Difficulty Sleeping.

[Grumpus63]

The warmer summer nights can be a nightmare (except that it is rare to be able to sleep long enough to experience one ). Over the past couple of years, whatever the season, I find that I am waking up at two or three in the morning and eventually dropping off again at five or six. I was checking out various herbal remedies on line yesterday in an effort to find a solution. A new, higher quality mattress bought a year ago made no difference at all much to my amazement. It is especially annoying because when I was working I would wake to the alarm at seven and had to have a second alarm out of reach to ensure that I actually did emerge from the land of nod. Now that I am retired and can sleep as long as I like my body just doesn't seem to want to stay asleep and I am lucky if I sleep beyond seven even with two or three hours wakefulness in the night.

Then I saw a suggestion on line which I tried out last night and the impact was amazing. I have had the smartphone in the bedroom at night and during the wakefulness I have often logged on to check on YouTube updates and messages. The item suggested logging off the phone an hour before going to bed and leaving it in another room. I did. I woke during the night but just turned over. Eventually I woke properly at gone 08.30 completely refreshed after the best night of sleep for ages. Just an idea for those who might have issues in this area.

 

[Cowley]

I try to read a book for half an hour before going to sleep and that really helps.

 

[Gloster]

I used to find that two bottles of cheap French red wine used to help me sleep, but it did have the disadvantage of eventually putting me in hospital and then in a care home for a year. On a more reasonable note, try and avoid switching on lights, even the small one on your ‘phone display: I understand that it wakes you up disproportionately. If you have to get up in the night for a certain reason, try to find your way in the dark by touch, etc. (Which means checking that you haven’t left anything in the gangway before you go to bed. This may only apply to untidy people like me.)

 

[DarloRich]

Then I saw a suggestion on line which I tried out last night and the impact was amazing. I have had the smartphone in the bedroom at night and during the wakefulness I have often logged on to check on YouTube updates and messages. The item suggested logging off the phone an hour before going to bed and leaving it in another room. I did. I woke during the night but just turned over. Eventually I woke properly at gone 08.30 completely refreshed after the best night of sleep for ages. Just an idea for those who might have issues in this area.

this is not new information. Take a good half hour break away from things like TV and computers before bed. As @Cowley says read a book.

I am an very poor sleeper so have tired everything. Not much works for me, especially when alone.

 

[Iskra]

I turn my phone off on all nights where I'm not required to be up for any particular reason. It does provide significantly better quality sleep, and I seem to end up waking up naturally earlier, but still refreshed so I then have a more productive day

Reading a book also tires me out too, but sometime that can make my mind over active.

Not looking at your phone for 30mins before sleep is also a good idea.

 

[birchesgreen]

Don't have any caffeinated drinks after mid-afternoon. Either get some thick curtains or leave them open at night, personally i sleep better with the latter but some people sleep better in total darkness.

 

[C J Snarzell]

Afternoon

I think I've earned myself a T-shirt with my poor sleeping over the years. A few tips I would recommend for anyone struggling with their sleep -

- Cutting down on the alcohol is perhaps the obvious one to begin with. Even if you are only a moderate drinker - just try a few weeks off the booze completely.

- Ration the caffeine intake. I love my coffee - but I limit my cups to three a day now and revert to decaffeinated tea the rest of the time. I don't have any warm drinks after 8 o'clock in the evening.

- Keep mobile phones switched off and left out the bedroom (this has already been mentioned).

- If you use a Kindle to read books - don't use it for at least an hour before bedtime. Again, like the mobile phone - I'd just leave it in another room.

- Limit TV viewing to maybe a few hours per day. I very rarely watch TV during the daytime now.

- Keeping active throughout the day helps to sleep at night. Plenty of light exercise goes a long way to helping you sleep at night.

Just some of my own suggestions. They might not completely help insomnia but they will assist in some way.

CJ

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

I put my phone out of reach too. Retired two years ago next month, getting used to sleeping longer takes a while.

I often go for a walk before bedtime, clean my teeth, then walk then bed. In really hot weather I go cycling late 60-90 minutes, but one needs time to wind down after.

I sometimes take an afternoon nap, often I sleep quite deeply, wake up: have to reboot my brain. Sometimes a siesta is good, quite often not.

 

[Grumpus63]

Some interesting observations. I did knock booze on the head for three months earlier this year which did wonders to boost my bank account but had no impact on my sleeping patterns. Occasionally I would "catch up" on lost sleep by having and afternoon nap which was good but invariably meant that it was more difficult to drop off at night. I do tend to find that a heavier quilt helps in the colder months together with earplugs (especially handy if you are a light sleeper). Certainly light is a factor and illuminated screens are not helpful so that will be my way forward from now on. One correspondent mentioned not turning on lights when getting up during the night which is interesting but may result in one or two issues ("the coroner's inquest was told that Grumpus63 was found at the foot of the staircase" etc ).

 

[Gloster]

One correspondent mentioned not turning on lights when getting up during the night which is interesting but may result in one or two issues ("the coroner's inquest was told that Grumpus63 was found at the foot of the staircase" etc ).

If you feel that it is a bit risky, get a small, low-powered torch and keep it pointed away from you when in use. You could even stick a bit of tape or cloth over the lens to reduce the light to the minimum amount needed to avoid colliding with the table that seems to have moved since you went to bed.

 

[route101]

I have difficulty getting to sleep after I finish work at 10. Cant settle down.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Some times one seems tireder for no apparent reason, or less tired ditto. No need to try to understand why. Retired, one can sleep when one wants. Apparently getting up and going out early can be enjoyable too, if one finds oneself awake.

