Mk1-stu

Any medically minded people on here ? i've tried getting an apointment with my gp, but that didn't happen

basicly, i'm having trouble sleeping, i'm not getting any more than 3 1/2 hours sleep a night (some nights i'm not even getting that much) - been having this problem for about a week and it's seriously taking it's toll now. I've tried taking sleeping pills, tried taking double the dose of sleeping pills.. tried hot milk.. hot chocolate, tried prescription sleeping pills i've tried everything i can think of. I can hardly keep my eyes open, yet as soon as i lay down, i'm wide awake

I wouldn't mind but it's turning me in to a grumpy inpatient twat and its affecting my work too - which isn't something im that pleased about.

any advise ?

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

WHy cant you get a doc appointment?

Mk1-stu

you have to phone up as soon as the surgery opens, which i've tried.. every bloody day and it end up in a queue - by the time they get to you all the apointments are gone and it's not classed as an emergency

Ellie

Most sleeping pills are short acting (couple of hours) so they dont keep you asleep.
If something is worrying you/stressing you, then try making a list/plan of action for the next day so that your mind might switch off from worrying about it.
Dont be online too late, try watching tv/dvd thats not too mentally involving before you go to bed.
If you wake up, give yourself a chance to get back off to sleep but if u really cant then get up, have a drink or a munch, then go back and try again. Its even worse if you lie there frustrated.

I though GP surgeries had to offer you an appointment that day?

Mk1-stu

i don't really worry / stress about anything in particular ! although i do have a very active imagination. As for planning, my life is pretty much routine, same shit different day kinda thing

i thought gp surgeries did too, but apparently not !

RS Grant

iTrader: (1)

I know the feeling of getting through to receptionist just to be told to ring back the next day or come down and book in person because they open about 5 mins before they open the phones up... so I dragged my arse out of bed the next day, drove to the surgery and waited for them to open up and booked an appointment no bother.

Have you got stress, problems, etc just now... I tend to find that if things are worrying me or playing on my mind then I'll struggle to get a decent sleep. If I'm more relaxed or have been out and some some physical exercise in the evening then by the time I go to bed I'm shattered and have a great nights sleep.


Cheers,
Grant

Mk1-stu

i go to the gym for 2 hours every other day Grant - that's even with the sleeping pattern the way it is - hence i'm so tired now, i left work early today because i was almost asleep on the forklift ( 8 tonne + asleep = kinda dangerous ! ) yet as soon as i got into bed i was wide awake again !! i might just stay up for a few days and then see what happens, if i can't sleep after that i'll demand an apointment

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

I wish i could sleep for a few hours a day but i need about at least 8 hours.I hope you get it sorted soon.

R5FORD

iTrader: (1)

listen to music. I can't sleep without music on..

I can have dance,rap, hip hp music on and fall to sleep..

Give it a go mate.

Mk1-stu

i can't do noise - i can even hear if i leave my monitor on ( the high pitch whistle ) so music is a no go

Mk1-stu

8 hours ?! even when i sleep 'normally' i only go for about 6 or 7 hours kip !

joffy

iTrader: (1)

i find having a fan on helps, or some people say the tv or the radio but tune it out so you just get the fuzzy noise, turn it down so you can only just hear it, apparently its something to do with seperating your concious and sub concious attention, dont now how but it works for me

joffy

iTrader: (1)

scrap that post then lol

R5FORD

iTrader: (1)

Try it tho mate.. but try a smoothing song..

Phil collins- in the air works for me sometimes by the time the song kicks in im sleeping

Mk1-stu

i'll give it a try tonight anyway, shit i'll try anything once ( behave !)

mrjenrst

i only get 4 or 5 hours max a day, unless i've had a beer then i can get 8 or 10.
Have a drink or two mate.

kosman

im a 5 or 6 hrs man and always have a fan on or get wasted.

matts1

Lavender in your pillow is meant to make a HUGE difference, watched a documentery on it where people were getting a few hours at most, some lavender in the pillow and they slept for 6 - 7 hours.

Also, I find that if i stick on something like forensic detectives where the narrator has a monotone dull voice I can drift off.

Now, I hear what you say about noise etc BUT, you may find that in silence and the dark, you brain is coming to life or should I say your imagination.

I find I can be so tired, yet if I turn off the tv to early, my mind starts wurring away and before i know it it is 4am and I am wide awake but cannot get to sleep - then start to make it worst by thinking "I need to get to sleep".

If you sleep in silence, you may find any little noise is waking you up.

Make sure you are hydrated, or you will keep waking up as your body will want a drink.

Dont eat to late, or your body will be working that energy and food.

Make sure your curtains block the light, or as soon as the sun comes up you will be woken up by the light.

I LOVE my sleep, got to be worth a try of some of the above - even if you hate lavender.

Dangerous Malcolm..

