Help -- insomnia

[Lloydwtaylor]

I retired at the end of June from teaching after 33 years. About a month prior to retiring I started to develop insomnia and now it's the end of August and I'm still having trouble sleeping almost every other night. Trust me when I tell you I wanted to retire, I wanted to move on and do something new. Has anybody experienced anything like this when you first retired? September is upon us so that is when I will truly be "done" but this is ruining my retirement. (PS I run, bike and work out almost every day so I go to bed tired and have tried 5mg of melitonan but it did not help) I really think it's all in my head but can't beat it.


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[UtahSkier]

I have struggled with this for years. What kind of insomnia? Cannot fall asleep or cannot stay asleep?

For me, I cannot stay asleep. I wake up after 3 or 4 hours. What is helping me right now is time release melatonin... 3 mg. I still wake up, but at least I can fall back asleep and am getting close to 6 hours. Fell better rested.

 

[Lloydwtaylor]

My problem is on nights that I'm going to be suffering from this I will fall asleep for 10 minutes wake up with a start and then know that I'm done for the night. If I was to get three hours I would be right to sleep right through the night that's how good nights are.


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[MRG]

There's been a few discussions on insomnia here. I'm sure that I missed some.

It's been a lifetime issue for me, but proper diet, exercise, and saying no to meds helps me. YMMV


http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/showthread.php?t=78832

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/showthread.php?t=57701

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/showthread.php?t=29601

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[Lloydwtaylor]

Yes I did a search of the term


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[Just_Steve]

Wish I could help as I have been suffering since the beginning of July.
I toss and turn for at least 2 hours sometimes longer and then when I do get to sleep it is only for 3 or 4 hours. I retired in December and slept good until July. When I was working I was taking Ambein due to working nights and needing to sleep during the daytime but stopped in Dec, I tried one the other night and it did absolutely nothing for me.

 

[MichaelB]

I retired at the end of June from teaching after 33 years. About a month prior to retiring I started to develop insomnia and now it's the end of August and I'm still having trouble sleeping almost every other night. Trust me when I tell you I wanted to retire, I wanted to move on and do something new. Has anybody experienced anything like this when you first retired? September is upon us so that is when I will truly be "done" but this is ruining my retirement. (PS I run, bike and work out almost every day so I go to bed tired and have tried 5mg of melitonan but it did not help) I really think it's all in my head but can't beat it.


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Try the search function. This is not uncommon and there are more than a few good threads.

 

[easysurfer]

I have the other problem. Have been sleeping well as soon as I hit the bed but now I get up a couple of times and reach for that darn smartphone and surf so I get sleepy during the day. I thought about moving the phone in the other room but am struggling with that thought. I know, sad .

 

[omni550]

I have had great results with Natural Calm. It's a powdered magnesium supplement. Put 1-2 teaspoons (may need to build up to this) in 2-3 oz. of hot water, let the fizzing die-down, and drink.

Magnesium is a muscle relaxant. 70-80% of adults are magnesium deficient, so it helps with that also.

I buy it at a local health food store.

Natural Calm | Magnesium Supplement Stress Relief


omni

 

[FIREmenow]

Might try some white noise - it helped me get through a spell some years ago.....

 

[HadEnuff]

I retired at the end of June from teaching after 33 years. About a month prior to retiring I started to develop insomnia and now it's the end of August and I'm still having trouble sleeping almost every other night. Trust me when I tell you I wanted to retire, I wanted to move on and do something new. Has anybody experienced anything like this when you first retired? September is upon us so that is when I will truly be "done" but this is ruining my retirement. (PS I run, bike and work out almost every day so I go to bed tired and have tried 5mg of melitonan but it did not help) I really think it's all in my head but can't beat it.


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Are you saying you never had problems with insomnia before you retired?

