Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

I m going through a pretty bad patch of insomnia at the moment which I have suffered with for the last two years.Most nights I go to bed at 11 have no problem falling to sleep but wake at 3 and lay there staring at the ceiling until its time to get ready for work.Im exhausted during the day and it effects my mood
I have read as you get older (im 47) you do get less sleep is this true? ,how many hours sleep do you get and whats your bedtime routines?

Before I had kids I could sleep straight through. My house could be burgled during an earthquake and I wouldn't notice. Now I'm a light sleeper. I'll usually aiim to be asleep by 11 and the alarm goes off at 6.20. It's rare for me to sleep through. Sometimes like you I'll wake and can't get back off.

Staying awake means you're thinking. There are some excellent techniques to help you clear your mind. It might be worth looking into it.

Kwacky wrote:Before I had kids I could sleep straight through. My house could be burgled during an earthquake and I wouldn't notice. Now I'm a light sleeper. I'll usually aiim to be asleep by 11 and the alarm goes off at 6.20. It's rare for me to sleep through. Sometimes like you I'll wake and can't get back off.

Staying awake means you're thinking. There are some excellent techniques to help you clear your mind. It might be worth looking into it.

people at work have told me once you have kids your sleep changes but i thought it was an old wifes tale.I practice mindfullness which helps me not getting wound up about it but doesnt put me back to sleep.My doctor has offered me sleeping meds but i refuse to go that route.When I lived next door I would sleep until I heard your bike ,thats was my alarm clock

There are relaxation techniques or Stage 1 hypnotherapy you can teach yourself to clear you mind. I think some of that Mindfullness course has something similar.

Exactly same issues as you Perkles and not an easy cycle to break in my experience but I have made improvements. Might sound daft but don't drink acholol in the evening its a stimulant and although it initially makes you feel drowsy as your blood acholol levels drop it wakes you up. Other things I do is no tea or coffee after 4pm as caffeine has a 6 hour half life, try roobios tea (red leaf tea from south Africa completely caffeine free) instead. Camomile tea also helps as do a herbal sleeping tablets from boots that I take occasionally. Personal advice is stay away from nytol and similar as although effective they only treat your symptons not the problem and make you feel depressed the next day. Good luck mate its not easy but I have made improvements. Drop me a pm if you want a chat.

You can buy simulated melatonin now. This is the chemical released by the brain to help you sleep. Its not cheap and i wouldn't advise using it for a long period but it will help you get back into a routine of sleeping.
http://biovea.net/uk/product_detail.asp ... ciC8Pm1FKA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Breathing exercises help a lot too once you wake in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately i think its just a part of growing older.

Have to say my sleep patterns didn't change with my children, always get a minimum of 7hrs good sleep, however I've always worked irregular hours, sometimes getting up at 3am to get where I needed for 8.30am. I'm with Blade on the alcohol and caffeine though, but my limits are slightly different - no coffee after 2pm, no tea after 6pm and unless I'm having a skinful, no alcohol after 7pm. I don't like camomile, but find bovril works for me.

I've noticed different people deal with work related concerns differently as well, despite customers phoning me in the evenings with problems and doing admin etc in the evenings, I've always left work stress at the door. My best mate however can't do that and frequently can't sleep or wakes up in the small hours with work issues on his mind. It sounds like you may need to look at stress management or one of the treatments Kwacky listed.

Whatever happens, don't go down the pills route, I tried them once after my hip operations and woke up with what felt like a hangover from hell and didn't feel rested at all, I threw them in the bin that morning.

Yes, clearing your mind is the trick. I don't even have to try. Mine is so empty I fall asleep all the time.

Have you used the melatonin Duke ? Any feedback ?

Yes. It does work well for me as it doesn't have the side effects of making you feel low.

I would say though just to try in small dosage to start and don't use it long term.

I use it occasionally to break a pattern of sleepless nights and it works well that way.

ive had some success with zma http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZMA_(supplement" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) its natural so non addictive and no hangover
i didnt know you could buy melatonin in the uk ?

I just ordered a new batch of melatonin before jumping on here, rate the stuff highly!!!!

Get mine from here http://www.supplementspot.com/catalogse ... 931&y=-171

I was the same as Kwacky, slept thru' a world war before kids, now wake very easily. Doesn't help that started shift work just before my first was born.

