Inability to Sleep / Insomnia

I use this at times, so far never finished an episode.

http://www.sleepwithmepodcast.com

@shoosh @enNiclas What head phones or in ear plugs are you using? I work shifts so use normal foam plugs when nights, but haven't found anything suitable for music, white noise or the meditation type music. I just get taffled in the wired ones. Tried the pillows with inbuilt speakers, but can feel them.
Unless everything is perfect I really struggle to get off and then stay asleep. Nothing helped by also suffering from restless leg syndrome.
It's a right shit show.

I appreciate I'm not one to give advice, given that I can't sleep, but sleeping with headphones is horrible. I just play things out loud from my phone.

I have no trouble going to sleep but my body seems to naturally wake after 5ish hours. I try to have an early night and end up waking up at 3-4am. Despite not drinking, smoking, eating meat and being in good shape I still have high blood pressure. My continual lack of sleep I feel is a key contributing factor.

We subscribe to ‘calm’ which plays nicely with the Sonos speakers in the house too - loads of spoken content and various noises.

Usually it’s £28.99 for the year which I reckon we’d happily pay (less keen on the £299 for lifetime membership!), but there’s a 40% off code/link which makes it £17.39.

Would recommend it.

sleeping with headphones is horrible

@paininthe I sat on the Bose sleepbuds my partner got me last Christmas for about 2 months as i couldn't get my head round how much they cost and wanted her to return them. Needless to say after 10 months use i absolutely love them. Took a few nights to figure out how to wear them and which size bud to use (a bit brutal at first) but now i'm down to just one in the ear i don't sleep on. Having used a white noise machine or speaker i much much prefer them and if i ever travel again will be very grateful to have them. The case is also very Star Trek which makes me happy.

She also got me a weighted blanket which i hated, but she's really taken to it even though she sleeps fine.

I tried this last night but couldn't get on with his voice. Instead I tried https://sleepybookshelf.com/ and it got me to sleep pretty well, although of course I couldn't stay asleep.

@jono84 thanks for the recommendation. I would need earphones that have the ability to play stuff off YouTube like the above.
Just got some of the headband speakers from Amazon, tried last night, comfortable enough but after an hour or so had to take them off. Bloke was winding me up. Had a few good ideas though, heavy eyes, stretching limbs and looking inward.

I used these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0013HGG0C?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title#

However, I found I started to get rustling noises in my ears (which I also sometimes get when I use my earphones) so I cut my use of them. It is probably just my body being weird, otherwise I found them okay to use.

Anyone tried wool duvets? I like the idea of something thinner and heavier than a regular duvet.

I have a lightweight one. And a wool pillow. They're both fine, and supposedly help regulate temperature and humidity. I still get hot flushes sometimes but unsure whether the experience would be worse without. I wouldn't say it's heavier though. I put a wool blanket over the top if I want some additional weight.

Something I've only started this year and forgive me for stating the obvious, but decaf everything helps. I've always drunk buckets of tea and coffee so if you haven't already, make the switch, it does help.

Caffeine is the worst. Gave it up a year ago and my sleep has never been better

Awake again, from 2-6. Pretty regular now.

I think lack of exercise (none) and lack of mental taxation (no work of any note)

Solution: make brain and body tired

But not too close to bed. Only time I've been able to do turbo training recently is 8pm, and by the time I'm finished I'm so wired I can't sleep. Was awake until 1.30am last night, then kid decided to wake up at 2.30, 4, and 5.30am

I feel wrecked.

I bought small cheapish wired earbuds and cut one bud off - earbud goes in the ear I don’t lie on - cable trailing to phone by bed - this way less cables to get tangled and usually it falls out and falls off bed while sleeping. Also I have some beats x wireless - I’ve found easy to sleep with them round neck - one bud in again.

Been using the "music cozy" head band eye covers with bluetooth speakers in. After a few weeks I can recommend them for comfiness, lack of noise bleed and light removal. Haven't nailed what to play on them though yet.

Haven't nailed what to play on them though yet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G_drozlrW4

Mrs EB's Cousin from Albuquerque brought us over three huge tubs of Night Time a few weeks back. They really work!

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Wasn’t sure where to post this, my sleep patterns have been majorly disruptive lately

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/mar/13/the-battle-to-boost-our-deep-sleep-and-help-stop-dementia

https://mysweetdreams.co/products/dream-gummies

If you can get someone to post these are amazing

I have been buying various melatonin products from Biovea over the years, they ship from the US but it always arrives without issues.

I got a weighted blanket a couple of months ago. Was fully prepared for it being no use at all, but I'm sold. Far less waking up throughout the night than I had been. Subjectively better sleep.

Weighted blankets are ace, but bit tricky if you share the bed with someone. My partner (who falls asleep in 12 seconds and has no issues sleeping, ever) and I both have weighted blankets. We tried to share a massive one but was too heavy for her and in any case a large chunk of it gets accumulated in the middle between us. Individual ones are better but you either end up with overlap or they're too far over to either side and slide off the bed.

Dream is separate rooms, separate beds. We don't have the space at the moment but when I mention that this should be our ultimate goal she takes MASSIVE offense.

What, separate room sounds like a last ditch option?
Nah, it's great. Both sleep better.