When you worked, did you enforce a specific bedtime for yourself. I was obsessive about this. I found out in college that for me, staying up late and getting up early did not work. Now that I'm retired (only a few months) I find myself still looking at the clock around 9:30, and I actually have to remind myself it doesn't matter anymore. I can watch the Yankee game until I fall asleep on the couch.

The point of my story is that at first, I was going to bed at my old bedtime, but sleeping until I naturally woke up, and then I started to have some insomnia. And I realized I was asking my body to sleep too many hours per day. Maybe you are too?
Are you at all concerned about sleeping "late"?

 

[Sunset]

I have the other problem. Have been sleeping well as soon as I hit the bed but now I get up a couple of times and reach for that darn smartphone and surf so I get sleepy during the day. I thought about moving the phone in the other room but am struggling with that thought. I know, sad .

You are teaching yourself to not sleep.
Just turn the darn thing off, you will live, and leave it in another room too.

The light from these things interfere's with sleep.

How did you live before cell phones were invented It still works.

 

[easysurfer]

You are teaching yourself to not sleep.
Just turn the darn thing off, you will live, and leave it in another room too.

The light from these things interfere's with sleep.

How did you live before cell phones were invented It still works.

That sad part is I'm already aware of how the darn thing keeps me up.

I guess an alternate explanation goes back to Seinfeld:

 

[SumDay]

Yoga and a white noise machine have really helped me. I can get into a breath sequence that helps calm me down so I can get back to sleep.

I suffered with this for years. We moved last year, and I now realize how darned hot my second story bedroom was. Our new home is much easier to keep at a more even temperature, so this is also part of it. I was still waking up way too early, and now breathe myself back to sleep, most times. I think it just gets harder to get a full night of sleep as we age.

 

[O2Bfree]

I've also been having trouble with this since reaching middle-age.

One thing I've noticed is that when I'm more engaged during waking hours, I tend to sleep better at night. Engaged with interesting, maybe even new, fun tasks, that is. It's like my brain needs a certain amount of a certain type of exercise, and if it doesn't get it, it tries to get it at night.

Going to bed on a mostly-empty stomach seems to help, too.

Another thing is sleeping alone. I seem to sleep better alone. Do we all get noisier and more restless at night as we age? Probably. Personally, I wouldn't mind sleeping in separate bedrooms, but hesitate to push for it. It's a touchy subject with some.

 

[sengsational]

I'm not sure this is really working for people, but Steve Gibson (not a doctor) has a "Healthy Sleep Formula" that's time-release B3 and time-release melatonin. The time-release part is supposed to be very important.

https://www.grc.com/health/sleep/healthy_sleep_formula.htm

The specific brand is sold-out in some of the places, but the Vitamin shop has both.

 

[Marita40]

If you are doing everything else right (ie. no caffeine or alcohol, exercise, going to bed at the same time each night, no screens like phones or computers, dark and quiet room, melatonin, etc. etc), the best advice I got when I went through a period of insomnia last year is just don't worry about it. If you can't sleep, don't toss and turn and try to "will" yourself to sleep--it rarely works and just creates anxiety. Rather, sit up, get comfy, read a book or listen to gentle music. Your body eventually will fall asleep. Remember that you are retired so you can presumably sleep in the next day!

In short, just go with the flow and enjoy the gift of extra time that lets you read a good book or listen to good music. I think it is anxiety (oh, why can't I sleep? what's wrong with me? or a racing mind) that perpetuates sleeplessness. You won't die of insomnia. This too shall pass.

(Ha! I just realized that the word retired is, well, re-tired. Tired again! That's insomnia for you.)

 

[Idnar7]

Great comments by Marita. I will sleep great for 4 or 5 hours and then have to go to the bathroom. Before I used to get up then. Now I will try and go back to sleep. My feeling is even if I don't sleep I am resting. I will sometimes get up and have coffee at 5:00 am or so and read papers. Often after, I can go back to sleep another hour. I find that to be the deepest sleep. After 5 1/2 years of retirement I still have dreams about work. That may be worse than not sleeping.

