Finding this week hard & having terrible trouble sleeping. Does anyone have any tips?

[Pinkchampagne]

Have quite a heavy week this week (moving into a house alone with boys & DS1 being assessed) & it is all getting on top of me a bit. Haven't slept for days & it is making me feel worse.
Anyone have any tips on how to relax & switch off at night?

If you can't switch your brain off (which is understandable with everything you've got going on)try writing a list of "things to do tomorrow" so you're not lying in bed worrying about forgetting to do something.

Have you tried a long soak in the bath? Reading? Lavender oil on your pillow?

Valerian capsules/tablets - i think mine were made by Kneipp. They take the edge off your suffering without making you sleepy or inattentive, (well that's the effect they had on me - you might want to try them on a day that it doesnt matter if they have a different effect on you). Try them - they really helped me.

I keep dreaming that my kids are dead or dying.

I don't want to sleep.

I haven't tried lavender oil, but I have a good soak in the bath every night.
Tried cutting out the alcohol (have been having a few calming wines of an evening) thinking that would help, but it didn't help at all.
The second I wake up, my brain switches on & goes over & over everything. I end up just getting up because I know that I won't go back to sleep!
I am starting to feel physically ill with tiredness though & I can't go on like this.

Sorry to hear you are having such nasty dreams, Rhubarb.

Going to attempt bed now. Hope I manage a little more sleep because I am very much in need!!

Not had a better night. Been awake for last 3 hours, so given up on trying to sleep now!

Hi Pinkchampagne, awful isn't it? It sounds as though you have had an awful lot to do and think about recently, not a huge surprise that your nervous system is a bit over-excited.

I feel a bit of a self-styled expert on methods to help sleep. I had 9 months of it the terrible sleeplessness (I was diagnosed post natal illness) after my first baby. Thought I would never sleep for more than 4 hr stretch ever again. I think I tried everything.....and felt so ill.

On baby no.2, I was terrified, but was advised to get into regular relaxation sessions, ie. even when theres loads to do, just take myself off, do 15mins of relaxation exercises (i found a meditative yoga CD which worked for me) the idea is to kind of develop a habit of letting yourself take time out mentally. It isn't a quick fix, but teaches you really useful 'switch off' skills.

Now I am OK, all the tricks suggested when I was ill,as you are getting, really do work to help me wind down, sleep not an issue.

If things dont get better, see your Doc. Dont try to deal with this on your own, someone else needs to check out how you are.

A huge hug to you, you will get through
S

hi pinkchampagne horlicks always works for me and relaxing baths and sometimes yoga breathing

Thanks for the tips.

I have now kind of accepted that I am just not going to sleep for a little while, but hopefully things will calm a bit once the stress levels drop!

I am sure they will

Yeah, valerian is good.

However have suffered insomnia for years to the point of being sent to a sleep clinic, where I was told that..hey...I had insomnia!

Anyway, they did tell me methods of dealing with it. The best one is, when in bed, consciously do relaxing. Eg, work from feet upwards, telling muscles to relax etc. Don't clench and unclench them though, just focus on them to relax them.

Other tips were, cut out all caffeine incl tea, choc, coke and coffee before 2pm in afternoon.

If you are awake for more than 20 mins, get up and go into another room (try and keep lights dim) and do something like light reading, eg a novel. When you start to feel tired (and you will believe me) go back to bed. If not asleep in 20 mins do same agin etc etc.

Go to bed when sllepy and not before. Don't clockwatch, and keep room as dark as possible.......

However as i said I found relaxation the best, but valerian is good. Also herbal nytol as well, in fact normal nytol pretty good too.

Insomnia is the pits it makes you feel really crap, I think perhaps you should mention it to your doctor as well.

I'm a lousy sleeper and what sometimes works for me is to think of a reptative task and focus slowly on each action - I guess its a bit like counting sheep (which dosen't work because its boring and you start wondering about the sheep etc etc). I know it sounds daft but engaging my brain in something like this where I won't get distracted by other thoughts sometimes helps.

drink lots and lots of chamomile tea instead of normal tea and coffee

Message withdrawn

have you done any exercise lately?

I find if I haven't done any (even for a few days) I find it hard to switch off and go to sleep. Also, no day time napping, no caffeine and don't have a heavy meal too close to bed time.

Otherwise, take a Nytol just to break the cycle of not sleeping and then try and get yourself in a better routine.