Sleep
 

Hi just wondering if anyone finds sleep consistently difficult and if so what have you found helpful. My sleeplessness is linked to anxiety.
I'm not that keen on melatonin supplements although thankfully you can buy them in Canada.
.Has anyone undergone CBT-I? There is a Vancouver based therapist.
Thank you for any suggestions or strategies.

Re: Sleep
 

I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. The falling asleep is racing thoughts and anxiety based, the not staying asleep I have no idea why I can't stay asleep, I wake up anywhere from 3-7 times per night.

For me I have found if I haven't fallen asleep within 30-40 minutes, I get back up, watch youtube, or read, go for a walk, I used to toss and turn for hours and got so frustrated, but I find getting back up doing something until I am yawning and barely awake works better.

Walking in the evening before bed helps.

No caffeine after 1pm.

Reading helps sometimes as well.

Re: Sleep
 

It's 2am and i am wide awake. I do sleep way better since i had a sleep study done and was prescribed a CPAP machine but sometimes I just can't get comfortable and then my brain starts digging up ancient history for me to worry over. Ridiculous. I'm going to go back to bed soon and I'll take a T1 first which shoukd help with the aching joints.

Re: Sleep
 

Since this C19 Chaos has started I do have big problems- I should mention that I do take a prescribed sleeping tablet every night, it’s probably useless and is just a comfort blanket, but if I didn’t take it I’d have no chance of sleep, I have for the past 20 years and couldn’t stop now.

I have downloaded MindShift and Calm onto my phone and have also started meditating prior to sleeping, it mostly seems to help. I am particularly anxious at the moment as I’ve just taken over a job, from someone who’s been doing it well for 15 years and so it’s challenging.

l do find that having a good daily walk or run built into my day helps, and I don’t drink liquids after seven, so that I won’t need to get up in the night to pee.

I’ve done a few hypnotherapy CDs from the library which can be effective...they don’t seem to work for me so much, but they fell my husband like an elephant gun!

I have spent a lifetime of bad sleeping and know how very enervating it can be. I hate three o’clock in the morning! We aren’t in a small group though, and there are lots of different approaches to help out there, which can assist lots of people.

Very best of luck :thumbup:

Re: Sleep
 

I often can’t get to sleep due to racing thoughts, and restless legs. Podcasts are my only salvation, to try and break the thought cycle. I am trying magnesium and yoga for the restless legs. I am also a very light sleeper, but cetrizine (non drowsy variety) has helped me stay asleep for the last couple of nights. 🤞it keeps helping. Hope you find something That helps, not sleeping is a nightmare.

Re: Sleep
 

I can fall asleep within minutes of going to bed but staying asleep is my problem. It started when I had children and has now become a release of water at night. Getting rid of the retained water and the urge for nicotine are the culprits for me. Do you retain water or smoke?

Re: Sleep
 

One Benedryl tablet and I am asleep within 15 mins...for 6-8 hrs.

Re: Sleep
 

Try a few bites of some pot brownie a few hrs before bed, it will be the best nights sleep you ever had.



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Re: Sleep
 

Of course, personal experiences may vary. Sometimes an edible will help me go to sleep, but I could be up a few hours later anyway. Depending on why I'm up (either just unrest or pain) I might just try to stay down, or I'll get up and fetch a glass of ice and the Drambuie, and get my vape and dope out and watch some bad basic cable. I've been awake since 1:30 this morning, so will probably sleep better tonight! :lol: Upside is being awake when ECK is pontificating in Europe, and getting the straight info first!

Re: Sleep
 

I find this fascinating. I am at the opposite end of the spectrum. I am asleep a minute after my head hits the pillow. I will sleep until 10 minutes before my alarm goes off unless I am woken. Every night without fail. I am an HGV driver so I am used to grabbing naps whenever I get chance.

The Mrs on the other hand has similar experiences to what has been described above. I remember early in our relationship that I woke up because I heard her moving around the room. I asked her if she was OK? I can't sleep so I am doing yoga. It's 3am... I know it's normal... No it isn't but whatever you need to do as I roll over and immediately start snoring 🤣
We went on to a plant based diet in January. Her quality and quantity of sleep has improved hugely. There are still some nights once in a while where she will wake up and get up. I have always thought from everything that she describes it is the inability to switch her thoughts off that is the root of the problem.

Re: Sleep
 

:lol:

Re: Sleep
 

I usually fall asleep very easily. But staying asleep all night can be a challenge. If I have a business deal that is worrying me then I'll wake up around 3am and spend the next 3 hours or so worrying about it - even when there really isn't anything to worry about! lol

I've had tinnitus for the last year or so too. I think at times that wakes me up and there's nothing I can do about it!!

