I'm pissed off I seem to have lost my ability to fall asleep

[Squabbledee]

I was on mn recently in the small hours moaning I can't sleep and here I am again. I don't drink, I don't smoke, dinner was at 6.30pm so plenty of time to digest before bed. I haven't had coffee. For me, lights-out is usually 10 -10.30pm. I then flip flop around in bed until about 4.30am when I finally fall asleep only to wake again at 8.30am. It's not enough deep sleep and it's making me super exhausted and quite moody. I've had plenty of exercise today so you'd think I'd drop off pretty easily but no. What am I doing wrong?

So I took a nytol one a night tablets earlier. Apparently taking them 20 minutes before bed is sufficient but here I am, wide awake and fully functional, hours later. I also wonder what’s wrong with me that I can’t sleep

Perimenopause?

Same here. Wide awake and considering going to my office (I work from home) and cracking on with something productive!
This will be the third night this week, although last night I was asleep by 10 and didn't wake til 9am today.

Me too.

We all know that looking at our phones doesn't help, but it's flippin' boring just laying there all night, wide awake!

Menopause?

I'm here again. I haven't slept even half decently since before Christmas, it's driving me demented.

I'm through menopause by a year

I've been quite lucky with menopause in that it's been relatively easy. Only gentle warm flushes that feel like the sun appearing from behind a cloud and then going again. No mood swings or night sweats.

Me too. So fed up with it! OTC sleep aid doesn’t help either. Brain just won’t shut up! Been like it for a couple weeks now 😓

I'm wide awake. I think mine is more dreading the first school run in the morning. I might just get up and get a drink rather than lie here on my phone.

Have you tried audiobooks or podcasts? It helps me give my brain something to focus on other than where I lost that red shoe in ‘92 or what is in that random box in the attic or that stupid thing I said when I was 9… you know the important things.

same here. also have a toddler who still wakes up overnight and a newborn who is obviously not a good sleeper so i’m running on barely any sleep. it’s awful and yet i can’t get myself to switch off :’)

Hot cup of cocoa, Horlicks or book .....

I'm still awake too 😭😭😭

Yep I'm here too but I have never slept well and go through phases of sleeping terribly and badly and never well 🤷🏻‍♀️

I listen to desert island discs, audiobooks I've listened to before, EarthCam etc which do help sometimes but not always by any stretch.

Obviously I need to be up at 630 so tonight is the worst night in a while and I'm still awake at almost 3. Starting the horrendous cycle of 'how much sleep will I (not) get if I fall asleep right now'

I'm the same. The last few nights I've been falling asleep on the couch, come to bed, sleep till 12.30am....wide awake till 4 or later. Tonight I've not even had the couple of hours up to 12.30. I've been wide awake all along 👀

Me too.

Never had this problem until 2 years ago.

Ate at 4pm, walked 5 miles today, came to bed at 10pm and here I am 5 hours later, worrying about the most ridiculous things. Almost as if my brain is deliberately creating issues and problems to chew over.

The latest is that I have to be up in 4 hours and might oversleep. FFS.

Same. Every night this week been awake until five

Does anyone think this is due to time of year and getting adjusted to a different schedule over Christmas/new years? Particularly due to annual leave or kids on school holidays etc, so finding themselves slipping in/out of a routine

I’m the same. My mum used to tell me I was the same right from being a tiny baby. I really hate it but I guess some of us just struggle to sleep. It’s really annoying when you know that you’re doing everything right! I have no advice but you do have my sympathies.

Same here 🥱

Wide awake and really pissed off with myself. It's been this way for two weeks. I've tried everything but tonight I'm feeling really very frustrated

Hi fellow insomniacs.

If you are looking for a way to switch your brain off I recommend a podcast called Nothing Much Happens.
It was recommended to me on here and is now my go-to when I can't sleep.

With some headphones that also double as an eye mask.

It's rubbish isn't it. I need to up for 8, and yet here I am, wide awake. I won't feel quite so lively at getting up time! @Homedeco I think there is something in that. Also, coming up to a full moon, which I don't think helps. Teachers sometimes suggest the kids are a lot more 'lively' around full moons. Generally, I just think I find Christmas, tho lovely, stressful, as I suddenly get all perfectionist about it, having not been a perfectionist about much for the rest of the year. Need to give my head a wobble.

Off to listen to Nothing Much Happens - thank you @Eminybob

But before I go I did tackle my inability to sleep several months ago and it worked for a while. I followed these simple rules

• TV off at 9pm. 1 hour of staring at the woodburner / reading magazines
• No food after 6pm
• No sugar after lunchtime
• No coffee after lunchtime
• No alcohol
• 5 miles a day exercise
• 10pm bedtime
• Magnesium cream rubbed into soles of feet
• Pad beside bed to write down worries

Clearly I need to try again !!