Insomnia

[tangomonster]

Zipper, do you think the melatonin really works? What brand and what dose do you use? Daily?

Want2Retire, what time did you exercise? I've always heard that it's best not to exercise too close to bedtime---that's why I was surprised when Nords said he could do tae kwon do at 7 and be sleepy at 9.

TexasGal, I hear you. Not being able to sleep is like flunking one of life's basic skills. I do push myself to exercise and for the most part enjoy walking as long as it's in a beautiful natural setting like a park. Mall walking is just forced exercise. And now that I've developed bunions, don't know if I'll eventually have to switch to a nonweightbearing activity like swimming.

In college I had a roommate who slept through fire drills! I think she was probably the person I most admired at school, since sleep on that level is something I've never once experienced. And I've never overslept in my life---not sure if I've missed out on something wonderful right there!

 

[W2R]

TexasGal, most kinds of cardio are boring for me. I do my warmup and then a little walking, treadmill, and elliptical, because I know my body needs them even though they are boring. For me, the weight machines are a lot more fun than any of the cardio, and not boring at all so they are the majority of my workout. I really look forward to that part of my routine, and to be honest that is where I challenge and push myself the most (probably because I like it). Like MoeMg said, the trick is finding something you like.

TangoMonster, the way I phrased that was probably misleading. Although I could still feel the effects of my workout when I wrote that (and still feel all tingly and great), it had been a little while since I got home afterwards. I get off work at 3:30 and drive directly to the gym. I get there about 3:45-3:50 and I am changed and out on the floor by 3:50-3:55. I am done by 4:45 to 4:55, and then drive home, watch the 5:00 news, cook and eat dinner, and get online. Seems to work for me. Often after dinner, by 6:30 or so, I drift off for a few minutes. I don't really go to bed until 9:30 or 10:00.

 

[Olav23]

There is a technique of using audio to "entrain" the mind into different mental states called Binaural Beats. Some are built to cause deep relaxation, others to wake you up.

If you have access to an mp3 player or a cd player that is close to your bed, try one of these sleep audio files:

FREE Binaural Beat MP3 Downloads | SleepPhones

Or install and try this program out:

BrainWave Generator - Download

It has lots of programs built in to try out.

Just make sure that you have earphones to listen with, as it requires stereo separation of the tones in each ear. If these seem to help you, I can send you lots more links to different programs and audio files.

 

[Orchidflower]

After age 50 the melatonin in your body decreases, so taking melatonin supplements really WILL make a huge difference. It is a mineral, in the vitamin section of your local drug store, and costs little to take. It is very safe to use. Read your directions.
I am up at 2 a.m. right now. I went to sleep at something like 7 pm because I was just run down. NOW to get back to sleep I came to the computer...and ate a ham sandwich.
Food does it for me almost every time. Many times I wake up and toss and turn, and cannot sleep; because I am hungry! I don't realize I am hungry, because there are no hunger pangs...but, if I eat something like a peanut butter sandwich (heavy and sticks to the ribs), off I go to bed within 30 minutes or so. Works for me....
As we get older, we require less sleep. I wish I had been one of those people that could get away with 4-5 hours a night like Oprah or Bill Clinton or Donald Trump when I was younger. My gosh...the extra work I could have gotten done... No wonder they had a leg up on the rest of us, those lucky dogs.

 

[Leonidas]

It also took me more than three years of FIRE for me to stop having work nightmares and waking up screaming or shouting.

Hey - another gift from ER. After reading your post I realized that it's been a year or more since I had a work nightmare. DW used to have to go sleep on the couch because I was fighting bad guys in my sleep.

My sleep has been weird for the last several months. I've found that I get fixated on some task or project and going to bed at a decent hour just gets forgotten. A couple of months ago it was scanning photos. I would start out in the morning with the intention of doing a scanning a small batch of photos, and next thing I knew it was 0200 and I had been scanning all day. 7,000 photos/negatives/slides later, a half a Tb of disk space was filled up and a project that I thought would take two months was done in less than two weeks. My sleep was screwed up for a month after that.

