Lack of sleep is difficult

WalkintheWoods

WalkintheWoods

New Member
I’m having trouble sleeping and it’s affecting everything! My energy is down I’m just resting too much and unproductive needing naps and affecting my mood
The heat isn’t helping I just wake up during the night constantly
I’m guessing this is part of getting older. How do you deal with it?
 

I have other factors affecting my sleep...or should I say "lack" of sleep. Eating and sleeping has been a struggle since my husband died in October. I read every night before I turn off the light, usually 10/10:30PM. A lot of nights I wake up around 1:30am. Sometimes I go back to sleep. Sometimes I don't. My latest "normal" time for waking is 4 or 4:30am. A million things are swirling around in my brain and I can't shut it off so I get up around 5am.

I even take a Tylenol before I go to bed, but it doesn't always relax me enough so that I sleep well. I'm very active all day. I don't like napping during the day. It just makes me feel groggy and irritable so I don't nap. I'm afraid this now my new "normal".
 
I know your pain! It's the worst isn't it?

I'm having a better time lately but I learned to embrace napping wholeheartedly. Up at 3 AM until about 8 AM and then back to sleep til about 10 AM. And then I'd get going on my day.

Are you dealing with any other health issues that might be causing your problems? I've been plagued with IBS for about 9 years and lately I've discovered that coffee seems to be my trigger. By quitting coffee I'm doing lots better during the day and surprise, surprise, I'm starting to sleep through the night more frequently. So maybe a visit with your doctor might uncover some issue that could be managed and letting you sleep a bit better. Good luck.
 

When I wake up after a very short amount of sleep .. if I can't fall asleep again, I get up. I either read, or check out the forum, or write an email. After an hour or so, I go back to bed, and usually fall asleep for a few more hours.
 
Colleen said:
I have other factors affecting my sleep...or should I say "lack" of sleep. Eating and sleeping has been a struggle since my husband died in October. I read every night before I turn off the light, usually 10/10:30PM. A lot of nights I wake up around 1:30am. Sometimes I go back to sleep. Sometimes I don't. My latest "normal" time for waking is 4 or 4:30am. A million things are swirling around in my brain and I can't shut it off so I get up around 5am.

I even take a Tylenol before I go to bed, but it doesn't always relax me enough so that I sleep well. I'm very active all day. I don't like napping during the day. It just makes me feel groggy and irritable so I don't nap. I'm afraid this now my new "normal".
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Could you try napping at a set time each day but with an alarm set so that you don't overdo it? Or maybe your body is just telling you that you need more sleep and to just let it happen. I know I absolutely need to nap or I'm a wreck and then I'm really irritable.
 
Colleen said:
I have other factors affecting my sleep...or should I say "lack" of sleep. Eating and sleeping has been a struggle since my husband died in October. I read every night before I turn off the light, usually 10/10:30PM. A lot of nights I wake up around 1:30am. Sometimes I go back to sleep. Sometimes I don't. My latest "normal" time for waking is 4 or 4:30am. A million things are swirling around in my brain and I can't shut it off so I get up around 5am.

I even take a Tylenol before I go to bed, but it doesn't always relax me enough so that I sleep well. I'm very active all day. I don't like napping during the day. It just makes me feel groggy and irritable so I don't nap. I'm afraid this now my new "normal".
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I’m sorry for your loss Coleen 🙁
 
Debrah N. said:
I know your pain! It's the worst isn't it?

I'm having a better time lately but I learned to embrace napping wholeheartedly. Up at 3 AM until about 8 AM and then back to sleep til about 10 AM. And then I'd get going on my day.

Are you dealing with any other health issues that might be causing your problems? I've been plagued with IBS for about 9 years and lately I've discovered that coffee seems to be my trigger. By quitting coffee I'm doing lots better during the day and surprise, surprise, I'm starting to sleep through the night more frequently. So maybe a visit with your doctor might uncover some issue that could be managed and letting you sleep a bit better. Good luck.
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I have anxiety and lower back pain. The back pain starts when I lay down and quits when I get up if I can fall asleep quickly I can sleep thru it
 
WalkintheWoods said:
I’m having trouble sleeping and it’s affecting everything! My energy is down I’m just resting too much and unproductive needing naps and affecting my mood
The heat isn’t helping I just wake up during the night constantly
I’m guessing this is part of getting older. How do you deal with it?
Click to expand...
The heat is a big problem affecting sleep quality. You might consider having a fan blowing on you while you sleep. You should be able to buy little fan at the dollar store that will work. It works well for me. We have air conditioning but we turn it down at night to conserve energy.

A good night sleep is esssrntial. I hope you can find a solution and soon.
 
WalkintheWoods said:
I have anxiety and lower back pain. The back pain starts when I lay down and quits when I get up if I can fall asleep quickly I can sleep thru it
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Look up lower back exercises( they are essentially specific stretches) for relief of pain and actually DO them. It’s amazing what a difference it can make to relieve back pain. It’s hard to sleep when you’re in pain.
 
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I kind of do the two shift sleep pattern. 10pm to 2am, get up for about 1/2 hour and then sleep for a couple hours until about 4:30am. I take a nap from 2pm to 4 pm every afternoon. So I get about 7-8 hours of sleep per day, but I never sleep more than 4 hours at a time any more. I have heard it goes with getting older, but I am not sure if that is true with everyone. We are all different.
 
