sleep hygiene

[gail2]

Any tips to a good nights sleep Im not sleeping well lucky if i sleep 4-5 hours Any hints/tips well recieved its got so im well tired during the day I have tryed everything. from no tv/radio to not having any lights at all and sleeping with a blackout eye mask on My mental health gets effected if i dont sleep well and im already feeling tired and low a bit Im tired when i go to bed but as soon as i get there im wide awake

 

[Thebearcametoo]

There are guided meditations that can help if you find one that you like. I like Zen 4 minds/Jo Harris which are now available on streaming apps. YouTube has loads too. It can be helpful to do some meditation during the day so you get in the practice of it not just trying it to sleep. I was really sensitive to caffeine so I had to cut out all caffeinated tea and coffee but thankfully that seems to have eased a bit. My sleep massively improved once I went on HRT but you may not be there yet. I’ve also used CBD patches. Not the cheapest but they do make me sleep well. I’ve avoided any oral CBD as it can act like grapefruit juice does and interact with meds. As far as I can tell it’s been ok with patches. There’s not a huge amount of good research about drug interactions so user beware.

I tend to have an audiobook going all night so if I do wake up my brain has something to latch onto and it doesn’t start racing off down random routes. I started doing this when I had small babies and would be woken frequently in the night. At least if I wasn’t sleeping I had something interesting to listen to. I used radio 5 a lot in those days and learnt all sorts of interesting things in their science section.

Not everyone sleeps for 8 hours straight. For many people being awake for an hour or so in the night is normal. It’s just about being able to get back to sleep at some point.

 

[paultrose]

Cut out caffeine completly
No drinks at all apart from sips of water after 7 30
Dont eat after 7 30

 

[gail2]

i have one full cup coffee in moring rest of day its decaffe cant avoid water on its own do medetate in day

 

[helli]

Cut out caffeine completly
No drinks at all apart from sips of water after 7 30
Dont eat after 7 30

I find it strange when people specify times for not eating/drinking.
I am sure it depends on what time you go to bed.
For example, I usually go to bed around 11:30 and eat dinner at 8pm without any problems.
Someone going to bed at 9:30 may find 7:30 dinner more of an issue.

Surely it about not eating/drinking so many hours before bedtime which varies a lot.

 

[pjgtech]

I think trying to clear your head helps, eg: just before bed or when in bed, deliberately spend 5 or 10 mins thinking about whatever is on your mind, going through the days events, planning things to do tomorrow, etc, so you are effectively clearing your mind/thoughts.

I also find stretching and relaxing helps, eg: start at the top (head) or the bottom (feet) and gently stretch, hold and then relax. Do this with every major muscle all the way down or up until you are at the other end of your body.
By the time you have got to the other end of the body, you will feel very relaxed.
So if starting at the top, move and stretch your neck, then your shoulders, then your arms, then your hands/wrist, then your legs, then ankles, then toes, etc. Stretch, hold, relax at every point.

Cheers

 

[gail2]

Thanks peeps some useful ideas will give them a go I dont wanna use/ask for sleeping tabs not if i can help it and anyway my GP is a axward bugger about them Not allowed to forget my past
Cheers
gail

 

[stackingcups]

I'm very lucky in that my particular combo of mental health meds send me to sleep within about half hour of taking them. However since perimenopause hit I'm waking earlier and earlier. Like you my mental health takes a dive when I don't sleep enough.

Make sure you're having time away from a screen before bed. Half hour reading a book or doing a crossword or something?

 

[Drummer]

I used to be like that - sleepy during the day but wide awake when I should have been in bed.
After some years I found it was my thyroid. My thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was 5000 times higher than normal when it was eventually diagnosed.
These days I don't keep to a regular sleep schedule, but when I do get into bed I am out like a light and sleep soundly.

 

[paultrose]

I find it strange when people specify times for not eating/drinking.
I am sure it depends on what time you go to bed.
For example, I usually go to bed around 11:30 and eat dinner at 8pm without any problems.
Someone going to bed at 9:30 may find 7:30 dinner more of an issue.

Surely it about not eating/drinking so many hours before bedtime which varies a lot.

It was advice i was given when i went thro cancer treatment and even though im in remission ive kept it up due to the adverse effects if i dont.

And if i do slip i always have a bad nights sleep

So it works for me

 

[Leadinglights]

My other half found Nytol herbal were really helpful when he was suffering from a spell of sleeplessness, he also had a hot chocolate or Ovaltine drink or decaf coffee.

 

[helli]

It was advice i was given when i went thro cancer treatment and even though im in remission ive kept it up due to the adverse effects if i dont.

And if i do slip i always have a bad nights sleep

So it works for me

I don’t disagree it works but the absolute time (7:30) is irrelevant. It should be the time relative to when you go to bed.
It makes more sense to say “Go to bed at least 3 hours* after the last time you eat/drink”, for example.

* made up time to illustrate my point not guidance.

 

[gail2]

have come to room laying om bed and crying i need to sleep

 

[silver minion]

Hi Gail, I hope you managed to get a bit of restful sleep. I have used a combination of things already mentioned. Relaxing the body. Nytol herbal and listening to soothing slightly repetitive music which drowns out my tinnitus. If my mind is racing and keeping me awake I will read a very boring book. Smith & Keenan's English Law worked well, never made it to the end of the chapter.
I hope you find something among the suggestions that works for you.

 

[paultrose]

I don’t disagree it works but the absolute time (7:30) is irrelevant.

For the type of cancer i had.....the treatment i got.....and the side effects i endured ....the timing was very relevant


Gail......something else i found that helped years ago when i was stressed was listening to music......but only just......headphones on and music turned down to a point when you could just hear it but not loud enough to wake you up when you nod off......just want it enough to blot out things

For some reason the genre that worked for me was metal!....especially Metallica......i honestly think its the rythm of the drums (and Lars Ulrich is an incredibly mediocre drummer lol)......since then ive found Julie Fowliss also works....shes a soft spoken Gaelic folk singer....also very rythmical

 

[beating_my_betes]

i have one full cup coffee in moring rest of day its decaffe cant avoid water on its own do medetate in day

Decaf coffee can still have 2 - 12 mg of caffeine. While that's generally considerably less than normal, it can still cause issues to those who are sensitive to the effects and/or suffering from sleep issues. If you're topping up your tank throughout the day then perhaps look for an alternative e.g Chicory/Cereal 'coffee'.

 

[gail2]

Thanks all last evening was a bad time crying bad mental health feelings wise Had 4 hrs sleep last night and feel better for it
EDIT REASON wanted to add more
keep falling asleep in Dining room as long as i dont snore i dont care I feel much better now