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SLEEP

Doolhof
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

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

435 Replies 435

Hi Shelll, from what my yoga instructor explained, Legs up the wall pose helps to slow your body down and stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (that’s hopefully the one that helps your body to relax - I often get their names mixed up!). It gives your body a chance to ease into rest and allows fluid and blood to drain back towards your heart (from standing/being upright all day). I do it on my bed at night for approx 5 minutes with my feet and legs against the headboard. Is that your understanding of what the pose does, Rose? Are there any other benefits?

Hey thanks for that

Hi Shelll

It looks like Fred explained it well. If you do a Google search you'll see various theories. Youtube gives good how to guides that where I found it too. It is certainly relaxing, slows everything down (thoughts, breathing etc). By the end of it you are able to feel more settled and ready for bed or the day. A cheap yoga mat is good for under the bottom if you are doing this on hard-floors as you may stay in this position for a while.

Hi Fred,

I'd say it is worth a GP visit because if it is a lack of melatonin your DR can assess a short term fix and you will potentially feel settled and be in routine again.

Until then yoga will at least make the restful nights a bit more accommodating. I have heard of weighted blankets to help but not tried first hand.

Ggrand
Community Champion
Community Champion

Hello Rose, Shell, Fred and everyone..

I have been reading...Well more like ears dropping...I am going to give that a try tonight...I listen to sleep stories..having someone reading to me about beautiful adventures, puts me to sleep...before I listen to one tonight I’m going to put my legs up for 5 minutes first..

Thank you..

Grandy

fred4761
Community Member

I’ve never actually had my melatonin levels tested. Neither my GP or Psychiatrists have ever suggested it. It certainly couldn’t hurt to get it checked. I would love it if the Drs could say “oh this is the cause of all your sleep problems” and then I could be fixed! Well, the sleep issues could be fixed at least.

I have a nephew and a friend who use weighted blankets and both noticed an increase in their sleep quality since they started using them. The only thing that stops me is that I have a dog who likes to sneak under the covers, as well as a cat who burrows under the covers on cold nights. I worry that a weighted blanket would be too heavy for their little bodies and could suffocate them or something horrible like that. I don’t actually know if that is possible, but I do remember hearing that they should not be used on young children for that reason. Has anyone had any experience with weighted blankets and pets?

Thankyou Rose

Hi Grandy👋

Hi people .

Fred ironically then bc l can't stand too heavier doonas or blankets. l just bought a new batch actually because l went all out last time and bought expensive feather doonas forget what sort but they weighed a ton and l couldn't move under them . l went out of my way next batch to find the lightest ones l could and they've been great and helped me sleep way better now when l do sleep. Winter here and l also bought two thick fluffy blanket things as sheets , rather than just thin nothing sheets and man l can't wait to get to bed every night now, so cosy , so all that has helped me no end.

Mind wise , l've been retraining for 12 mths now as l've always been a night owl and love the night. So it was very typical l might get up for something and think hmmm gees, bright night, but it's the sun coming up and l haven't even gone to sleep yet. But l work for myself and like to be on it by 9.30ish so then l'd quickly grab a few hours. Been that way for yrs so this last 12mths l've been training myself into more normal hours and more sleep and for a few mths now l've been getting to bed , for actual sleep , 12ish, 1 or 2 . Must've been 15yrs since l've slept those kind of hours and if l do sleep l'm often getting 6 even 8 lately where as l was living on 3 , 4, for yrs and yrs. l still miss the night a lot though and still often see the sun come up. l manage 5 or 6 nights a wk now though going early.

The hardest thing l find now is shutting the mind down. l usually turn stuff off and wonder about getting ready for awhile, that helps , sometimes, but a switch would be great haha.

rx

.

fred4761
Community Member
How is everyone sleeping? Overall my sleep has settled down a fair bit now that life is returning to some sort of normal. I ate sugar and processed foods at a party today and now I can’t sleep. I was trying to work out what I did today that could be affecting my sleep and my diet is the only thing that changed. I forgot just how important diet is for my sleep. No more sugary foods for me over the holiday season! I laid in bed since 9.30pm then gave up at 12.30am and got the iPad out to visit the forums. Not great to use technology at night, especially when I can’t sleep, but I’m wearing my yellow coloured blue light blocking glasses so that is something. Does anyone else’s sleep get so affected by diet?

This time last year I was sleeping badly, I would wake up 5/6 times a night and just feel exhausted all the time.

Since acknowledging my problems and working on myself the past year my sleep has improved alot. I still only sleep for around 6/7 hours but I feel better.

Diet and when I eat plays a role in my sleep patterns. I need to eat dinner fairly early (around 7pm) else if I go to bed too full I don't sleep as well. If I eat too much my body goes into overdrive and I just radiate heat and I feel so uncomfortable and sleep terribly.

Its a balancing act, but one im more than willing to do.