Inability to Sleep / Insomnia

I suffer really badly from this - they say it shortens your life - hooray.

When work gets stressful (I work in compliance so its always fuggin stressful - thanks FCA) I suffer.

Have been trying 4-7-8 breathing which seems to help. Still occasionally wake up in the night and know immediately that I won't get back to sleep. I find the best thing to do is just get up and do stuff.

Obtaining a toddler in your 40s is not a recipe for a relaxed life.

Just found this thread, my new sleep analysis thingy read 56%......lots of work/reading to do.......

Aaaah, it was only 56% of 8 hours,,, actual deep sleep was 2hrs 6 mins,,, suppose the rest of the time I was having nightmares

Everyone at work is suffering with the 1am insomnia / broken sleep pattern this week..
I’m super tired.. thank fark it’s Frday

Tonight I'm going to blame it on the full moon - find Sominex works but only guarantees 3 or 4 hours, but its available without prescription.

I am in you.

This thought is not helping me get back to sleep.

I’ve had insomnia for years, royally sucks. I want so share something sleep-related that has literally changed my life : if anyone has bruxism (grinds teeth in their sleep), with or without insomnia, and wakes up feeling totally knackered, do yourself one of the biggest favours of your life and get a bespoke hard mouth guard made by a dentist.

I grind my teeth badly so got a bespoke hard mouthguard made by my dentist two months ago, and every day since then I wake up easily and refreshed. It’s un-fucking-believable. No exaggeration, I can probably count on 2 hands the days I’ve woken up feeling refreshed in at least 20 years before this mouth guard. I didn’t understand how ‘morning people’ were a thing when merely waking up was such a fucking miserable experience, at least for the first 90 minutes until my body and brain fully woke up.

I only wish I had gotten one made sooner, and that I hadn’t allowed a shitty nhs dentist (Denmark hill surgery, London, 1/5 no recommend) to make me a soft mouthguard last year which actually makes the grinding worse.

Inserting terror into the hearts and forum threads of people internet-wide.

At least 3 nights a week now, I'm up in the night for 2-3hrs.

Stress. It's a killer.

You tried relaxation/meditation/self hypnosis stuff? I was a terrible insomniac for years til I used them... Should be loads on YouTube to choose from...

Anyone use a weighted blanket? Have been thinking about getting one.

I think @hats is a fan

Have read good things but got put off by an acquaintance who says one messed up her back after 1 night. Maybe it has to do with sleeping positions or something because it’s the only case I’ve heard of like that.

ASMR, relaxing audiobooks, general sleep discipline have helped me stave off insomnia for a good long while. Had it for years, definitely affected my health. Interestingly, have recently learned there’s some evidence that emotions and trauma are processed during sleep; so insomnia can actually cause additional harm by letting small (or big) emotional stuff add up.

Worth being proactive about managing it, is all I’m saying.

My wife has been suffering in pregnancy with insomnia/ discomfort as well as work stress.

Bought her a weighted blanket (was willing to try anything!!) first time she tried it was about three in the afternoon on the Saturday it was delivered. She was asleep in about 3 minutes, never seen someone fall asleep like that!

Uses it ever night now and is asleep within 3 minutes every night, it’s crazy!

I am sure it won’t work for everyone but it has transformed sleeping for her. Lots of places do 90 day money back if not happy etc etc.

My own fault, but WFH without taking a break at lunch away from the desk is killing my sleep. I don't know why I do it to myself? No issues getting off to sleep, but up at 1ish for an hour or more going over the work is the norm lately. Doesn't help that I can't remember the last dry day here in South Wales to get out during lunch.

Yep, as @hoefla said, I'm a fan. I bought mine last year and it does make me feel calmer and I think I sleep better with it - however I can't use it all year round (too hot in summer) and it's not great if I've got sore muscles. I am a very very still sleeper so it might be less comfortable if you thrash about a lot. You're meant to use one that's 10% of your body weight but I bought one heavier than that, and then lost weight, so it really does feel like it's holding me down (in a nice way).

but WFH without taking a break at lunch away from the desk is killing my sleep.

I was in a similar situation, and invested in a turbo trainer for lunch breaks, to try to break the WFH cycle. 45mins on the bike stops me from working during lunch and keeps my metabolism going enough to help me sleep at night.

Has anyone bought custom-moulded sleeping earplugs? I've tried quite a few different off-the-peg ones but not found anything that I can tolerate for more than a couple of hours.

You can make them yourself easily enough - Buy a two part silicone mould kit off ebay for <£10. They come in different hardnesses.

Top tips - embed a toggle to make for easier removal, and when you are moulding them, hold something between your teeth to keep your jaw open an inch or so.

Thanks very much, I'll give that a go.

Any recommendations for apps I can listen to to fall asleep? I've been listening to sleep meditation guides on my medical insurance app but I've gone them all now. Also white noise type stuff.

Try this.
https://youtu.be/TP2gb2fSYXY

Thanks, I'll give it a go tomorrow night.