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?

Pleased its not just me. Usually asleep by 11.30. Wide awake at 2 🥱. Peri menopausal here.

Same! I haven't even been to sleep yet. Every single bloody night! My mattress is very old though and it's giving me such a bad back every night. I ordered a new one yesterday and can not wait for it to arrive

Having a horribly terribly stressful time, along with peri menopause so I know I shouldn't but I'm mainlining Baileys and hoping to pass out shortly. Will be a crap sleep but at least I'll be sleeping

I know you don’t have your new mattress yet but I’m very jealous for its arrival. I hope it helps!

I'm still awake. I start work at 6am. I WFH. I'm tempted to start work now in case I get the opportunity to sleep for a few hours during the day.

Peri menopause here I think. GP next week (fingers crossed).

Much sympathy to everyone struggling to sleep. The tireder I get the more pressure there is sleep, and the more difficult it is.

@FlissyFliss I slept through the night 48hrs after applying my first patch! Hope it helps you too

I'm awake because one of my sons is poorly, he was very sick just before I got into bed and now I can't sleep because I'm listening out to hear if he's ok. He's 15 but still my baby, he's also had a really high temperature and I worry. My alarm is due to go off at 6.30am

I'm sleeping till about 4am then wide awake. It's awful.

I screwed myself over by sleeping for 11 hours two nights ago for the first time in years. I have no idea why I bother with the good sleep hygiene rules, as they make absolutely fuck all difference to me.

I do;

No coffee after midday (I had one coffee)
No snacks, no TV, no exercise (because that leaves me wired), no big lights, no reading in bed (because that means lights)
Listened to three sleep podcast thingies before I decided I would like to hunt down the people who reckon this shit works.

I gave up at 4am and got up because I've got work and if I felt asleep after that point, I'd never wake up at 5.30am when my alarm goes off.

It's not peri, I've always been like this - if I go to sleep (sometime between 1.30 and 3.30am), I sleep like the dead for no more than 3 hours and wake up feeling like shit/unable to move for ages because I don't want to get up after fuck all kip.

I live in terror of a ten minute doze on the sofa when I come in from work because I'm tired, as that means I will then be awake for another nine. Same goes for big lights - a second of light if I'm yawning or my eyes are streaming because I'm so fucking tired means I will ping instantly awake for at least another 3 hours.

I just want to be able to go to bed at 10.00pm and go to fucking sleep.

I imagine this doesn't work for everyone but I've had some luck with the cognitive shuffle technique- if you google 'cognitive shuffle sleep' there are a bunch of sites that have an explanation/examples

If you only stopped periods a year ago it will be menopause related. Symptoms come on at different times and can last up to a decade after stopping.

I wake up 3/4 am most nights and can't get back to sleep. Anyone take magnesium?

Sounds perfect. Perfect for me to ensure that I don't sleep tomorrow night, either. Glad it works for you, though - I don't need any intellectual challenge to keep me awake.

I’m the same. I was exhausted at bedtime and fell straight asleep at 11 only to wake at 3am and have been since then. My neighbour has just had a food shop delivered. So noise outside with doors opening and shutting and now her big dog barking it’s head off.
Im menopausal. On eosrogel. It’s not helping nightsweats and sleep at all.

Oh. I don't find it challenging - it's essentially just making sure my thoughts stay short and random, rather than allowing me to fixate and focus on something. I usually just do it as a word association game and say/imagine the word or thing in my head, slowly, for a few seconds before going on to the next word or thing that comes into my head. Like it might go pot plant, elephant, pond, boat, etc.. It really helps me because it stops my mind getting bogged down in menu planning/ work issues / whether I've ordered new sports kit for the DC, or whatever else my mind fixates on. But obviously there are lots of causes for insomnia and as I said I don't imagine it would work for everyone. I hoped it might be helpful for someone reading as it has been helpful for me.

Try Jason Stephenson on YouTube with brightness right down. He has an amazing relaxing voice.

Same here.
I spin like a rotisserie chicken trying to get comfortable and failing to sleep.
I find that magnesium supplement helps a bit.

There's just been an identical thread on this. It just shows how many people are struggling with their sleep.

I go through phases, usually a couple of times a year, where I struggle. This latest time latest the longest. I broke the cycle by taking OTC sominax for 3 days. It made me feel awful in the mornings but worked, touch wood.

I find hypnosis on YouTube helpful sometimes. Nytol has been semi successful in the past.

I do cognitive shuffling Ineka - without knowing that's what it is called! Sometimes helps, so might be worth a try. I've had sleep issues for years and years now.
Tuesday to Wednesday night I had only 6 minutes of sleep (my husband went to the loo 6 mins after I finally fell asleep). As I'm retired I had several naps during Wednesday which saved my sanity, so much sympathy to anyone who has to hold down a job and or look after young children.

I started taking magnesium at night and it’s a game changer

Vit D supplement might help or if you can eat some ripe bananas before bed. Both work for me, Vit D works better, same as magnesium but banana is more 'natural'.
I find if I take either mag or vit d and don't get enough sleep (either from resisting sleep or not going to bed there and then) I feel groggy the next day.
Hope you all get better sleep, it is shit when you don't get good sleep.

Thanks for this, I'm desperate so I'm going to try thy.

Pop a night nurse.

I've struggled to fall asleep for years and it got worse through menopause. Then I discovered audiobooks and it's been totally different. I use ear bud headphones and usually after 10 or 15 minutes of listening I realise I'm not following the story, switch off and I'm out like a light. Worth a try?

'Nothing much happens' podcast sounds good, I'll try that. I also recommend 'The Boring Talks' on BBC Sounds (though some are quite interesting!) or white noise also really helps me sometimes.