My sleep's always fucked up, i tend to find a little snooze in the afternoon helps me massively.

TIFF

Just find a thread that Ginge or Dojj have done and read that.......you will be asleep in no time......


Sorry, i know its not funny

BM08

If you think "oh my fcking god, i best get some sleep now its so late" etc, then you wont, but if you try to blank your mind and think of NOTHING at all you might find you can nod off? if your thinking about stuff i dout you'd sleep, i know i cant.

Mk1-stu

i've tried 3 times today to have a snooze.. and generally end up back on here an hour later yawning my block off

Matts1 - i'd love to do the lavender trick, but i'm allergic to lavender - gives me mental headaches

matts1

is it just recent then fella, is there anything different going on in your life atm, or are you doing something different?

BigJim19

i feel your pain, i'm a proper insomniac, been struggling with sleep for a couple of years now on and off. try this, a relaxation technique, try relaxing every muscle in your body, one at a time, starting at the top and working down, so, say relax your brow, then, your nose, then cheeks, then mouth/lips, neck, shoulder, chest, shoulders, arms, torso, and so on, will totally relax you, and helps me nod off sometimes......

you say you have an active mind when your trying to sleep, try having a pad and pen next to the bed, ifyou keep going over something, write it down, get it out your head and on to paper, this helps me too.....

last one i have tried is trying them breathe easy strips or some type of menthol tyoe rub, using tiger balm on my chest at the min, used lavender and vicks, now onto tiger balm for a different smell, but opens up your nasal cavity to breathe nice a deep

admittedly sometimes i can go through them all and still staring at the ceiling ( like i was last night) but all worth a try, different things work for different people.............

Mk1-stu

only been happening for the last week'ish, nothings changed in my life - it never does !

Mk1-stu

i'll give the breathe easy strips a try, the pen and paper thing is kinda interesting... got a notepad full of short'ish stories & poems and random idea's that lives in my bedside cabinet !

i've even tried alcohol - i was half cut when i went to bed saturday and then... 3hours later i woke up with a mouth like ghandi's flipflop !

it really is quite annoying - i don't know how you've put up with it for as long as you have, fair play to you - you're obviously a lot more patient than i am !

Dangerous Malcolm..

One technique that works for me is to concentrate on my breathing. Just focus on long deep breaths and you just drop off.

Mk1-stu

you talking about timed breathing ? or just random long deep breaths ?

Saaamon

iTrader: (2)

You say your tired when your not trying to sleep and your awake when you do try and sleep.. Why don't you watch tv in bed and just see if you can drift off without making a point off trying to sleep. You also keep saying that nothing has changed lately and that you do the same thing day in day out, well have you ever thought, that could be the problem itself? Why not have a break from work, go abroad for a few day or get a last minute holiday deal.

R5FORD

iTrader: (1)

have you tried the music fella?

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

a boring book might help, relaxation exercises - as gay as they sound!!, sex or wanking if your single.

Rick Astley

Stay awake tonight... Don't go to sleep, stay awake all night. Come tomorrow night don't go to bed or snooze until around 11pm. Set your alarm for 7am and wake up without pressing snooze on your alarm. Do your days work then come home and don't nap or anything and go to bed at 11pm again. Wake up at 7am so on and so forth.

Try and get into a routine.

Being self employed I don't have to wake up at a certain time but if I don't I will stay up until gone 4am and then it knocks my sleep out.

Try a nice walk before you go to bed also, nice and gentle round the block.

Mk1-stu

Rick.. my daily routine is roughly as follows..

6am get up
7am go to work
715-315 struggle my arse off break stuff & drive forklift
330 finish moaning at the guv and go home
4pm get in, brew wash emails
4pm-11pm doss about, write more of the book, tidy up etc etc

(every other day i go to the gym from 4.30-630)

11pm - go to bed.

As you can see - it's 11.40pm, i'm wide awake and i'm on here posting i'm about to read Chris Ryans "Strike Back"

(not going in tomorrow cos i feel like shit)

Rick Astley

Try and stay awake all night tonight, don't sleep at all tomorrow until 11pm. Force yourself to wake up earlier around 5am. Your trying to encourage yourself to feel exhausted.

It's all in the mind mate you just need to retrain your mind to switch off.

Benni

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dMA5y9uWfQ

Put this on low, and chillax.

Benni.

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

have a wank!!

matts1

Stu, you haven't change changed your washing powder have you - maybe something with the bedding??

In the past that alovera irritates the crap out of me.

Mk1-stu

thats an interesting point.. i flipped my mattress over last week.. can't remember what day though..

Twellsie

iTrader: (1)

what are you doing before going to bed? avoid caffine and try not to stimulate your mind too much, ie stay off the net etc

Mk1-stu

caffine has no effect on me at all, i used to drink 16+ can's of redbull a day and still sleep like a baby ( without wetting the bed or needing my nappy changed )