What exactly DO you do when you go to bed and to sleep at 10.45 and then wake at 2.00 ?

Make a warm drink, and read a book.

Don't try to do anything that gets your brain too active otherwise you end up feeling tired out when you're supposed to be awake - if that makes sense.

The worst thing is I get more agitated if I wake early or can't actually get off to sleep, so I toss and turn and make things worse. I need to take my own good advice sometimes.

Drink a very large whisky and post nonsense on the forums until 4am.

Turn over, cuddle up to my girlfriend and go back to sleep...

I won't go into the nitty-gritty stuff of what happened to me but I had insomnia pretty bad.

It used to be frightening logging into the DUMP. I'd press the letter 'c' for cloaked_wolf and there would be two usernames dropping down from the log in box. One was 'cloaked_wolf'. The other was ....'churchcat'....







Anyway, you need good sleep hygiene. From doing all the suggestions I'm about to list, the only real one that worked was when I moved accommodation. I went from a hospital accommodation of a single room (think uni halls of residence) to a one-bed flat. It's important to keep bedroom and sleep separate from everything else in your life.

• Don't have any carbonated or caffeinated beverages after 6pm
• Make sure there's at least three hours (ideally four) between your last meal and bedtime
• Don't do anything stimulating* prior to sleeping (*this means computer games, TV, tommy tanks)
• Make sure your bedroom is free of anything that can distract you (tv, games, phone).
• If you keep clock-watching, hide the clock but make sure your alarm is still set to go off
• Make sure nothing can distract you (room too bright? get heavier curtains or facemask. Noisy? Ear plugs)
• Just before you go to bed, go outside and grab some fresh air (it's even easier in summer)
• Make sure your clothes and bedding are comfortable
• Don't let yourself be too warm (sleep is best induced by a cooling down process)
• If you don't fall asleep fairly quickly (give it ten mins), get back out of bed - you're not tired enough

There's some more stuff but what you have isn't insomnia (inability to fall asleep) - you've already had some sleep. The entire sleep process involves you first going into deep sleep for four hours, followed by lighter sleep for the remaining hours. If you've already had the important four hours, you're unlikely to get to sleep again because you don't need that deep sleep again. The best you can achieve is a 'napping' level of sleep where any change in noise etc will wake you.

Stay awake for longer.

I take issue with one of those - I like to tank my tommy a lot before I go to sleep. I find it leaves me more relaxed and calm. It's also quite good exercise. Actually; any exercise in the evening is a good idea but more so if you actually have trouble getting to sleep.

The other points are all good, especially about the light. I'd like to add to the "sleep hygiene" part though. I sleep much better in a clean bed which smells of fresh air. Wash your sheets regularly, and dry them outside when possible. Air out your duvet (and futon if applicable) at every opportunity - and beat them hard to clear out the dust. I always sleep sounder outside, and I think it's because of the improved air and lack of death dust.

Do you get a stuffy nose at all? If so, invest a few pounds in mite-proof mattress and pillow covers. They say an old pillow is over 50% dead insect and turds. The cover prevents that going up your nose.

This is my personal experience. Your kilometres may differ.

I usually force myself to relax, close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing.

When I get bored of doing that, I get up, put on a pot of Hot Java Lava and read a book or watch a film, or both.

Then, I stop off at the garage on the way to work for a box of pro plus, which I usually need by about 1pm, to stave off the rolling eyes and helicopter head nonsense. Finish work, go home and have an early night. No problems getting to sleep the second time around.

work a bit harder then you will be tired enough.

That's very generous of you Dave, but are you sure your girlfriend wouldn't mind all of us cuddling up to her?

:etc:

By the way, if you had started your post with the word "I" then I wouldn't have been able to post this gem

Ive had trouble sleeping in years now, went to bed at 2am these days which is a weak insomniac? its so annyoing

*Le Sigh*

You owe me 1 keyboard and 1 fresh cup of tea

Mostly I just doze, in and out of sleep until I either get annoyed and get up, read a book or something until it's time to get up, or I just lay there thinking random thoughts about things like how difficult it would be to peel a blackberry, until my alarm goes off. Quite often I drift in and out of dreams which makes properly waking up for the day quite surreal

Whiskey works a treat but I'm trying to give it up.

Reading a book might work but it also might get me a kicking from my dear wife.

How so? If it's because of the light, you can get individual reading lights from WHSmith that clip to your book and the light is directed down to the page. If it's because she thinks reading is the work of the devil, then I can't help you