Last few weeks been really bad, I go to bed and can’t sleep, lie there for hours reading, I am getting to sleep about 7am in the morning, but today it was 11am, woke up again and couldn’t sleep.
Tired, exhausted but still got to care, go shopping, take my caree to appointments etc, cook, clean, sort out medication.
I am just exhausted, tired but can’t sleep.
My GP has been no help, and I probably won’t get an appointment now until after Christmas.
I too suffer from insomnia so I know what it’s like.
Reading your post sounds like your sleeping pattern has changed suddenly. Have you had any lifestyle changes recently?
Fresh air and exercise in the daytime helps me. But some nights are better than others. Also I read recently that a glass of beer helps you sleep. Last night I had a glass of Fosters and sure enough it did help me sleep! Normally I don’t drink any alcohol.
I wake up every night at least twice,have tried everything! As I look after my hubby who has Alzheimeres (great sleeper!) so we go to bed early
and still get the required 8 /9 hours which includes my two breaks!
Bad nights I get up and come downstairs!
Hi Likewise,I too get to bed at 11.30 pm,asleep by midnight,up at 7 am to let elderly dog out,back to bed till 8.30 am,then up & feel utterly drained.My sweet hubby will not go to bed early & he’s disabled,& has terminal cancer. I am a worry guts & wake up unrefreshed.Very little help for me.!! Dreading Christmas & new year.sorry to rant.Happy Christmas everyone regards Amanda
Instead of reading try crosswords and/or word search. I find flexing my brain matter helps me get to sleep.
Do you read a book or using a tablet/e reader? If the 2nd option try missing it out. The ‘false’ light is known to sometimes affect our brains late at night?
x
I usually take sleeping pills. Much more effective honestly. Ask your GP for a prescription or buy some online.
Personally I wouldn’t recommend buying medication on line… It may not suit, especially if on other medications. Speak to your GP if needed.
Im a person who can not take medication easily. Have reaction like sleep paralysis or strange dreams. I paracetamol or nurofen suits me if needed instead of the recommended two. . I do put the television on or radio, which I know isn’t really recommend by some, but it does distract me from overthinking.
I just couldn’t sleep at all a few nights ago got to sleep 1pm , woke at 5pm, today got to sleep at 5am, woke up at 8am, couldn’t sleep anymore.
Not going to be able to see the Gp until after Christmas but he wasn’t much use anyway.
Everything still going through my head, the death of my friend and all the hassle with caring.
Had to help my caree with benefits and constant problems with my carees medication.
They reckon a third of Brits have sleep problems so its not just unpaid carers.
The only time I have any trouble sleeping (and it’s rare) is when there’s too much “stuff” going around in my head.
You need to replace that stuff with the right stuff, for me, I glaze pots in my head, not the actual process of glazing them but choosing combinations of glaze etc etc.
You need to find what works for you, whether it’s following a favourite walk in your head or working on something hobby related,or whatever you want to try.
One thing i used to do a long time ago, (before i made pots) and it worked quite well for me, was something akin to hypnotising myself. Get really comfortable, now say (in your head, not out loud) Toes go to sleep - repeat three times - work your way up, toes, feet, ankles, shins, knees, thighs - I never reached hips. You’ll know when you’ve got it right cos it’s almost as if you can’t actually feel the last bit that you told to go to sleep, I think that’s one reason why you need to be really comfortable - semi-foetal position worked best for me.
Londonbound, am I right in thinking you lost a caree earlier this year? You are probably still grieving. After my husband died, my GP gave me Amitryptilene, half the lowest dose was a great help, I knew that an hour after taking it I would sleep, which was a huge relief, after weeks of doing ironing or accounts at 3am. You may not want medication, but your body needs a real break.
Bowlingbun
Thank you for helping yes I probably still am grieving, had no help at all.
I just don’t see the GP, a lot of clashs and not understanding about my friend dying that was for the final straw.
I am considering complaining about the GP but what would it resolve.
I suffer from M.E. but am receiving no treatment for this either, the GP does not believe in it and refuses to send me for treatment.
