I’ve never slept normally. Just one of them things in my opinion. I always wake early, and often sleep for only 3/4 hours a night.

I have found doing other things whilst awake at night is good for me. Watching films is my thing. I get up, make some tea, and watch a film i’ve not seen before. I sometimes read, factual stuff, but i find this too tiring, and leaves me tired for the day.
I think for me coming to the realisation that i am going to be awake, and not worrying about that, was a good thing to do.

I never worry about waking early, but if I ever want to get back to a normal waking time, I force myself to go to bed later, BUT make sure i get up at the time i want to get up. If i wake too early, i stay up later.
I’m in a good phase at the moment. 6 hrs every night nearly every night, which isn’t all that good as i have some good films i want to watch, and the cricket is on tonight.

Things that that affected me, caffeine after 6pm, eating late, late socialising, working later, late excercise.

Thanks again everyone.

Sounds like you have a number of external stressors in your life at present. If you can start to off load some then it will get easier. It’s like loads on a boat. One or two are manageable, but once they start to add up, the boat is overloaded and topples. If you can start to reduce them, then your sleep will improve and you’ll be better placed to deal with the others. As some are external and out of your control i.e. ill relatives, you might need to be a bit selffish until you have sorted yourself out.

I know this is the key, but hopefully i can find some things to do in the short-term to make it a bit easier.

no screens within an hour of bed.

I have also noticed this. Wonder if the light entering the eye triggers wakefulness. It would not surprise me.

Surprised no-one’s suggested earplugs yet. If you’re waking at the same sort of time every night it might be the neighbours or something and you don’t realise.

no screens within an hour of bed.

I have also noticed this. Wonder if the light entering the eye triggers wakefulness. It would not surprise me.

Apparently light from computer / TV screens is concentrated at the blue end of the spectrum, i.e. more like daylight than other sources of artificial light.

Cougar – good idea, but i still i wake up if i’m in a hotel, at someone else’s house etc. So it’s probably not that.

I find having children helps. 4-5 hrs a night sounds great.

Never really had a problem with sleep especially since I had kids can sleep anywhere any time generally. In the past if I ever had trouble I would imagine I had won the lottery and could build my own house anywhere I wanted never got past location, layout, what I would have in the big garage, gym etc before I fell asleep

Apparently light from computer / TV screens is concentrated at the blue end of the spectrum, i.e. more like daylight than other sources of artificial light.

Correct, and this stimulates production of serotonin. Serotonin in the brain governs how much you sleep – more serotonin = less sleep.

Apparently light from computer / TV screens is concentrated at the blue end of the spectrum, i.e. more like daylight than other sources of artificial light.

Would that not depend on what’s actually being displayed on the telly?

So images of lovely sunny days could produce serotonin, but most evening TV is gritty drama or crime stuff, isn’t it, which is predominantly shot at night or indoors…? Possibly a psychological link there?

Correct, and this stimulates production of serotonin. Serotonin in the brain governs how much you sleep – more serotonin = less sleep.

However, whilst increased serotonin at night means less sleep, if you can increase serotonin during the day, then that leads to more melatonin at night = more sleep, as serotonin is synthesised into melatonin by the pineal gland. Thats how 5HTP (and anti-depressants) work, it increases serotonin and indirectly increases melatonin.

The process is triggered by light levels, so as others have said a dark room is helpful.

If I’m away from home e.g. hotel, friends house, I always take eye patches to ensure room is dark.

I have periods where I’ll wake very early and lay there with my mind spinning and it’s always around times of stress and/or anxiety. It takes me a little while but the only way round it is to completely clear my mind, the previous comment about visualising a loop of trail is a good example.

Once the period of stress/anxiety ends I start sleeping soundly again. If you can get rid of whatever is bothering you you should be reet.

Edit: I took some night nurse the other week as I was coughing so much I couldn’t sleep. It knocked me out for about 3 days! Might be worth a try and cheaper than Stella.

I have also noticed this. Wonder if the light entering the eye triggers wakefulness. It would not surprise me.

It does.

We have two real sleep cycles:
–circadian rhythm – mostly affected my melatonin levels, which is inversely released my light. I.e. melatonin makes you feel sleepy. light ‘stops’ melatonin. There is enough light in modern LEDs/screens to suppress normal ‘nighty night’ melatonin.
This rhythm has two peaks – afternoon (siesta anyone?!) and night time. If this is messed up, you need to ‘normalise’ it again.

–Sleep ‘desire’ levels. Think of this like hunger. You get sleepy throughout the day, and it’s maximal at night. Make sure you don’t nap in the day, as you won’t be ‘sleepy enough’ in the night. It’s like snacking all day, then never feeling hungry….

If you have both these cycles ‘lined up’ then you’ll fall asleep, and stay asleep nicely.
If they are out of kilter, then you may be ‘so tired’ you fall asleep, but if your ‘natural rhythm’ thinks you should wake at 3am, then you’ll wake at 3am…..

DrP

(sleep disturbance is such a massive issue, that it’s become one of my ‘special subjects’….. Pills are rarely the answer, especially in chronic sleep issues..)

. ….,Pills are rarely the answer, especially in chronic sleep issues..)

Couldn’t agree more. As with most illness/ill health, pills only alleviate the symptoms. Long term you need to address the underlying cause, be that physical, psychological etc.

My wife asked me how I can get to sleep so quickly, secret is get into a nice comfy position and think that’s it is so comfy, then think about your breathing , that your nose is clear and plenty air getting in, then slow breathing as you relax. You may have to work on it, but it will work. I don’t read in bed, i’m there to sleep ( well during the week anyway)

This happens to me quite a bit. I just get up – go downstairs make tea and toast – go on tinternet for an hour – back to bed not feeling any more sleepy but it works! Give it a try. Don’t have to be up early though so that takes the anxiety of feeling the need to sleep (As you need to be up in x amount of time etc)

Oh the ironing….

I was wide awake at 0430 today, so just got up an faffed on the iPad…. It was too close to ‘wake up time’ to think about going back to bed!

The reason ; had an important work meeting/planning last night (till about 11) which, of course, was playing on my mind…..!!

DrP

Oh the ironing…. #2

I was also up at 4 bizarrely excited about a project I have going on at work. I hope I don’t crash later in the day!