Can't sleep... help!

Depends if that alarm would cause you stress or not. Also depends if you are used to waking up with an alarm. I would say do not wake up later than 7am as that would have given you 8hrs sleep which is more than enough really.

Also don't take naps during the day as that subtracts from your night hours of sleep

Okay, I'll see how it goes. Thanks all.

Be persistent! IT WILL WORK

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by metalangel

Shift pattern is five days of early, then a few days off, then five days of lates (with some 'normal' hours mixed in). then three days off before it starts again. The three days between lates and earlys are the worst for trying to change back to getting to bed early. So in effect it's changing back and forth every week or so between 6am-2pm and 2pm-10pm shifts.

Oh to have your shift pattern

I work 12hr shifts week on week off

But in my week on I don't know what shifts I'll be doing except for the first day of the week, as the shift can't be changed.

But in my week, I can work earlies, lates & night shifts, all depends on the work.

But the bonus is the week off, where I can't be called at home, although sometimes I'll have to go in for a meeting or training course. But I'm usually knackered the first 2 days of my week off.

My biggest problem is waking up always at the same time, which at the moment is 05:00 in the summer it was 03:24.

If I sleep through to after 7 I feel good, but this pattern of waking at 5 is leaving me tired. I sleep alright, but I always wake early

Have a good old Jodrell. Works wonders for me. Wife less keen though, says it wakes her up.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by metalangel

I just could not sleep last night... I had to be up at 5am so I went to bed about 8pm, woke up around 1:30am and doubt I got much more sleep after that until 4:30am when I just decided to hell with it and got up.

The result is that I'm now so knackered I'm going to leave the car at work today and take the train home as I just don't trust myself. Hell, I've only been here at work an hour and I can barely keep my eyes open.

Any suggestions or tips for getting to sleep? I find that knowing I have to get up and therefore I REALLY need to be asleep tends to mean I get anxious and can't drop off.

Do it like a popstar

you got a i phone?

pzizz sleep is good

its a funny thing because I used to be exactly the same and I have a lot of head chatter constantly going around and even as a young girl i can remember my dad stroking my head tryin to get me to drift of and I couldn't. its about clearing your head as much as possible and not trying too hard to sleep jsut watch some tv read a book etc try and empty your head. that aside its easier said than done - also some herbal pills do work to help you drift off but you have to take them well before bed time i find - my dad used ti say to me as long as you lying down you are resting even if you don't sleep x

[Shellywoozle]

I am exactly the same, I work shifts, 7am til 4pm, for 2 then 3pm til midnight for 2 then 10pm til 7 am for 2 days. On earlies i get up at 4.45 and i find the earlier I go to bed the more I get anxious, wake up etc.

After 8 yrs i am the same..... I try and stay up til half ten to 11 and have a shorter better sleep. I won't take tablets I would sleep through my alarm lol

I dont sleep now, 2 hrs a time is my most as i have bad neck injury .... pro plus is great at work lol

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by 600+

Overall yes you need physical tiredness. Mental tiredness is a matter of managing switch on/off your brain. It's a life approach thing hence why you might find that your approach to things is a bit more intense than it should be.

Mastering the enthusiasm is BS! Just get on and do it. You will find that people suffering with depression actually lack any appetite to do something that they used to find fulfilling. Number one rule to get out of depression is get active. Can you see how that apply to everything irrespective of suffering from the illness?

I'd agree with that. My stressfull job in front of a screen/meetings all day does my head in but I sleep far better on the nights I go to the gym after work. I frequently have to convince myself that even though I feel exhausted it is worth going and always feel much better afterwards.