Totally lost the ability to spend a night asleep.

Have tried all of the conventional recommendations for fixing my sleep, but they mostly waken me up, ffs!

Please, tell me your unconventional ideas that work or recommend any supplements that might work.

Nytol etc all waken me up, as does milk etc at bedtime.

http://www.cherryactive.co.uk/sleep.html
Apparently helps with levels of something that helps you to rest/recover (least sciency answer ever but have a read)

Valerian (crap spelling) but it works for me.

Sort out your sleep hygiene first, before you start on drugs.

Establish a routine and stick to it. Set bedtimes like you are 8 again. Set wake up time.
No caffeine (tea, coffee, coke) after 5pm.
No food near bedtime.
No late night telly.
No telly/PC/tablet/work in your room – it is only for sleeping.
Properly dark room – good curtains, no flashing LEDs on things charging or bedside clocks.
Make sure your bed is comfy. Head properly supported by a good pillow and your feet covered and warm.

(I used to suffer with insomnia a fair bit till I sorted that all out – though having kids helped as bed is usually a blessed relief!)

Establish a routine and stick to it. Set bedtimes like you are 8 again. Set wake up time.

Apparently wake up/ get up time is more important to regularise than when you go to bed – even i you sleep well. A lot of people mess up their sleep patterns by having a lie in at the weekend. Try and get up at the same time all the time.

Interesting – I’ve mostly sorted all of the hygiene factors apart from the fixed get up and go to sleep time. Could be a challenge to implement, but if it works happy days.

Valerian+hops worked for me too.

Edit: and not going near the computer near bedtime.

magnesium supplement half hour before bed?

http://groceries.asda.com/asda-webstore/landing/home.shtml?cmpid=ahc-_-ghs-_-asdacom-dsk-_-hp-_-start_shopping_title&referrer=cookiesDetecting#/product/21782635

If you get to sleep ok but wake up some time later and can’t get back are there specific things that you ‘worry’ about once you are awake that stop you going back to sleep? If there are then it may be that dealing with them where possible will help you return to sleep when you do wake (and we all wake up at night).

I’ve found that having a small radio with a single bud type ear piece works for me. It has to be voice (so the World Service, typically) not music but having something ‘outside my head’ going on actually helps me get back to sleep.

And if I can’t for a while at least I’m not just laying there in the dark winding myself up about things I can’t change.