Please help me sleep. 20 minutes last night/this morning and feel awful 😖

[GnTx3]

Hi,

Simply, I'm absolutely desperate. I don't have young kids, I don't work shifts. I just can't switch off.

I've tried magnesium, pillow sprays, nothing is working.

Please help.

I found antihistamine works but I don’t feel good the next day

I always sleep better if I have had fresh air most of us spend a lot of time indoors even having the windows open so air circulates is important

i also found within a week of using the HRT patch my sleep had improved immensely (I was still getting regular periods and they had become very heavy but had other signs of peri menopause mainly insomnia)

I’ve cut out caffeine completely my first cup of tea isn’t quite the same but I’ve just become more sensitive to it (and cut right down on all sugars)

Melatonin might help stop the ear worms. When I take it, my brain can only have one thought at a time.

Also try a weighted duvet.

Podcasts:
Sleep with me

I quite often fall asleep listening to quit nail biting hypnotherapy. I think the app cost £5.

ha, not it really doesn’t sound nice, I was on pink noise but have migrated to brown.

I agree with exercise, which is really hard when you are shattered.

if I am totally desperate I take a phenargen (sp?) which is a very strong antihistamine but I feel groggy and hungover the next day, I haven’t needed to for quite a while now.

I also move around the house, if sleep isn’t happening in bed I got to spare room or sofa

At the grand age of 42 I had to quit caffeine altogether to be able to sleep. I am a huge coffee lover. Took a break for a couple of years and went back to (clean) decaf. Not missing coffee any more.

I can just imagine my boss' reaction if I just have a quick nap in the middle of the afternoon!

Hi @GnTx3
Hun try having hot milk before bed, honestly it really knocks me out! There is research done to say it really helps with sleep xx

@StrictlyAFemaleFemale I've been considering a weighted blanket for a while now. Can you recommend any? There seem to be so many variations of weights!

@AlanJohnsonsBeemer is that prescription only?

@SoftPillowAllNight I have to say, today is the first day I've seriously considering switching to decaf. I have decaf after mid day anyway if out somewhere, but I was always concerned about having decaf coffee regularly as I heard it wasn't good for you. Which clean decaf do you use and does it taste good? I have a coffee machine, so would prefer to use proper beans.

@Changes17 I did actually see that. It was a few years a go now wasn't it? I do take the pro biotic that he recommended and I do think it helps a bit, but need a break from it sometimes, as I think my body gets used to it. In terms of napping, I just can't nap. It's very frustrating. Today for example, dp said "don't worry, you're not working today, just go back to bed and catch up".....even though they've known for years I can't actually nap! I just lie there and get frustrated.

Hi OP. Like you I have racing thoughts at night. I listen to podcasts or fiction on Audible on headphones and having something to listen to helps quiet my mind. Hope you manage to resolve it.

This works for me:

A glass of wine and a Piriteze, just before bed

You'd never get a doctor endorsing it, but it really does the trick when I need it. I don't feel drowsy the next day either

Phenergan , washed down with a can of trip. I have never been able to sleep until I found this combo.

@GnTx3 - I use this one as it's free from various chemicals/pollutants. Also, it uses the Swiss water method which is apparently the cleanest /chemical free way to make decaf. Since I have 2 cups a day I invested the time to find the best option I could. I find that it doesn't disturb my sleep at all, no matter how late I have it.

Lean Caffeine Bulletproof Decaf Ground Coffee 908g | Super Clean Mycotoxin, Pesticide & Heavy Metal Free Bulletproof Coffee | Swiss Water Decaffeinated Ground Coffee amzn.eu/d/aK94DxP

I was exactly the same OP. I tried absolutely EVERYTHING.I also was getting just 20-60mins sleep a night and then going to do a 10-hour day at work. My last resort was a prescription from my GP for a antidepressant called Mirtazapine. I'm not depressed (surprisingly), but it has a sedative effect, so I take it 2 hours before bed.
The first day, I felt drugged but persevered, and by day 13 to now, I'm sleeping all night!
I appreciate its not the answer for everyone, but it's really helped me.

@Whatifthisisit thank you. I've never tried reading or audio books in bed to help me sleep, as I was always under the impression it would have the opposite effect and stimulate my mind. It us recommended a lot though, so maybe I'll give it a go.

@whatchagonnado I'm confused. I always thought it was the ingredient that made you drowsy that was a sleep aid, but Piriteze doesn't have it does it? I take Piriton, which does have it, when I'm really desperate.....like now. Was trying to avoid taking them again though.

@Tighginn Is that the CBD drink? Did you have to get the Phenergen on prescription?

I do all the usual sleep hygiene and have been caffeine free for years.

Audiobooks really work for me. I listen to Harry Potter read by Stephen fry and it keeps the busy part of my mind occupied. I've done this for years and it's definitely become a sleep crutch for me so I can barely make it to end of 1 chapter now.

If I'm having a tough few nights (mostly midnight waking rather than getting to sleep and always related to my cycle) I take a phenergan 25mg tablet to kind of reset my sleep. It works great though does leave me really groggy the next morning. I'm very worried about getting addicted so I use very very occasionally, maybe once or twice a year.

I know it's hell when you can't sleep but one thing to never do is scroll on your phone. Looking at the screen kicks in your alpha brainwaves which in turn stops you sleeping. This is why I never read a kindle before bed, always a real book

I’ve found anti anxiety meds like citalopram ( sertraline works for others ) helped numb/ calm me . I have no caffeine ( not even dark chocolate ) and use black out blinds , white noise machine to try and stop outside intrusions ( white noise machine or fan in summer helps stop ear worms) I have lots of pillows as my body gets tense and I use these round me . Phenergan ( sold otc as sominex ) or strong dose Nytol can help over a few days to break the cycle . I use a meditation app before I go to sleep and stay in bed but listen to a “sound bath “on YouTube when I wake . My view is that by staying in bed I’m resting my body if not my mind . My husband tells me I’ve snored when I swear I was awake so perhaps I am sleeping more than I think ??

If it’s anxiety keeping you up, this sometimes works for me:

anxiety is a natural response, your brain is just trying to protect you. So figure out what it’s trying to protect you from, and how you can mitigate that risk, and then write it down.

See your GP as a matter of urgency to deal with your anxiety.

No phone after 9. Bath, read to sleep...or if not just keep reading.

GP first.

I listen to podcasts if I ever want to take a daytime nap because it distracts me enough that I can fall asleep. I find even 10-15 minutes sleep can help if I haven't slept well at night - just gives me enough to get through the rest of the day and not enough to mean I can't sleep that night.

Try the sleepy podcasts - there's several and I'd suggest trying a few different ones to find a narrator that soothes and doesn't irritate you.

I like Get Sleepy narrated by Thomas, and Nothing Much Happens.

Piriteze or Piriton?

Piriteze contains cetirizine, which is a non-drowsy antihistamine. Piriton contains chlorphenamine maleate, which is drowsy.

Nytol contains diphenhydramine, which is another reliably sedating antihistamine.

My doctor said always go to bed and get up at the same time, I never actually put that into practice though as I get up at 6am for work and don't want to have to do that at the weekend. She also said no TV/phone etc for an hour before bed.

I really like the Sleep Magic podcast. The individual episodes are about 45 min of sleep hypnosis but there are also longer-form sleep stories of up to eight hours that you can leave running.

This. You have to treat the anxiety.

No, just bought from a online pharmacy. Yes it's the cbd drink, think it is available in all supermarkets.