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

[Doolhof]

Hi Dean,

Thanks so much for the information you have shared. Do you have any tips for helping people to sleep better? I do realise there are so many reasons that sleep alludes people. As you mentioned the sleep clinics can certainly help work out what the difficulties are.

My husband has created a situation where he can not fall asleep unless he is watching the t.v. This means when we are on holidays I have to endure the t.v. going while I am trying to get to sleep. He starts to snore, so I turn the t.v. off only for him to wake up again and tell me he was watching it! Ha. Ha.

Can anyone else relate to that?

Thanks again for the info. It will benefit us all.

[Doolhof]

Hi Sherie and Elizabeth,

I guess we could fill a few pages with reasons why people don't sleep well, so hopefully we will also come up with ways that help us to sleep!

Regarding pain and not sleeping, there are pain clinics as well to help assist people deal with their pain. Don't know much about them though.

Cheers ladies, sweet dreams! From Mrs. Dools

[Dwwmills]

Hi Doolhof.



As I said before there are lots of reasons why people have
trouble sleeping. Certain health problems can make it difficult to sleep. The
sleep clinic do blood tests to determine whether these were a problem before
they started treating anything else.



As a general rule of thumb though waking up at the same time
each day and being exposed to light at this time can help. My daughter had a
sleep phase shift which meant she wanted to go to sleep later at night than
most people. They treated this by progressively having her get up earlier and
earlier and reading in front of a specific wavelength and intensity of light for
a couple of weeks. We had had trouble getting her to go to sleep at night but
after this treatment it reset her sleep patterns so that she felt like going to
sleep in a normal time. But this only works if you have a sleep phase problem.
Surprisingly though, waking up an hour later on weekends can shift your sleep
patterns 2 to 3 hours later for the entire week.



Having a lower level of light a couple of hours before you
go to sleep can help. Restrict alcohol and caffeine intake later in the day.



One of the things they check in people if they snore is
something called sleep apnoea. This is a condition where the soft palate closes
over in the throat and people stop breathing. It disrupts sleep as they have to
wake up to breathe again and some people do this several times an hour. It’s
not something that they are necessarily aware of but they get very poor quality
sleep

[Doolhof]

Hi Dean,

Thanks for adding more to this post! My husband was diagnosed as having sleep apnoea, was given a machine to try and then refused to use it.

We now have separate bedrooms as he snores as loud as a freight train sounds rumbling down the track. I've never slept well, so moving to a different room helps a little.

I'm having a sinus operation in July which will also correct a twisted section in my nose. I'm hoping that will help me breathe a lot better at night.

Once that has healed, I might enquire about the sleep clinic. I had not realised they conducted such an intense investigation!

Thanks again for the info. I do recall hearing something about the light wavelengths as well. Great info!

Cheers from Mrs. Dools

[Doolhof]

Here is the next instalment off Google:

[Doolhof]

ARRRG. Bother! I will try again:

Think I need some more decent sleep. Ha. Ha.

Avoid drugs

Some people resort to medications or ‘social drugs’ in the mistaken belief that sleep will be more likely. Common pitfalls include:

• Cigarettes – many smokers claim that cigarettes help them relax, yet nicotine is a stimulant. The side effects, including accelerated heart rate and increased blood pressure, are likely to keep you awake for longer.
• Alcohol – alcohol is a depressant drug, which means it slows the workings of the nervous system. Drinking before bed may help you doze off but, since alcohol disturbs the rhythm of sleep patterns, you won’t feel refreshed in the morning. Other drawbacks include waking frequently to go to the toilet and hangovers.
• Sleeping pills – drawbacks include daytime sleepiness, failure to address the causes of sleeping problems, and the ‘rebound’ effect – after a stint of using sleeping pills, falling asleep without them tends to be even harder. These drugs should only be used as a temporary last resort and under strict medical advice.
• To this I could add drinking coffee and binge eating chocolates. Although they are not drug - drugs, they still can have a mild effect like a feel good drug to some people but don't help you sleep.
• Some people believe in a cup of warm milk before bed with a biscuit.

[Brent01]

Hey everyone with just being diagnosed with depression and anxiety etc,i struggle to sleep but when i do i wake up at different times and my stomach instantly starts turning at the thought of going to work has anyone else had this it worrys me quite alot

[Doolhof]

Relax your mind

Insomnia is often caused by worrying. Suggestions include:

If you are a chronic bedtime worrier, try scheduling a half hour of ‘worry time’ well before bed. Once you retire, remind yourself that you’ve already done your worrying for the day.

Try relaxation exercises. You could consciously relax every part of your body, starting with your toes and working up to your scalp. Or you could think of a restful scene, concentrate on the rhythmic rise and fall of your breathing, or focus on a mantra (repeating a word or phrase constantly).

[Doolhof]

General suggestions

Other lifestyle adjustments that may help improve your sleep include:

Exercise every day, but not close to bedtime and try not to overheat yourself – your body needs time to wind down.

Try not to engage in mentally stimulating activities close to bedtime. Use the last hour or so before sleep to relax your mind.

Don’t take afternoon naps.

Avoid caffeinated drinks (like tea, coffee, cola or chocolate) close to bedtime. Instead, have a warm, milky drink, since milk contains a sleep-enhancing amino acid.

Take a warm bath.

Turn your alarm clock to the wall. Watching the minutes tick by is a sure way to keep yourself awake.

If you can’t fall asleep within a reasonable amount of time, get out of bed and do something else for half an hour or so, such as reading a book.

If you have tried and failed to improve your sleep, you may like to consider professional help. See your doctor for information and referral.

[Doolhof]

Hi Brent,

Thanks so much for sharing your story here as well.

For all of you reading this, Brent has a thread called "Problems sleeping with depression" you might like to check out some of the helpful information and suggestions that have been shared on that thread.

Hi again Brent, some of the suggestions in the information I have posted from the internet might help you. There are some helpful ideas under GENERAL SUGGESTIONS.

Would it help you to have a worry time and hour or so before bed. You could write down all that is troubling you and work out if those thoughts will actually eventuate.

When you wake up in the night, you can remind yourself you have already dealt with those issues.

Could you read a book for half an hour to help your mind think of something else, count sheep or sing a song in your head, anything to distract your mind.

It takes a while to get into the habit of doing this.

I also try to do something pleasant in the mornings as a ritual for "happiness at the start of the day" before I go to work. It might be to do some stretches, play with the cat, go for a walk, feed the chooks, do a Sudoku puzzle. It helps me to look forward to the morning.

I then think of something enjoyable I would like to do when I get home. I work for the elderly in their homes, so my days are never the same. Sometimes I will have a couple of hours to spare between clients, but don't really have the option of going home, so I try to use that time productively as well.

Even if it is just sitting in the sun in a park enjoying the sound of the birds.

This is quite a long post already! Would you like to share what it is about work that has you feeling this way? Maybe if we help you work that out as well, you might feel better about work. Or maybe not, but at least you will have had a chat about it!

Cheers for now from Mrs. Dools