Insomnia: I'm going to bed soon. I need to read a book and not read mumsnet.... why is this so difficult?

[worriedhidinginplainsight]

I have a fair few mental health problems and diagnosis. Things have been very difficult lately. Lack of sleep/Insomnia has been the biggest problem for me lately...well really, it's having a knock on awful impact on my daily life/functioning/mental health. I am frequently not falling asleep until around 4am. I'm so tired every single day. It's destroying me. Yet I can't seem to change my habits.

I'm trying to improve my sleep hygiene. I need to put my phone down and read a book in bed, instead of reading the internet/mumsnet/reddit/random websites. It seems so simple in theory, but almost impossible in reality. Tonight I have run a bath, I intend to get into the bath and then go to bed with my book.... and hopefully fall asleep. I've got a few other strategies to put into place/bad habits to stop. Going to sleep at night is one area of my life where I feel almost powerless to make a change. I completely understand the logic of what I need to do, I understand and believe it would improve the quality of my life incredibly, but I am so extremely resistant to taking action....

.....anyone else experience this?

No screens in the bedroom. At all. For any reason.

And do have books in there.

I personally feel it's because the internet/MN is easy; quick, simple reads, that rarely take much brain power.

I notice a difference in my willingness to read depending on the book. If it's a bit boring, a bit drawn out, too wordy and dry (like the old classics), then I find it hard sometimes to pick it up (at night).
Whereas something that's a bit more straightforward, and 'easy' I am more willing to read, especially at night when I am mentally drained. Short chapters entice me too. Or even a collection of short stories. Something that has more defined 'chunks' that has a clear stopping point for me to aim for.

Re insomnia, I have also heard that if you chose to read, you should try choosing a book you've already read; as if you choose a new book, you're more inclined to read and read way past your 'sleepy point' so that you can find out what happens next! So it should be a book that enjoy but one that you are easily able to put down and fall asleep when ready.

I am a bugger for scrolling through mn and other stuff , it's not doing me any good .
I should leave my phone downstairs but I use it as a alarm and can be on call a few times a week too.

I have found downloading a old comedy/ light hearted radio show from BBC sounds works .
It gives me something to look forward to listening to so it's lights off and head down sooner .
I use them to listen to the radio with, they are comfy and the battery last a week or more.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleep-Headphones-Personalised-Sleepphones-Built-Black/dp/B0852W5RR2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?adgrpid=162844460564&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.tPDSWnX8MhLZLbrSkuy2AxOkj7hnDUIt6Y813l193TNmMEp_mBgVV9uP7nSEP5Kn0UsFbg4-3iXxeditITLhZjqSek-z4DiPWbiVQ7WqbDpzj78WD8n7IdyUhkLhfxm4gjuU1bYzzls7wxESUHQ0LBsvizxXeaVSOETsZXPh5RiuXY7p9TLo23_PcGcS6jzHj_2gesRA1nkJtqCCEYTJgw.zNpvrPObpaw7DK0raCmOJl7DAkEQBqZWHbkumCPtUZk&dib_tag=se&gad_source=1&hvadid=696988340042&hvdev=m&hvexpln=70&hvlocphy=9046634&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=6359214032927722568--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6359214032927722568&hvtargid=kwd-301169412413&hydadcr=7586_2232381&keywords=sleep+headband&qid=1728433085&sr=8-3

Oh this is me!! For some reason is usually 4am, but was so tired last night went to bed at 8 hence is now 1.30….
I used up read voraciously but now just scroll …😔😔😔😔

For me it's because a screen is easier on my weak eyes than a book - I can expand the print...

But yes, it's not good for the brain - it feels like eating junk food instead of healthy food, with the same feeling of compulsion and then feeling worse later... it really does feel addictive... So watching this thread with interest, but just not having screens in the bedroom seems to be the way...

I've honestly tried to ban all screens from the bedroom (apart from a Kindle) but I feel anxious without my phone charging next to me. What if someone needs to reach me? An emergency, such as my elderly mum falling ill in the middle of the night? So the phone stays on my bedside table. It takes extreme self-discipline not to pick it up for some trivial reason.

I think we've all become so accustomed to mindlessly picking up and checking our phones throughout the day, or being alerted to text message or a breaking news story or whatever, that it's almost a reflex. I don't know what the solution is, except to keep it out of easy reach perhaps.

I think it's partly because modern screens have an LED backlight which is a daylight spectrum light. So by looking at a modern screen in the night you are sending your brain a really powerful message that it is day time.

I have an old laptop that has fluorescent backlight and this solve the problem for me.

If you go on ebay and buy an old laptop, about 15 years old and reconditioned it will have a fluorescent backlight. If you read mumsnet on that for a few days then the daylight effect should wear off and you will start to feel tired at night again.

Sorry I'm writing this at 4am which kind of contradicts my point, but I woke up hungry, which is a different problem.

Hallway? I get the worry but having a firm line at the door does help.

I think you can trick your body into winding down and relaxing over the evening by having several bedtime cues:-
e.g. clear up the kitchen after dinner,
then change into pajamas,
scroll internet for awhile in the living room,
brush your teeth and wash your face or have a bath,
go to your bedroom and spray lavender perfume on your pillow,
sit on bed to read

get into bed to sleep.
Of course it eats up a lot of time so you have to just do what you can in the time you have available.

MN is designed to give dopamine hits making addictive so you keep using it, making more money for MN.

Can you get an old fashioned alarm clock and leave your phone down stairs?

There are some abridged short read books. I think sponsored by galaxy and they’re much easier to read. Might be worth trying them to get back into the habit. Read wasy books not worthy ones.

My social media use gets out of hand when I'm stresses and avoiding things. Not sure what the answer is. As when I'm in control I'm not on it.

I turned my phone screen to black. This kind of helps. Black is the main colour with white text and as black is a receding colour it draws me in less.

Turn off haptic feedback on keys.

I deliberately will never download TikTok and I did sign up to Reddit and deleted when I started to read about how addicted some people are to it.

There's a good book called How To Break Up With Your Phone. Might reread that.

Essentially I think you have to give yourself some rules.