My kids have started sleeping and now I can't! INSOMNIA advice anyone?

[franch]

Having suffered for years with my DDs' poor sleeping, they're now pretty settled (finally - aged 6 and 7!). But I've got into an awful pattern: I fall asleep easily but wake in the early hours (usually around 2.30am), and then can't get back to sleep. Often it's because my mind is racing on some subject or other (not major worries, just trivia mainly). I often think I should get up and read or something, but am too tired to make the effort! So I just lie there for hours till the alarm goes off.

Anyone else experienced this and got any useful strategies?

Oh god, same here, feel your pain. I find it best to stay off the alcohol, make sure I have done everything before I go to bed and take Tesco Sleep Aid (herbal sleeping tablets).
Went to GP and he gave me anti-depressants as was extremely exhausted, unfortunately had bad side effects from these so back to square one.
Will watch this thread to see if anyone comes up with magic cure.
Good luck

Thanks cheekey. I tried a couple of sleeping tabs: an over-the-counter one and then a couple of my mum's prescription ones (obviously not something I want to get into the habit of but I thought they might just break the pattern as my body clock gets into very fixed rhythms sometimes). They didn't seem to last all night so not much help, although I might try taking a pill when I actually wake up in the night.

Herbal tablets obviously much more desirable so I'll try those too, thanks.

Alcohol doesn't seem to affect me much (I hardly drink any) but sugar does and especially chocolate. Have given up sugar entirely, for lots of reasons, but this stubborn pattern is still persisting.

Let's see if anyone else has any ideas .....

Bump

Bump

sorry franch just wanted to say I am exactly the same! DS has been sleeping through the night for a year now and I don't think i've had a night in that year where I haven't woken up randomly and been unable to get back to sleep.

It's so fustrating isn't it! I do have a restless DP which doesn't help though and think that I would sleep better if I didn't have him fidgeting beside me!

Some cammomile tea before bed does help me. I've also been trying the 'closing doors' technique if I wake up ie/ if I wake up and work pops into my head then I visualise a door closing on that thought and focus on thinking about something relaxing. I try and think about the same scene each time to try and prompt sleep (if that makes sense)

me too, although DS is younger and has only been sleeping through for 3 months.

I go to bed at 9 so I still get a good chunk of sleep before my wakeups. If I do wake and feel like that's it for the night I just get up. Often I can't get back to sleep in bed but having a cup of tea and sitting on the sofa with a dvd means I drop off and can get a few more hours, even if it's uncomfy.

It's fading now and I'm increasingly sleeping longer - I still wake frequently, about every 30 mins - an hour after 2am, but can go back off now. I think we're just relearning the whole thing after a long time of NEEDING to wake often for the safety of our family - it's been wired into us and it will take a while to rejig yourself.

Thanks PM and bigkids. Last few nights I've started waking later - which is good in a way, but I had been thinking I'd get up and write down my worries/read/do some boring household jobs - and it doesn't seem worth it when it's not long till I get up, so I'm still just lying there feeling frustrated.

Let's hope you're right and it'll pass, bigkids!