Who here sleeps well? And do you know why that is?

For late light summer nights, I close all the curtains at least half an hour before bed to darken the house. It signals to your brain that it’s night. It’s made an astounding difference to my ability to get to sleep in the summer months.

Also. HRT since peri set in.

I generally sleep pretty well with the occasional bad night, and I can drink coffee right before bed, often fall asleep watching something on my phone and don't do a physically or mentally taxing job!

My mum who is much more active, working and doing a uni degree, and who drinks decaf tea only really struggles with sleep. I think it's just luck!

I've always slept well. Learned in childhood. No nonsense parents who always advocated what is now called 'good sleep hygiene' - bleugh - can't stand wanky names for perfectly normal things! Now 50 and still sleep well most of the time - thank you HRT - unless I'm stressed, then I don't sleep as well.

Good quality bedding and mattress. I don't sleep well on synthetic sheets or under a synthetic duvet. I need 100% cotton and a feather, down, wool, cashmere or silk duvet and pillow. I also need a mattress with natural fillings.

I used to sleep well but now struggle a bit. Fortunately I have no stress in my life as I'm retired. I'm pretty active, exercise every day and walk everywhere. I drop off straight away after reading for a while but find I wake up several times a night usually from 3am onwards. Alcohol or no alcohol makes no difference. I like complete darkness and wear an eye mask. The magnesium sounds interesting, think I'll give it a try.

HRT. Menopause totally fucked my otherwise decent sleep.

I can't get to sleep without a book or podcast though. DH can just lie down in bed, turn the light out and "go to sleep" which baffles me. I have to read or listen to something until I'm just on the edge of sleep then put my book down and turn off the light.

I sleep like a log, can nap in the day and still get a good 8 hours at night. Low iron helps! Also I do t tend to watch tv or anything in the evening so nothing much to stay awake for!

I'm group 3. Have had insomnia/sleep disruption of varying degrees for 30 years. Have managed to improve things drastically over the last six months.

No alcohol - is an absolute killer. No phone for two hours before bed, and no telly for 30 mins. No electronics of any description in your bedroom, full stop. No lights, no noises (ear plugs as necessary), cool bedding.

Eat properly, take a magnesium supplement, outdoor time every day for 30mins minimum - even if not exercising outdoors, being in natural daylight is crucial. Go to bed at a set time, get up at a set time. Learn a couple of meditation/relaxation techniques, and get out of bed if you're prone to middle of the night extended wakings.

Also cbd oil drops work as a short term fix when things are particularly difficult. The NHS Sleepstation online programme is well worth doing if you've struggled for years.

Exactly this. If it works don't knock it. Me personally and the whole family including my husband who previously needed a hallway light on (but he had sleep issues ) we like the darkness but your way does sound really soothing too. Just goes to show from this thread there's not always a right and wrong as long as it's working.

I sleep well but I think it's just luck. I don't really exercise, no real routine...

Busy job so maybe decision fatigue just knocks me out

I'm not a worrier though - I'm quite laid back. My mum worries constantly and finds it hard to sleep

I used to struggle to drop off before I had kids. Then I didn't sleep properly for 8 years. Now I'm generally out as soon as my head hits the pillow. I'm up at 530 every day though, and I tend to stop working around 9,930 so i can read a bit before bed, so I'm usually knackered. If I work later, I find it harder to wind down.

I used to before kids. I could sleep 10-12hrs no problem, if I could. I think it's largely to do with temperament. I always loved sleeping as a kid which is why it's such a killer having babies that just won't sleep! I'm a low energy introvert type so need a lot of sleep to recharge and feel my best. People that tend to be higher energy are those that need less sleep.

Myself and my sisters were sleep trained as babies based on what my mum tells us (gina ford style) but obviously this was her own take as the gina books wasn't around in her day. My mum says back in the maternity wards when a head nurse was in charge and you stayed in for a week regardless to how you delivered the baby they had lots of good advice and support for sleep. We are all good sleepers to this day. My kids were gina babies and all sleep well. I did also have to sleep train my hubby (seriously) his sleep was so poor . Couldn't sleep at night.. couldn't get up in the morning. Needed the hallway light on (which i can't stand) needed the TV on. It took a good 6 months to get him into habits when we first moved in together and he always use to insist my ideas were silly. Now look at him.. he sleeps like a baby 🤣🤣🤣🤣

I also discovered that I love not having curtains drawn, I don't need darkness to sleep in and I like being able to see outside all the time. Which goes against all standard sleep advice! So worth trying to see what works for you

No tv or phones or even plugged in alarm clocks in the room. Keep it cool and well aired. Wool duvet which holds your heat and does not try to over heat you. Keep the room dark to sleep in.

No caffeine after midday. Routine (sleep 11pm-7am)

I cycle to work (16 miles round trip) - my sleep is vastly improved by that exercise.

No alcohol. It really messes up your sleep cycles.

I sleep well. Close my eyes and off I go for 8 hours. I put this down to natural aptitude, having few if any worries, a relaxed lifestyle so I don't struggle to go from high energy to sleep mode, with no alcohol, a good whole food diet, that includes lots of good sleep inducing carbs, some excercise every day, and (probably) HRT. The things that keep me awake on the rare occasion this happens are over stimulation of the mind or being too hot/cold. I used to suffer from peri menopausal early waking, but that's gone now.

I do everything I'm not supposed to do before going to sleep amd I sleep well. I have periods of insomnia but by the time I'm really tired I get a full nights sleep. I don't worry about sleep though, I ve always thought just lying down resting recharges the batteries though, so I'm in the first group.

I worked nights a lot earlier in my career and also a lot of on call from home. You learn to just go to sleep when you need to. But I do also keep a consistent routine, I only use my bedroom for sleeping in, don't have caffeine after late morning, am pretty active and don't drink much. So my lifestyle factors probably contribute, I just didn't specifically modify them for sleeping. My husband is bemused at how easily I got to sleep, but all his lifestyle choices work against good sleep

I think I'm just lucky tbh.

I do but only since I started taking melatonin tablets.

Everyone I know who struggles to sleep has decades of 12 hr + shift work and 50% nights in ICU behind them.

I assure you it’s mentally and physically challenging.

Always used to be a heavy sleeper and sleep a lot, and at the drop of a hat.

Bit more of a light sleeper now and wake up on a hair trigger when partner snores.

Find a sleep mask and ear plugs don’t just help me get to sleep but also help me stay asleep and the sleep I have is deeper and more refreshing.

Also reading before bed (a book, not a phone) and do not ever look at phone if I wake up in night (again, a book helps me nod back off).

Also used to find sleep hypnosis videos on youtube useful.