Re: Sleep
 

I wonder about those. I used to download Radio 5 football chats and play them on my laptop to fall asleep to but often they'd keep me awake. :lol:

Now I just rely on CBC - if it's interesting I enjoy listening, if not then it probably sends me to sleep, job done.
But sometimes I wake up and I just missed something like BBC's The Inquiry or Monocle's The Briefing. Of course I'd rather be asleep but if I'm going to wake up I'd rather it coincide with something interesting. The irritation of having missed it sometimes makes it hard to go back to sleep.

But I figure searching for something to listen too might make me feel even more awake.

My bedside radio takes a thumbdrive so the obvious thing to do would be to download something daily and have it on standby for when I wake up at the wrong time. So why don't I do it?

Re: Sleep
 

My sleep has been pretty horrendous since covid
not to go into to many outing details but I can’t get into a routine that works for me for reasons beyond my control

Re: Sleep
 

I worked a 4 on 4 off schedule for 6 years. The shifts were 2x 12hr days and 2x 12hr nights.
Sleeping during the day was very hard for me, I came home from work at 7am completely exhausted, sleep like a log until 11am and then I was wide awake.

To help tire me out again, I got up and did some stuff around the house (yard work in Summer, or shoveling snow in the winter) for a few hours and went back to bed at 1pm. I slept for another 2-3 hrs and was then ready to go back to work for my last night shift.

I do not miss working shifts, it is hard on your body constantly flipping between days and nights. We used to call it "two play dates and two sleepovers".

Re: Sleep
 

Employers really shouldn't do that type of scheduling, should be all days or all nights, overnight shifts are hard enough on the body, adding in the flip flop to where the body can never adjust really causes issues.

Daytime sleep is of lower quality, the human brain isn't wired to sleep during the day so that also doesn't help when trying to sleep either.

Hardest part for me on overnights, was I was almost always working alone, and just trying to keep myself awake was hard, I'd be done with my work by 1am, so had 6 solid hours of having absolutely nothing to do but having to stay awake. I am pretty sure I dozed off at least once in my hotel working life....

Re: Sleep
 

I'm reading all the responses and am very grateful for all of them: at least I'm not alone although I'm sorry others are suffering too.

Re: Sleep
 

Don’t you worry Snowy, we are a great big club of followers out there!

Sleep is perhaps one of the most sort after things, that we cannot control, and we all want to do...so...it’s priceless.

Wanting to do something about it, and wanting to change it however can have great effects. Let us know how it goes and anything that works for you , and, possibly, us/we...

Re: Sleep
 

I guess i should be honest. I'm suffering from anxiety and depression since about March. In March, April & May the insomnia was occasional then it late June it became more frequent. Recently it's improved but still at least half the week

Does anyone take Melatonin or practise mindfulness?

I just hope it recedes as the depression does.

Re: Sleep
 

I am a terrible sleeper, always have been even when I was a kid, I find it hard to get to sleep but my main problem is staying asleep, sometimes I wake up every hour, and then cant sleep as i start thinking about stuff....as Bats says ancient history dug up from the past! I dont know why!

I found exercise helped me, I used to do boot camp classes 3 times a week, I slept well those nights (for my standards), but of course gyms are all closed now, well no classses anyway.....and I find the gym alone is mind numbingly boring compared to doing classses, I hope the opportunity for that returns someday soon.

I find nytol is good for a couple if evenings per week, then I may take a gravol on another night, I try to do without anything the remaining days in the week, but I need at least 2 or three nights per week when I know I am going to sleep reasonably well.

Re: Sleep
 

It's normal for me to wake up not feeling rested and I accepted it. For me it's coffee, any amount it doesn't matter and I won't get a good night's sleep...slow metabolism I guess. I cut it out and within 48 hours I was sleeping great, did that for a month. Then I went back to drinking it with the knowledge that I can just quit for a bit and get some decent sleep....textbook addict. :)

Re: Sleep
 

similar diagnosis here
melatonin did nothing for me.

CBT , mindfulness and talking therapy were a lot more successful for me.

usually a massive link for me between depression and my insomnia

the insomnia I’m suffering from now is not depression related

also be aware if you are taking an antidepressant or anti anxiety meds, they can screw with your sleep

Re: Sleep
 

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Re: Sleep
 

My wife used to take it early evening but that was more to make her receptive to a major sleeping pill later that had some hallucinogenic side effects. My SD also takes it with some success.

I had a tooth snap off a couple of weeks ago and the dentist had a complicated extraction. Included in my 'recovery' instructions was advice to take acetaminophen and ibuprofen, not only at the same time but 650 and 600 respectively, That surprised me as previously I've been told to alternate and at the 500/400 dose.

I alternated as previously and it was fine but I was already used to taking a 500 acetaminophen at bed time to ward off occasional diabetic foot pain so it was just a small step up. So at bedtime I took one of each (500/400) and I've been doing that for a week. I don't have a problem getting off, it's the interruptions I suffer from albeit, that's a different (prostate) story. But so far it mostly gives me 4 or 5 hours straight.

