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

[Elizabeth CP]

Thanks Dools, I am still waking up feeling tired even after a reasonable nights sleep. I seem to need more sleep than normal. Still struggle to get to sleep & wake during the night but not too bad I'm in bed over 9 hrs each night but still struggling to get up. Maybe I will try for a couple more nights & then try pushing myself to do more to see if that helps my mood & hence my fatigue

[Doolhof]

Hi Elizabeth,

All the best with your sleep! Hope you can find solutions. It is a bother when you get up in the morning and feel like you haven't even been to sleep yet! I know that feeling well.

Cheers for now from Dools

[MissBear26]

I have trouble putting books down. I will of sudden look around and realise its 4am. Not realising i had read for that long. Can't read on trains either. Tend to miss stops hahaha

Bear

[Doolhof]

Hi Bear,

Reading in bed puts me to sleep after about half an hour even if the book is really interesting. If I sit in a chair I can read for hours. Strange how it can affect us differently.

If you do require more sleep, is it possible for you to mark off a spot in your book where you will read to, then try to train yourself to stop there and sleep?

It is wonderful being so engrossed in a book though isn't it!

Cheers to you from Mrs. D.

[Guest_9809]

Hi MissBear. I'm pleased you managed to find your way here at my suggestion through your other thread last night. I'm never 100% sure those link addresses work.

I am just posting here myself now, so I can keep track of all the advice, as I need all the tips I can get too. (-:

Hi Mrs Dools.

Taurus xx

[Doolhof]

Hi Taurus,

Do you have trouble sleeping? Usually I fall asleep okay, then I wake up numerous times in the night. For me it is usually because of physical pain.

Some nights I have trouble trying to get to sleep at all. It is frustrating when there does not seem any reason for not sleeping other than not being able to nod off.

Years ago I suffered from chronic fatigue. I am not sure if that is still hanging around or not as sometimes when I am trying to sleep, I might be cold or too hot but don't seem to have the energy to pull up the quilt if I am cold or throw blankets off if I am too hot.

I just lay there like a beached whale doing nothing. It was like that when the chronic fatigue was bad. Like the brain is not connecting with the body parts required to do the actions. At times like that I don't even seem to have the capability of reaching for a book and turning the lamp on.

It is weird. Eventually I fall asleep.

I wonder if anyone else experiences anything like that?

Cheers all from Mrs. D.

[Guest_9809]

Hi Mrs Dools. Yes I have a lot of trouble with sleep. Which is why I replied to this thread. I thought I would monitor all the suggestions as they come through.

Anxiety and OCD seem to keep me awake a lot. It was just starting to improve over the last month or so, after having come through a difficult period with my PTSD related stressors. But now, with some additional recent stress around family members health, my sleep quality and quantity has plummeted again.

I also have some chronic pain problems resulting from a long term permanent injury, and when that is bad, it also affects my ability to sleep. Thankfully, and touch wood here, my pain has been pretty stable of late.

I agree with you that temperature plays a big factor in sleep quality. In fact my psych said that summer time sees a big rise in major sleep issues for people. And it significantly improves in winter. Interesting isnt it?

I'm sorry to hear that you had chronic fatique syndrome some years ago, I believe it is terribly debilitating. I do not know if it is something that recurs or stays in your system however? Could be worth asking your Doctor about that though. I have never experienced the sensation that you described. The sleep that is, not the beached whale! (-:

My problems are mainly related to PTSD nightmares and when its bad, you just dont want to close your eyes for fear that you'll be forced to relive past traumas all over again. And I think when you get into bad sleep habits, its really difficult to change them. I do have some medication for PTSD-related nightmares and sleep disturbances however, which I find reasonably helpful. But because it also lowers blood pressure I only take it when things are really bad. I already have low blood pressure and it becomes dangerously low on those meds. So it is a bit of a catch 22 in that regard.

One thing I do know is that sleep deprivation plays havoc with our emotions!

Taurus

[blondguy]

Hello Dools

Someone posted in the BBCafe yesterday that they were having difficulty sleeping. I mentioned your thread as it is a crackerjack of a topic where 'sleep' is concerned

I used wake up frequently every night at silly o'clock in a cold sweat...with the awful anxiety hanging around and was mentally & physically exhausted before going to work..I increased my visits to my GP and ended up sleeping like a baby 🙂

I was also taught to switch off the mobile and laptop at least an hour before bed......that also helped me out a lot as well. Ipads/mobile phones can keep our brain overstimulated which can result in a poor quality sleep.

Having a good environment at home is a also a huge factor in having a good sleep too...This can be a huge task for many people as I used to also have a toxic environment which didnt promote a sound sleep

Thankyou for the great/necessary thread topic Dools

My Kindest thoughts for you

Paul

[Doolhof]

Hi Paul,

You are right, so many people do have trouble sleeping. Even as a child I didn't find sleeping very easy. I used to leave the house and go for a walk along the beach in the middle of the night. We lived in a small coastal town, I never saw another soul on my nightly walks.

Maybe my "Guardian Angel" was looking out for me as I started doing this at an age of about 7 or 8!

Working on creating a restful place for sleeping is important. When we moved to this house 5 years ago I decided to move into a separate bedroom from my husband for many reasons. I now sleep better.

I can have the window open and fan on when I want, I don't get disturbed by thunderous snoring, snorting, wind passing and sleep talking.

I can go to bed and not be woken up a couple of hours later by my late night husband finally deciding to go to bed and waking me up. If he had something on his mind, he would sometimes wake me up to talk to me about it. Ha. Ha.

Now if my bedroom door is shut he has learnt not to disturb me!

It works for us. I am certainly not suggesting it for everyone. I hated this decision at first as it just felt like another wedge in our marriage. My sleeping better has helped improve our relationship in some ways.

We all need to find the balance and what works best for us.

Cheers Paul for giving this thread a boost, hopefully it will be beneficial to those who have not come across it as yet.

From Mrs. D or Dools

[blondguy]

Hi Mrs D

You have really hit the nail on the head with having the guts to close the bedroom door...It took me ages to learn how to that just a few years ago.

My environment was toxic at the time and I never really understood how much it affected the quality of my sleep

There is so much gold in your thread where having a quality sleep is concerned.....Like you mentioned hopefully it will beneficial to the people that are struggling with their sleep.

Nice1 MrsD 🙂

Paul