 

[tangomonster]

An update: I'm now sleeping much better. Sometimes able to fall asleep within five or ten minutes, usually not more than an hour after going to bed at midnight. Getting up about 7 to 8. Not asleep all night long (the toilet calls my name once to three times a night!) but able to fall asleep again afterwards. Some deep dreams.

Possibly my hormones just straightened out---or it could be the combo of 3 mg. melatonin about an hour before bed, sometimes followed by an antihistamine chaser (the stuff in Dramamine) seems to work well for me. May be worth a try for others....

 

[Martha]

Just don't also chase it with booze and do a Karen Quinlan on us.

 

[haha]

An update: I'm now sleeping much better.

Monster, glad to hear this. Good sleep makes one feel so much better.

Ha

 

[mountaintosea]

I didn't see anyone mention this solution. I found after 50 I was having a difficult time sleeping or staying asleep. I started taking powdered calcium. It works for me. Recently I take a liquid that has calcium and magnesium. I sleep through the night.

 

[farmerEd]

I didn't see anyone mention this solution. I found after 50 I was having a difficult time sleeping or staying asleep. I started taking powdered calcium. It works for me. Recently I take a liquid that has calcium and magnesium. I sleep through the night.

Maybe the age-old "warm glass of milk" remedy has some merit after all? Milk is a great source of calcium.

Seriously though, others in my family have also used the calcium/magnesium supplement as a sleep aid and swear by it to; never tried it myself.

 

[citrine]

Hmm...maybe your bedroom isn't conducive to providing a calm, meditative quality of sleep.
My bedroom is very stark: no clutter, no radio, no phone, no television set, and no knick knacks. I do spend money on the softest sheets and the "fake" down comforters....the whole trick is to make it a sanctuary of peace for the mind and body.
You can also take a few deep breaths to calm your mind down before you get into bed.

 

[Fred333]

Very good point. I also read some where that reading and watching tv trains your brain to stay up rather then sleep in your bed.

 

[TromboneAl]

Odds are good that I'll doze off watching the tube after dinner.

I've studied this, and have decided that this is to be avoided at all costs! That is, if I fall asleep watching TV, I will not sleep well that night. If I start to fall asleep in this situation, I force myself to get up and walk around a little.

In fact I try to never nap later than 3 PM or so.

 

[W2R]

In fact I try to never nap later than 3 PM or so.

I nap from about 5:30 to 6:00 every day, while watching the news on TV. It is absolutely delicious.

Usually if I have insomnia, it is because I am stressed out from work. Anything I can do to lower that stress and stop thinking about work seems to help (so I usually do a sudoku at bedtime - - mindless enough). Also, if I get too tired I have difficulty getting to sleep.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i love sleeping. but i've always been a night owl. forcing myself to sleep during so-called normal hours while attending school or while working always caused me stress. now i simply sleep when i am tired. what a wonderful luxury that is.

happened to notice an advertisement for Delayed Sleep Phase Research Study aka night owlism just in case anyone was looking for something to do while you can't sleep.

just took their test, if i lived in san diego i'd qualify. at end of test they have this curious link Chapter 6 - Advanced & Delayed Sleep Phase: Bright Light Treatment - Brighten Your Life, an eBook by Daniel F. Kripke, MD.

 

[Zoocat]

I had been having some difficulty staying asleep all night and feeling achey in the morning, especially after some exercise. So after some research I purchased a Nu-lux mattress. It's pricey but so very comfortable, no pressure points and I wake up feeling deeply rested with no achey joints. Just wanted to throw this out there because I had no idea that this kind of mattress could really help as much as it has.

