I cannot get into a sleep routine, help?

[Petal]

As a few of you have noticed I'm online here at crazy hours 2am, 4am, 6am. Just cannot get into a sleep pattern. I was once able to but these days its very hard for example last night I went to sleep around 10:30pm - 4am then went to bed around 7am - 1pm. Can anyone give me some advice please? I'm not on sleeping pills but I am on meds to help me sleep better but I find when they wear off I am awake again and I keep waking to pee, its so annoying, any help would be appreciated.

My ideal sleep routine would be 10pm-7am.

 

[Paisley]

Have you mentioned this to your psychiatrist? You may need a different dosage, or a different combination of sleep medications. It took me a few months to find a mixture of pills that worked for me.

Edit: sorry just noticed that you said you're not on sleep medication, ignore me

 

[Ash600]

As @Paisley has mentioned, having a chat with your psych may help.

Also, some useful tips on trying to get into a routine here may help:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/

 

[Petal]

No, I would never ignore you @Paisley :P I came off sleeping tablets in 2013 as I found them to be extremely addictive and would rather not have to resort to going back on them. I brought it up with my doctor and she swapped my normal olanzapine for ones that disperse (faster onset on action) it has not helped. My psych charges 150 a session and I know all he would say is tire yourself out during the day (which im already doing). My meds are really high dosage so I shouldn't really be having sleep difficulties. But in saying that@Ash600 I will ring him and see what he recommends @Ash600 Thanks for the link, I will check it out.

Thanking you both.

 

[Paisley]

No, I would never ignore you @Paisley :p I came off sleeping tablets in 2013 as I found them to be extremely addictive and would rather not have to resort to going back on them. I brought it up with my doctor and she swapped my normal olanzapine for ones that disperse (faster onset on action) it has not helped. My psych charges 150 a session and I know all he would say is tire yourself out during the day (which im already doing). My meds are really high dosage so I shouldn't really be having sleep difficulties. But in saying that@Ash600 I will ring him and see what he recommends @Ash600 Thanks for the link, I will check it out.

Thanking you both.

I forgot not everyone lives in Canada and gets to see their psych for free. Now I feel appreciative of how lucky I am in that regard. I hope the phone call helps.

Have you ever tried melatonin supplements? It's a hormone that the body produces naturally to induce sleepiness.

 

[MagickLynx]

This may help, it has some info on insomnia

 

[may71]

I'll try to remember to post more about this later

Off the top of my head, staying away from the computer screen near bedtime might help.

I keep waking to pee

How often? Is this always between 4am and 7am, or different times?

I think this has a specific significance in Chinese medicine. I should see my acupuncturist on Monday, maybe I can ask.

 

[Petal]

I forgot not everyone lives in Canada and gets to see their psych for free. Now I feel appreciative of how lucky I am in that regard. I hope the phone call helps.

Have you ever tried melatonin supplements? It's a hormone that the body produces naturally to induce sleepiness.

No, don't worry lol I could see a psych for free but I chose to go private as last free psych I had I couldn't understand a word of what he was saying, his English was broken so I gave up on the public system, if I wanted to see a different free psych i'd be waiting a while... thanks, i will phone him monday or tuesday

 

[Petal]

This may help, it has some info on insomnia

Thank you,

 

[Petal]

I'll try to remember to post more about this later

Off the top of my head, staying away from the computer screen near bedtime might help.


How often? Is this always between 4am and 7am, or different times?

I think this has a specific significance in Chinese medicine. I should see my acupuncturist on Monday, maybe I can ask.

No its usually between 1am-4am. I literally know nothing about chinese medicine but thank you for replying I might check out your links later x

 

[Petal]

Ugh. I went to sleep at around 12:30am (after about 2 hours of trying to sleep) and woke up at 3:50am, I have just done one hours exercise and i'm going to try and get to sleep at 10pm tonight, definitely not taking any naps today, will tire myself out as much as possible in the hopes of sleeping a full night tonight. This is exhausting.

 

[may71]

No its usually between 1am-4am

Do you wake up to pee more than one time per night?

thank you for replying

You're welcome!

