To ask you about your sleep?

[SolarSystemic]

If you used to sleep badly and now sleep well, what helped? Is it light level, temperature, something you eat, a supplement, something you do or use or wear? What changed your sleep?

(if you’ve always been a great sleeper please don’t answer, I’m looking to try some things that might finally help me get the rest I really fucking need 😩)

I have ADHD and am in peri so I know those things affect my sleep, but I want to try a few different things to see if I can go from 3 hours to four or five or maybe even more!

Melatonin and a weighted blanket has been a game changer for me. But I work shifts, so my natural sleep pattern is up the spout.

Oh it's so hard!

Here are the things that have helped me.

-No booze! At all, any booze is dreadful for my sleep.

-No caffeinated drinks after lunch and no more than two coffees a day.

-Make sure I'm physically tired. But no intense exercise (particularly intense runs) for at least a couple hours before bed, and preferably early in the day.

-White noise! Love it.

-Ear plugs.

Good luck.

I find doing a short stretching session really helps. I use resistance bands, and as long as don't get my heart rate going, it definitely helps relax my muscles and I sleep much better.

A swig of night nurse.

Oh god don’t, I swear I was almost addicted to this stuff, it’s so god damned good at getting me to sleep! I had to stop it before it became an issue

I slept horrendously for just over a year post menopause. Night sweats being the main thing keeping me awake. I really didnt want to go down the HRT route as thought I could get through it with diet and exercise but my mood became so low from lack of sleep I finally succumbed and made an appointment to see the doctor. He prescribed Kliofem HRT and within a week my sweats stopped. Sleep returned. I still have odd times when I cant drop off due to an overactive mind so have got into a habit of listening to something off youtube which blocks out my own chatter in my head. I have learnt so much!!
I listened to everything I could find on UPF by Chris Van Tulleken
Learnt about gut microbiome
Oral microbiome
Gum disease
Links to Alzheimers from gum disease

I never get to the end of any of these podcasts as I fall asleep and frequently go back to the same ones as they are interesting.

Another one to relax to is Sleepy Hotel by Stephen Dalton

Whats caught my eye on this thread is maybe a connection to anemia and poor sleep. I have been taking a multi vitamin tablet with iron for about six months and am sleeping really well at the moment. That could be my podcast tonight.

I also gave up caffeine a couple of years ago. I tried everything during peri menopause but really notice if I drink caffeine now.

Guess everyone is different and what works for one wont necessarily work for everyone.

Anxiety meds, a weighted blanket, a fan even when it's cold. Also do better when I can change out pillow density in the middle of the night, between hard and soft. Need soft to go to sleep, hard later

Sorry, but this is nonsense. Ignoring it doesn't make it go away. I've had chronic insomnia for years and decided I can't put up with any longer...

OP 7.5mg of mirtazipine is working well for me. Ask your GP.

Weighted blanket.

I also accept I'll wake somewhere between 1-3 every night thinking about work or some other stress. If I'm left with my own thoughts they get ridiculously out of hand so I stick a TV show I know word for word on my phone, facing down so it doesn't omit light, on the lowest volume. Doesn't work if it's a new episode as I concentrate on it too much. Just a version of white noise that works for me.

No alcohol. It makes an insane difference to quality of sleep.

Don’t eat less than 90 mins before bedtime and don’t eat too much.

Cardio first thing in the morning is the best time for exercise - later on can make you wakeful.

Two pillows - one more chunky and supportive for the bottom and then a softer down one that you can punch into shape and will support your neck.

Don’t concentrate on sleep. Just lie there with your eyes shut and tell yourself you’re resting and getting lots of rest if not sleep and you should conk out.

Blackout blinds.

I found i was using last thing at night to think because it was the quietest point of the day so make sure you build in thinking time without your phone.

Reading and audio books.

Taming away the pressure and thinking, fuck it, if I only get 3 hours, I'll take a nap (whether it was viable or not!)

When I wake in the night I promise myself if I'm not asleep in 15 mins I will do something I desperately don't want to do, like 100 press ups or star jumps. The thought alone makes me fall asleep!

Deliberately loud sighs and exhales. Don't know why!

Listening to ambient soothing sounds on Spotify and leaving a window open slightly no matter the temperature. I also found essential lavender oil helpful. Haven't quite cracked the 'no blue light' an hour before but am working on it!

Sleeping tablets. I’m probably addicted now as when I don’t have one I don’t sleep at all.

10 years and counting. I don’t think I’ll ever come off them now.

At its worst my insomnia saw me awake for more than 80 hours. It was Killing me so if I die prematurely due to the tabs I will just be glad it gave me the extra years.

I’ve always been a terrible sleeper… I also find magnesium helps along with no coffee after 3pm and, when it’s bad, a yoga session followed by a bath with deep relax oil from aromatherapy associates followed by white noise or a boring tv show in bed. (Re the bath oil I am nothing to do with the company and think it’s v expensive, but it helps me so i put it on my Christmas list each year, as for me it makes a real difference.) I also use a red light mask when I lie in bed with white noise or boring tv show and that has me fast asleep before the red light is off - so within ten minutes… if I wake in the night (usually at 3am) I either try to remind myself that it’s normal and people used to expect and accept having two sleeps or, failing that do sudoku. Good luck. It’s hellish when you can’t sleep.

HRT and melatonin

Magnesium
Silk eye mask
No phone
No wine (don’t always manage this one…)

I gave up alcohol completely. One glass of wine was enough for me to wake up with doom and anxiety at 2am...
I have a CBD drink every night whilst reading til I'm sleepy
If I do wake up anxious, I put radio 4 on. Usually "in our time" as it's interesting but also soothing.
Oh and I got my tested for anemia last July and out on very strong iron tablets as I was very anemic. Not sure if that's helped.

I'm 44. Was sleeping dreadfully until a yr or so again. Much better now.

Mirtazapine. It’s the only thing that works for me.

I get this. I go through long periods of taking sleeping medication and I always worry about dementia or Alzheimer’s but lack of sleep can also give you both so I figure might as well get a few more hours sleep and get it than no sleep and get it. But I’m trying my hardest to find an alternative.

I hate sleep and am very jealous of those who have no issues with it. It’s torture, pure torture and it steals your life away. I don’t blame you for just taking the medication.

Cut down on caffeine - coffee and Diet Coke.
magnesium supplements and HRT.
Cotton sheets and double gauze blankets.
As dark a bedroom as possible.
But the most effective and probably hardest to achieve is reducing stress, otherwise I’m awake between 2 and 5am.

I exercise in the morning before I go to work and this has done wonders for my sleep. At least 20 minutes. I’ve always had vivid dreams/nightmares/night terrors and this has helped solve this as well. I notice a difference when I don’t do it

Sounds so basic but make yourself tired during the day.

I am menopausal but I am asleep within minutes of going to bed and sleep very well. So my advice -

get steps and exercise in during the day
when you wake up get up and get outside if you can
make bedtime a routine get a bath, read a book and decompress
avoid caffeine after lunch

Box breathing technique- google it.
banana before bed
shutters and open windows for dark and fresh air
no screens before bed
enough exercise during the day
hydration

Some of the cheaper loop earrings.
Having curtains on top of blinds to make it darker.
After moving to a colder house, wearing socks.
Making sure I wee before bed!
Applying body cream

oh and weighted blanket, open window, and lavender spray. Earplugs if needed, taking out earrings (or use sleepers) and sometimes camomile tea before bed