Insomnia. Any sufferers?

[Benchwayze]

years of shifts are starting to knacker my body clock and there's nothing worse than lying awake at 03:00 knowing you've to get up at 05:00, Syndol sometimes helps if I remember, trouble is when there's only two hours to go it's too late to start sedating yourself.

I know the feeling Monkey..

John :?

 

[theartfulbodger]

I've got it bad, I'm a dylexic insomniac.


I was awake all night last night wondering if there really was a dog.

 

[DIY Stew]

Hi folks,
Now I don't really suffer with insomnia, but there are times when I lie awake, and find it difficult to switch off, especially if I am designing a project, or I have come up against a problem. Then I can lie awake for hours only to fall asleep finally, in the small hours. This means waking up late of course, with the usual bleary eyes and a stinking headache.

But the other day, the problem was being discussed on the TV. Some sleep psychologist (or whatever title they go by) said there was a simple technique that sometimes helps. He suggested, when you are lying there unable to stop trains of thought running through the mind, over and over, just say, 'The.'

'Say it to yourself, or out aloud 'The.'
Just that one word. 'The.'
Repeat it , until... It disrupts the chain of thought apparently.

I tried it a few times since. It ruddy-well works! Like a charm. The, the, the, the, Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!.


Hope this helps someone.

John

John

It works, cant thank you enough.

Stew

 

[Digit]

You lot must have a guilty conscience!

Roy.

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

Tried the "the" thing last night and I remember nothing after, strange thing was I wasn't thinking of anything before hand just watching TV which normally sends me sleeping anyway. However I had just came off the xBox which normally would keep me watching TV for at least an hour after. It was about 30mins after getting in bed I tried the "the" thing.

 

[Benchwayze]

You lot must have a guilty conscience!

Roy.

No Roy,
There's the 'S' thing for helping the guilty sleep. Of course you do need a partner! :mrgreen:

Stew, Hud,

I am glad to be of service, if you have reaped some benefit from it.
As I said, only occasionally do I have a 'Guilty Conscience', but 'the' works for me too!

John

 

[Digit]

I'm not sure as to whether I'm better off than you chaps or worse. I have the opposite problem, when it comes to sleeping I'm like the 'Martini Girls,' any time, any place, any where.'

Roy.

 

[monkeybiter]

Interesting article:-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783
When I've been on holiday I've always admired the 'siesta' idea, which seems similar.

 

[woodbloke]

Here's an topic from the Beeb which caught me eye this morning...worth a gander :wink: I don't suffer from insomnia unless there's something particular on my mind, but when I was working, I regularly used to get up in the night...maybe it's the norm, or was? - Rob

Edit - MB beat me to it...interesting article though

 

[whiskywill]

The number three also works.

Imagine that you are slowly writing the number over and over, not the rounded version, the one with the horizontal top, a slope and a round bit.

Concentrating on that makes you blank out everything else.

 

[Unib]

The technique I tried last night was trying to decide which tools I'd buy if I won the lottery - don't try it, it doesn't work, just ended up getting my laptop out to swoon over Felder table saws at about 3am*. I'll maybe try thinking of number 3's tonight.

*I actually decided even if I won the lottery big, a Felder TS would be a tad over the top.