DS's sleep is fine. Mine's appalling. Please share your tips for overcoming insomnia.

[Rumbled]

Precisely that.

It's been going on for months now. I do have some financial concerns at the moment, which can't be resolved overnight, and so am worrying about these at night. I get into bed and can't switch my brain off.

I sleep restlessly, and have intense dreams which I find exhausting, and also have had night sweats on and off for a few years now (but am too young - I think - to be menopausal). Because of this, I now hate going to bed, because it isn't a restorative, rejuvenating experience. I put it off - and so get even more tired. And then I worry about not getting enough sleep! And so the cycle continues.

I have tried Night Nurse, which sort of helped, but a friend said I shouldn't use this with just DS (5) and I in the house, because I might not wake up if he needed me/there was a fire.

I'm so exhausted, I feel as though I'm going slightly mad. If any of you have managed to sort out your own very crappy sleep, stopped worrying, learned to relax and switch off and drift into a deeeeep sleep ... please share your tips.

Thank you.

Meditation CD before bedtime, warm bath, and light reading worked wonders for my insomnia.

1. piece of paper by bed to write down worries - therapeutic to get it out of your head
2. No caffeine from lunch time
3. Bedroom just used for sleeping - no TV, etc
4. Do not go to bed until tired

5 . This is the one that worked for me - get up 1 hour earlier than you need to - and always get to bed at same time every night.. make it a clean routine.. the Paul McK book was surprisingly good

My method for switching brain off is to divert it to something harmless - generally thinking of lists of things in alphabetical order, like countries or boys' names or girls' names or flowers. It does stop it going off on its own into the worries though you have to practise!

Also, having a couple of (small) glasses of wine during the evening helps me too.

I have a similar technique to Ponders. I replay a scene from a particular TV show I watched. Its always the same scene and I run through the dialogue in my head. Its my version of counting sheep.

Have you tried some exercise during the day -
I am not sleeping well at the moment and I know its because I am not getting enough exercise.

a few drops of lavender oil on a tissue by the bed helps me!

Thanks for the tips, ladies. Some great ideas.

I've just downloaded a sleep CD with rave reviews - I'm almost excited about going to bed later!

I have some lavender oil lurking somewhere, so will dig that out.

And I definitely need to exercise more. I cancelled a long walk with a friend last night because I felt too tired to do it. So a bit of a catch 22. But hopefully, if I can get a couple of decent nights' sleep behind me, I can get exercising again.

Thanks again.

Rescue Remedy Night Time. I'm not sure that's it's proper shelf name but you should be able to find it. Helps with the horrible repetitive thoughts at 1,2,3,4 & 5am!!!!

Paul McKenna sleep CD on my ipod helped me through rough sleep times recently. It's only failed to send me to sleep twice so far. I have the same problems as you describe. It's pants. I am sleeping better now, not brilliantly, but better. It seems to be a common problem!