 

[Aspasia]

I take lunesta 3 mg and two .5 lorazepam to sleep at night. For me, sleep is the foundation for any chance at all of living a normal life. (By which I mean waking up and going to work, completing tasks, balancing my moods.) it mostly works, but lorazepam is addictive and I’m certainly dependent on lunesta. But I’m grateful for the help

 

[pooky]

Well, I have issues with sleep routine. I manage this by following a work routine like getting up and going to work by 10:00 am and returning home by 7:00 pm. Then I do a bit walking. This exhausts my body so much that sometimes I do get a proper sleep at night, but that's just sometimes. Other times its the same here, not being able to get sleep and waking up at 1 or 2 in the night.
The ideal room where one should sleep should be a quiet, dark, and sufficient cold room. So @Petal you can see if the room where you sleep meet these ideal conditions. Also working or being physically active during the day , and not sleeping during the afternoon/evening can help to tackle the problem with sleep.

 

[Human Ex Machinae]

A steady sleep routine is good and I tend to be pretty regular these days. But when my routine does get disturbed, as long as in a 24 hour period I get a certain amount of sleep, even if it's in two hour increments or so during the course of the day, I don't suffer from sleep deprivation (which for me can be really severe, one or two days without enough sleep and I'm borderline looney). Knowing that removes the sleep anxiety for me and that might actually be helping me maintain a routine.
@Petal the anxiety from not sticking to a routine aside, how do you feel mentally and physically when you sleep in small increments over the course of the day? Like if you eventually end up getting around 8 hours in total, do you feel relatively mentally alert and generally ok?

 

[Walker]

Have you ever tried melatonin supplements? It's a hormone that the body produces naturally to induce sleepiness.

Remember that melatonin interacts with a LOAD of psych meds poorly.

 

[Petal]

the anxiety from not sticking to a routine aside, how do you feel mentally and physically when you sleep in small increments over the course of the day? Like if you eventually end up getting around 8 hours in total, do you feel relatively mentally alert and generally ok?

Exhausted if I am honest, I have always needed a lot of sleep all my life, like 10-12 hours and if i'm scraping by with 8 hours of the day I am left feeling exhausted, and wrecked. Definitely not mentally alert. I'm like you 2 days without sleep and I am loony, had a messed up sleep last night again as you witnessed lol

@pooky strangely enough my bedroom does meet that criteria.

I'm kinda out of answers and solutions. So going to tire myself out as much as I can today and see how I sleep tonight and will limit liquids before bed time

Thank you all for your support, I do appreciate you taking the time to help me.

 

[na-taya]

Lynnie my love remember when i mentiones sleep cbt a bit ago? Because i to fall apart with lack of sleep i do not cope is kind of an understatment......but anywhoooo.....

Reading this i remembered one thing we did to try and help set my sleep routine.....basically i had to take sleeping meds for three nights in a row.(it didnt work for me but still can share it i guess) You need to set a strick bed time routine and hour or hour and a half before bed
-no screen time and hour if not more before bed
And then this part im just gonna make up to hopefully give you ideas.

Darken room and light a nice relaxing smelling candle or something similar.

Set aside a minimum of 10mins for mindful breathing/ bedtime yoga/stretching.......or i really know you like you hot baths so maybe a good place for you to do it(maybe?!)

Play some relaxing music, try and make sure your room is not to cold or hot.

Read a book or maybe write in a journal

I kind of at a loss of what else to suggest maybe others have some ideas also?!?!
Plus im getting a wee bit distracted by the tennis you know me :p

 

[Petal]

@na-taya Thank you darling

I did some googling and with the info i found and with the info here on this thread, I will make a sleep routine and try and stick with it starting tonight, no drinks from 7pm, no internet or anything electronic/electric after 8pm. Do some meditation. Have a bath by 8:30 and go straight to bed with a relaxing book. I will put some lavender on my pillow and have my fan on. Put lavender in my bath too. I don't trust myself with candles while on strong meds, too much of a hazard.

Will let you know how it goes

Thanks so much for your help, drop me a PM if you're not too distracted by the hot tennis players :P Love you chick <3

 

[pooky]

Petal,

Cooking some rice and eating with vegetables at night may help you to get proper sleep. (Eating rice helps me to fall asleep whenever I struggle with sleep issues)
Secondly, as na-taya said reading a book or writing can help with sleep.(This has worked for me)
Lastly, It's better not to use any electronic gadgets like computer, laptop, mobile phone,TV etc. late at night. So, if you want to sleep at 10:00 pm then you can stop using all electronic gadgets by 8:00 pm.