Songs in head constantly and can't sleep

[sonoonetoldyoulifewasgonnabethisway]

Literally that. I am sat falling asleep at my desk, I am about to go for a break and don't know if I have the energy to walk down to the canteen. I have literally not slept a full night for months and months. Some nights it feels like it takes an age to fall asleep. I wake up between 12-4 every night and ive got songs in my head and I can't seem to switch them off. Not sure what wakes me up, I think i'm a light sleeper and hear noise or DH moving or going to the loo. Sometimes its a bad dream, I don't know. I don't even know what I would say to a GP? I don't think sleeping tablets would help because it more when I wake up in the middle of the night I can sometimes lay awake for 2 hours, I feel like I maybe had a full hour last night.

Last night it was Queen, followed by some Pink and finished off with some Teddy Swims - and it's just repeating the same parts of the songs. Does anyone else suffer with this and any suggestions please I beg you. I do try and read before bed to switch off but if I come across a line in the book which is also part of a song, that's the song i'm going to wake up to.

AIBU to need a full nights sleep, at least one. If i was only waking for a minute in the night I think I could cope with that but its the endless hours and now i feel punch drunk

Stress does that to me - if I'm waking between 2 and 4 and can't get back to sleep, I guarantee it's because there's a lot on, and I need to take an afternoon off and do as little as possible.

When I can't get back to sleep, I put on an audio book (I don't have a partner, so I can just play it outloud). I don't even really listen to the book, it's just having a pleasant, quiet voice reading out loud occupies the bit of my mind that would normally have thoughts racing, and lets me drop off.

Alternatively, I also have some hypnosis tapes (Paul Mckenna) which give me a solid 30 mins nap if I need it in the afternoon to get through the day (I just put on a random one). And I've had some success with the singing bowls/chimes/tones on Youtube.

I definitely think Ebooks are the best at night, and a 30 minute hypnosis tape in the day though for me.

I also find an audiobook played over earpods and set to switch off if the phone doesn't move for 20 minutes works. I mostly go for cosy mysteries, nothing with any suspense or too attention grabbing. Most nights I end up waking several times, scrolling back 15 minutes to the point where I fell asleep, and catching the next five minutes before drifting off again.
Doesn't work if the audiobook is too scary, too amusing or is read by someone with too lively a voice, and sometimes it to takes longer to drift off, but having voice reading a story is enough to keep my thoughts (and brain worms) from getting stuck on a hamster wheel.

My ADHD brain does this to me when I'm not medicated. Can be the same song for weeks, on loop, same part, over and over again.

I have similar, (although for me it is going through the hymn and prayers drummed into me at my ultra religious school over 50 years ago - I'm not even religious!) definitely worse when I am stressed (Which is most of the time).
I've tried sleeping pills but they leave me so completely zonked the next day I can't function.

Things that help a little bit
Doing something to distract my brain I find a crossword or some kind of puzzle works better than reading because you have to apply concentration which theoretically overrides the DIY concert/mass !
I listen to guided meditations (look up guided meditations sleep on you tube)
My friend who is a yoga teacher made me a Yoga Nidra CD, I imagine yoga nidra also available on you tube. It goes through relaxing every part of your body, it works quite well for me (listen to a few to find a voice you like)

Nothing works perfectly, but ome things help sometimes. I also get all kinds of crazy whirling thoughts and other sleep disturbances like auditory hallucinations, so I assume it is all part of general disordered sleep.
I sympathise though it is awful and utterly exhausting.

I'm glad this is 'normal'! I get one line from a song stuck playing over and over and over. It plays fast and without rhythm, getting faster if I'm stressed. When I'm bad it wakes me up.

No advice, just sympathy. I like rain videos to drown the noise but tricky when sharing bed with DP.

Try cognitive shuffling

White noise music has helped me loads.

I’ve done a full bottle now of Nytol in last few weeks and I also think that has been helpful at times.

Have you tried yoga nidra? Ally Boothroyd on YouTube is really good - search ‘ally boothroyd yoga nidra for sleep’.

Also try white/green/brown noise etc.

Stress does this to me too. For me, playing a simple game on my phone helps until I'm so tired I just drop off.

It's easier said than done but the only cure is eliminating the actual source of the stress.

I basically never get this any more since I changed job 6y ago.

Yep. Me too.

