Getting to sleep

[SALTIRE]

Anyone else have difficulty sometimes getting to sleep? Could not dose off at all last night, think I've had about an hour if that; had a couple of the tunes from The Untouchables soundtrack going around and around and around and around my head for hours after I was listening to it while exercising yesterday.

Any tips for getting a good nights sleep frequently?

 

[Richard Cranium]

I read Pagnell's posts.

 

[Womble98]

The problem I have is whenever I drink alcohol I wake up at about 7/8 am the next day. Makes me so tired all the time.

 

[MagpieBee]

I'm terrible at getting to sleep. Sometimes just can't turn my brain off.

 

[The Iron]

I have difficulty getting to sleep nearly every night, and i very rarely sleep for more than a few hours before i wake up. I'm used to it though and i'm never tired the following day.

 

[johnnytodd]

Superbowl this weekend init? i always fall asleep after the 1st quarter

 

[StagsForLife]

I have difficulty getting to sleep nearly every night, and i very rarely sleep for more than a few hours before i wake up. I'm used to it though and i'm never tired the following day.

Something similar, can usually never get through a whole nights sleep without waking up at like 1 or 2, usually can't get to sleep until 3.

 

[Christian Slater]

I've found it's best not to fight it. I will read or watch a film instead and usually I'll nod off within another hour.

 

[Tivvyultras]

put some lavender under you pillow that helps me

 

[Renegade]

I have had issues sleeping for years. If I have something really important to do or go to the next day I'm almost guaranteed to have a restless night and on regular nights I usually wake up once or twice anyway.

I've found mindful meditation has helped me, really simple to do and by concentrating on one thing (typically your breathing) it stops your mind racing a mile a minute and you just shut down. Just concentrate on your breathing and every time your mind wanders onto another thought just pull yourself out of it and go back to your breathing. The mind naturally wanders but if you continue to pull your mind back, eventually you will switch off. Even if you don't get to sleep it's very relaxing and you'll get some rest from it.

Just do it lying down, it'll help. Also good sleep hygiene is important, which I really suck at abiding by. Turn off the devices before you go to your room, chill for 30 minutes to an hour and then try to fall asleep. I notice the difference when I read before bed, definitely helps.

Artificial lighting is the devil, it has completely screwed up our circadian rhythms. And American sports, beautiful American sports. </3

 

[hodge]

I quite often go through 2-3 day patches where I struggle to sleep. I've found audiobooks are quite often a good thing to help.

 

[StagsForLife]

Yeah I tend to find podcasts quite helpful to get to sleep, like the Karl Pilkington old ones and some on BBC iPlayer radio or even a football podcast.

They seem to work a lot for me however I can never sleep with total silence as I've grown up having the radio on at night.

 

[johnnytodd]

Just be thankful you don't live in the next flat to Salty you'd get no sleep, shouting, swearing, smashing bottles..........everyday occurrence i've been told, normally all before Loose Women starts too.

 

[Pliny Harris]

I find it easy, rarely have to think about it. Toilet breaks, bumps in the night, noise during the daytime, it's beatable. Finish what I'm reading in bed, close my eyes, think of going on a fantasy fell run and next thing I know the morning alarm's gone off. I can only sleep supine and spasm/"fall" quite a lot in a hypnagogic state. I'm also a notorious sleep talker and screamer. My best guess is that half of it's a trick of confidence. That you don't think "I must go to sleep", or "I will go to sleep", and definitely not "I hope I don't struggle to sleep tonight", rather it happens without thought.

Sometimes if it's taking over ten minutes I envisage an even darker black closing in over my eyes, almost like a second pair of eyelids shutting, imagine myself lying even deeper into the mattress and even more relaxed/tired. That sounds crackers written down, but it tricks my tired mind to falling into a proper sleep. Not sure how helpful that is for an insomniac to hear and it might be more intermediate of a technique. One thing experts do dissuade is screen activity and exercise shortly before sleep.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

I try to imagine Man United playing, usually does the trick for me

 

[Blitzballer]

Try and find some previous games on BT sport with Michael Owen. Can't remember the game but his commentary put me to sleep in the 7th or 8th minute, and I didn't wake up for 3 days

 

[SALTIRE]

Sometimes if it's taking over ten minutes

Damn, even on a good night I'm about 20 mins before I fall off. Three hours I was trying for today before I had to get up for a bit, and then try again later and by that time it was light and difficult. Envious of people who can just switch off or fall away in a few mins.

