Health Issues Sleep problems

[KLS52]

I've been having problems with sleep for a long time... I don't know what to do - should I start using sedatives? I was recommended to looking for at Canadian pharmacy maybe someone has already ordered and can advise what exactly

I wouldn’t go the sedative route unless you’ve tried everything else first. Brian has some great suggestions. Also, you may need to eliminate alcohol and caffeine. What you consume during the day can play a big part in how you sleep (or don’t sleep) at night. You can try reading or meditation before bed.

Is your issue falling asleep or staying asleep? I sometimes go through phases where I will wake up after 3-4 hours of sleep and be wide awake. I will stay awake for 2-3 hours before I can fall back to sleep, if I”m lucky. This has been the case for me the last two nights including right now. I woke up at 2:15 am and it's 4 am now. Hoping I can fall back to sleep soon for another hour or two.

 

[KLS52]

I slept from 4:40-7 am. I'll take it.

 

[Brian W]

Another type of sleep problem that I used to get a lot is Hypnic jerking. I used to suddenly jump for no reason just as I was drifting into sleep. Mine was down to anxiety and I managed to get over it.

Hypnic Jerking - What Are The Symptoms and How To Stop It

 

[Lou]

I sometimes go through phases where I will wake up after 3-4 hours of sleep and be wide awake. I will stay awake for 2-3 hours before I can fall back to sleep, if I”m lucky. T

That is exactly what happens to me on occasion.
I think it's called maintenance insomnia.
I think it's very hard to treat because any kind of sleep aide is already starting to wear off before you fall back to asleep.
So far the things that seem to help me the most is having a regular bedtime that is not to early.
11 pm works for me. I actually would like to go to bed earlier but then I just wake up even earlier.
I've also found making my self stay in bed till 7 helps - because I may fall asleep after a few hours. And I think laying in bed is almost as good as being asleep.
I'm still working on what helps me fall back to sleep best.

 

[KLS52]

That is exactly what happens to me on occasion.
I think it's called maintenance insomnia.
I think it's very hard to treat because any kind of sleep aide is already starting to wear off before you fall back to asleep.
So far the things that seem to help me the most is having a regular bedtime that is not to early.
11 pm works for me. I actually would like to go to bed earlier but then I just wake up even earlier.
I've also found making my self stay in bed till 7 helps - because I may fall asleep after a few hours. And I think laying in bed is almost as good as being asleep.
I'm still working on what helps me fall back to sleep best.

I call it segmented sleep which is a form of biphasic sleep, especially when it goes on for weeks on end. Thankfully that doesn’t seem to happen anymore. It usually only happens once a week, sometimes two.

Sometimes I’m more biphasic where I’ll sleep 4-5 hours and then nap for 90 minutes during the day.

Biphasic and polyphasic sleep: What is it and is it good for you?

 

[KLS52]

I think I might have posted about that before.

 

[Lou]

Sometimes I’m more biphasic where I’ll sleep 4-5 hours and then nap for 90 minutes during the day.

Huh? Despite all I've learned about sleeping I didn't know about that.

I totally resist naps. but sometimes in the late afternoon or early evening I fall asleep on the couch. usually it's when reading or watching tv. What I've found is that when that happens I have trouble falling asleep or just wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep.
But maybe I should nap on purpose.
I may try that a few times and see how I feel.

 

[KLS52]

Did not feel rested when I woke up this morning. I’m going to take screenshots of my fitbit details and post them. Just for fun.

 

[Lou]

what does the Fitbit use for data?
I have found that the sleep apps I have used are not totally accurate.
For instance if I'm awake and just lying still they think I'm asleep.

 

[KLS52]

what does the Fitbit use for data?
I have found that the sleep apps I have used are not totally accurate.
For instance if I'm awake and just lying still they think I'm asleep.

That can be true if you're lying really still. But for the most part mine seems to be pretty accurate. It also depends on how long I'm lying there awake. It may calculate 10 minutes as sleep but it will pick up 1-2 hours of me awake even when I'm just lying there in bed trying to fall back to sleep.

 

[KLS52]

I'm still going to post some screenshots. It's just taking me awhile. Been preoccupied.

I did better last night. Seven hours and 20 minutes sleep. My restoration was a bit better too...40%. I do like it to be over 50%.

The night before was bad. Five hours and 40 minutes. Restoration was only 11%. I ended up napping from noon to 1:30 pm! I hate those deep naps...I even went into dream state. But I needed it. And it didn't affect my bedtime. I was asleep by 9 pm.

 

[KLS52]

And...the nap made it possible to go to music at the library and not be tired and I had a second walk after dinner.

 

[Lou]

I didn't think I slept well last night.
I thought I was awake from 2 till 4
and then I thought I was awake 6 to almost 7 - so I got up.

here is my screen shot

 

[KLS52]

This is from last night.

 

[KLS52]

The low restoration always ticks me off. I do everything right/that's suggested to improve restoration but something else must be coming into play. I have nights where it's even lower and occasionally I'll get a high rating I can really feel the difference when I get restorative sleep.

 

[KLS52]

 

[KLS52]

This is the Apple Watch compared to the Fitbit. I don't normally use the watch at night but was curious as to how the two devices compare. I prefer the Fitbit because it's been collecting my data for several years, so even if it's not 100% accurate I feel like it definitely picks up any noticeable changes from day to day.

 

[KLS52]

Two reasons why I have sleep problems some nights. Not sure how I'm supposed to squeeze in between them.

 

[LoreD]

I have really problem to fall asleep from time to time. I've had thiese problems since I was 14-15 years old, so I've had them for over 20 years now (I'm old... ). But it's have been getting worse the last years.

I'm a typical B person. Or more or less extream B person from time to time. It's not getting better since I only work nights I guess. But special in the winter time, it's quite nice to see the sun too, or at least some day light...

From time to time, I use medicines to fall asleep, as sometime I just have to. But I really don't want to get stuck in that pattern. I can be really tired very early at the evening, but when it's time to get to bed, I'm not able to sleep (and I can't get to bed at 7 p.m., as I will wake up at 1 - 2 a.m.)

I try to read a book, look at a film or something, getting up again (as now), just turn of the light (but then I just end up laying there in the dark).

So do you have any good tips for getting good sleeping habbits?

I have some on and off insomnia issues. I found oatmeal at night helps. I think some oatmilk wou!d increase the benefits

It actually makes you sleepy:

Sleep Hack: The Perfect Drowsy Midnight Snack​

Why Oatmeal Helps You Sleep | POPSUGAR Fitness

Whole-grain oats encourage the production of insulin, which helps neural pathways get tryptophan — an amino acid that acts as a sedative — to the brain. Oats are also high in stress-reducing B6 and melatonin, another natural sleep aid. If you really want to amp up the sleep-inducing power of your oatmeal, be sure to make it with (plant) milk and bananas. Both of these foods contain nutrients known to help the body relax. It's a perfect recipe for nature's own sedative.

 

[KLS52]

Oh boy...this has been happening more nights than not the last two weeks. Interestingly enough, I had oatmeal for dinner last night, lol.