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 Sherie,

That is great news regarding the tablets helping you to sleep. I think it is a good thing that we do not remember all of our dreams and nightmares.

I have a funny story about deep sleep and dreams. I woke up one night to find my husband at the foot of the bed yanking on my big toe. I asked him what did he think he was doing? He told me he was "Pulling out the nail from the board".

I told him he was trying to pull my toe off, that he was dreaming and to go back to sleep. I had to direct him back to his usual way of sleeping.

In the morning when I told him what had happened he didn't believe me! I too thought I never slept well, but I must have been sleeping deeply for some of his activity to have happened before I woke up!

Good thing he wasn't breaking bricks with a hammer in his dreams! Ha. Ha.

Cheers from Mrs. Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi Betty B,

Welcome to the community here at Beyond Blue and thanks for sharing on this thread. I am certainly no expert, it does sound like you may need to question another Doctor about what is happening. Have you spoken tot he Dr. who actually performed the operation?

Hopefully this is something that will disappear with time. Telling yourself that you are okay is a very reassuring thing to do. When you awaken after one of these episodes, would it help if you were to get up for a few minutes, walk around, have a stretch, tell yourself again that everything is okay and then go back to bed?

You could try some deep breathing and relaxation techniques, that might calm you down as well.

Some people do react differently after anaesthetic. My Dad cries for a couple of weeks and feels very vulnerable, upset and kind of lost. After any operation he stays with my sister for a week or two to recover.

Were you really anxious before your operation?

Hopefully you will find a Dr. who has answers for you, or better still, hopefully the condition will ease off as you learn to deal with it.

Thanks again for your input on this thread. Don't worry about being techno challenged, I am as well. If you post something and the moderators do not think it is in the right place, they will let you know and move it else where. No big deal, they are just trying to keep the forum user friendly.

Hopefully you will contribute to more threads. There are some fun ones on here as well you may like to check out. Lots of information as well.

Cheerio for now from Mrs. Dools

[blondguy]

Hello Mrs Dools

I think technically you are just fine

Just dropping a thankyou note for the great thread

Paul

[Doolhof]

Hi Paul,

Thanks. Some times a combination of poor sleep, pain and depression can mess with your sense of well being and self esteem! Also with my technical capabilities. Ha. Ha.

Cheers from Mrs. Dools

[blondguy]

Mrs Dools...you make me smile:-)

I agree with you...It can be a minefield..back in the late 90's I was doing everything I could with therapy and natural means to sleep but I was a wreck.

The night sweats...freezing....waking up exhausted etc etc left me nearly losing my job...so my female GP put me on these calmatives (small dosage)...95% of my sleep now is just the way its meant to be...not 'drugged' but no more shallow sleeps with being a zombie the next day...Yay!

This thread is necessary and should be kept in under the floodlights...Nice1 Mrs Dools

Paulx

[Doolhof]

Hi Paul,

For a minute there I thought you were talking about menopause...then I thought maybe not.

"The night sweats...freezing....waking up exhausted etc etc" Sounds like menopause though. Ha. Ha.

Yes, sleep is very important.

I'm glad I make you smile, happy thoughts are great for the mind!

Just trying to think of another funny sleep story but can't really think of one about myself.

One day when I was working in a community house crèche, I ended up caring for 4 babies all about the same age, still bottle fed, crying, needing changing and rocking off to sleep. The person who was supposed to be helping me disappeared somewhere.

Anyway, the babies were all fed, changed, and were still crying, so I cuddled two and used my feet to rock the other two back and forth in their prams. I was hoping and praying they would all go to sleep! Apparently it was the first time two of the Mums had ever left their babies with anyone else.

I don't remember, but I think I would have slept well that night! Ha. Ha.

Cheers from Mrs. Dools

[Doolhof]

Hi All,

I have been Googling a few sites around sleep. If you are interested in having a look, check out some of the following:

Sleep Hygiene Work sheets

Distress Tolerance Handout and work sheets

Self soothing exercises

Sleep diary

Easy ways to fall asleep quickly

While looking through "Sleep Hygiene" pages were also coming up regarding "personal hygiene" and "pet hygiene". The internet always amazes me! I didn't include any of those titles here!

Cheers all from Mrs. Dools

[blondguy]

Hello everyone!

Just another reference that may be of help.....

Claire Weeks...Self Help for your nerves....Dr Weeks was a Psychiatrist that also suffered generalised anxiety..

Happy Friday

Paul

[Gruffudd]

It seems to be a complicated thing sleep. I have tried all those structured things that work well for others like going to bed or getting up at the same time, ditching the technology and artificial light after a certain time, all with little effect. I have had more success by getting a pattern of food, bath, heater time before going to bed and only actually going to the room when I am feeling tired. The natural pattern for me shifts a little later each day so isn't good for a work schedule, lucky that I can be regularly late when my sleeping is naturally later. I think the most helpful thing was when I stopped trying to control my sleep and just went with it. I honestly don't mind the 2 am honey on toast, it is a lovely peaceful moment in the day/night.

[Doolhof]

That is the thing isn't it to find something that works for you.

Not all people will find the same suggestions helpful for them. The same routine may not always work either.

It does make sense that if I were to not worry so much about not sleeping,t hen it might be a lot easier to actually sleep.

For me, the main thing is to make the room and the bed as comfortable as I can before I even think about going to be.

Does anyone have any rituals they follow before they go to bed?

Sweet dreams all from Mrs. Dools