I need 7-8 hrs a night/day, if I don't, I have to catch up at some stage. I regularly use melatonin and OTC sleeping tablets now since being offshore, changing time zones and 21 day stints of night shifts.

As duke says Melatonin is not a every night fix. I use it for 3-5 nights/days when I swap over onto nights or swap back out. You do build a resistance, but a short break will restore its usefulness. Everyone has their own limit, I need 10 mg for any decent effect. My mate that put me onto it only needs 3 mg. I find it helps you go to sleep, but not stay asleep. I'll use it outside of shift work if I can't shut my mind off.

I also use OTC Doxylamine. This smashes me for 8 hrs. Solid sleep with 2-3 hrs cloudy hangover. I need it for first two day sleeps going onto nights, like a hard reset. Then after that manage with the melatonin if I have a rough patch. Coming off nights use it for 3-4 days to reset back. If on my breaks I have a couple of nights with little sleep, I'll try a melatonin or two, then if it doesn't sort me out I'll smash myself with a Doxylamine.

I had a bad stint last year after 3 swings of nights in a row (3 x 3 weeks) and got prescribed temazepam. Basically had ten days with only 2-3 hrs sleep. Helped me out of a hole, but I find Doxyalmine much better for semi regular use.

I'm still fine tuning and learning, and the biggest help is exercise and not taking worries to bed. But that's not always possible.

thanks for the support and replies ,its almost reassuring knowing I am not the only one suffering with this problem

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Going through periods of stress and problem sleeping is always tough.

Meditation is my biggest break through. I was very cynical at first, but plug in headphones in bed and I've never got to the end of a podcast yet .

It could possibly bore the pants off me but it works

paul mckennas sleep cd is good to help you drift off,although i have no problem going to sleep its just waking up at silly o clock and not being able to go back to sleep is my problem.
I might tell the mrs i want rumpy pumpy at 3 in the morning every night to help me sleep , that should please her immensely

Why tell her? Surely it's mroe romantic for her to wake up to find you pleasuring her?

Kwacky wrote:Before I had kids I could sleep straight through. My house could be burgled during an earthquake and I wouldn't notice. Now I'm a light sleeper. I'll usually aiim to be asleep by 11 and the alarm goes off at 6.20. It's rare for me to sleep through. Sometimes like you I'll wake and can't get back off.

Staying awake means you're thinking. There are some excellent techniques to help you clear your mind. It might be worth looking into it.

Bingo I slept through an earthquake before having Harry I slept in so many times for work Im Suprised they never sacked me for it. However after having Harry I'm in bed early and awake at a pin drop also 6 is pretty normal wake up.

When I was at a low with depression which was stress related I had a similar sleeping pattern to your self , which made me even more stressed. I have taken herbal products to help me sleep but they made me drowsy and grumpy but I still woke up in the middle of the night.

Eventually it got better as I sorted my head out with the stress and understood triggers to my stress and anxiety.

rocket wrote:

Kwacky wrote:Before I had kids I could sleep straight through. My house could be burgled during an earthquake and I wouldn't notice. Now I'm a light sleeper. I'll usually aiim to be asleep by 11 and the alarm goes off at 6.20. It's rare for me to sleep through. Sometimes like you I'll wake and can't get back off.

Staying awake means you're thinking. There are some excellent techniques to help you clear your mind. It might be worth looking into it.

Bingo I slept through an earthquake before having Harry I slept in so many times for work Im Suprised they never sacked me for it. However after having Harry I'm in bed early and awake at a pin drop also 6 is pretty normal wake up.

When I was at a low with depression which was stress related I had a similar sleeping pattern to your self , which made me even more stressed. I have taken herbal products to help me sleep but they made me drowsy and grumpy but I still woke up in the middle of the night.

Eventually it got better as I sorted my head out with the stress and understood triggers to my stress and anxiety.

I suffered a nervous breakdown two years ago and ended up in a psych hospital twice,my sleep at the time was non existent
I'm glad to hear your on top of the anxiety and depression now I know 1st hand how hard it can be
Best keep ragging that bike mate it makes you smile like a Cheshire Cat

What is this sleep that you guys speak of?

I had a simular bout about 12 years ago, all work related (Well working with the MOD related) and ended up on beta blockers. They didn't work but 12 months swanning around India and Nepal certainly did.