To ask what you’re doing awake post-midnight? Part 2: Insomnia Strikes Back

[5YearsLeft]

Bit awkward to start this in the middle of the day, but I wanted to be able to link it on the old thread before it completely fills. Meanwhile, even though right now it’s not post-midnight, if you’re having a day-after hangover from insomnia, feel free to post. Whether it’s from poorly children or babies or pets or OHs, whether it’s grief or fear or anxiety or other losses, whether it’s work stress or home stress or just LIFE stress, we get it. You’re not yelling into the void; you’re sharing with people who have been stuck wide awake, too.

@2022NameChange Oh gosh. Of course he’s not “just” a dog. He sounds like an absolutely wonderful member of your family, and I’m so sorry you’re facing this loss. You’re being very brave and absolutely doing the right thing by not allowing him to suffer if he’s in pain, and I think anyone facing loss can understand not wanting to waste any of those precious last few days. I hope you have a weekend of making good memories of him, and this thread will always be here when Monday comes.

Hello all. Wearily I'm here , as expected. A lovely day today, briefly met up,with my lovely sis in her lunch hour, then a wander round gardens (like the middle aged old bugger that I now am). Good chats with bestie and my mum. Then a scary film with DH on the sofa (7500 on Prime. Very tense and I can recommend it), fish and chips and online games with besties. So a full, gently lovely weekend day, for which I am grateful.

But now: Too hot, it's damp so joints are telling me that it is. Mind racing on too many things. Have been watching old episodes of 'all creatures great and small' on BritBox to try and ease back to sleep. It's rather gentle and lovely and suits the middle aged bugger that I definitely now am 😂.

I'm knackered and really want to sleep. I'm off to see an important relative tomorrow, who is dying, and need my strength for that. I it may we'll be the last time I see her.

@Chichimcgee you remind me of a lady I worked with over 30 years ago. Her baby was born by ventouse and then got jaundice. Her friend came to visit the hospital to see the baby, who was being kept in the baby nursery along with all the others. 'Which one is yours?' The friend asked. 'erm, over there. The yellow one with the pointy head!' , she replied. brilliant.

I really need to get back to sleep. My sympathies, empathies and soothing vibes to everyone tonight. May tomorrow be a good day for, you all, and may the night be restful (eventually!).

@MinnieJackson So glad to hear about his eczema! That was PaintingTulips in the last thread with some really amazing eczema advice - about 10 bullet points. I’m sorry to hear he has constant coughing, though! Just a really rough time of year for being a very small person, or well, maybe any size person

@catwomando Sounds like all in all a wonderful day, but I’m sorry you’re up with aches and pains now, when you need strength for tomorrow! I deeply hope sleep finds you soon.

Not stressed tonight there is 4 of us working. Makes a change not having just 2 of us on.

Solidarity vibes going to anyone who is awake, for whatever reason.

As usual, my sciatica is keeping me up. I seem to be in constant pain with it, but at least during the day I mostly manage to keep busy. When I’m occupied, it seems to help. But at night ….

@vodkaredbullgirl Glad to hear at least it’s not a stressful night! But it’s unfortunate that there are usually two of you, then, if four would be better.

@Tallisimo We had a huge sciatica sufferer on the first thread who’s having surgery in about three weeks now for it (something to kill the nerves; I’m trying to remember). It sounds just awful with the mixture of soreness and sharp pain. And I completely know what you mean about pain at night; the less distraction, the more room it has to make itself known, the bastard. I do hope maybe it will level off for you tonight (the other sciatica sufferer was using pillows and hot water bottles to get herself in a comfortable position in bed - I don’t know if that’s an option for you) and you at least get a bit of sleep.

I’m going to try and sleep so will say goodnight. Will probably catch up with you all in a couple of hours!

Thanks 5. You are very kind. And I appreciate you making sense of thwt mess with all the typos. Please don't feel pressurised though to respond to my every post. I've got a feeling I'll been on here a lot.

My dad's in so pain much he's crying. It's doubly cruel because he was just starting to feel a bit better.

I'm having nightmares. I dreamt of you 5!! We were fighting these "baddies" and you were an absolute hero.

Better get back to sleep now. Not looking forward to tomorrow. Anyway Good night.

Gosh. I didn't know this thread existed. So sorry to read of everyone's losses and difficulties. I hope you are managing to sleep now. I'm awake thinking about my horrid job and the terrible muddle my ex left us in. I am also missing our very best dog who we lost 11 months ago. I'm not sure why I am posting really. Just thinking about very big decisions made on someone's lies and the consequences of that. Absolutely dreading Monday, I really do not enjoy my work. Unable to cut down due to our slightly sticky finances and doing it alone. Hopefully things will seem less bleak when the sun comes up.

Found my cat! Snoozing away in my husband’s chair. I gently told her off whilst dispensing Dreamies and promising to hand feed her smoked salmon for breakfast. I’ve no Earthly idea where she spent the previous 9 hours in our two up two down.

Hi all. Well the one night of lovely unbroken sleep was just that, one night 🙄. Ah well.

Its pouring with rain here and so so windy.. we live on a hill and it feels like the house is shaking. I sometimes lie listening to the bins crashing around, unknown clatters and it gets really scary. Other times it's quite soothing.

Seems a lot of people up and worrying tonight. The nights can be very long when there's something on your mind.

@Chichimcgee You’re not back yet so hopefully you’re asleep! A very small quiet hooray just in case.

