Insomnia

I take the Z sleeping tablets and find them great, they help lower your body temperature to a level where sleep is more likely to occur.

I've read about all this sleep hygene stuff and it sounds like something else created by larks to torture owls. I naturally go to sleep in the small hours and wake mid morning, I know I'm lucky that I don't have to work and keep office hours. Isn't having nothing to distract you in the room scary?

Insomnia is a beast, and feeling like a failure because you can't stick to a strict sleep schedule only adds more stress, which is the last thing you need. Have you considered trying some relaxation techniques before bed? Maybe some light stretching, deep breathing exercises, or even a warm bath could help calm your mind and body. And as for napping during the day, listen to your body. If you're feeling burnt out, a short nap might actually do you some good. I also buy zopiclone online, personally, and I think it's important to explore various options and maybe even consult with a healthcare professional about it. Prioritize your well-being without adding extra pressure!

I know sleep hygiene recommends no naps, but other sources say actually naps are good for you! Sadly I find it very hard to nap unless I am really tired as transitions are too hard for me and it can take me 3 hours to have a 20 minute nap. But they do help many people.

There is also the theory that suggests it is good to have sleep in two or more phases, so a few hours then get up and do stuff for a few hours then have more sleep later. 

I would like to know as well. I have had chronic insomnia my whole life and I am a foremost export on every aspect of sleep hygiene because it's what doctors and everybody ever immediately recommends (none of it ever makes any difference for me, although I guess in theory my sleep could be worse if I didn't follow those things).

I have a paradoxical reaction to light. Bright sunlight makes me want to close my eyes and makes me sleepy, whereas darkness makes me alert.

In the past I was prescribed sleeping pills (Z drugs) by doctors but they are a poor solutions. Whilst they do make you unconscious in a high enough dose, they are quick to build tolerance to, so only really a solution for people with acute insomnia who need short term relief for a few days. It's not any good for long-term insomnia and they can also cause daytime drowsiness or even amnesia in the mornings (which happened to me). Sometimes I wondered if I actually had slept or just didn't remember the night due to amnesia. And they are bad for the brain (cause dementia).

asmr. try youtube.

Haha, when I was struggling less with my mental health my average sleep time was about 9 hours which seems so long to me now. Ridiculously long for me especially. Do you both get really vivid dreams also? I find this also makes my insomnia worse cause dreaming is so intense that I get scared

Yeah I agree, the sleep monitoring seems to be the main thing about CBT-I which doesn't agree with me. I usually get up after 20 minutes of not being able to sleep and distract myself by reading which is my favourite thing to do. But I might try not looking at the clock at all. Thank you for this!!

Yeah maybe something like comfy pillows or a weighted blanked would help

Yeah I have done all those

InfinitePlanner said:

. Being asleep is the best part of the day, because no matter how bizarre and random my dreams are they still make more sense than the real world

Yep, I'm with you there!

I'd like to stay asleep for longer, but just don't! 

7 hours it is.

I was going to say that I am jealous of you, because you have 90 more minutes of the day than I do. But then I realised I would probably just spend them thinking of new ways to feed my anxieties. Being asleep is the best part of the day, because no matter how bizarre and random my dreams are they still make more sense than the real world 

InfinitePlanner said:

I am a big fan of getting up at the same time every day. 8h30 in bed is my sweet spot, any more then it tends to have a negative effect

Yeah - the same, 7 hours for me. 

I am a big fan of getting up at the same time every day. 8h30 in bed is my sweet spot, any more then it tends to have a negative effect (unless I am even more shattered than normal).

For me, the more that I worry about not getting to sleep, the more likely my thoughts are to keep me awake. Three things have helped. Firstly, absolutely no monitoring of my sleep or checking of clocks after I have gone to bed. I used to look at my watch whenever I got up during the night, which seems like a really minor thing, but stopping doing it made quite a big difference. Secondly, perfecting the art of barely opening my eyes whilst going to the toilet, which maintains my sleepy state. Thirdly, not stressing if I do not get to sleep immediately (or back to sleep). Easier said than done, and still a bit of a challenge, but the key has been to enjoy just lying there under my toasty duvet without thinking of anything specific. If I fall asleep then great, but if I don't then I will have been refreshed to some extent by relaxing horizontally. I am probably atypical to some extent, as I sleep better when I am nice and warm.

Good luck!

My sleep has improved recently when I bought new pillows.  I threw away the old pillows which had yellow stains from grease on my hair and scalp and were almost twenty years old.

Have you done all the usual sleep hygiene measures - no screens before bed, don’t eat for 2 hours before bed, no caffeine after lunch, keep your bedroom cool etc?