Knock me out please...

[Sterillium]

I'm a rubbish sleeper.

Despite often being very tired, I still seem to sleep poorly, often waking up several times each night; I haven't slept throughout the whole night since I was a kid. Anyone else similar?

I don't really want "sleeping pills", but wondered if anyone else had had any success with over-the-counter/herbal/old fashioned remedies to help get a deeper, better sleep?

[vulture1]

You havn't mentioned your work, lifefsyle, current health?


I slept like a baby last night but had a crazy day at work dealing with issue after issue. 10pm home, soup a whole garlic bread for dinner and a large rum and aplletiser ( i had no other mixer) and ko'd at midnight and woke up 12 hours later. feel great now.

[mike74]

I've not slept through the night for over 30 years since my early teens.

I've become so used to it I don't even regard it as a problem now, I just accept the fact that I'll get about 4 hours solid sleep when I first drop off but then after that I'll just be lightly snoozing on and off for the rest of the night, usually waking every 30 mins or so.

If I've had a busy day then if anything that results in a worse nights sleep as my mind and body don't seem to be able to switch off and relax.

I usually just put on a podcast or audiobook to help me get back off.

Edited by mike74 on Saturday 23 October 14:18

[MikeM6]

I'd start with making sure you are physically active, not just mentally tired but physically too.

Make sure you always go to sleep at the same time each night and always wake up at the same time. Avoid lie ins even at weekends, but have a really strong routine.

Obviously avoid coffee after midday, but keep hydrated throughout. Don't eat too much before you go to bed and avoid alcohol most days.

If you struggle to get off to sleep, listen to an audio book. Try a Bluetooth headband that you can wear whilst asleep comfortably, or if alone (or have a tolerant partner) have it on a speaker. Try and avoid TV immediately before trying to sleep.

This all worked for me to go from a sleep deprived nightmare to having good sleep. I think the most effective one was increasing my excercise and being physically tired everyday and getting up at 6am every day.

[anonymous-user]

I would try some Nelsons Rescue Night Liquid Melts.

[Douglas Quaid]

Humans aren’t designed to sleep through the night. Waking up then going back to sleep again is normal. It is what you have evolved to do. No point trying to outdo evolution, you can try but not much point worrying about it.

[Panamax]

Sterillium said:

I don't really want "sleeping pills", but wondered if anyone else had had any success with over-the-counter/herbal/old fashioned remedies to help get a deeper, better sleep?

I'd avoid the OTC stuff.

Assuming you're not just sleeping badly due to alcohol intake (very common) I'd suggest getting some sedatives from the doctor. NOT to take regularly but simply to help you "break the habit" of waking in the night. The last place you want to get to is taking anything as a routine every night. It just becomes the new normal and you'll be right back where you started.

[craigjm]

Do you snore? Are you overweight? is your neck over 17 inches?

If the answer to one or more of these questions is yes then get yourself checked for sleep apnea. It impacts on about 25% of adult men, most unknowingly. Any sleeping pills and remedies will make the condition worse because it will make you more relaxed which is the last thing you need if you have sleep apnea.

[Lily the Pink]

MikeM6 said:

If you struggle to get off to sleep, listen to an audio book.

This is what I do, though Radio 4 rather than an audio book where I would want to follow the story. Has to be a talk radio station as any music is not sufficiently monotonous.

[Panamax]

MikeM6 said:

If you struggle to get off to sleep, listen to an audio book. .

Yes, recommended. You want the volume set loud enough that you're not struggling and concentrating to hear it and quietly enough not to keep you awake. Anything with a steady voice is perfect.

[beambeam1]

Try Vitamin D - a deficiency in this has been linked with sleep disorders in several research articles.

I am not sure how long the uptake period is but I certainly felt brighter and more alert in the mornings, slept better and generally felt better overall after taking Vit D supplements for a while. This was when I was working night shifts alongside being a bouncer so my sleeping habits were all over the shop.

[Riley Blue]

Lily the Pink said:

MikeM6 said:

If you struggle to get off to sleep, listen to an audio book.

This is what I do, though Radio 4 rather than an audio book where I would want to follow the story. Has to be a talk radio station as any music is not sufficiently monotonous.

Try Radio 4Extra's comedy selection, no problem if you nod off.