Ear pods have been a life changer. Radio 4 on quietly usually works, or an audiobook/podcast carefully chosen to be not too boring but not too exciting

I have been referred for an ADHD assessment, maybe it's part of that?

What is this? I will look it up, thanks

Well last night, It was Akon - Never took the time, and a song from Joker movie 😖, I went to sleep around 9.45 woke at 22.42, managed to get back off by reciting the characters and connections of the characters in the book I was reading, then it was 11.30, 12.45, 1.30, 2.40 pretty much awake til 4.30, then on and off until the alarm went off at 6. Snoozed until 6.20, when I could have gone back to sleep!

Sorry I should have elaborated. I had dodgy internet. I simply do it by saying random words in my head, one after the other. They don’t have to be connected or make any sense. Just whatever word pops into your head …. Blue, rapid, chill, anger, blunt, crane, flop, minute, corn … that was just an example of me doing it!

If you struggle to think of words, you can pick a theme or letter of the alphabet.

I’ve struggled with poor sleep all my life – falling asleep, staying asleep, waking early, etc. The above is the only thing I’ve found that truly works and I find it very effective. You do have to do your best to stay on track and when catch your mind having wandered off, direct yourself back to it.

I listen to a slightly interesting book or podcast. Interesting enough for me to listen but dull enough that I don't have to stay awake. In Our Time on BBC Sounds is ideal for me.

I do something like this when I'm really desperate for sleep, I multiply numbers in my head. I'm not actually very good at it so I get confused and fall asleep. Usually odd/prime numbers so I can't factorise.

For example I'll start with 13×17.

In my head I go, right 3×7 gives me 21, then I've got ten lots of 7 and then the ten lots of 3, so that's 100... and the 21...wait a minute that's not right... and then I'm asleep!

If I manage it I'll go up to higher numbers but I'm usually asleep before 17×19

I have this night and day, it's a permanent jukebox in my head. Right now it's playing Summer In The City 🎶, very seasonal. Suspected ADHD here.

If it's too much I use the Rain, Rain app - it plays nature sounds or white noise and that helps me tune it out a bit.

I either listen to an audiobook on earphones, or count backwards from 500; rarely go below 300 before falling asleep.

I would need to get up and see if I was right lol, I wouldn't be able to leave it!

I do however do the alphabet thing sometimes, animals or car makes, sometimes it holds my attention long enough, sometimes I have to go back to the start

How’s the rest of your days, OP?

do you have cognitive spirals, impulsive, anxiety?

if so, could be worth chatting to the GP.

Sleep story podcasts help me when I'm struggling to sleep. Nothing Much Happens is a favourite of mine, the narrator has a very soothing voice.

I just pop one on my phone then put the phone under my pillow by my ear so that I don't disturb my husband.

I have this. During the day I don’t mind it and sometimes I’ll sing along. I have tinnitus too which adds to the noise. Sometimes I can just read and fall asleep but other times yoga nidra really helps, it means yogic sleep and I listen to a podcast and it just calms my mind.
sometimes I use sleep magic podcast which is a hypnotherapy and sometimes “nothing much happens” podcast which is a story telling in soothing voice. Sometimes a type of cognitive shuffling works and I go through the letters of the alphabet and think of a type of animal, country, Disney character just to calm down my brain.
sometimes I’ll use a few over the night and sometimes I’ll just go to sleep and stay asleep. I never can tell but anxiety I think plays a part. Hope you find something help.

I’ve had this before and I have always been a terrible sleeper but recently I seem to have cracked it! I literally fall asleep the second I turn off the light now. After years of insomnia it is amazing.

This is what I have done in case any off it helps you:

1. focus on quality over quantity. I’ve accepted that I am not one of those people who can sleep 8 or 9 hours effortlessly. I aim for 6 or 7 hours of deep sleep.
2. don’t go to bed too early so properly tired. I’m in bed around 11 and leaves time to read
3. take magnesium glycinate daily
4. lights dim in bedroom, no screens on, read until sleepy.
5. I use a lavender yoga eye pillow.
6. stick to the same routine every night (like a baby).

I have trouble with sleeping (and the songs) but not as severe as your experiences. I'd recommend seeing your GP and asking to be referred to a sleep clinic. You have my heartfelt sympathy

Go to your GP and explain as you have here, you're not the only one.

There are conditions that lead to intrusive, repetitive thoughts, I thought of OCD when I read your post. GP should be able to help.