SLEEP

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

In the past there may have been threads on sleep and how to improve our quality of sleep.

I am starting this thread up and hope to include past thread titles.

For some of us sleep is a real issue, the more we can learn about it the better informed we will be.

Funny stories on weird places you have fallen asleep are welcome as well.

For me, I had just moved house and was very busy getting everything organised. Friends invited me to the drag races. I was so tired and exhausted that I sat down, leant against the fence right near the starting line and fell asleep for most of the evening.

Hope to read some of your stories and tips.

Cheerio for now, from Mrs. Dools

[Guest_5218]

Good one Mrs Dools.

I am really struggling from lack of sleep. Some nights I just dont get any sleep at all. Other nights I may get an hour or so early on, then nothing. Other nights I kind of just doze and then count down each hour as it passes, without any sleep. In the end it is almost a relief when the sun comes up and I can get up, knowing that I have again been defeated by lack of sleep. I just feel so tired and worn out during the day. It is affecting my work and home life. So ........... anything that you have found helpful, I am willing to try.

My GP has recently asked me to fill in a sleep diary and to go back to see him again to discuss. I have completed the diary, but not been back to discuss with the GP yet, but will do so soon. I really dont know what good it will do though. Has anyone else out there done this, and if so, what came of it for you? Helpful or not?

I will follow this thread with much interest ...... eagerly awaiting your tips.

Sherie xx

[geoff]

dear Mrs. Dools, yes a good post to start as of course all of us are totally different.
I am one of the lucky ones, as I can sleep anywhere, on the loo and have been caught out when we were at a restaurant with friends.
When my twin and I were young we would be playing outside, kicking the footy or doing something at the park right opposite our house and in a dead end street, where Mum would come out after lunch and blow a scout whistle calling my name as I had to go inside and have a sleep, no one else had to go inside just me, because she always said I get crotchety when I'm tired.
Now a days not much has changed these days, because of the heavy dose of anti-epiletic medication I have to take, but I have always been an early riser. Geoff. x

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

Obey your body clock

The body’s alternating sleep-wake cycle is controlled by an internal ‘clock’ within the brain. Most bodily processes (such as temperature and brain states) are synchronised to this 24-hour physiological clock. Getting a good sleep means working with your body clock, not against it. Suggestions include:

• Get up at the same time every day. Soon this strict routine will help to ‘set’ your body clock and you’ll find yourself getting sleepy at about the same time every night.
• Don’t ignore tiredness. Go to bed when your body tells you it’s ready.
• Don’t go to bed if you don’t feel tired. You will only reinforce bad habits such as lying awake.
• Get enough early morning sunshine. Exposure to light during early waking hours helps to set your body clock.

I copied and pasted this from one of 1,870,000 results regarding Sleep Hygiene that I found on Google.

These are suggestions made by one person/organisation. Your Dr. psychologist or therapist may suggest other ideas around this section of sleep problems.

Of course for some people it will be difficult or impossible to keep set times for getting up each day. Guess we all have to work out what works best.

Like I mentioned, this is one small snippet of advice from so many entries on Google.

If any of you have any advice, I am sure we will all be thankful.

Cheers for now from Mrs. Dools.

[Doolhof]

Hi Sherie,

Regarding your Dr. asking you to fill in the sleep diary, I presume it is so the Dr. can see if there is a pattern or not to your sleep problems. Apparently there are all different types of sleep.

If the Dr. can work out a time when you are having difficulty sleeping, then he/she may be able to come up with solutions to help you.

I do suggest you return to your Dr to discuss this and ask what information he/she can gain from your sleep diary.

Wishing you a better night's sleep!

As I mentioned above, that is just the first bit of information regarding sleep.

Cheers from Mrs. Dools

[Doolhof]

Just had another thought regarding sleeping.

Did anyone have parents or siblings who used to read them stories before they went to bed?

Maybe listening to talking books might help some people, or have someone read you a story. My sister gets her daughter to read her stories when she can not get to sleep and it works for her. My sister is about 45 years old.

Years ago I would listen to a cassette with meditation on it and that would send me to sleep. Only problem was, that with the old cassette player, when the cassette stopped, the machine would make a loud "Click" sound and I would be awake again. Ha. Ha.

The sound of someone talking rather than singing has a soothing effect on some people. How many of you have trouble staying awake during a boring meeting or at Church during a sermon?

Something to think about!

[Dwwmills]

Hi Sherie.



Lack of sleep makes things very hard to deal with. There are
sleep clinics and doctors who deal with sleep disorders. I have been to one
myself and found them very helpful. There are lots of different reasons people
have trouble either going to sleep staying asleep or feeling like that had
enough rest even if they have slept. A sleep diary is the initial tool they use
to give them an idea of what might be going on with your sleep. I had to fill
one out before my 1st appointment. It tracks things like what time
you go to sleep, how much sleep you get, how often you wake up, whether you get
up and wander around, when you eat, caffeine intake, alcohol, medication and
many other things.



They will chase up whether your sleep cycles are out,
whether you have some underlying physiological problem, review any medication
you’re on and many other things. They are very thorough and because they
specialise in sleep they are also very good at getting to the bottom of
whatever problem you may have. Some hospitals and universities sometimes have
sleep clinics attached to them and there are also private sleep clinics as
well. Your doctor should know of any in your particular area.



You don’t need to have a major sleep disorder to attend a
sleep clinic. They will treat anyone who is having any levy level of difficulty
with their sleep.



Good luck

Dean

[Elizabeth CP]

One thing I've found helps is to do something relaxing before going to bed or sleep. In my case I read for a short while in bed before turning off the light. This helps to calm my mind. I do it in bed as this avoids having to disturb myself getting up to get to bed if I read elsewhere. I try to switch off the laptop etc at least 1 hr before bedtime as the light apparently interferes with the production of melatonin which is needed for sleep. I notice if I try to sleep after being very busy I struggle so wind down time is essential.

When you are in pain, too hot, uncomfortable or upset sleep becomes impossible.

[Guest_5218]

Mrs Dools, thankyou for the info on sleep diary. Certainly at the moment my sleep diary looks really bad. )-:

Thanks Elizabeth, I must try to get into reading again. Something I used to love doing, but havent done much of for years.

Dean, thanks for the details on sleep clinics. I will follow up with my GP when I see him, and see what he has to say on the matter.

Certainly if this lack of sleep continues, I definitely need to do something.

Sherie xx

[Doolhof]

Here is another snippet from the internet.

Improve your sleeping environment

Good sleep is more likely if your bedroom feels restful and comfortable. Suggestions include:

• Invest in a mattress that is neither too hard nor too soft.
• Make sure the room is at the right temperature.
• Ensure the room is dark enough.
• If you can’t control noise (such as barking dogs or loud neighbours), buy a pair of earplugs.
• Use your bedroom only for sleeping and intimacy. If you treat your bed like a second lounge room – for watching television or talking to friends on the phone, for example – your mind will associate your bedroom with activity.