I'm struggling with insomnia at the moment. Actually, I'm not sure if insomnia is the right term. I can fall asleep reasonably easily at night, between 10.00 and 11.00pm. It's just that I am waking at about 4.00am and no matter what I do, I can't get back to sleep. Five hours sleep seems to be all I can manage.
It doesn't matter how much activity there is in the day, how much exercise, how much business, how much fresh air, though that has been hard to get during the winter. Nothing seems to affect whether I wake at 4.00am and whether I can get back to sleep when I do. Usually, I'll get up and come downstairs, so as not to wake Jamie up, and potter around quietly, reading, listening to the radio and eventually using the computer. By the time everyone else is up and ready to start the day, I feel like I've already HAD most of a day.{g}
I wouldn't be concerned about this if it weren't for two things:
- There are studies which seem to prove that our general health is affected by having less than 7 hours sleep consistently and life-expectancy shortened.
- And it affects my mood and creativity. I feel more anxious and stressed and am less likely to come up with good ideas. Not to mention I feel tired by mid afternoon!
Today, we're taking the kids into London for a hectic day of art gallery hopping and I'm dreading doing it on a half-empty tank of energy. And that's the upsetting thing, that the insufficient sleep is causing the joy to be sucked out of my life.
I've tried hot milky drinks, foods containing tryptophan, soothing music, herbal remedies and even, in the distant past, medication. Nothing works. The only thing I've not tried is alcohol and with my family history, I'm not going to. I've seen others slide down the slippery road of using alcohol more and more to deal with their problems until it becomes the MAIN problem in their lives.
Is there anything anyone can suggest? I've probably already tried it. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't welcome the suggestion. At this point I would consider anything.
Of course there is some irony in living with a husband who could fall asleep on a washing line, for 12 hours or until someone woke him.{g} He is asleep within 30 seconds of his head hitting the pillow. How blissful!
The saying from the title? It's from Henry IV Part 2.
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7 comments:
Hi Dorothy! I too am not getting much sleep this week - but that is because Dh is away at the moment and I can't get off to sleep when he isn't here very easily.
There is one thing that has always worked for me and when I use it on 'non-sleeping' children who come into my home. You need to break the cycle.
What you do is stay up one night. I mean till 1 or 2AM!!!! Then crash into bed and usually you sleep through the time you usually wake up till morning. After that we can usually get to sleep at normal time and stay asleep till normal time. Sometimes we have to do it for a couple of nights till we absolutely crash, but it has always worked here within a 2-3 days!
Have a great time in London! I'll pray you can sleep tonight. - Deedee
I wish I had some advice to offer Dorothy! The only insomnia I have ever suffered is caused by certain little people snuggled up in bed by me demanding to be fed at 11, 1, 3, and 5 o'clock :-) I've read that our modern electric lighting messes up our internal clocks--maybe dimming the lights in the evening and going to bed earlier would help? You might still wake up at 4:00, but with a few extra hours of sleep. (I'm just taking a shot in teh dark here...)
Hi Deedee!
That is something I have tried and all it means is I wake up a little later but still don't get a full night's sleep.
In fact, for about 6 months, 10 years ago, I was only sleeping once every 2 days. One night I was awake all night, I'd crawl through the next day and then sleep a whole 8 hours the following night. That was just the way things were, it wasn't deliberate.
I really hope it doesn't get that bad again!
Thanks for trying to help though. I'm prepared to try anything new at this point.
Have you tried Melatonin? It's an over the counter supplement, and last I checked it was safe. My husband used to have insomnia and he felt these worked for him.
I know in the U.S. there are over the counter sleeping pills as well. They are non-addictive...I don't know much about their reputation, or what is in them.
I had a bit of insomnia as well, but it was my thyroid - too much medication and I had to reduce. I only have a half functioning thyroid.
I had to quit caffeine for a while as well. I seem to be able to tolerate it now, but for a while there it was keeping me up. I now drink mostly tea rather than coffee.
I hope your stint of insomnia passes. I know how frustrating it is when you just can't sleep at night, but are tired during the day.
Oh but Paula, that's the BEST reason to be waking early!{g} I treasure those moments in the middle of the night whilst nursing them, their little eyes looking lovingly up at me. In fact, I'd give anything to go back and have one more moment of it.{g}
You enjoy those night feedings while you can!
Hi Alexandra, melatonin isn't available here, some sort of safety concerns, I think? I'm down to only 1 cup of tea a day atm!
I think the OTC sleeping pills are either anti-hystamine, and I tend to have weird reactions to those sometimes, or herbs, which I have tried and had varying degrees of success.
I must look again at what is available OTC though, because It's years since I actually looked. Thanks for the reminder.
I feel your pain, Dorothy. I often fall asleep at 9 or 10pm and then wake up early (4 or 5am) in the morning. My dh can't understand why I am so tired so early at night. He is a night person anyway and has trouble falling asleep (somewhat due to the crazy fire station schedule at work...waking up to run calls at all hours of the night, etc.). No advice, though. I hope you get some good advice and can share.
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