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Anyone have sleep problems - especially older people like me?

Marianne72

I find it harder to sleep through the night as I get into my 70's. I wake almost every hour and need the toilet - whether or not I have a bedtime drink. Anyone else have this? Any remedies, apart from reading in bed?  Summer is ok as I can sit in the garden or pot up plants, but winter is horribly cold! I don't get up until 12pm - or later. True, I don't need to, being retired, but this is getting annoying!

Parents

  • I have and always had sleep problems,  even after a physically active day.

    Last night was bad, finally got to sleep after 3am.  Woke up at 8am.

    During yesterday, I admit I slept twice during the day, around half an hour each time.

    Last night 11am to 3am was awful, I read a book, watched tv, counted my change( £* in coins).

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  • I have and always had sleep problems,  even after a physically active day.

    Last night was bad, finally got to sleep after 3am.  Woke up at 8am.

    During yesterday, I admit I slept twice during the day, around half an hour each time.

    Last night 11am to 3am was awful, I read a book, watched tv, counted my change( £* in coins).

Children
  • in reply to Robert124

    Reading helps a bit, but I find TV and the glow from the screen makes me more awake. I wonder if sleep problems affect most people with autism? I think I read that somewhere.

  • in reply to Robert124
    Robert124 said:
    Last night 11am to 3am was awful, I read a book, watched tv, counted my change

    I believe the type of light from the screen is bad for sleep - see https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/blue-light 

    I would swap the TV for a good book as the book also requires a small amount of mental effort to take in the info which helps relax it. Try to avoid thrillers and horror novels as these can be too stimulating.

    Perhaps consider a jigsaw as a way of keeping your hands occupied as well - the mix of manual dexterity and mental pattern recognition should help the brain relax.

    I would also recommend writing out what is in your brain at the time - what thoughts are going on that are keeping you awake. Are you afraid of forgetting something important to do the next day, afraid of forgetting some fact or worrying about something. 

    Writing it our helps you keep track of what is troubling you and makes it much easier to spot patterns and helps a lot if you work with a therapist. If you are afraid of forgetting something then having it on paper to pick up when you wake will take that fear away.

    For things that are worrying or scaring you I like to use mind mapping - a technique where you capture everything around a situation on some sheets of paper in a diagram with lot of bubbles of text showing how it connects - you can them completely flesh it out and see the whole picture and from that work out how to approach it - give yourself tasks and start working on it - that sort of taking control is very empowering.

    If the worry is existential in nature such a death then get a therapist and talk it through with them - this is their bread and butter and you have a good chance of freeing yourself from whatever dread is haunting you.

    Just stay away from social media - that stuff is full of rage bait designed to get you angry and that doesn't help with sleep.

    That is a bit of a smorgasbord of advice - I hope something in there is of use.