Anyone awake?

[FFSgetagripoldlady]

Posting here for traffic. My insomnia is back. I'm wide awake, stressed to hell, have an early start tomorrow and three full on weeks before the end of term.
I can't take any more time off.
Hints? Tips?

@FFSgetagripoldlady Are you a teacher? I'm a perimenopausal tutor and insomnia is now part of my life (although better since I left teaching for sure). I can't take any time off as not paid for it!

Me. I think we need to ask thise who are asleep! 🤣

fucking annoying isn't it!!

I had a few months of my 'restless legs' shit buggering off but it has started up again this past week, so that's helping loads 🙄🙄🙄😩🙇🏻‍♀️

It's my mind! Going into over thinking nonsense.
Restless legs sounds grim. Solidarity!

Me!! Do you want to
talk about it and get it off chest?
If you want to sleep, then I find an audio book sends me right off. I’ve always slept better with a distracted mind.
Something familiar is good… Harry Potter and the wizard of archives for me!

I can’t get to sleep without a podcast or similar playing in my ears, I frequently wake up in a tangle of leads. My personal recommendation is The Archers, preferably the omnibus. There’s something about it that sends me off to sleep when nothing else works.

Sorry to hear you're so stressed OP.
Oddly I have had a really nice day but can't sleep - so it's not stress.
Sometimes I'm like a child, too excited to sleep - it's ridiculous!

Try square breathing: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, out for 4 seconds, hold empty for 4 seconds. It's really effective if you give it long enough.

Up with my toddler. You’ll manage! Honestly you will. Put on a good podcast or audio book and focus on just resting your body, you dont have to sleep

I'm usually good at sleeping but have a cold and can't breathe when I'm laid down.

Things that make me drop off
Silencing your brain - l learned to meditate but find that as long as your mind is fully concentrating on a boring task thats nearly as good - count backwards from 678 in 7s or something
A body scan - start at my toes and slowly and deliberately relax each body part and once it's relaxed I'm not allowed to adjust it. Never made it past my stomach.

I hope you all get some sleep soon.

Thanks for the suggestions! The box breathing usually works but it's not tonight. I'm so worried about tomorrow afternoon at work, so that's not helping.
Podcasts - shall look. I am finding that I need to keep my eyes occupied otherwise I spiral.
Happy to talk to folk!

Up with stress too.
Wishing you all a few hours rest!

What are you worried about?

I'm awake. I've injured my knee and can't get comfortable. No more pain killers due for ages either. If it wasn't so awkward and painful I would go downstairs and get a cup of tea.

I've been told if you can't sleep you should get out of bed for a while and go to a different room. Stop trying to force sleep. When you go back to bed it's a fresh start. That's maybe not practical though when you have work in the morning. 🤔

I'm normally asleep but can't settle, as I need a wee, then after I've been, I'm cold again and take ages to warm back up 😔

I've done that lots of times and then suddenly discovered my mind has gone off on a wild gallop down some new avenue, all on its own. Perhaps I've got another, secret, brain I don't know about.

I am but only because I laid in this morning as I've been poorly (bug)
To get to sleep I play a game in my head. I find a topic...say foodstuff....and think of as many beginning with A until I run out. Then B and so on. Anything can be a topic. Places,actors, bands etc. Monotonous and works. Also listening to rainsounds. It's all about distraction.

In that case how about a tablet game like solitaire, FreeCell or that Bejewelled one? I often tap away on one of those whilst listening to something else, it unscrambles my very scrambled head.

Worried about kids, money, health, family. The usual shit. Have an HR meeting tomorrow, which is going to be difficult. Embarrassing as a client has complained about me.
Might have to get up. House is cold.

@FFSgetagripoldlady Do you have a warm dressing gown?

Is your bed warm OP? I can’t sleep unless I’m toasty.

I'm here.
I remember those nights OP and I truly sympathise with you.I don't know what the answer is.

For me, it got worse the nearer I got to retirement ; on average I was completely awake all night for an average of 3 or so nights a fortnight; the rest of the time I wouldn't drop off until about 2-3 am. The mornings in teaching primary were a hell of a lot longer and more paced than the afternoons and l kept going on adrenaline until lunchtime when the lack of sleep from the previous night kicked in.Tired,restless legs never helped and I just spent the nights lying in bed stewing over things,probably because I hadn't had much chance to have a decent think about anything during the course of the day.

Now it's like this nearly every night.I was just discussing this again with DH before coming to bed.I try to get as much fresh air as possible, try reading and have had limited success with audio books and soothing music.At least now I can catch up on my sleep later in the day,but that in itself creates a vicious circle. Before I came back on here and saw this thread,I had the light off but was lying there thinking about the Christmas grocery order!Wish I could learn to switch off !

@FFSgetagripoldlady I am wide awake. I’m getting on average 2 hours sleep a night. I look wretched. Just ordered some magnesium and I’m going to try taking that to see if it helps. Nothing else seems to.
People who work in schools are amazing and never get enough thanks for their hard work.

Yep,and that's another problem I forgot to mention!

Lifting weights is pretty much the only thing that consistently knocks me out. I've had a week off as work's been really busy and been doing a fair few 13 hr days, and I've actually been sleeping worse despite getting in earlier.

I've been taking Magnesium for about 3 weeks now.I was going to ask if anyone on here found that they were helping,but realised that those people would be asleep😂