Sleeping

[cliffy]

I am a major insomniac to the point were it was becoming bad for my health and i was prescribed sleeping pills. Once I am a sleep i will sleep 10 hours easy but getting to sleep is a long painful process which leads to about a maximum of 3 hours sleep on work nights (with out pills).

I can easily fall a sleep in the afternoon after work while watching TV no problem if i let myself but at night no chance.

I am curious, what are others sleep patterns and anyone got any genuine tips on battling insomnia with out medication

 

[cliffy]

Nothing you might not have heard...

- Exercise : This has been the game changer for me
- Eating : Eat well , really.. avoid junk food/sugar , caffiene in the evening
- Avoid Phone in bed at all costs.i think the guide line is 2 hrs before , no screen time.
- Avoid larger naps in the afternoon as well... basically , if i sleep then , then i am absolutely not going to sleep at night and sleep comes later 2-3 am and the cycle is bust. This is also what i am struggling with this week.
- Meditation also helps.

Hope you manage to sleep well OP.

iving up caffeine (completely) and alcohol (for a long time, but not permanently) plus getting more exercise fixed my sleep problems.

Yeah Caffeine is already a no go for me in general, diet could be improved though especially post lockdown. Whn you say avoid screen time 2 hours before bed, is that all screen time or just tablet and phone?

 

[cliffy]

I sometimes split my week into 6 instead of 7, of approx. 28 hours hours per 'day'. It still works out the same number of hours which is 168.

Sun - awake from 1800 to 1600 (Monday)
Mon - skipped
Tue - awake from 0000 to 1900
Wed - awake from 0300 to 2200
Thu - awake from 0600 to midnight
Fri - awake from 0900 to 0300
Sat - awake from 1200 to 0600

Splitting the week into 6 means that I am actually tired when I go to bed and I can usually sleep and not wake up more than once. These times also fit around my work hours fine and I still get to socialise Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat. Nothing happens on Sun/Mon/Tue really!

This is interesting, may look at something similar to fit around my job

 

[cliffy]

Exercise plenty but my diet could be better. Once i get to sleep there is no waking me up, it is just getting to sleep. The insomnia pre dates lockdown. MY gran and mum also do not sleep much but it stops sort of insomnia. At its worse i was getting about an hour sleep every couple nights which is what prompted me to go doctors. 4 years later i still take sleeping pills nightly but it is time to stop. Damn brain just refuses to shut off

 

[cliffy]

Not sure if you are allowed to say but interested to know what sleeping tablets you take please?

I struggle to get to sleep but mainly because I have a chronic condition called intersistial cystitis.

Please remove if not allowed. I take Zopiclone 7.5mg. I also take Diazepam 5mg. I want to come off them but i heard cold turkey is not a good ide and Doctor thinks i should stay on them for now a life is still a little "interesting". Been taking the Zopiclone every night for about 3 years and the Diazepam every night since lockdown begun (approx., just after). Suffered from bad depression 5 years ago which i think i have overcome but unfortunately one of my best friends killed himself leaving his wife and 2 little kiddies behind which was when i started on the sleeping tablets.

I am glad mental health is not a forbidden subject these days but i still felt a little emasculated admitting it for the first time. I worry now though that doctors seem to be handing pills out to anyone just feeling sad. I do believe these things should not be prescribed by a GP and a Psychologist / Counsellor should be the ones handling these prescriptions