Anyone else a bad sleeper? Tips?

[BUMPITlicious]

I'm a really bad sleeper, though it goes in phases. Sometimes my problem is getting to sleep, though I find that easier to tackle, but my current problem is staying asleep.

I've been awake since 5.30 today, that's probably because I am sleeping on the sofa as DH is snoring a bit at the moment with a cold (he doesn't snore regularly and not loudly but I seem to be a light sleeper).

The dr recently proscribed me a weeks worth of sleeping tablets as I had gone 2 weeks without a full nights sleep and was reaching breaking point. The tablets were great, as long I was taking them, now I have stopped I am back to waking up again.

I don't do well with lack of sleep. I have plenty of opportunity, go to bed around 10.30 and DH and I alternate lie ins at the weekend. DD doesn't wake up too early, 7-7.30ish. V pissed of as this morning she still isn't awake but I have been up for 2 hours!

I try all sorts of thing, I sleep with an eye mask to block out the light. When it is my turn for a lie in I wear ear plugs (if I hear DD wake up I am awake and generally can't get back to sleep). Rarely have caffeine, drink valerian tea before bed. I often wear those snore strips as, though I don't snore, I often get bunged up at night and tend to breath through my mouth which makes it really dry and is another thing that wakes me up.

Does anyone have any other tips for sleeping better? I'm bad at napping as it takes me so long to get to sleep and I wake up groggy.

I don't think waking up at 530 is outrageously early though. That means you've had 7 hours sleep if you went to bed at 1030?

I invariably don't get to sleep till gone 11, and while 7 hours sleep is ok for some it really throws me, especially if I am consistently not getting the 8 hours I need. I get tired and grouchy in the evenings, and get headaches when I don't enough sleep.

I'm not criticising you, just amazed that you think of it as a bad night's sleep.

I'm also a bad sleeper (but have a dh who was snoring - he's not any more as he has been on a diet, well done dh! and we have a baby next door who wakes up several times a night and sleeps next to our room grrr!) - I went through about 6 months where I was only getting about 3 or 4 hours sleep a night (probably 4 or 5 times a week grr). Was a nightmare but mainly because I was sleeping so lightly and the snoring and baby crying woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep.

I think a big part of the issue is accepting the way you are. If the baby next door wakes up at 4am, I am up, there's nothing I can do as I get up at 6am for work anyway so can't sleep in. Accepting that fact is easier rather than lying in bed resenting the fact that you can't get back to sleep.

The most important thing of all is to get into a regular routine. I find lie-ins (though critical when I'm sleeping very little) disrupt that routine and it's far better to keep forcing yourself to go to bed at the same time and aim to wake up at roughly the same time.

No caffeine or coloured juice (like ribena) after 3pm and I find that heavy spicy meals increase the chances of me waking up early.

and look into why you are getting bunged up at night. For a lot of people, it's the central heating. If that's the case for you, turn it off for a few nights and add some blankets. You'll be amazed at the difference.

Don't worry foxinsocks, I didn't think you were criticising. I'm sure part of it is anxiety and perception, which is why when I wake up I try not to look at the time as I know that will affect how I feel (e.g. it's 5.30 so I must be still tired). I only know that's about the time I was awake as I got up at 6.45 and had been awake about an hour. I have tried to be more accepting of what time I get up rather than worrying about it.

But I know that part of it really is that I don't do well when I haven't had enough sleep. I hate going through the day feeling tired. When I had the period a couple of weeks ago of waking up several times a night, and getting up at 4 or 5 over 2 weeks it really really affected me, I couldn't concentrate at work, I was a wreck.

As for being bunged up, it's all year round so not the heating, I've heard people say it's due to the town we live in being in a depression, but not sure how true that it. The snore strips help open up my airways but they are bloody expensive!

yes I know exactly what you mean re the anxiety. It's especially hard when you work (as we both do!) as you have to perform so have to pretend you aren't tired then that causes anxiety at night because you know you have to be able to perform the next day!

A key thing is accepting the waking up but it's very very hard. I've read all the advice about getting up rather than lying in bed but it's difficult to put that into action.

Have you tried that deep yoga breathing? I have had quite a lot of success with that but it takes some practice.

Re your nose, have you thought of trying beconase spray for a few weeks to see what a difference it makes? I sleep far better when I'm taking this.

BUMPITlicious - I am suffering form the same problem and have for a long time.

For a couple of years I was ill and in pain a lot so I got out of the habit of sleeping properly. Here are my tips.

Do make sure your heating is off and bedroom is not above 16 degrees centigrade. Put a humidifier in the bedroom and open a window. That will help stop the dry mouth.

If your DH is snoring find out why and seek help. A snoring partner is a major cause of poor sleep. If he is overweight or eating eavy meals and drinking at night that could be a major cuase. Sleeping on a sofa is no way for you to get a good night sleep.

I do not eat all or just a very very small snack in the evening. Indeed I find if I eat a normal meal or have a drink I cannot sleep at all. Not eating at night keeps my weight down too. Being overweight yourself may also lead to you snoring and poor sleep as well.

Try making your bedroom really restful welcoming and luxurious, good quality linen, a memory foam matress, king sized bed. Aim to get into a bed time routine at the same time every night so you body is getting ready for sleep. Try and get DH into the habit as well.

I have a trick of mentally clearing the decks before I go to bed not allowing anything to hang over in my mind so I do not lay thinking about it.

Finally, I have found by experiment that regular exercise is crucial in getting me to sleep and keeping me asleep. I am starting to go to the gym again next week for this very reason. Aerobic excercise is best and using the leg muscles jogging, cycling, swimming is best. If possible do the exercise in early evening.

Like you I was awake at 5.30 this morning have been feeling quite tired during the day over the last few weeks. I know how you feel. It is not just the amount of sleep but the quality of the sleep that matters.

ah yes good point ABD. For me exercise is key too and this is especially important if anxiety is playing a part in waking up (and even if it isn't).

I know my sleeping will go awry if I haven't been exercising. It's annoying because I don't enjoy exercise but force myself to do it!

Thanks for the posts, and for the tips ABD. It's not eating, we eat pretty early with DD, usually before 6.30. We rarely sleep with the window open, as though I know it helps with fresh air we are on the 1st floor and get really noisy crows in the morning! Maybe they won't be so bad in the winter. Or maybe I could just open it till we go to sleep.

We do have a kingsized bed (thank god) though DH and I have separate sleep routines, I go to bed first and he doesn't usually go to sleep till midnight. Neither of us is particularly overweight, but don't exercise either (usual excuse, work long hours, toddler, tired etc) but I have just found my yoga CD. I haven't done yoga for about a year now, but I'm sure that will help. It's ashtanga so rigourous enough to burn some calories but with a nice wind down.

DH doesn't always snore, he has a cold at the moment, and seems to go through phases. It's not even loud, I just seem to sleep really lightly, if I wake up and try and get back off to sleep the snoring drives me mad. I'm going to get more snore strips today, they do help both of us.

Hadn't thought about a humidifier. Does it make the house damp? Would a bowl of water on the radiator do the same trick?

I agree an electric humidifier is pretty noisy. The best solution is to get those plastic trays you can hang on a radiator with water in.

Keep a top window slightly open during the day in the bedroom too and turn the radiator off completely if you can and just get a heated blanket to warm the bed up before you get in.