Ways to get to sleep

thanks SarahMod

an episode of Vera - works every time!

also binaural beats for sleep works well.

Hi for me if i have had a bad day or iff something is unresolved with a business I can't sleep.My worst nightmare is a Friday problem that has to wait till Monday 

I don't care if I have to tke them for the rest of my life, like you, if I don't have them I don't sleep or if I do drop off, then it's very light sleep and I dream loads and it's not a restful sleep.

I have tinnitus which doesn't help with bedtime, so I have a talk based radio station on a timer quietly in the background (Radio 5 Live, LBC, Talk Radio).

I dont do the "no tech before bed". In fact I usually play a game on my phone for 5-10 minutes when I get into bed.

I have severe obstruction sleep apnoea (OSA), so I have to wear a mask for sleep. Surprisingly, its not that restrictive and I have got so used to it that I would probably struggle to sleep without it.

As I mentioned in reply to TheCatWoman, I take zopiclone which really does the trick.

I've been taking 7.5mg zopiclone for around a year (or that may be 2 years - I don't remember).
The NHS advise that it should be for short term use and one of the doctors at my GP surgery threatened to stop my prescription. Fortunately, my GP is aware of my situation which is backed up by a sleep neurologist that I am under, so I will continue....maybe forever!

There have been 2 occasions when I had forgotten to take my tablet and boy did I know it. I just laid there in bed, not stressed or anything - I just laid there and simply could not fall asleep despite being tired. I realised after a while and took the tablet - result was I fell asleep in a short time (no more than 30 minutes).

It does make me wonder if I will ever get off of them. 

zopiclone and if that dosent' work try reading the Laws of Tort, a book so boring my eyes glazed over after a couple of sentences and I was asleep by the second paragraph.

Insomnia  is horrible.

I suffer too. I'm not very good at picturing stuff but counting slowly *backwards* from 9,999 often works. If my mind wanders, then I try to picture the numbers on a digital clock to keep it boring. It works about half the time for me.

Hi Billy - gosh this sounds horrible to deal with, so sorry to hear

I did a search to see if the NAS had any information about insomnia and found this article:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/physical-health/sleep/autistic-adults

I hope something in there helps and you get some zzz’s soon!

SarahMod

I suffer terribly with insomnia, it's way worse when I'm stressed. I can usually get to sleep it's staying there is another thing entirely.

First try and follow the sleep hygiene guide. Cut out caffeine after 3pm, avoid smoking and alcohol. No screens at least an hour before bedtime.Make sure your sleeping environment is right, dark, quiet room at the right temperature for you. Some people try white noise or sleep sounds (rainfall etc) but I find them distracting.

As I said I can get to sleep, I do what's called "body scanning". I concentrate on my toes and breath slowly, deeply and then gradually move up my body (feet, ankles etc etc), I suppose it's a bit like counting sheep in a way. It's just a way to relax and distract yourself.

Meds don't work for me and I hate the hangover from them.

My next step is acupuncture as I've even tried hypnotherapy.

Good luck and take care.

Billy87 said:

what techniques have you guys found works to help with insomnia?

I use a technique of lying on my back with eyes closed and focus slowly on my toes, thinking about relaxing somewhere warm and comfortable (a hammock in the shade for me) and then thinking about relaxing the toes.

Next move to the rest of the feet and repeat, then the calves and so on until the head is reached then you just listen the the imaginary background noise (eg waves lapping on the beach) and by this stage you are relaxed enough to slip into sleep.

It takes practice and some mental discipline to stop thinking about anything else.

I found the best way to stop thinking about other stuff was to empty my mind by writing everything down before lights out time - then I could pick it all up in the morning and get on with things as though there had been no sleep.