I sometimes wake at 7-8, then have another 1-2 hours deep sleep, get up about 10oo.

 

[75A]

Some times one seems tireder for no apparent reason, or less tired ditto. No need to try to understand why. Retired, one can sleep when one wants. Apparently getting up and going out early can be enjoyable too, if one finds oneself awake.

I sometimes wake at 7-8, then have another 1-2 hours deep sleep, get up about 10oo.

Certainly is one of the benefits of retirement, go to bed when you want, get up when you want.

 

[DelW]

A suggestion for those who may need to move around the house at night, without using too-bright room lights. I have small PIR triggered battery powered LED lights, one in the bedroom, one on the landing, and one in the bathroom. They come on when you move in front of them, and stay on for a minute or so. I did need to experiment with where to put the bedroom one, so it doesn't come on if I stick an arm or leg out of bed. I run them on cheapie rechargeable AAs, which last several months between charges.

In terms of falling asleep, I find listening to the radio helps, either music or speech (so long as it's not *too* interesting). Preferably using a radio with a sleep setting to turn off after half an hour or so.

 

[Bevan Price]

My main problem is that, no matter what else I do, I wake up once or twice per night, needing a visit to the loo. Usually somewhere near 03:00, and again about 2 hours later. Too risky not to go to the loo......

As for hot weather, I just reduce the amount of bedding. On the hottest nights recently, I slept on top of the sheets, and switched on an electric fan. Getting too hot at night seems to increase the frequency of "bad dreams".

 

[birchesgreen]

Some years ago i bought a bedside clock with a loud tick tock (travel Casio clock), i find the tick tock helps me sleep.

 

[Gloster]

Some years ago i bought a bedside clock with a loud tick tock (travel Casio clock), i find the tick tock helps me sleep.

But I am completely the opposite: a loud ticking sound drives me up the wall. I can put up with irregular sounds, but regular ones make sleep impossible.

 

[bspahh]

"Sleep Hygiene" is the phrase to search for recommendations on getting a nighttime routine. For example https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene

In general, sleep is a habit, when a long list of things switch off. If any of those keep you awake, then you don't sleep.

There are some specific conditions with good treatments (eg sleep apnoea and restless leg syndrome).For others, traditional sleeping tablets work but have side effects, so they aren't good for long term use. Good sleep hygiene might not be a cure, but it doesn't do much harm either.


This advice was bang up to date 15 years ago. I don't think much has changed for treatments for insomnia

 

[kevin_roche]

I found a video on You Tube of Freight Trains at Worting Junction. Was asleep in minutes...

 

[Grumpus63]

I found a video on You Tube of Freight Trains at Worting Junction. Was asleep in minutes...

Excellent

 

[birchesgreen]

But I am completely the opposite: a loud ticking sound drives me up the wall. I can put up with irregular sounds, but regular ones make sleep impossible.

Well yes people are different after all, all we can is present a range of options and hopefully the OP will find the ones which help.

 

[nlogax]

There are some good podcasts which help me drift off. I play them at a very low volume but just enough to be audible. It's been useful in helping me track how long it takes to get to sleep.. listening again to the same episode the next day and see how much of it I remember.

 

[DarloRich]

I used to find that two bottles of cheap French red wine used to help me sleep, but it did have the disadvantage of eventually putting me in hospital and then in a care home for a year.

that is not a good way to sleep. You wont sleep properly like that and could easily lead to dependency!

 

[nlogax]

that is not a good way to sleep. You wont sleep properly like that and could easily lead to dependency!

One (obviously not big) glass of very good single malt, however, can work wonders.

 

[DarloRich]

One (obviously not big) glass of very good single malt, however, can work wonders.

A blend wont sit well

 

[Gloster]

But the point was that I did sleep solidly. Sometimes I woke up once during the night, made a brief trip to the loo and then went straight back to sleep again, but most nights I got seven to eight hours solid. Since I had to stop, I have rarely slept for more than two hours at a time and that is often intermittent. I functioned far better with the wine and was not permanently jaded. N.B. I did not have to do anything like driving a car where I might be over a legal limit. I am not recommending two bottles of wine as a solution, although if you are prepared to take the consequences, it is an adult’s own choice.

 

[DelW]

I am an very poor sleeper so have tired everything. Not much works for me, especially when alone.

I assume that's typo' but it's an appropriate one

 

[DarloRich]

But the point was that I did sleep solidly. Sometimes I woke up once during the night, made a brief trip to the loo and then went straight back to sleep again, but most nights I got seven to eight hours solid.

Sleep yes. Not quality sleep. Booze doesn't get you to quality sleep. Your body, after a skinfull, basically turns itself off.

 

[LSWR Cavalier]

Sleep yes. Not quality sleep. Booze doesn't get you to quality sleep. You body, after a skinfull, basically turns itself off.

Apparently the worst beer gives the best hangover.

 

[Grumpus63]

this is not new information. Take a good half hour break away from things like TV and computers before bed. As @Cowley says read a book.

I am an very poor sleeper so have tired everything. Not much works for me, especially when alone.

Haha, but last night was NOT a good night once again. So today I have completely changed the bedroom around, got rid of a tall bookcase to a spare room, changed the position of the bed and other odds and ends. I used to sleep like a log but sleep lighter as I have got into senior years. I suppose that's fairly usual.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Aug 2021 ==

Well yes people are different after all, all we can is present a range of options and hopefully the OP will find the ones which help.

Thank you, yes, it has made a good discussion.