WalkintheWoods said:
I have anxiety and lower back pain. The back pain starts when I lay down and quits when I get up if I can fall asleep quickly I can sleep thru it
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I'll bet the odd time you get a decent nights sleep, you feel amazing don't you? But those nights happen so rarely, that it's like a dream you had once.

So maybe you need a new mattress? Or do you sleep on your side like I do? I watched a short video about side sleeping and how it squeezes the disks in our lower backs which results in lower back pain. But I don't know what the answer to that is. I simply cannot lay flat on my back so I'm resigned to hobbling around for the first fifteen minutes every morning.
 
Paco Dennis said:
I kind of do the two shift sleep pattern. 10pm to 2am, get up for about 1/2 hour and then sleep for a couple hours until about 4:30am. I take a nap from 2pm to 4 pm every afternoon. So I get about 7-8 hours of sleep per day, but I never sleep more than 4 hours at a time any more. I have heard it goes with getting older, but I am not sure if that is true with everyone. We are all different.
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I once read where some doctor actually said that in our old age, we can revert back to the patterns of infants when it comes to our sleeping, strength and even eating. Maybe we all need little rocker swings to rock us to sleep. Works wonderfully for my two month old grandson. In his basket he sleeps for an hour or so, but in his rocker he'll go for almost three hours.
 
Debrah N. said:
I'll bet the odd time you get a decent nights sleep, you feel amazing don't you? But those nights happen so rarely, that it's like a dream you had once.

So maybe you need a new mattress? Or do you sleep on your side like I do? I watched a short video about side sleeping and how it squeezes the disks in our lower backs which results in lower back pain. But I don't know what the answer to that is. I simply cannot lay flat on my back so I'm resigned to hobbling around for the first fifteen minutes every morning.
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I am a side sleeper I usually fall asleep on my left side. I probably would benefit from a new mattress. On bad nights I take a pillow or 2 and put them under my lower back with a heating pad. The heat helps
 
WalkintheWoods said:
I am a side sleeper I usually fall asleep on my left side. I probably would benefit from a new mattress. On bad nights I take a pillow or 2 and put them under my lower back with a heating pad. The heat helps
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Well, you are definitely not alone in any of your complaints and issues. I'm glad the heating pad helps though. At least you've got that relief to help you. Maybe time to start watching for a sale on mattresses too.
 
My sleep disorder is based on my recent psychology. I wake up. I think "I'll be dead soon. I don't want to sleep, I want to cherish each waking moment." Before I know it my general wake up time, around five, greets me & I just stay up. It's not a fear of dying, btw, it's an acknowledgement. But, it is stupid to do, as it is bad for my health and may even cause bad things in my health. So, I must get a grip here.
 
I have terrible problems trying to sleep. I’ve tried a lot of different things without much success.
Out of desperation I tried the prescription drug Lunestra. While it will help me fall asleep and stay asleep I eventually realized it was messing with my memory. I now only use it very occasionally when I am in desperate need of a full night’s sleep.

Because my mother lives with me I have to maintain some kind of daily schedule. I can’t just nap when I need to , or go to bed and arise when my body feels like it. I think if I could I’d have less stress around sleep issues.
 
MountainRa said:
I have terrible problems trying to sleep. I’ve tried a lot of different things without much success.
Out of desperation I tried the prescription drug Lunestra. While it will help me fall asleep and stay asleep I eventually realized it was messing with my memory. I now only use it very occasionally when I am in desperate need of a full night’s sleep.

Because my mother lives with me I have to maintain some kind of daily schedule. I can’t just nap when I need to , or go to bed and arise when my body feels like it. I think if I could I’d have less stress around sleep issues.
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The stress is real especially when I have something important to do the next day. Then it’s even harder to fall asleep because I’m worried I won’t sleep and the worrying keeps me up !
 
WalkintheWoods said:
I’m having trouble sleeping and it’s affecting everything! My energy is down I’m just resting too much and unproductive needing naps and affecting my mood
The heat isn’t helping I just wake up during the night constantly
I’m guessing this is part of getting older. How do you deal with it?
Click to expand...

Oh boy, do I ever appreciate what you're going through.

When I first got into this retirement thing my brain just kept going, and I hardly slept at all. Even now, sleep is a thing.

From a personal standpoint, let me say this. I never liked or enjoyed sleep. It was an annoying requirement that took me away from my work. In other words, I've never had a good relationship with sleep, it's always felt like a battle against time. This has led, in later life, to some of the issues you describe.

I still suffer today, and I'm never sleeping before 2:00am. That said, I know what would improve things, I just don't do them. Firstly, discipline would help. Plan of sleeping at a set time and stick to it. Rise in the morning at a set time. Get a regimen going. Lay off caffeinated beverages a few hours before going to sleep. Wind your day down - so no watching big action movies before going to bed. Get off your computer at least an hour before sleeping. Basically, anything that is drawing your attention needs to be wound down.

Me? I went to the doctor and got some pills. :D
 
Rose has an interesting schedule I think. During her first eight hours she winds up to full potential. During her second eight hours she winds down in anticipation of a good night's sleep. (Sorry, Rose, if I've misunderstood you.) Sometimes I can follow that schedule.
But typically I very loosely follow Ben Franklin's schedule:
He rose at six.
From six to nine he prepared for the day.
From nine to one he worked.
From one to two he rested.
From two to six he worked.
From six to ten he engaged in evening activities, as visiting or entertaining or work or reading or even sleeping.
From ten to six he rested.
We should always wake up naturally, so I count the hours from when I wake up
 
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