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]

The last few nights I have been sleeping worse than usual. It could be because of my increased back pain, thoughts about how to help my husband, being concerned about his alcohol intake and not taking time during the day to work on these issues.

So anyway, I decided to try the counting back from 300 in 3s. My brain soon clicked in to the fact that a pattern was forming with the numbers, so I went right back to zero, then from zero to 300 and back again the other way! Mmmm. Not much sleep happening with that theory.

I then decided to count Rob's chooks! There was Rob out the front, riding his chook and leading the flock. Well, the following chooks decided to be very creative. Some were walking slowly, others were running, some were half running and flying, some were going backwards. A few decided to do some ballet moves, others thought a tango was best.

On and on these chooks went! Some were riding horses, some were in vivid coloured dresses. The best one though was the chook who decided to be an astronaut and climbed into a space suit and a rocket! Oh dear. I had to stop those chooks! I was going to get up and find a book to read but it was too cold to get out of bed.

I tried thinking happy thoughts, tried concentrating on my breathing, tried to ignore my husband snoring very loudly in a room down the passage with doors shut in-between.

Eventually I managed to fall asleep for a very short period of broken rest.

Tonight I will try some different tactics. Maybe a nice soak in a warm bath, a cup of warm milk and read a nice book in bed for a while. I will how that goes!

Rob's chooks are certainly very entertaining! Just wish I could get those images out of my mind and onto paper!

Cheers all, sweet dreams, from Mrs. Dools

[blondguy]

Hi Mrs Dools

I read Sherie's Excellent list....there are many great tips that we can learn from...Because everyone is had different 'fixes' for a good nights sleep......I find having a 'snooze' in the early afternoon is a huge bonus that can alleviate my depression and I still get a great sleep.

Having a broken rest without a good REM sleep can be a pain Mrs Dools. I hear you on that one.

Just a note on how I see Rob's chooks.......I think his profile pic is a work of art......I see Rob and his chooks 'showing us the way'....especially with the way Rob has done the pic....he is showing us the way!!....Anyway...thats just how I interpret his pic and his creativity..]

Kind Thoughts and Dreams

Paulx

[Guest_5218]

Hi Mrs Dools. I just had to let you all know this latest tip for good sleep that I read in a magazine today!

Its no surprise to hear that getting adequate sleep is non-negotiable when it comes to good health. But now studies are saying that the best thing to don between the sheets is 'nothing at all', zero, zilch, nada.

A study published in a prestigious journal, says that sleeping nude helps your body regulate its temperature, which in turn results in a deeper sleep. It also prevents high cortisol (stress hormone) levels in the morning, which in turn can lead to overeating.

Hormones work better at lower temperatures too and studies have found that restorative sleep improves athletic performance and reduces the effects of aging, thanks to the release of melatonin and growth hormone overnight whilst sleeping.

So if you're not getting enough restorative sleep, it could be worth stripping off before slipping between the sheets next time ................

Sherie xx

[Doolhof]

Hi Sherie,

Thanks for adding to the thread here. I have heard that theory before and I know people who do that and sleep well.

One problem I have is my jolly back. Even in the summer I have to keep my back covered in bed other wise it aches like crazy, even if it is a warm 25 degrees overnight. A sheet and a blanket don't do it for my back.

I do like sleeping with the window open. It was only about 4 degrees the other night, so I shut the window when my nose felt like it was going to freeze and fall off! Ha. Ha.

Thankfully I have been sleeping a little better again, so that is good.

Wishing you all peaceful nights!

Just had a thought, does anyone remember "Fat Cat" on t.v. ? I am not sure if he was just an S.A. thing. Each night he would go to bed on the t.v. and that was when Mum sent us off to bed as well.

Cheers all from Mrs. Dools

[Elizabeth CP]

Just an irrelevant story re sleep. My daughter used to sleep talk when young but wouldn't believe us. One day while I was in hospital, having had a new baby, my husband was woken by loud knocks on the door. The neighbour were standing there with my 2 yr old daughter. They had found her crying at the top of the drive. She had walked out of the house while sleepwalking & woke up at the top of the drive unsure how she had got there & no idea where she was. Our bedroom was at the back of the house so her dad didn't hear her but fortunately the neighbour did.

[Doolhof]

Hi Elizabeth,

That must have been a very scary moment for your husband! Good thing the neighbours heard her!

I remember watching a t.v. show about people sleep walking and talking.

I actually found out my first husband was sleeping around as he was talking in his sleep. In his dream he was talking to one of his mates bragging about the women he had slept with.

I asked him questions and he answered them. I then came home from work early one day and caught him in bed with one of my girlfriends!

My current husband sounds like he is talking a foreign language in his sleep so I have no idea what he is saying. Ha. Ha.

Has anyone else had any experiences with sleep walking or talking?

[Doolhof]

More ideas on improving sleep.

Sherie has provided a wonderful list in a previous post to check out as well. Some of these following suggestions are from a book I read called SLEEP. Some ideas may be similar or even contradictory to the points Sherie has shared with us. The main thing is to just see what works for you.

1- Try to work out what is actually preventing you from sleeping well

2- Talk to your Dr. in case it is a medical condition like sleep apnoea/blocked airways/excessive snoring etc

3-Do you receive adequate light during the day to regulate your sleep cycle

4-Try eating a slow releasing carbohydrate snack before bed eg milk, oats, peanut butter, banana

5-Do you have pain issues that need addressing

6- Consider a new pillow or mattress (if you can afford it!)

7-Find ways to relieve stress, anxiety and or depression

8- worrying about something will make you feel worse than not being able to sleep

9-try a visualising technique, take your mind to a calm, relaxing place

10-Practise slow breathing

11-try yoga, swimming, walking during the day to help ease tension and release stress

12- make a to do list an hour or so before bed- aim to do those things tomorrow or during the week

13- listen to soft calming music before going to bed

14-discuss overwhelming thoughts with a Dr or mental health professional (or use this forum)

That is enough for this list. I have written down some more suggestions so will share them another day.

Wishing you all a better night's sleep!

Cheers, from Mrs. Dools

[Kimberley-Fay]

For a better sleep I love the magnesium float tanks, has anyone tried these?? I always take magnesium during the day and just before bed to help me with my sleep ( I use to be a chronic insomniac) but the float tanks are BRILLIANT in getting your magnesium levels up. Try researching the link between magnesium deficiency and sleep issues... I was pretty amazed at the results.

[Doolhof]

Hi Kimberley-Fay,

Thanks for this. It sounds very interesting. I have heard that magnesium is beneficial for all kinds of health issues.

I have never heard of a magnesium float tank. I will have to Google it and see if there is such a place in my capital city.

Where I live we only have rain water tanks! As a child I always wanted to swim in my parent's rainwater tank as it was huge! Not the same thing though!

Thanks again for your contribution.

[blondguy]

Good Morning Mrs Dools

I just read your tips above and thankyou..Number 6 is a great point. Too many people sleep on a 'comfortable' mattress...soft like cotton wool. Just my thoughts on this if I may, the firmer the mattress the better the sleep...our spine wasnt meant to sag....A firm mattress will not only provide a better nights sleep but will also help keep our spine level which then will alleviate and help any back pain.

Paulx