what do you do at 4am when u can't sleep

Primrose

I stay in bed in the darkness on my back and do five bouts of stretching exercises, tensing every muscle and then relaxing them.
Then I do a batch of deep breathing....Breath in five seconds, hol d for five seconds, breath out for five seconds.

I find after done this half a dozen times I'm starting to yawn and often fall asleep again.

mgdavid

mad_spaniel wrote: »

I tossed and turned last night , with endless problems weighing on my mind. I wondered what others did to get to sleep

I think of all the people in the world with far more plentiful and bigger / worse problems than me; I then realise how lucky I am, so I smile to myself, snuggle down and am asleep in seconds.

hazyjo

I used to struggle but only do now if really worrying about things.

These sometimes work for me - not all at once lol:

1. Candy Crush Jelly / Candy Crush Soda (this nearly always works and is now all I usually have to do).

2. Follow an invisible worm up, down, left, right, all different directions on a blank wall.

3. Go to loo, come back to bed.

4. Swap ends of the bed - put your pillows/head where your feet were and your feet at the top. (This is my second go-to cure. Usually works when I'm desperate.)

5. SLEEP ALONE! Can't stress this one enough. I sleep so much better now I'm in the other room! People may laugh or take the pee, but I don't care who I tell now. tbh I think others are a bit jealous, or do it themselves but just don't admit to it!

6. Go to bed when you're tired. Seems obvious, but most go when they feel they ought to. I've given up with 11pm/midnight bedtimes now unless I'm really ill. I go up around 12.45am and sleep about 1-1.15am on weekdays (up around 7am) and go to bed 2am-ish at weekends and sleep for Britain on weekends.

I don't have as much stress as I once did, but it's not been an easy couple of years, but I do sleep pretty normally now. Insomnia used to be a nightmare for me.

Jx

uberalles

I get up and do a few hours of work just knowing that if I did nothing for the rest of the day I'd still feel contented. That quite often happens.

4am is not irregular for me these days, I had a series of events about 4 years ago which meant I had a period where I had to get up at 2am so 4am is quite a luxury now.

Occasionally I'll grab half an hour of kip around midday, it works.

indiepanda

I read, use a pillow spray with relaxing aromatherapy oils, listen to relaxing music (Chill on DAB is good) or sometimes listen to a relaxation CD - meditaintment do some good ones.

They have some free ones on their website:-
https://www.meditainment.com/

gt568

Sherman tank, works every time.

anna42hmr

I lie in the dark and listen to podcasts on my iPod using a small quiet speaker, usually listening to them for a while with my eyes closed in dark allows me to wind down and drift off to sleep. I purposely have one of these mini speakers https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001UEBN42/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
As it means not plugged in overnight and so no harm if I fall to sleep during a podcast. (As iPod just goes to sleep at end of a podcast) there are a number of podcasts that a really usuful for this (BBC drama of the week, drama of the week, desert island discs, history hour, graham norton etc). Plus being podcasts they are free unlike audio books.

annie_d

I stay where I am with my eyes closed and tell myself that my body is still resting and there is no need to worry about not actually being asleep. "Sleep is not a utility that my body needs at the moment"

Brightonsbest_2

Hi

Do you work?

Work hard and trust me, towards the end of the week you will have no problem - other is excercise even if a little - don't do internet/etc 2 hrs before bed - try not to eat/drink 2 hours before bed - listen to a phone in radio that bores u to sleep. Pretend you are saving a plane/ship etc with superpowers

Hope this helps

ATB

jamiehelsinki

mad_spaniel wrote: »

It wasn't a case of waking up at 4 am it was a case of never getting to sleep in the first place. I also woke at 6 and then again 9, so sleep when it did come was fitful. Also getting significant headaches, despite taking paracetamol/ antidepressants/ other psych meds, so I know I'm stressed and have been for the last 5 months.I have access to mental health services but am not suicidal or an urgent case. Manic maybe. I have an appointment with the psychiatrist end of February.

Lucyxx wrote: »

I have the opposite problem and sleep too much, but this past couple of weeks while I've been up coughing I have sat on my phone on the Internet. Not necessarily the best idea!

When I used to be a manager in my old job I would find myself not sleeping thinking of things needing sorting out the next day. I found writing a list before bed (and I still do it now I am home more with housework jobs/admin) Made it feel like it was getting it out of my brain and onto paper so I knew things wouldn't be forgotten and were in some sort of order and I fell asleep easily.

Maybe writing down what is troubling you in a list before bed, what you need to do to overcome it (if the situation means you can) etc might work the same?? Good luck xxx

I always write a to do list on work nights as well, it does help. I leave it by the kettle which is the first place I go in the morning.

I also find it helps if I go go to bed when i'm ready and not earlier, tonight I will go about 1am and get up about 7. I could have gone at 11 but would probably be still wide awake now. The weekend I will still go to bed at 1 but get up later.

I normally have a coffee and toast about a hour before bed as well.