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Help to sleep

I hate lying awake. I just want to go to sleep but I don't want to dream, just sleep. When you lie awake everything goes around your head and it starts to hurt. Like trying to distract yourself with music and books doesn't always work even watching a film doesn't work. Why is it I learnt to still work if you spend more of the night awake than asleep because I think most people would need to sleep so why can't my brain get tired like theirs would? The things that were working haven't for a while and I'm just fed up. It's really quiet and I hate that because every noise makes me worried. I can't seem to write down what's in my head because it just won't come out. I don't know what else I can try?

Re: Help to sleep

Hi C, it is so frustrating when you can't sleep, isn't it? Stuff I've tried before is to do something relaxing before getting into bed to wind down. Like take a hot bath or read a good book, etc. Sometimes it helps me to read in bed until I get drowsy. Creating a relaxing atmosphere can help, too. Like lowering the lighting, using candles, soft and relaxing music, etc.

Maybe it would also help to talk to someone about what thoughts are going around in your head? Maybe that can help you get some things out?

Hope you are able to sleep soon! Take care

Re: Help to sleep

hi thankyou for replying, i was sort of frustrated last night. i couldnt sleep and although i tried so much i couldnt. it was quite hard to. ive tried some of those things. i havent tried the lighting one because i dont like being in the dark so sleep with a lamp on. i talked to someone a little bit today so thankyou. i think its helped a little bit and i went out and bought something to help. thankyou. im going to keep trying though.

Re: Help to sleep

Hi C,
I have been there plenty of times and it is so frustrating, especially when you have work in the morning and you are not fully engaged the next day due to lack of sleep.
I think sleeping is down to habit most of the time, and sometimes people go through spells when the habits keep you awake. How was your sleeping environment when you were a child? I lived in big cities which are so noisy, me personally I need some noise for me to sleep.

What worked for me was falling asleep with the TV on. I put a DVD on something funny mine was the Simpsons or family guy, I did this when I couldn’t sleep, just the same DVD which was funny. It was like background noise to me and it worked like a charm. Unfortunately I wouldn’t say it is the cure as it can be quite a habit in itself, but as long as you’re getting sleep that’s the most important thing. I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but it worked for me as it clears your head and the things that go bump in the night may not appear to scary when the TV is on.

But be considerate of your neighbours lol. Now I don’t need to put the TV on when I go to bed. Head on the pillow and I sleep like a log!
Hope this helped!
Dan

Re: Help to sleep

Hi,

Do you think it's better to go to bed early but wake up really early or to go to bed later but to still wake up quite early? I haven't moved house and I've always slept in the same room, ive changed my bed though but I like my bed, it's Cosy and warm and ok. I think I've almost always slept with a light on and also with my pillow. I do try to listen to music, is it better to have it playing all the time so when you wake up you hear it or is it better so it stops after a while? If I listen to music I can do it without anyone listening. Thankyou c.

Re: Help to sleep

Hi C
Don’t know, hard to say when is the best time to sleep, some would say early as possible some say stay up late until you’re tired. I think it’s all down to how long you sleep, something between 7-8 hrs a night sleep; let’s say you have to get up at 7 in the morning go to bed at 10-11. I think it is hard to sleep when you are wide awake. Try doing other methods and see what makes you sleep better.

Alternatively think about what you do in the day. If you are waking up in the afternoon most days and not doing anything but watching TV all day then I can guess you won’t be sleeping well that night. If you are not having enough exercise a day that could also take into account why you’re not sleeping well or you could be stressed from work/kids/friends/family whatever it is you do most of the days and need to unwind. If you have approached these and still you are not getting sleep then I strongly advise you to seek medical attention with your GP. He/she will also give you much more information then we could.

Hope this helped,
Danny

Re: Help to sleep

Hi, thankyou.

Most days I go to bed at about 11 or 12, I'll wake up about 1/2/3 then try to get back to sleep then will sleep till about 4.30/5 and then I won't sleep and I get up at 6. I just sit reading or listening to music if it's a ok night. Sometimes after waking up the first or second time i wont sleep again if ive had a dream, sometimes it just takes a while to get back to sleep or close my eyes. I work during the day which is pretty active and I wouldn't ever be able to sleep during the day. I've tried and unless I'm really ill I can't sleep. Thankyou.

Re: Help to sleep

Hi C i know how yo feel about your sleep i cannot sleep i have been up from 6:30am and its 01:07am and im still wide awake i have tryed relaxing reading book's and nothing helps but sometime's if i read it helps but during the night i normally listen to the radio that sometimes helps.. maybe speak to your doctor they myt be able to help with something.....
x
xxxxxx

Re: Help to sleep

Thankyou, I've thought about seeing a doctor but it's not something I think I can do. Tonight I haven't slept much. It's not that I don't feel tired. I wish I was asleep. I don't know what else I can do. I don't want to go to the doctors. It just feels it's getting worse right now.

Re: Help to sleep

that was like me last night i never got to sleep until 4:30 cause im struggling to evn sleep sleep for like 2 hours thn sleep all day and dont want that anymore ...

xxx