3 times, roll over and go back to sleep at best. Is it that a lot of people do, do this but don't remember it? Or do people genuinely go to sleep at say 11pm, and literally awaken to their alarm at 7am being literally asleep that entire time?
I would say I average about 6.5 hours a night. I don't seem to need more. That is usually made up of 2 or 3 actual asleep periods.

I've found sleeping during me doing dry January, worse than normal which is....I suppose fairly unsurprising.
 
Had my first straight through sleep on Fri night and some better proper black out deep sleep but I am at my parents.
Trying to work out the reason as I can wake 20 times plus at home.
It's urban but actually quieter, the countryside is noisy but I don't think it's this.
I eat maybe 3 times as much with minimal exercise at my folks, maybe I undereat but my coffee intake also up.
I sleep feet pointing south at both houses.
I have much more social contact up here.
Light levels about the same (due to a landing night light in Cornwall)
Don't know, just writing some observations down
 
I cannot recommend cbd enough - for sleep. Seriously, I get like, 7-8 hours sleep, every night since starting it. I use the oil, so no smoke, no mess, no fuss, and most importantly - no smell.
 
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Rannoch said:
I have a proper blackout blind now it cuts all light and the room is pitch black. Helps a bit.
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I attached magnetic strips to the window and a bit of cardboard to go behind the black-out curtains. Even on a sunny day it is pitch black, I love it.

Actually been sleeping pretty well this year, but woke up at 4am this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. Gave up and got up at 6.
 
I feel like I've made considerable progress since the start of the year.

So although I'm on medication that can help me get sleepy and chills me out in the night, the major game changer, especially on the way to bed, or even in the night if I need a full reset is... yoga.

It's so, so cliche but if you find the right practice and just go with it, you'd be surprised, it's far from all about getting fit and strong - highly recommend Caitlin K'eli on YouTube, some of her practices are still beyond me, but the trauma informed sessions, hip openers, gentle flows and bedtime routines etc. honestly total game changers, even if you get up for 20 minutes, clear your head with the bedtime routine it makes a huge difference for me.

I was totally, totally not up for it nor did I think it'd have a positive impact but I swear, try a few times, see how you go.

I'm a relatively big guy and far from 'fit' yet it is still doable.
 
Back to it, staring at the ceiling/window/wall/pillow trying to get some sleep to no avail. Been exhausted all day too which is making things worse somehow.

Hopefully I pass out soon :/
 
I take L Tryptophan that gives me far better longer continuous sleep. I take 2 teaspoons of the powder before bed. It increases your natural melatonin levels, which aids sleep. You could also take melatonin, although I think letting your body maximise melatonin by taking a pre-cursor maybe more healthy.
 
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