Insomnia

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Hey Dude,

As you probably guessed from other threads this is something I can suffer from too. Nothing like as chronic as you describe but bad enough at times.

I'm no expert and the only thing I can offer is my own experience and how I deal with it. I know some of this is already on here.

Computers/telly - honestly this is the one of the best things you can do. Turn 'em off at least half hour before you wanna go to bed. It really does help. If I remember correctly it's all in the blue light that comes out of these things - google will tell 'ya if I'm talking out my bum about that (after all that was probably a middle of the night read!)

Food - eating late or heavy stuff that just sits in your system? Don't forget that we're all getting older and what was ok at 23 may not be so ok at 43. See where you're at with that.

Drink/Weed/Sleeping pills or whatever - Helps on a very short term basis and after that becomes part of the problem and AFTER that becomes a problem in it's own right.

The biggest help? For me it was realising that trying to go to sleep when my brain wasn't tired was a total waste of time. If that's not tired then I'm not sleeping. Don't think you have to do anything clever or creative just something that means your brain wants to switch off and therefore tells the rest of ya' to sleep. Maybe try to write your poetry/stories and stuff in the time between switching the electronic gear off and going to bed? Or, I dunno, work through some open university stuff, maths questions or whatever you can get into. Honestly my friend tiring out my brain was what did it for me - I need to stop it racing around and being busy when I shut my eyes or else to be frank I'm pissing in the wind.

Hope something there helps and you have my total sympathy because if you don't sufffer from it you can't understand how ground down and ******* "thin" you feel.

Sleep well tonight

Anna
x

[Shush]

Thanks Anna, and all others that have added to this.

Yes, I remember we touched on this before, so knew you would have an insight into it. As you referred  to, the body can be as tired as you like, but sometimes, the brain just will not switch off.

Most things suggested I have tried in the past, apart from not having the computer switched off for sometime before I go up. I can see the sense in that. When you are surfing, the brain is wide awake and interacting, then strait off to bed. May not good. But do love looking up all kinds of fodder on the net. Though to be fair, I was the same before the days of the tinternet. But, yes, I am older now, so it may now make a difference.

Sozbot who is also in the club said something I related to very much at the mo - turning nocturnal. When my good lady has the soaps on, I can fall asleep in front of the telly with ease for an hour, but that's then done it. No night time sleep, I will be awake till the same time tomorrow to repeat the same, giving me an hour or so for every 24 hours. When at that point, nothing, but nothing can keep me awake on the settee in front of the telly when I get in from work. This will play out till the weekend when I can catch up with a long  lie in.

One thing that does sometimes work for me strangely enough is a good album on the ipod. When I give up for  the night and go down stairs, I may think, well, I,LL play some music till its time to go to work. Enjoying the music blasting down my ears relaxes the brain, and sometimes I am away to sleep.  Never notice when the album finishes, just wake up later with the earphones around my neck.

Anyhow, I had a feeling there would be several of us here, especially seeing a lot of familiar UK based names  on the board in the middle of the night.

Again, thanks to all who have added to this one. Nice to know I am not alone

SLEEP ON 

[Wessexy Witch]

[Anna Woman von NRW]

Hey if you're still here got to bed! It's twenty to 1! x Turn that bloody computer off!