Insomnia Disorder

[BEDROCK 10]

In the words of Maxi Jazz from Faithless: "I can't get no sleep..."

 

I am wondering if anyone with or without mental illness suffers from not being able to drop off at night.

 

I have been having more sleep problems lately with some of them caused by the cold weather, if my feet are cold I cannot settle.

 

I am taking medication that is supposed to make me drowsy but every now and then it does not work, tonight is one of them

 

I am wondering if anyone can share their sleep cures and solutions for getting a good night sleep in happy la la land zzzzzzzzzz

[Ladystiletto 10]

Don't have any sleep problems as such except a very old dog who for the past few weeks has done her level best to keep me up all night with her whining.

 

Listening to thunderstorm music usually makes me drop off

 

 

Having said that it is 4.15 am and Im wide awake.

[autumn 10]

I have been awake since 3.40 am lol .Have you had your Thyroid checked ? whether under or over it causes sleep problems . Also have a look at your diet there are certain foods that will help you sleep ,Turkey ,bananas .I am guessing you have tried all the usual things like hot bath ,milky drink . I am just having a warm drink then will try to get a couple more hours . Hope you find a solution ,I know just how you feel .

[suebeedoo 10]

A recommended solution is to actually get up if you find yourself tossing and turning. If you are lying in bed waiting for sleep to come you begin to associate being in bed with sleeplessness, when you need to build associations with bed and feeling rested and content. But I appreciate that easier said than done when it's 3am and you have only had 20minutes sleep all night, it's counter intuitive to actually get out of bed. Don't watch tv, don't play video games, don't go online - all are stimulating and are likely to make you less sleepy.

 

Try reading a book in warm lighting, or listen to some relaxing music. Try not to pay attention to the time, it is very tempting to count away the hours that you have been awake, but tell yourself that it really makes no difference and it isn't going to help you fall asleep. It isn't a one size fits all approach with this though - find the thing that works for you.

[UglyBob23 10]

Cold feet can keep me awake too so I wear bed socks and we also have an electric blanket to pre-heat the bed; you can also leave it on low over the whole night. Also, as mentioned before, try the sounds to help you drift off (free apps for your phone) and make a list of things on your mind before bed so you don't have to try and remember them. If all fails I get up read some news or look on Sheffield Forum and go back to bed when I'm tired.

[RutlandFlyer 10]

I've got a chronic and basically untreatable sleep disorder, where things basically go a bit haywire when I transition into REM sleep, causing me to experience night terrors. This can happen several times a night, so my quality of sleep is terrible. I can make the terrors stop by taking (very powerful) tranquilisers, but the sleep quality remains the same so there's not much point. It's just something I have to live with, now.

 

We are lucky in Sheffield that we have a proper sleep centre at the Hallamshire, one of only half a dozen or so in the country, so you can have full investigations done if you need them. If you live elsewhere, you only really get an EEG and some educated guesses based on your symptoms, so it's really worth pushing for a referral if you have a disorder.

[Mecky 10]

Insomnia is basic common sleep disorder and in several types like wake up early and can't sleep again,don't sleep on whole night,etc. the main reason is "Stress".so always ease stress during your night sleep.

 

thanks

 

Easier said than done though isn't it? But I do agree that once you've disgnosed what the problem is you can try and work on it

[ccit 10]

* Spend less time on the computer and be sure to switch it off perhaps a couple of hours before your usual bed time.

* Exercise - get out in the fresh air and walk for at least an hour a day. It is well documented that exercise helps with mental illness as well as keeping the body in good order.

* Try to achieve some small thing each day so you can look back and know that the day wasn't wasted.

* Clear the bedroom of clutter, keep it clean, tidy and use neutral, calming colours for walls, furnishing and bedding. Make sure it is well ventilated, if only by day.

* Do not have electrical gadgets in the room, notably television and computers.

* Fragrance the room with lavender an hour before retiring.

* Have a warm relaxing bath before bedtime.

* Have the bedroom warm but not too hot.

Edited June 6, 2014 by ccit

[yellowperil 10]

Don't have any sleep problems as such except a very old dog who for the past few weeks has done her level best to keep me up all night with her whining.

 

Listening to thunderstorm music usually makes me drop off

 

 

Having said that it is 4.15 am and Im wide awake.

 

Some dogs are scared of thunderstorms! Maybe thats why she is whining! Lol ;-)