Insomnia (1 Viewer)

Saddlebrains

Well-Known Member
@Marty I saw a thread made by you regarding insomnia years back when i made this thread, forgot to mention

Yours seemed awful, how did you recover from it?
 

duffer

Well-Known Member
Just on the insomnia thing, I obviously don't get it anywhere as badly as some here. It's generally stress over money or family stuff that will set me off, and in truth there's probably a bit of PTSD in there too that flares up sometimes. Computer/phone games help distract from the latter, for me anyway, but they're less good for the sleep cycle! 😄

Anyhow, when it does happen, there are two things that help me get through it...

The first is that when I'm struggling, I try not to worry about how I'll feel the next day. I tell myself that the truth is that I'll probably feel crap, but I that I will also be able to push through it. In essence, I know that losing sleep because you're worried about losing sleep, is entirely pointless! Easy to say, I know.

The second is a little exercise that sometimes helps me:

Basically, I pick a route that I know really well, like the one to work, or a drive to somewhere l go regularly, and I simply try to visualise driving or riding it.

In that very typical way, after a few minutes, my thoughts spin off elsewhere, but when I notice I just start over again. It doesn't always get me into a proper sleep, but it at least gets me drifting into a more relaxed, restful state.

Again, this is what works for me. I've never been diagnosed or even talked to anyone about it other than here, so I don't want to claim expertise or trivialise anyone else's experience. Hope it might help a little, though.
 

Saddlebrains

Well-Known Member
Just on the insomnia thing, I obviously don't get it anywhere as badly as some here. It's generally stress over money or family stuff that will set me off, and in truth there's probably a bit of PTSD in there too that flares up sometimes. Computer/phone games help distract from the latter, for me anyway, but they're less good for the sleep cycle! 😄

Anyhow, when it does happen, there are two things that help me get through it...

The first is that when I'm struggling, I try not to worry about how I'll feel the next day. I tell myself that the truth is that I'll probably feel crap, but I that I will also be able to push through it. In essence, I know that losing sleep because you're worried about losing sleep, is entirely pointless! Easy to say, I know.

The second is a little exercise that sometimes helps me:

Basically, I pick a route that I know really well, like the one to work, or a drive to somewhere l go regularly, and I simply try to visualise driving or riding it.

In that very typical way, after a few minutes, my thoughts spin off elsewhere, but when I notice I just start over again. It doesn't always get me into a proper sleep, but it at least gets me drifting into a more relaxed, restful state.

Again, this is what works for me. I've never been diagnosed or even talked to anyone about it other than here, so I don't want to claim expertise or trivialise anyone else's experience. Hope it might help a little, though.


I have done similar before, but kine is walking around my childhood home or school so i get where you're coming from!

And yep thats what gets me most, i need to train my brain into thinking 'well if you dont sleep you'll be sound anyway, its not like the body wont just say fuck this and close down for a few hours'
 

Mcbean

Well-Known Member
Just on the insomnia thing, I obviously don't get it anywhere as badly as some here. It's generally stress over money or family stuff that will set me off, and in truth there's probably a bit of PTSD in there too that flares up sometimes. Computer/phone games help distract from the latter, for me anyway, but they're less good for the sleep cycle! 😄

Anyhow, when it does happen, there are two things that help me get through it...

The first is that when I'm struggling, I try not to worry about how I'll feel the next day. I tell myself that the truth is that I'll probably feel crap, but I that I will also be able to push through it. In essence, I know that losing sleep because you're worried about losing sleep, is entirely pointless! Easy to say, I know.

The second is a little exercise that sometimes helps me:

Basically, I pick a route that I know really well, like the one to work, or a drive to somewhere l go regularly, and I simply try to visualise driving or riding it.

In that very typical way, after a few minutes, my thoughts spin off elsewhere, but when I notice I just start over again. It doesn't always get me into a proper sleep, but it at least gets me drifting into a more relaxed, restful state.

Again, this is what works for me. I've never been diagnosed or even talked to anyone about it other than here, so I don't want to claim expertise or trivialise anyone else's experience. Hope it might help a little, though.
I do this , I imagine going to the garage getting my bike out and taking a ride around one if my usual runs and as you say it doesn’t take long for it to take you elsewhere in thought and hopefully away from the thing that troubling you - I also have a Paul McKenna track called sleep
Like a log - it’s a 26 minute talking down and I often don’t make it to the end - I use an old iPod and it turns off at the end of the track

the cricket helps me as well - next week it starts again as it’s often 4 o clock I wake and can’t get back to sleep - one earplug in and I drift in and out of the wickets
 

Great_Expectations

Well-Known Member
Just on the insomnia thing, I obviously don't get it anywhere as badly as some here. It's generally stress over money or family stuff that will set me off, and in truth there's probably a bit of PTSD in there too that flares up sometimes. Computer/phone games help distract from the latter, for me anyway, but they're less good for the sleep cycle! 😄

Anyhow, when it does happen, there are two things that help me get through it...

The first is that when I'm struggling, I try not to worry about how I'll feel the next day. I tell myself that the truth is that I'll probably feel crap, but I that I will also be able to push through it. In essence, I know that losing sleep because you're worried about losing sleep, is entirely pointless! Easy to say, I know.

The second is a little exercise that sometimes helps me:

Basically, I pick a route that I know really well, like the one to work, or a drive to somewhere l go regularly, and I simply try to visualise driving or riding it.

In that very typical way, after a few minutes, my thoughts spin off elsewhere, but when I notice I just start over again. It doesn't always get me into a proper sleep, but it at least gets me drifting into a more relaxed, restful state.

Again, this is what works for me. I've never been diagnosed or even talked to anyone about it other than here, so I don't want to claim expertise or trivialise anyone else's experience. Hope it might help a little, though.

Can fully relate to that third paragraph. My previous post wasn’t an exaggeration, unless we have a child free night (roughly once every few weeks) I don’t get a proper sleep. But I’ve learnt more and more as time has gone on, it’s fine. I’ll still do what I need to do next day and if it means I need an extra coffee or an early night the following day, then so be it.

One thing that helps me when I’ve woken up and tried to drop but my mind is racing, is getting up and moving. Can be as simple as a few steps to the bathroom for a wee or a walk to look out the window for a few seconds. Either way, it seems to change my minds focus and when I get back into bed I start with a fresh mind.
 

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