@JustSomething Im sorry about the update on your father; pain is just so damn cruel. You make a bit of progress, you have some hope, but we have no control over when the pain will return and make it come crashing down. It’s unfair and total bollocks, and I’m not surprised that in response to your brain maybe watching that, you’re having nightmares. Who wouldn’t??? I hope next time we can both be heroes and defeat the baddies. But the fact is, by getting up every morning, by facing this with your dad no matter how much it scares you, you already are a hero. That’s all bravery is: being sad and scared and doing it anyway. I wish you all the very best of luck for a calm day tomorrow.

@belle40 It’s true, isn’t it? It can all seem so much bleaker at night, when it’s dark and quiet and the amount of hours in which to worry seem endless. And it sounds like you have some things that are difficult day or not - prize-winning arse of an ex, job that’s competing with him for the title of pain in the arse, a lying coworker (maybe they want in the competition too?!?), and the loss of your DDog, which of course can still hurt after 11 months when they’ve been part of your family. Unfortunately, our thread magic money tree still doesn’t exist yet, so we can’t solve any problems with that. All I can say is, I want to tell you that you’re better than all the people keeping you awake (except DDog). Kinder, not lying, more caring. Just keep being who you are, even though you’re tired. Even though it seems bleak tonight. I really hope some rest finds you and the sun rises in the morning. And like I say, if it doesn’t, if it’s still cloudy, well… chuck it in the fuck-it bucket.

@SalsaLove Cats are incredibly mysterious creatures; she was probably through a time rift somewhere in the house! Regardless, I’m so incredibly glad to hear she’s back and we have a happy ending. And hopefully she forgets about the hand fed salmon promise by morning, ha.

I'm here. Got a few hours.
(Thanks wine).
And thank you all here.

@jowly Ah, dammit, just the one night then. I was thinking of you when having my 3am cup of tea. Sounds a bit scary with the wind! I hope it’s more soothing than scary for you tonight. We have a wind warning here for 3pm this afternoon (actually 90% of the country has wind warnings - see attached, the little windsocks are all wind warnings and the rest of the country is equally covered), but no idea if we’ll actually hear any wind. Sometimes they say these things you hear it outside the windows; sometimes it’s windier on days they’ve said nothing. Housemate has a flight out of Geneva at 3pm so I don’t know if it will be delayed or just… extra sporty.

On the last thread, I was worried about having hip surgery. I've now had the surgery and I'm awake because I can't get comfy! It's not TOO bad but I can't lie in the same position for too long.

@Mydogsanidiot We try to be helpful but we just can’t compete with wine; it has its own magic, ha. So glad it helped and at least you got a few hours!

Woke up a 5! Bloody toothache.

I'm listening to the rain and wind. So loud! But finding it soothing.
A robin has started visiting my dad. We were sitting together just after my mum passed away and it appeared in the bird box I bought for her when she became ill. She was a great believer in robins being a sign that someone who'd died was close.

@Toothsil Ah, the surgery! So glad to hear you’ve had it and came through with flying colors. And of course, now the soreness of healing, unfortunately, and bed is sometimes the hardest place. Any chance you can use blankets and pillows to make a nest for it? I truly hope each day will make the discomfort a tiny bit less. Good luck!!!

@Jobseeker19 Im not sure if you have any chemists around you open late/early but if you can get some Orajel, it may help. You want something with the an active -caine ingredient; Orajel is either lidocaine or benzocaine and numbs toothaches a bit and is under £5. Also maybe try very delicately brushing around the hurting tooth in case it’s an inflamed gum and needs to be cleaned? I wish I knew exactly what would work, but no idea. And it may just go away as these can be random. But if it’s been all night, it may be needing some help. Good luck!!!!

@Mydogsanidiot Glad the wind is soothing for you! As for the robin, it sounds lovely. Is it lovely? Because if you find comfort from it, I 100% support it. And if not, and you’re concerned it means even more that your dad is going to go soon, then we can tell the feathery little so-and-so to see his way out. It’s incredibly hard when you’ve gone through losing one parent already to go through losing another in the same painful way. I wish you a peaceful day, even if it wasn’t a restful night, and even if it can’t necessarily be a “good” day.

Hi all
Hope everyone is OK.

My restless night is nothing compared to what many of you are going through so sending positive thoughts to you all.

Its croup cough the sequel for dc although not as bad as last night so the steroids are kicking in.

He finally fell into such a deep sleep in my bed but had a wee accident so I've stripped the bed.

We got into his bed but too much wriggling in a tight space so remade my bed at 5am with a random assortment of items which are all too small for the superking bed.

He's now snoring and I'm wide awake wrestling with the many layers of covers.

DH will be home from nightshift at 8am so hoping he comes in quietly

@Glorieta Oh no! These have just been a rough few nights for you! While glad the steroids helped with the croup, weeing the bed is not exactly the outcome I’m sure you were hoping for. He must have just been so exhausted. What a mess, literally! I hope you finally got to sleep after wrestling with the covers and that DH will be super quiet when he gets home in an hour or so!

Well, we made it to another sunrise - well done, everybody! A rough Saturday night for so many on the thread, and I wish you all a very restful Sunday to hopefully recover from it and (dare I say it?!?) some sleep tonight. But if whatever brought you here last night is still after you during the day, if you just need support for surviving the day, this thread is always here.

And despite the name, if you’re suffering during the day from last night’s insomnia or you just need more support for what you shared here last night, feel free to leave a message during the day and there are a few of us who check sporadically.

Have a hopefully lovely Sunday.

Thanks @5YearsLeft. Sending vibes of strength, solidarity and resilience to everyone here, and wishing for a magic money tree too.

Until next time. 🌝

@5YearsLeft
Thank you for your caring words - they made me quite teary