sleeping problems and cures ?

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ton
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sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ton »

anyone have problems sleeping ?

no matter what i do or how tired i am, i only manage a couple of hours sleep at a time. i rode 80 miles last saturday, got home exhausted, slept for 2 hours. i rode 50 miles yesterday, then went for a long walk in the afternoon.
at 10 pm last night i was done for. went to bed, wide awake at 1am. then just short sleeps before getting up at 6am.
and this is every single day. it then gets to mid afternoon and i feel like a wreck.

anyone suffer this too ? any pointers on curing this.

might add, now had any alcohol this year, so it aint that.
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Boab
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by Boab »

My wife suffers from this kind of thing, she went to the Doctor and got some sleeping pills. Could be stress, could be all manner of things. Having a chat wit a professional might be a good idea...
There are theories at the bottom of my jargon.
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fatbikephil
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by fatbikephil »

I sleep like a log after getting pished!
Sorry not helpful. A few things I did (back pain then tinnitus was what was stopping me getting a decent kip):
Cut down on cafeine and none after 6pm.
Faff with pillows until I found a comfy one
Made sure I wasn't too cold or hot
Found a few things to think about that distracted me totally from work - stories, relaxing bike rides, recalling other peaceful times
Noise generator - specifically for the tinnitus but made a massive difference. Apparently if its completely silent our inner predator gets suspicious and tends to put all senses on alert and starts pumping adrenaline = no sleep. So any form of natural-ish background noise keeps it at bay.
11 pints (Sorry :mrgreen: )
woodsmith
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by woodsmith »

An antihistamine ( Benadryl) is pretty good at knocking me out.
redefined_cycles
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by redefined_cycles »

ton wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 5:25 pm anyone have problems sleeping ?

no matter what i do or how tired i am, i only manage a couple of hours sleep at a time. i rode 80 miles last saturday, got home exhausted, slept for 2 hours. i rode 50 miles yesterday, then went for a long walk in the afternoon.
at 10 pm last night i was done for. went to bed, wide awake at 1am. then just short sleeps before getting up at 6am.
and this is every single day. it then gets to mid afternoon and i feel like a wreck.

anyone suffer this too ? any pointers on curing this.

might add, now had any alcohol this year, so it aint that.
Sounds to me like you might have sleep apnea (american spelling... saved a letter and me needing to get the o in the right place: soz). You need to go see you doctor Ton
ScotRoutes
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ScotRoutes »

Has this only started since you retired?
ton
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ton »

Has this only started since you retired?
not sure, but the wife seems to think yes,it has.
but i think it has deffo got far worse. like it is now a problem when before it wasnt. if you get what i mean.
redefined_cycles
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by redefined_cycles »

Did you usually used to get tired randomly and sleepy during the day Tony (despite thinking you'd had a decent nights sleep).
ScotRoutes
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ScotRoutes »

Worrying about it is likely making it worse.

TBH, I've survived on 4-5 hrs sleep every night for the past 30-odd years, so I'm maybe not the best person to be commenting :lol: If I go to bed early (for me that's any time before midnight) then I'll toss and turn for ages. I prefer going to bed when I'm really tired, at which point I will sleep right through.

Black-out curtains/blinds work for many - especially at this time of year as it's light late/early.

Getting up, reading a book, going back to sleep also works for many. Before artificial light and alarm clocks, two sleeps interspersed with another activity was commonplace. That activity could, of course, include shagging - always makes me drop off :lol:
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Dave Barter
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by Dave Barter »

ton I suffered badly from insomnia for many many years. I’d say do not go near drugs they don’t make it better they simply knock you out and you end up feeling hungover the next day.

I had to retrain myself to sleep by firstly losing the anxiety and realising that I could still function fine after only 2 hours of kip. Once that was gone things improved a lot but I still have to follow a strict ritual before bed. This seems to have trained me to sleep. If I vary it I don’t sleep at all. Alcohol is also a no no if I want a solid 7 hours.

It’s a hard nut to crack as everyone is different and there 100% isn’t a universal cure. I occasionally use 50mg Sleepeaze/Nitol if things get really bad but get myself off them pronto as it’s not really good sleep.

Wish you all the best as I know only too well what it’s like.
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tobasco
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by tobasco »

I have suffered poor sleep for the last decade or so. I go through phases, good, okay, crap etc.

Things I find that can help break from crap to good -
Eat any larger meals midday, and lighter meal in evening. Ideally eat nowt after 6pm and heading to bed around 10:30
Dark bedroom
Drink cherry juice
Avoid caffeine - restrict tea and coffee to mornings
No alcohol.

It’s worth cracking, latest research shows poor sleep can lead to Alzheimer’s.
rudedog
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by rudedog »

I listen to podcasts when I can’t sleep, I normally just need to be distracted from whatever is on my mind and is keeping me awake.
Bumpy Jonas
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by Bumpy Jonas »

I had this problem. What worked for me was cutting out caffeine completely tea, coffee, coca cola etc. and a pre biotic (not a probiotic) Bimuno before bed. Also don't watch BBC news at 10 its depressing. Cheers Peter
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psling
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by psling »

Like Dave says, everyone is different but in your case it seems to be a recent development? And, like Colin says, you've made some major lifestyle changes recently which may sub-consciously be playing on your mind e.g. worrying that you've made right decisions, set the right financial plans, even what to do tomorrow! As your new day-to-day routine develops and you relax into the decisions you've made hopefully sleep patterns will improve.
Oh, and leave the smartphone/pad/social media out of the bedroom!!