 

[Camborne Gills]

Still pissing around on here, so yeah I have trouble

 

[Stagat]

Sounds like a job for your sock, Salty.

 

[Benito]

Crying yourself to sleep works wonders.

 

[Veggie Legs]

Also good sleep hygiene is important, which I really suck at abiding by. Turn off the devices before you go to your room, chill for 30 minutes to an hour and then try to fall asleep. I notice the difference when I read before bed, definitely helps.

One thing experts do dissuade is screen activity and exercise shortly before sleep.

Definitely these.

I would say routine is important, try to go to bed and get up around the same time every day. Also, no tea or coffee in the evening; the caffeine is going to be in your system for a few hours which isn't going to help.

 

[Luke Imp]

Luckily, I've never had any problems with sleeping. Very occasionally I'll keep waking up every couple of hours like last night but if that happens even a handful of times a year it's unusual.

I like having a routine through the week, though. I couldn't be doing like others do and have varying times of going to sleep all the time. Bed at 10pm, alarm at 6.30am.

It's never bothered me being on my laptop or watching TV before bed. I can be posting on here and then be fast asleep 5/10 minutes later.

 

[SALTIRE]

Sounds like a job for your sock, Salty.

Didn't help the other night!

Caught up a bit today as had around 9 hours sleep but still have that daft song going around my head. Going to have to delete the soundtrack from my collection so I don't do that again!

 

[Whitechapel]

I watched something on telly once.

No there's more. Basically when lying on your back, start with your toes and stretch/clench, then your leg muscles working your way slowly up to the shoulders one set of muscles at a time. Clench muscle and hold for 2-3 seconds and release. should take a while but usually works for me.

 

[Stevencc]

 

[Vanni]

How about this?

It also comes in pink -

 

[SaddlerJonny]

I have huge problems in getting to sleep. If it is completely quiet then my brain will just think and think and think about everything under the sun, namely death and what come after. Not only is this unsettling but it means I cor get to sleep either. The past year it has gotten much worse, probably because I am more aware of it thus making me think about it more. I now have to distract myself by sticking a YouTube playlist or a podcast on and then just listening to it with my head on the pillow. Works quite well.

I also had a rather big issue with getting up in the morning when I need to. I was great in High School when it came to my grades and behaviour in school, there was never any problems there. However I would constantly get letters home tellings off by staff for being late, and it would frustrate the shit out of my because I felt I had no power of when I woke up as I would usually sleep through any alarms I set. It improved over time, but in the last year and a half since I have been going to Uni it was solved completely thanks to an app I bought on my phone called Sleep Cycle. It records your sleep patterns and then wakes you up slowly over a 30 minute period before your alarm goes off, meaning that you are more awake and ready to actually get up when you are meant to. I highly recommend it to anyone who has issues waking up. It has told me that I take a long time to actually get to sleep, but once I do the graph drops off a cliff from "awake" to "deep sleep" very quickly.

 

[Madejski]

I used that sleep cycle for my final year at Uni, very good app, and it certainly made a difference. Also interesting seeing the graphs and data of your sleeping habits over time for a stats nerd like me.

As for getting to sleep, I always find listening to a rather light hearted podcast works wonders. Apart from when you wake up in the morning with your earphones digging into your back..

 

[SALTIRE]

If it is completely quiet then my brain will just think and think and think about everything under the sun, namely death and what come after. Not only is this unsettling but it means I cor get to sleep either.

Yep I do that as well, and it just doesn't help!

 

[Stevencc]

Nothing comes after, I hope that helps.