 

[toofrugalformycat]

I have the menopausal woman sleep problem blues as well. One thing that helps me is wearing earplugs. If you haven't bought any lately, go to a good industrial hardware store and look. They have squishier, more effective ones than they used to. I have found that the normal nighttime sounds (faint traffic, mildly snoring spouse) awaken me more often than they used to, and the earplugs block it out.
Thanks for starting this thread. It helps to know we are not alone.

 

[TargaDave]

Speaking nonmedically here, it just seems to me that many people are just trying too hard to sleep.

Lay down. Close your eyes or read a book. Sleep. Or not. Get up, live your life, repeat.

Stop worrying about it. No one is keeping score. Your body will follow in due time. Have the occasional restless night? So what.

That's me. Never slept for more than 5 hours at a time most of my life and never really worried about it. DW can't go less than 8.

 

[Meadbh]

i love sleeping. but i've always been a night owl. forcing myself to sleep during so-called normal hours while attending school or while working always caused me stress. now i simply sleep when i am tired. what a wonderful luxury that is.

happened to notice an advertisement for Delayed Sleep Phase Research Study aka night owlism just in case anyone was looking for something to do while you can't sleep.

just took their test, if i lived in san diego i'd qualify. at end of test they have this curious link Chapter 6 - Advanced & Delayed Sleep Phase: Bright Light Treatment - Brighten Your Life, an eBook by Daniel F. Kripke, MD.

Gee thanks Lazy, you reminded me to order replacement tubes for my SADelite http://www.northernlighttechnologies.com/products_sadelite.php . Best piece of preventive healthcare I own. No, I don't have shares in the company.

 

[Peaceful_Warrior]

There is a technique of using audio to "entrain" the mind into different mental states called Binaural Beats. Some are built to cause deep relaxation, others to wake you up.

The Monroe Institute has some wonderful binaural beats CDs! I have a few here... "Super Sleep" is one of their most popular ones for deep sleep.

I still might get their Catnapper one at some point...

 

[TromboneAl]

I slept 9.5 hours last night -- right through. And here's the secret:

A Cold Bedroom

We keep both windows open, and this morning the temperature in the room was 56 degrees.

I know this may sound strange, but each year as the weather turns colder, we suddenly start sleeping better. We have a nice warm bed, the cold air somehow helps.

Note that this is also good for the problem of having a menopausal body next to you.

 

[teejayevans]

I slept 9.5 hours last night -- right through. And here's the secret:

A Cold Bedroom

We keep both windows open, and this morning the temperature in the room was 56 degrees.

I know this may sound strange, but each year as the weather turns colder, we suddenly start sleeping better. We have a nice warm bed, the cold air somehow helps.

Hibernation syndrome, quiet, cold and dark is what you want.
TJ

 

[happy2bretired]

I bet it's even better for the menopausal body!

 

[TromboneAl]

I just read a good book on this subject:

The Sleep Rx: 75 Proven Ways to Get a Good Night's Sleep

Here's what I got out of it:

1. Older adults generally sleep less well primarily because they are less active during the day (physically and mentally).

2. There are six different types of insomnia (e.g. trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, waking up in the middle of the night, etc.). For each of them he has specific exercises for combating the problem.

3. His "Action therapies" include relaxation techniques and rules (e.g. always get up at the same time each day).

4. He is very anti-nap.

I didn't agree with everything, but I recommend the book.

 

[Nords]

Yikes, Al, I can't remember the last time I slept more than eight hours, but I bet it involved being up for all of the preceeding 24. I'm usually up after 6.5 hours and love having a 30-minute nap. OTOH my spouse regards eight hours as an absolute minimum and nine as satisfactory, and she sneaks naps too.

We keep both windows open, and this morning the temperature in the room was 56 degrees.

Double yikes. Just last night we closed most of the windows, put the Vellux blanket on top of our sheet, and considered wearing socks. I think the low was 75 degrees! After two solid days of rain and lots of overcast, our solar water heater dropped all the way down to 96 degrees.

Winter is definitely here.