Insomniacs of the world unite!

I am tired most of the time as I either struggle to get to sleep or keep waking in the night. It is harder when the nights get warmer and light in the mornings. It is also harder with children as you tend to sleep lighter and become alert at the slightest sound. My latest problem is a constant low level hum and the only source I can think of is a neighbour's heat pump. That's another thing that disturbs my sleep is having to get up to work out where a noise is coming from in case it needs dealing with.

I go through phases of different problems. Sometimes keeping a regular time to go to bed, but not too early helps and getting up at a fairly regular time every day may help. Listening to peaceful music before sleeping can help especially with words that I try to go over in my head which can help switch my thoughts off to go to sleep.

I used to find reading something like a text book could help me become drowsy.

I try to write down anything that I might think about before going to sleep for example something I need to remember to do the next day. 

I try to do mundane things before bed because if I socialise near bedtime my mind is too awake when I go to bed. I also find being tense stops me getting to sleep so sometimes I lie on my back and tense all my muscles then consciously relax them. This sometimes works.

Sometimes I can go through all sorts of possible things that might happen in the future, so I now try to concentrate more on the present and postpone thoughts about future events until they need thinking about. I have recently discovered the Google calendar so can put in reminders for future events and forget about them until necessary.

I have to say that if I ever think things have improved I then start the pattern of sleepless nights again. Typing this has made me realise what an effort it takes to get to sleep. I do long to be able to go to bed and fall asleep with no effort as some people seem to be able to do.

I am tired most of the time as I either struggle to get to sleep or keep waking in the night. It is harder when the nights get warmer and light in the mornings. It is also harder with children as you tend to sleep lighter and become alert at the slightest sound. My latest problem is a constant low level hum and the only source I can think of is a neighbour's heat pump. That's another thing that disturbs my sleep is having to get up to work out where a noise is coming from in case it needs dealing with.

I go through phases of different problems. Sometimes keeping a regular time to go to bed, but not too early helps and getting up at a fairly regular time every day may help. Listening to peaceful music before sleeping can help especially with words that I try to go over in my head which can help switch my thoughts off to go to sleep.

I used to find reading something like a text book could help me become drowsy.

I try to write down anything that I might think about before going to sleep for example something I need to remember to do the next day. 

I try to do mundane things before bed because if I socialise near bedtime my mind is too awake when I go to bed. I also find being tense stops me getting to sleep so sometimes I lie on my back and tense all my muscles then consciously relax them. This sometimes works.

Sometimes I can go through all sorts of possible things that might happen in the future, so I now try to concentrate more on the present and postpone thoughts about future events until they need thinking about. I have recently discovered the Google calendar so can put in reminders for future events and forget about them until necessary.

I have to say that if I ever think things have improved I then start the pattern of sleepless nights again. Typing this has made me realise what an effort it takes to get to sleep. I do long to be able to go to bed and fall asleep with no effort as some people seem to be able to do.