I am usually hitting the hay between 3 and 5 am and rising 10 am to noon.
My biggest problem is turning the "head noise" off.
Yep all sounds familiar except maybe having to attend suicides.
As you get older (> 50 usually) even if you get the sleep working, your bladder will still make you get up at least once a night...
Select to expand quoteSmithy said..
As you get older (> 50 usually) even if you get the sleep working, your bladder will still make you get up at least once a night...
That is usually associated with diabetes and it is hard to find someone >50 who does not have that.
I too have problems sleeping - and have put some effort into working out why...
Part of my trouble is switching off from a busy job. However, I have found that if I ride to work (so riding home), or otherwise do a brisk 4km walk with the dog before dinner that definitely helps. I also like to watch junk TV to wind down - something like American Pickers or Swamp People 
where I don't have to think too much. Cutting back on the grog helps - sleep is more restful and I don't get up three times a night for a p!ss.
I also now go to bed when I am in the tired zone rather than fighting it and getting a second wind just to watch the end of a stupid TV show.
I also don't have coffee after 2:00pm and stay away from chocolate or other sugary foods.
I have tried a couple of the herbal solutions - they definitely make me sleepy and ready for bed and fall asleep, but I usually wake up 3-4 hours later and I am wide awake... listening to the air-con or ceiling fan can help me to doze off again (that white noise type sound).
Oh, and we also changed beds and pillows - took us about 4 pillows each and two bed changes to get something that worked for us. Thankfully we purchased the bed from a retailer that had a 3 month satisfaction guarantee - so only had to pay the difference to upgrade the bed plus delivery.
Happy ZZZzzzz' s
Select to expand quotehilly said..
Generally people who cannot sleep are guilty of a crime or lie a lot.
Best comment yet 
Select to expand quotecisco said..Smithy said..
As you get older (> 50 usually) even if you get the sleep working, your bladder will still make you get up at least once a night...
That is usually associated with diabetes and it is hard to find someone >50 who does not have that.
Nah never heard that one, no diabetes here, just a fact of life I'm afraid.
Sex don't work not. Missus and I tried. ;)
They say computer, watching the idiot box are no good before going to sleep.
Reading a book perhaps (not e-book) ?
Select to expand quotepierrec45 said..
Sex don't work not. Missus and I tried. ;)
Just as well too.
They get really annoyed when you fall asleep during sex.
They then wake you up again with a smack in the head and a barrage of insults, so what's the point ? 
My sleep is pharmacologically induced and has been for years. Before that I was a raving, tired and non-functional monster.
Select to expand quoteslammin said..
An oldie but a goodie.......... exercise??
Last night got to bed at 10pm and woke up at 5.30am, had 2.5 hour surf yesterday then did a bit of work around the house.
Slept like a log.
Lets see if I can do it again
Select to expand quoteWA71 said..slammin said..
An oldie but a goodie.......... exercise??
Last night got to bed at 10pm and woke up at 5.30am, had 2.5 hour surf yesterday then did a bit of work around the house.
Slept like a log.Lets see if I can do it again
Yeah - but it's much harder during the week when you are working... I brought a pile of shirts etc in to work this morning so that I can cycle in for the next few days... now the weather is better I am hoping to make it a regular thing.
Select to expand quoteGPA said..WA71 said..slammin said..
An oldie but a goodie.......... exercise??
Last night got to bed at 10pm and woke up at 5.30am, had 2.5 hour surf yesterday then did a bit of work around the house.
Slept like a log.Lets see if I can do it again
Yeah - but it's much harder during the week when you are working... I brought a pile of shirts etc in to work this morning so that I can cycle in for the next few days... now the weather is better I am hoping to make it a regular thing.
I would ride to work but Ive got a campany car. I only live 5 min drive from work and it would take 20mins to ride. I had the bike out on the weekend as well, I should use it more
Meditation. Or basically just concentrating on your breathing.
It's a lot more difficult than it sounds - that is - emptying the mind and focusing on the breath.
I have always found cycling home from work to have a similar effect - it empties the mind. Kiting after work is the same - afterwards, feels like you were never in the office!
Try the audio book "Full Catastrophe Living" by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Select to expand quotecisco said..
.....
That is usually associated with diabetes and it is hard to find someone >50 who does not have that.
You made me look it up
About 4.4% of Australians have it. 50% are over 65. Maybe 15% of the population is >65 so that would imply ~15% of over 65s have it.
Prevalence in Australia is a bit less than OECD average, a lot less than US, but a lot higher than UK. Noooo they can't beat us at health. That's shameful.
last year at the dentist ,she asked all sorts of sleep related questions. from looking at the wear patterns on my teeth , she told me my sleep habits.
after sorting all the teeth out , she made a thing called a splint,which fits over the front 3 teeth,and stops all the grinding etc when i sleep.
within days I started sleeping like a log , and now need an alarm for early starts, no more snoring,tossing and turning, and the reflux has dropped off to being a rarity..
mind you when the kids ask what I want for christmas I always ask for 8hr complete sleep, just out cold unconsious sleep
Select to expand quotepierrec45 said..
Sex don't work not. Missus and I tried. ;)
They say computer, watching the idiot box are no good before going to sleep.
Reading a book perhaps (not e-book) ?
Missus? you're doing it wrong! Sleepmaker. works everytime
Select to expand quotelandyacht said..
last year at the dentist ,she asked all sorts of sleep related questions. from looking at the wear patterns on my teeth , she told me my sleep habits.
after sorting all the teeth out , she made a thing called a splint,which fits over the front 3 teeth,and stops all the grinding etc when i sleep.
within days I started sleeping like a log , and now need an alarm for early starts, no more snoring,tossing and turning, and the reflux has dropped off to being a rarity..
mind you when the kids ask what I want for christmas I always ask for 8hr complete sleep, just out cold unconsious sleep
I might follow this up, as I have actually woken myself up a few times recently to find myself grinding my teeth... my normal dentist never said anything, but went to someone different and they picked it straight away and made the suggestion....
I am a bad sleeper
Select to expand quoteSurfer62 said..
^^^^^^^^^^^ Lots of good advice but
my sleeping problem - deep sleep by 10pm, awoken by ph call in middle of night, get up and go examine deceased person, another suicide, witness the devastation, grief and despair, come home, can't get to sleep,
any advice for that ?
For me, distraction. I 'spose I encounter that sorta thing differently as I'm not getting woken up for it, just dealing with it on shift, but sleep can be a bit difficult when I get home. If my kids are up, I'll go do something with them. If not, throw on a suitable non-gruesome movie. Joys of shift work is there's usually a few mates still up, so might go catch up with them, maybe a few beers. Wait until I can't stay awake, then hit the hay. I sometimes wonder if it's all going to come back and bite me in the arse in 20 years time.
Doggie, i think it takes lot of time doing self analysis to work out what causes one's sleep issues. But eventually you start establishing facts and patterns and various causes. There is lots of good recommendation already given here... and usually with sleeping issues it's often more than one reason that affects one's sleep.
Found these to be the key issues for me:
- inability to breathe properly (have narrow nasal passages). I use nasal strips - they often help and make difference.
- inadequate room/bed temperature... if you are slightly hot or cold, it will throw you off... make sure you use right thickness/density blanket... should make you feel very comfy and not heavy or hot
- and finally and most importantly - psychological reasons - unresolved issues, anxieties, being mentally or emotionally over stimulated during the day... Once you can train your brain to let go of things it will be able to sleep better (this much easier said than done though).
anyways, hope you get it sorted out...