Might not be the best solution but it's cheap and I'm well within recommended limits.

Re: Sleep
 

I held off taking the ADs because I read they can make insomnia worse.

Re: Sleep
 

I'd happily settle for 4-5 hours straight sleeping. ...regularly.

Has anyone tried CBD oil for either anxiety or sleeplessness?

Re: Sleep
 

I hope this isn't too personal of a question, but how is your gut health?
Happy gut = happy mind.

If you are lying in bed at night and cannot sleep, I highly recommend listening to some Joe Rogan & Rhonda Patrick podcasts, episode #1178 is my favourite

https://www.health.harvard.edu/disea...ain-connection

Re: Sleep
 

Well when the insomnia got worse I developed acidity which has been on and off. It happened simultaneously.

I also seem to get hungry during the nights I cannot sleep.

Millie: is Headspace worth subscribing to?
I downloaded a free app called Medito which is quite good but I think I should try a couple. The Mindfulness Movement recordings on YouTube were recommended to me but the ads are annoying.

Re: Sleep
 

OH and I have completely different sleep issues, he is snoring on the couch right now, we will go to bed in the next few minutes he will be snoring before I've finished taking my contacts out and brushed my teeth. I will read for a while until my eyes feel droopy. I rarely sleep without waking two or three times. OH will wake about 2am, go and said the fridge, snooze on the couch, cone back to bed and be up for 5am, he then wakes me for 6am because he wants company lol I did do melatonin for a few months after a car accident just to help my mind rest. Can't remember the last time I had one.

As for CBD, its6going to sound weird, my puppy has it for separation anxiety when I go to work. It helps her a lot, she Doesn't pace but she does get into mischeif instead.

Re: Sleep
 

I'm up for the 2nd time, catching a little late night talk show. I know I want another 2 or 3 hours sleep because a few days ago I was awake since 1:30 and even though I stayed in bed till 4 was tired all day. If I can drop off soon and sleep till 5 that would be nice, so going to try some 50/50 cbd-thc tincture.

Re: Sleep
 

I don't think so, no. At the time when I started subscribing I was feeling a bit drastic and was looking for anything as a sticking plaster.

It's 5.23 here now, and I've been lying in bed, emptying my mind and controlling my breathing for the past three hours and have just thrown the towel in.

I am pretty damned determined to take steps to improve this, but I'm just not sure which ones! I take Melatonin, those new 'Sleep Gummies' that Costco is flogging and a pill but nothing makes me sleep...I have become so anxious about not sleeping, that I simply can't sleep!

Rather annoyingly my husband could sleep, quietly, deeply and soundly if you pegged him up on the clothesline...

Re: Sleep
 

Sounds like most of us are a bunch of insomniacs!! A few band aids have been offered up there though...

Re: Sleep
 

Sleep hygiene also very important.
routine is key.
no caffeine in evening. No screen time for an hour before bedtime
cool quiet room
if you aren’t asleep within 30 mins. Get up
try again later

Re: Sleep
 

I've read that the most effective treatment for insomnia is CBT-I. There's a practitioner in Vancouver who I've talked to but not booked any sessions with I think it's all done remotely.

insomnia-help.net


A doctor told me that for sleeping CBD oil should have at keast a 30% thc content i don't know if that's true.

really sorry to read others are having problems too but so very grateful I'm not alone

Re: Sleep
 

I thought I was the only one suffering from bouts of sleeplessness. I'd give anything to sleep 8-10 hours.

Re: Sleep
 

I was up until 3am pacific time, then back up at 7:50am. I think sometimes on nights like this it would be better to just stay up, doesn't help that my quality of sleep was very poor and kept waking up for short periods from weird dreams.

Re: Sleep
 

Just wondering: did the CBD tincture work?

Re: Sleep
 

It did, (50% cbc, 50% thc) but I took a double dose (which isn't much), and it wasn't immediate. I think I got my few hours and woke up around 6. I have a high tolerance so this isn't going to be the average outcome. It's great stuff, but from what I've seen is expensive even in the grey market (around $80/vial). Because of the thc, you can feel it working, which is nice. You hold it under your tongue to absorb through a gland, same as the oil. I can often get a pass for a few hours sleep just by taking 20mg of my favourite gummy, but I'm still going to be sad when the tincture is gone.

Re: Sleep
 

A GP told me it needs to have at least 30% thc to enable sleep.

Re: Sleep
 

Because I'm trying to treat pain and insomnia, the marijuana I buy is almost all Indica or Indica-dominant hybrid strains with a fairly high thc content. Someone gave me some medical grade Burmese Kush once that was so good, after the first puff I could literally feel my eyelids closing.