I can't sleep... sometimes for 2 days...

[sofia1991]

Hello,

I've spoken to my GP about this and they didn't do anything apart from give me advice I already knew.

I hate sleeping... sometimes I don't sleep for 48 hours but on most occasions I will have a minimum of 2 nights per week (like tonight) where I can't fall asleep at all so end up getting out of bed around 5 or 6am and then doing chores until I crash and fall asleep for a few hours...

I've tried supplements, tea, pillow spray, listening to deep sleep music (from the xalm app) as we speak, reducing screen time but nothingggg works 🫠

Please help

*calm app

Have you tried the occasional phenergan? Over the counter antihistamines that make you drowsy.

Are you experiencing anything else like agitation, trembling? that might point to an overactive thyroid...?

You start by saying that you hate sleep. Then you don't sleep,get up at 5am,then go to sleep! I worked nights for 30 years, retired 8 years ago. My sleep pattern is all over the shop. I have done everything bar pay for a couple of nights in a sleep clinic. The advice, like Michael Mosleys book,is if you aren't asleep in 15 minutes,get up, don't go back to bed, until you feel sleepy, I DON'T, but then in the morning I feel really rough and sick. My last year at work, I did 2 nights together, couldn't sleep after the first at all. We all took night nurse and the like. I have tried taking the dogs out late,if I start feeling sleepy, nope that wakes me right up, I will still be up at 2am. I gave up worrying in the end. I hadn't had a cough or cold for over 20 years, no-one could remember the last one,so it didn't appear to have wrecked my immune system. I "average" 5 hours. HOWEVER, in September I had Covid, first time ever,was so ill, now have long Covid under 4 different consultants! I joined the covidence study at Queen Mary's university in 2020, we did blood tests first to make sure we hadn't had Covid, monthly reporting in. November webinar,is about long Covid ironically, and the findings: if you are female, sleep less than 7 hours a night,were really ill with Covid, you stand a 94% chance of getting Long Covid,great eh! Very occasionally I take a travel sickness pill, just to relax enough.

There are specialist centres for people with sleep problems. What about asking (insisting) on a referral there? I know someone who used to work in one, and there are well researched treatments.

I don't really know how to respond to "I hate sleeping".
Do you actually hate being asleep / having to sleep?
Or is it what you hate the terrible insomnia and poor sleep you do get?

I think your answer is key to the problem

I always think in my mind... I hate sleeping as I could be do something productive during that time

I have ADHD if that helps...

You're heading for a huge burnout. Sleep is productive, it's where your body cleans your cells, fixes into your mind things you've learned, processes pain and upset (& therefore heals), heals physical damage and wounds

Also, people with adhd are prone to disrupted sleep.

Trick is to keep to a consistent routine. Listen to a podcast or audiobook to help you switch off - something interesting but not so much it keeps you awake. This will help turn your mind off and let your drift off.

Natural daylight once you wake up. Fresh air during the day.

And change your mindset - read up on the importance of sleep and why it IS productive.

your gp should prescribe melatonin. I have 2 mg a night taken an hour or two before bed time. It does make me fall asleep faster but doesn’t stop me waking in the early hours which is my problem.
Phenergan (sominex) should work -you can take 2 tabs -50mg -but I’m grumpyish the next day. Rec dose is 1tab,25mg but doesn’t work for long enough for me.
Mirtazapine is the only thing that works for me -half a tablet of 15mg or less. It really knocks you out but can make you v lethargic the next day. So not something for long term. Higher doses apparently don’t make you sleepy.
Something like a 7mile walk in cold air can make me sleep well but not something there is always time to do.