Trouble Sleeping

chatterboxxx95

Well, thread title is pretty self-explainitory, I can't sleep. I suppose I'm a little stressed at the moment but there's nothing I'm not dealing with.
I'm wrecked all day long, waiting for bed and then I go to bed and I can't sleep. It's like my mind doesn't want to switch off. I've cut caffeine after 2pm, I've tried mindfullness meditation, I've tried to stop using my phone an hour before I go to bed, I've tried calming music. Nothing helps even a little. I suppose this has been going on about 6 weeks but it goes through periods of being worse and better, I had a bad month or 2 last year aswell.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
It's just so frustrating, being tired all day, going to bed, not being able to sleep , eventually drifting off in the early hours of the morning only to wake up feeling so tired you want to cry only for the cycle to repeat again
Also I had my blood tested not long ago and that came back normal

Ann84

Try some exercise, not just going for a walk.. Something that gets the heart pumping! 30 mins in the morning or evening (before 8pm).
Do this 3 Times a week for 2 weeks, you need to give it a chance but this should get you sorted!

twiggy86

Have you seen a doctor? I sometimes have those bouts of trouble sleeping and I tried everything, a nice long soak in the bath, no television past 8, low lighting while reading. It gets frustrating because you're doing all the right things but still lying awake in bed until 5 in the morning. I eventually went to the doctor and she suggested Kalms.

I was against any form of pill but they're natural and I found once I had one or two nights of good sleep I sleep better without the tablets. I suppose it sort of reminds your body clock what it's meant to do.

I would suggest going to a doctor, I really hope you can get back to a normal nights sleep. Insomnia really is a curse I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Moocifer

Hi OP I suffer from the same problem worst case was a couple of years ago when I went months without sleeping properly.

I am quite active so even the exercise wasn't working for me. In the end I had to see my doctor. In my case I had to get a sleeping tablet but a single months course worked for me. I never had to take them long term.

It just put my sleeping back on track. Going to your doctor is the best course of action if it drags on for a while. I'm just sorry I left it so long before going to mine.

jaffusmax

Im 35 M and have had difficulty sleeping for 15 years, i can get to sleep easy but could not stay asleep. I finnally just bit the bullet and went to my gp.

Now I take amitriptyline 10mg each night and I sleep like a teenager again.

chatterboxxx95

Thanks for the advice guys, I think I'll try and get a bit more exercise first and see how that goes and maybe try the Kalms if there's no improvement!

jimmyRotator

chatterboxxx95 wrote: »

Well, thread title is pretty self-explainitory, I can't sleep. I suppose I'm a little stressed at the moment but there's nothing I'm not dealing with.
I'm wrecked all day long, waiting for bed and then I go to bed and I can't sleep. It's like my mind doesn't want to switch off. I've cut caffeine after 2pm, I've tried mindfullness meditation

Did you really try mindfulness meditation? Did you meditate for 30 mins each morning for 8 weeks? If not I would try mindfulness meditation, but really try it. You will see profound benefits if you do.

Kelly06

A good natural aid to sleeping is a sleep pillow. Its just a little pouch with dried lavender, chamomile and hops in it. you can buy them quite cheaply on the internet hopshop.co.uk is good it also sells a blend of oils to put on your pillow at night. Try it, it worked for me anyway!

chatterboxxx95

jimmyRotator wrote: »

Did you really try mindfulness meditation? Did you meditate for 30 mins each morning for 8 weeks? If not I would try mindfulness meditation, but really try it. You will see profound benefits if you do.

I've been doing a 20 minute guided meditation every day for about 4 weeks now, am still continuing with it but am not yet seeing results regards sleeping, granted a I feel a lot calmer and focused throughout the day

neemish

I think that the worst part of insomnia is the anxiety - what if I don't sleep? If I went to sleep now, I'd get x hours. It's only three hours til I have to get up.

For myself, it helps to think of night time as the time I rest. SO do all the things you're doing but tell yourself, if I don't sleep, I'm going to do something relaxing - listen to meditation or soft music. At one stage, I found ironing great for chilling me out!
The other thing is - don't lie in bed for hours at a time. If you're not asleep after an hour, get out of bed for a while. Have a cup of hot milk, read a book (not a thriller!), enjoy the peace and quiet.

What I'm saying really is stop trying to force yourself to sleep - you will eventually get back into a routine and you are doing as much as you can to help yourself, so relax and sleep will come.

Lou.m

Try ASMR videos on youtube. I listen to them sometimes on the laptop in bed before sleep.

Or I listen to classical music and allow it to play while i sleep very quietly.

Magicmatilda

One thing that works for me is writing down the things going through my mind. It is as though once they are on paper they are out of my head and I can fall asleep. This works everytime for me I have to say.

Corkgirl210

praying myself to sleep works for me.. I hate monotonous prayer so works a treat.. a bit of divine intervention never hurt also... ;o) This is usually only when mind is racing and cannot stop..

Hypnosis cds work a treat too.. I use a weight loss one to fall asleep.. i wake up after it, but im usually so relaxed that i fall back asleep again.. works like magic! (usually works when overtired etc.)

Also, as well I put an imaginary haversack on my back and put all my worries into it, then use a white energy to cleanse whats in it.. washing away all my cares.. until the haversack is empty.. by then I've cleared my thoughts and can relax into a good nights sleep. (usually works when I have something specific on mind)

The Pheasant2

I know you've cut caffeine after 2pm, but whenever I have a stint of sleepless nights, I cut it out entirely and within a few days I can sleep again