The G.P. should be helpful, understanding and sympathetic, but not at all.
I don’t like my official GP either, the one I knew for about 30 years, and who knew all my extended family, all patients of the same practice, retired. Replaced by a brash South African.
When I complained about something he said to me that was entirely inappropriate, he tried to get me expelled from the practice. I’ve been registered there for over 50 years, probably one of the very longest patients there, but of course he was new, so was the Practice Manager!
Now they have an online booking service, I always book with one of the other GP’s instead, who remembers meeting me at my mum’s a number of times when she was very sick, who knows the lengths I went to for her.
I suffer from this too. I’ve suffered for a very long time and the lack of sleep really ages you! I look about 50 but I am only 37.
My GP is useless, she kept saying things like go for a run at night, have a hot bath, go to the gym, blah blah blah, like I hadn’t tried it already. She point blank said no to any sleeping pills. Bloody cow! I’ve tried a few times in the last few years but it’s always a no. My most favourite GP retired and I miss him dearly. He was wonderful, always asked if I was still working and then wrote down the cheapest option for me to buy from the pharmacy instead of paying £9 or whatever it is for a prescription.
I’ve been getting Sleepeaze from Boots which you can get over the counter. I don’t think they make any difference but I take them anyway. I’m normally wide awake at 3am and if and when I do nod off, I am back up at 6am and then it’s clock watching until 9am when Mum wakes up.
I’m currently retrying lavender oil and pillow spray and roller balls and eye masks. They smell lovely but don’t help me sleep. The Avon pillow spray used to work to an extent but not anymore.
I sleep well every other night.
Last night was a good night…I fell asleep on the sofa, woke went to bed fell asleep fairly quickly and had a lovely relaxing lie in.
Tonight, predictably I got into bed and knew I wasn’t going to sleep. Tonight no thanks to Dennis being so noisy…Storm Dennis that is, I will be awake until 2 pm.
When I was 16 I used to get to sleep within ten minutes.
Even during the week when I get up early every day…I still have this one good night…one bad.
Really want to improve on this.
On the verge I asked for sleeping tablets and almost got chucked out the surgery, same spiel as you, get plenty of exercise, have a hot bath.
They just don’t want to give sleeping tablets easy to get addicted to them.
One G.P. told me conditions have to be right for you to sleep too hot or too cold, too much light, get blackout curtains, if you are hyped up from work or driving, body needs time to calm down. If you have eaten too much drunk too much alcohol then you won’t sleep.
There are sleep clinics, a team of experts can look at you , analyse why you can’t sleep, used to be you stay for the night all wired up.
Now you get a sleep kit to take home, measures your oxygen levels etc but that’s more really for sleep apnea, where you may stop breathing multiple times in the night.
If you are caring your body gets into a constant alertness state and you can never sleep deeply as you may have to wake up at any minute for care and I don’t think the doctors realise this, well that’s what I think anyway.
I do sleep sometimes well but still tired, I have M.E. but caring with no help and support.
M.E. is like a car with a flat battery, a jump start will get you going but really you and the car need looking at.
londonbound,
Our GP experiences sound very similar.
I was very tired yesterday but was still up at 2am. Then I was back up at 6am and have been clock watching since. Absolutely shattered and constantly yawning but can’t sleep.
Full of stress again as my stomach hurts like hell and my heart is racing. I don’t even know why.
I’m 2 years post care and still can’t sleep, I’ve swapped an incontinent father for an incontinent dog who usually takes me to the garden around 1.30 and 4.30 sometimes twice a night. She occassionally woofs in her sleep and I leap into action only to finds her asleep downstairs. Then there are my own toilet trips and wonky hip and lodgers. Lucky to get a couple of hours strung in a row. I find the best way of managing it it is to accept it and not try to beat it if you see what I mean. Can always catch up later.
That’s an excellent way to think Henrietta. I just find it so hard to function after a few nights with no or little sleep where you end up yawning all the time but still can’t sleep.
I feel that if I was able to get a good few hours proper sleep, I would be a much better carer and person in general.