Edit: I often make a up of tea in the middle of the night when I can't sleep which relaxes me and helps me back to sleep! So much for no caffeine, we're all different.
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
Mr conners
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by Mr conners »

Read for half an hour and use a white noise app really helps. No caffeine after 6pm and don’t over exercise. I’ve done hard rides on the road bike which seemed to almost switch my system on and I couldn’t sleep.
Oh, stop using your phone/device/TV for a while before bed as well.
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JohnClimber
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by JohnClimber »

If you don't need a alarm in the morning, give good quality soft ear plugs a try.

I find it cuts out all the noises and helps clear my mind too (no idea how it does that), but if you've not slept with them before it may take 2 or 3 nights to get used to having them in there.
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ledburner
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ledburner »

ScotRoutes wrote: Sat May 08, 2021 7:11 pm Worrying about it is likely making it worse.



Getting up, reading a book, going back to sleep also works for many. Before artificial light and alarm clocks, two sleeps interspersed with another activity was commonplace. That activity could, of course, include shagging - always makes me drop off :lol:
so your choices are have a second sleep.

Use a hops* or lavender pillow, both have soporific properties (sleep inducing). :-bd
or take up nocturnal rug making. :lol:

*Folk in the hops trade had special dispensation, by Henry IV, for sleeping on ť' job.
Oh Gawd, I' ve made A Reginald type post, yawn...
I hope you think you know, what I might of exactly meant.
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
ScotRoutes
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ScotRoutes »

Alh14
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by Alh14 »

When I struggle to sleep for early starts, I try and think of the following which was some wisdom passed on by a psychiatrist.

“The human body can perform well, without any sleep for 24hours”. This stops the worry of not getting enough sleep to function the next day.
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ledburner
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ledburner »

the was recently a book call second sleep, Robert Harrison.
I hope you think you know, what I might of exactly meant.
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
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ledburner
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ledburner »

There was recently a booked call Second Sleep, Robert Harrison. a historic novel set in the future.. an Intetesting idea..
I hope you think you know, what I might of exactly meant.
Warning - may contain value odded typos & ither mythspellings..
viragevitesse
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by viragevitesse »

I have always been a light sleeper and can be in bed for 10 hours a night and still wake up exhausted and need to nap during the day. I finally went off to a sleep therapist, got a test, I have sleep apnea. I've been trialling CPAP for two weeks and its made the biggest improvement in my energy, alertness, mood, motivation to get up and ride, as I'm finally getting some deep sleep and allowing my body and mind to heal. I hated the idea of CPAP but I gave it a go and I think its just something I have to do now. I'm getting obsessed with quality of sleep and now also listen to binaural beats for half an hour before sleep, wear an eye mask and use silicone ear plugs that you can comfortably sleep on your side with. All this puts me in a cocoon and its easy to block out the fact you are hooked up to a machine.
jameso
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by jameso »

i rode 80 miles last saturday, got home exhausted, slept for 2 hours.
It may be a cortisol response that's preventing good sleep. I don't know what your normal level of riding is but if you ride harder or further than your current fitness levels you generally get a stress response and elevated cortisol levels and it makes proper sleep difficult. If your heart rate feels elevated (or maybe at normal resting bpm) and stronger, also feeling a bit warmer than normal, it's probably that.

If I went out to ride hard tomorrow and finished late afternoon or early evening I can guarantee a poor night's sleep. If I got fitter and did that same ride in a few month's time I'd sleep fairly normally. It often means I get poor sleep on the first night of a bikepacking trip but after that tiredness and relaxation puts me back into fairly normal sleep patterns, just a few hours less of it per night usually.
Solution for me if it's the effect of a 'training' ride where recovery is important can be a small amount of antihistamine, Nytol an hour or so before bed works. Usually at about 1/5th to 1/3rd of the recommended dose is just enough to doze off normally.
fatbikerbill
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by fatbikerbill »

There are so many different causes as shown above.

I used to suffer from achy leg syndrome, still do occasionally. Go straight to sleep, wake up an hour later. My best cure was get up, have some cereal, go back to bed an hour later.

Now I either get back ache about 4am or just randomly wake up and the brain just kicks in to overdrive, stress I think is the issue there. For the back ache I piss about with the pillows for ages.

For the brain I've taken to listening to either water music or whale music, both allow me to switch off and take my mind off things.
ton
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Re: sleeping problems and cures ?

Post by ton »

since i posted this i have taken the following steps to see if any work,

no coffee after lunch time.
horlicks with hot milk about 1 hour before bed.
stopped watching bbc news.

been going to bed about 11pm, falling straight to sleep, awake for a pee about 2ish the straight back to sleep until about 6am. which is kind of ok i reckon.
and a little nap in the afternoon if i have exercised, which is very nice.
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