[captain_cynic]

Douglas Quaid said:

Humans aren’t designed to sleep through the night. Waking up then going back to sleep again is normal. It is what you have evolved to do. No point trying to outdo evolution, you can try but not much point worrying about it.

There in lies my problem (and I suspect a lot of other insomniacs will be nodding their heads) is that I wake up and don't go back to sleep.

I can easily go to bed at 10, sleep until 1 and lie awake until I get up for work at 8 or 9.

I long for the days of my 20s when I could sleep for a 6-8 hours a night.

[McGee_22]

Phenergan. It's an anti-histamin available without prescription.

I had similar problems to those you describe when I was a paramedic on nights and so I saw my doctor - he immediately said try these. They don't help you get to sleep but once you are asleep they make waking up really quite difficult for about 8 hours. They are just an old fashioned drowsy anti-histamine with no side effects at all.

Trust me - they work, nip off to the chemists and just ask for them - they are actually now sold as anti-histamine/insomnia treatment.

[PaulWoof]

ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium, Vit B6)

Pretty common supplement for sleeping, Its not a sleeping pill by any means and wont knock you out but help get you to sleep and keep you asleep.
Ive always been a pretty bad sleeper and used to wake up several times a night due to my dodgy nose that doesnt like breathing. And once awake would take me ages to get back to sleep. Now i wake maybe once during the night, A quick drink and im back out.

I can tell ZMA works, because I never normally have dreams, but its known for ZMA to give you some weird dreams. Dreaming only normally occurs during REM sleep (the deepest part of sleep) so without ZMA i was never really getting to the stage of sleep or at least long enough to have dreams etc.

Alot of the ZMA supplements on amazon etc I found can make you a bit nauseas, I think they have too much zinc, The peaksupps ones have been perfect for me and cheap too.
https://peaksupps.co.uk/products/zinc-magnesium-vi...

The other option is melatonin, That is closer to a sleeping pill and can put you to sleep but is really only useful for resetting sleeping patterns etc, Always felt groggy and heavy the next morning.

As mentioned above, Audiobooks are great for drifting off. Im down to putting a 15 minute timer on audible and still passing out with time to spare.
Also started using a sleep mask to block out all light, Between ZMA, audiobook and sleepmask, My sleep has massively improved.

[MYOB]

I've never been able to get a good night sleep. I even remember being at primary school and struggling to get a decent night sleep. In my care, I'm pretty sure it's genetic as on my paternal side, most of them used to struggle too.

I've tried everything possible. I can, very rarely, get a good night sleep for a few nights but it never lasts. I can't recall the last time I was asleep before 2am.

[mcelliott]

Until you list your lifestyle it's impossible to say, what gives me a very good nights sleep, aside from lots of exercise and zero processed food, is limiting caffeine, reducing gadgets too late into the evening, one magnesium tab, and one ashwagandha tab before bedtime, works a treat.

[captain_cynic]

McGee_22 said:

Phenergan. It's an anti-histamin available without prescription.

I had similar problems to those you describe when I was a paramedic on nights and so I saw my doctor - he immediately said try these. They don't help you get to sleep but once you are asleep they make waking up really quite difficult for about 8 hours. They are just an old fashioned drowsy anti-histamine with no side effects at all.

Trust me - they work, nip off to the chemists and just ask for them - they are actually now sold as anti-histamine/insomnia treatment.

Thanks, Might have to pick some up on Monday.

Chemists usually give diphenhydramine as an OTC sleep aid and it really doesn't do much for me.

[craigjm]

mcelliott said:

Until you list your lifestyle it's impossible to say, what gives me a very good nights sleep, aside from lots of exercise and zero processed food, is limiting caffeine, reducing gadgets too late into the evening, one magnesium tab, and one ashwagandha tab before bedtime, works a treat.

Exactly. Look at your lifestyle first OP and think about the questions I posted. Any supplements or remedies, whether natural or not, could actually make your situation worse if you dont know what you are treating. Not being able to sleep is a symptom not a cause.

[M1AGM]

Lack of sleep is a horrible way to be. A friend of mine struggled with sleep for many years but now sleeps soundly every night without exception. Unfortunately the herb that facilitates this is illegal to possess or use in the UK.