 

[Marita40]

If insomnia is going hand in hand with anxiety there's a wonderful little "classic" book, Claire Weekes' Hope and Help for Your Nerves, that has helped so many people--witness all the reviews on amazon. When I had a major bout of insomnia last year it was definitely tied with anxiety and I credit this book with getting me through that period. Sensible and practical advice from a wise pioneer in the field.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Have had insomnia since menopause began two years ago have tried most all the suggestions Lunesta help sometimes but only for 5 or 6 hours then wide awake but at least more or less rested Do not want dependency however so I mostly put up with it which is much easier to do now that Ive been retired a little while....sometimes high dose of melatonin works 5 mg...but again do not want to become dependent so use it rarely one thing thing i have not yet tried is that unisom that I think Car Guy suggested in an older thread...the type with Doxylamine Succinate.if it is still available might try it good to have several "aids" and only use them on those occasions when lack of sleep is really annoying me.... after two yrs most of the time i put up with whatever restless "rest" I may get each night

 

[ivinsfan]

I recently switched to a timed release 5 mg dose of melatonin and its an improvement for me, but I don't think 5mgs is a high dose..I've taken it for years.

 

[Letj]

Have had insomnia since menopause began two years ago have tried most all the suggestions Lunesta help sometimes but only for 5 or 6 hours then wide awake but at least more or less rested Do not want dependency however so I mostly put up with it which is much easier to do now that Ive been retired a little while....sometimes high dose of melatonin works 5 mg...but again do not want to become dependent so use it rarely one thing thing i have not yet tried is that unisom that I think Car Guy suggested in an older thread...the type with Doxylamine Succinate.if it is still available might try it good to have several "aids" and only use them on those occasions when lack of sleep is really annoying me.... after two yrs most of the time i put up with whatever restless "rest" I may get each night

Or you can try HRT if you're a good candidate for it. Will solve your menopause problems including insomnia and anxiety if caused by estrogen depletion.


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[mamadogmamacat]

I'm on HRT.....it has been no help with insomnia....gyno doc put me on it when i was in my initial panic about no sleep.......per same doc anything over 3 mg of melatonin is a very high dose.....but i really don't care if it works...even if only sometimes......it stays in my repertoire

 

[EastWest Gal]

Google "biphasic sleep cycle" Middle of the night awakening appears to be a normal pattern. I usually wake up in the wee hours. When I was working it was stressful, since my day typically started at 5AM.

Avoid screen time in the middle of the night. This is a mistake I am making right now.

I do best when I get to bed early, then wake up and get out of bed and do something quiet, then go back to sleep.

I'm nowhere near where I should be with this, but oh well. Don't let the pharmaceutical companies convince ou that it's bad to wake up at night.


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[HadEnuff]

Google "biphasic sleep cycle" Middle of the night awakening appears to be a normal pattern. I usually wake up in the wee hours. When I was working it was stressful, since my day typically started at 5AM.

Avoid screen time in the middle of the night. This is a mistake I am making right now.

I do best when I get to bed early, then wake up and get out of bed and do something quiet, then go back to sleep.

I'm nowhere near where I should be with this, but oh well. Don't let the pharmaceutical companies convince ou that it's bad to wake up at night.


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Between an old man's hypertrophic prostate (needing to pee a lot), and achy joints, there is no way I'm sleeping more than a few hours in a row. A good night for me is one where I may wake up a few times, do my thing which is visit bathroom AND while doing that I'm getting some of the kinks out of my back, hips, shoulders etc. and then (again this is a good night) finding a comfortable position back in bed and get a few more hours in before I have to repeat the process.

Generally, if I can get comfy, I can and will fall asleep. If not, just resting in bed comfortably, and deep breathing will get you about 90% of the physiologic benefit of actual sleep (or so Deepak Chopra claimed on an episode of Dr. Oz).