Why can’t I just get to sleep?

[headache]

I don’t know where to post this but I’m at the end of my tether. This is about the fourth night in a row I’ve been like this, I’m exhausted but I can’t sleep my head won’t allow me too. My brain is whizzing. I woke at well before 7am got out of bed at 7.15am been at work, been out tonight, came to bed at 20 to 11, read for a bit until I was tired. Turned out the light and nothing.

Even if I do sleep it will be fitful, I’ll wake loads and have crazy dreams too. I’m 48 peri menopause on HRT. Crazy stress from work that’s causing depression and anxiety. Crazy home stress too. Also have fibromyalgia so I’m in constant pain, I take dihydrocodeine and naproxen before bed to help me sleep plus magnesium. I’ve weaned off citalopram and started sertraline last week but to be honest I had all of this before started them so it’s not them.

The GP gave me some sleeping pills and diazepam a few months back but they didn’t do much and she said they were only for the short term. I’ve tried all the other recommendations Epsom salt baths, yoga, sex, no screens, lavender oils etc and nothing.

I’ve got work tomorrow and I’m so tired I want to just sleep.

I'm with you @headache I'm the same. I haven't slept well for years and am permanently exhausted. I wish I could drift off in a cloud of cosy bedding like in the adverts but instead I toss and turn. I could cry some nights from frustration.

My advice (for what it’s worth), is to say to yourself that you are not going to get the sleep you need tonight but I recommend either putting headphones and listening to music, forcing yourself to read or simply accept you are in bed, it’s warm and that you are resting.

i would take what medicine you need for pain - that sounds tough.

Can you take a day of leave tomorrow and then have sleeping tablet to get you reset?

Sorry you are feeling so rough

I'm exactly the same as you OP. Menopause/peri seems to switch off the ability to fall asleep. I can go to bed, feel like I've slept well but wake up and realise it's only 1am! Very annoying. I then don't drop off again until 4 or 5am. I feel like the tiredness is aging me. Haven't found a solution yet.

exactly the same right now, just can’t sleep. For weeks now, I think I should check up with A psychiatrist😂, I need melatonin.:)

I've found magnesium glycinate (has to have this as the #1 ingredient) baths and sprays really helpful once I started using them consistently. In the meantime, I'd use the sleeping tablets to try and get a routine going, and work on my sleep hygiene, eg: no screens an hour before bed, no caffeine after lunch etc etc.

How are you doing op?

Last time I saw the clock was about 1:40 I was awake at 4, 5 and 6 and up at 7. I’m very tired today. Caffeinated now and work to go to :(

Several useful tips in this (and others by Tim Box).

There's a technique I use when I'm buzzing at night and need to go to sleep. I imagine looking at a cream or grey wall. It's completely smooth and blank. Thoughts that try to cling to it simply slide away, they can't get any purchase and the wall gets darker and darker until I can't see anything. A variation is to imagine looking at a car windscreen into a dark wet night with the windscreen wipers monotonously swiping away any thoughts that land on the glass.

@StellaLaBella its magnesium glycinate I’ve been taking for months (years) I do all the recommended sleep hygiene bits too

never used to be like this just the past 6 months it’s been really bad