sleeping habits

[miggles]

do you find once you are old your sleeping habits become more erratic? i have found this to be so.

 

[nChrist]

Yes, I'm trying to change my sleeping habits now. I usually go to bed at about 4 A.M. I'm sure that has a lot to do with me working night shift so many years before I retired.

 

[Bobber]

Funny that I should read this now....for me it 5 a.m. and woke up an hour or so ago. So when people get older...sleeping habits somewhat different? I'd say so. For people older maybe it's because many of us are retired.....not maybe getting enough exercise as when we were working to make us feel beat tired which would cause one to have a deeper sleep. As for me in most of my career I worked on midnight shift so that might have a factor too.

 

[dysert]

I'm not retired, but my sleep has been messed up for several years now. Typically, I fall asleep in my chair in the living room between 6:30pm and 9:00pm. When I awake I take out the dog and go in to bed, where I sleep hard (with my CPAP machine) until about 2:00am, at which time I'm usually up the rest of the night. It's *horrible* and has been a major problem in my marriage (my wife thinks I can control it and just fall asleep early to avoid being with her - she's got her own set of problems). I'm tired all the time because of this, but I've been to my family doc, a psychiatrist, and 2-3 sleep specialists. No one can solve the problem.

Nowadays I try to catch myself before falling asleep in the chair and go in to bed so that at least I can be on my CPAP until 2:00.

Bottom line: don't get old!

 

[miggles]

Yes, I'm trying to change my sleeping habits now. I usually go to bed at about 4 A.M. I'm sure that has a lot to do with me working night shift so many years before I retired.

i use to work the night shift. loved it. and i know what you mean.

 

[musicalpilgrim]

It is certainly a problem;
I have had the problem for a number of years and now when I wake up in the middle of the night, or can't get to sleep, I have a cocoa, and pray and read the Psalms.
Time with the Lord on the 'night watch' the same as the monks in ancient times that I have read about, I give to the Lord.
I also pray every night for a good night's sleep, since I realized the importance of this time.
Bed time is ideally 10.30pm, certainly lights out by 11pm. I read in the Bible that sleep is a gift from the Lord,

Psalm 127
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Last night I slept! and today I feel so good and thank the Lord for his blessing.
This is a good link,
The Gift Of Sleep

 

[miggles]

It is certainly a problem;
I have had the problem for a number of years and now when I wake up in the middle of the night, or can't get to sleep, I have a cocoa, and pray and read the Psalms.
Time with the Lord on the 'night watch' the same as the monks in ancient times that I have read about, I give to the Lord.
I also pray every night for a good night's sleep, since I realized the importance of this time.
Bed time is ideally 10.30pm, certainly lights out by 11pm. I read in the Bible that sleep is a gift from the Lord,

Psalm 127
2 It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Last night I slept! and today I feel so good and thank the Lord for his blessing.
This is a good link,
The Gift Of Sleep

thank you for that. that is beautiful. i will remember.

 

[SkyWriting]

do you find once you are old your sleeping habits become more erratic? i have found this to be so.

Blue/White lighting shuts off melatonin productions which is part of the "falling asleep" process. Blue/White comes from phone screens, televisions, and some of the new types of lighting, and fluorescents.

One milligram of chewable melatonin is the smallest dose manufactured, but you only need 1 tenth of that amount. One Microgram is all the bloodstream needs. I used to chew the smallest part of a tablet I could break off, but now the chewables just dissolve fast. It doesn't "knock you out," but it puts a bit of a "fuzz" on everything that lets you sleep pretty much any hour you choose.

Working 12 hour nights I would switch to night shift then back to day shift every weekend so I mastered my switching methods.

My newest method is "pulling". When you close your eyes you can clear your mind now and then and sense your whole body being relaxed for a moment. Now, I "grab and Pull" myself into that moment and wrap it around my thoughts. My only thought is "PULL". Next thing I know, it's morning, so it must work pretty well.

My old technique was "smoothing". I imagined that all thoughts were spikes on a graph. As the spikes came up I respond by "Smoothing" them out flat as if they were mashed potatoes. I just imaging taking my hand and "Smoothing" those thoughts out. That has worked well for years.

Try eliminating any electrical lighting from your hours before you want to sleep. Normal yellow incandescent lighting is OK for sleep and lower wattage is yellower and ok. Yellow light is best for letting you sleep. Blue/white is the worst.

How Blocking Blue Light at Night Can Transform Your Sleep - Healthline

 

[dysert]

Blue/White lighting shuts off melatonin productions which is part of the "falling asleep" process. Blue/White comes from phone screens, televisions, and some of the new types of lighting, and fluorescents.

One milligram of chewable melatonin is the smallest dose manufactured, but you only need 1 tenth of that amount. One Microgram is all the bloodstream needs. I used to chew the smallest part of a tablet I could break off, but now the chewables just dissolve fast. It doesn't "knock you out," but it puts a bit of a "fuzz" on everything that lets you sleep pretty much any hour you choose.

Working 12 hour nights I would switch to night shift then back to day shift every weekend so I mastered my switching methods.

My newest method is "pulling". When you close your eyes you can clear your mind now and then and sense your whole body being relaxed for a moment. Now, I "grab and Pull" myself into that moment and wrap it around my thoughts. My only thought is "PULL". Next thing I know, it's morning, so it must work pretty well.

My old technique was "smoothing". I imagined that all thoughts were spikes on a graph. As the spikes came up I respond by "Smoothing" them out flat as if they were mashed potatoes. I just imaging taking my hand and "Smoothing" those thoughts out. That has worked well for years.

Try eliminating any electrical lighting from your hours before you want to sleep. Normal yellow incandescent lighting is OK for sleep and lower wattage is yellower and ok. Yellow light is best for letting you sleep. Blue/white is the worst.

How Blocking Blue Light at Night Can Transform Your Sleep - Healthline

That's good advice for people who have trouble falling asleep. What about me, though? I have trouble *staying* asleep. I can fall asleep almost instantly, but come 2am, I'm wide awake no matter what time I went to bed.

 

[gym_class_hero]

I worked nights for a few years when I was a police officer..yuck. Anymore if I don't wake up at 4 to og to the bathroom, my aging dog does. My issue is once I wake up, I cant get back to sleep.

 

[SkyWriting]

That's good advice for people who have trouble falling asleep. What about me, though? I have trouble *staying* asleep. I can fall asleep almost instantly, but come 2am, I'm wide awake no matter what time I went to bed.

If I want to fight it, the Melatonin works, as well as the techniques I mentioned. But in my case getting up for a couple hours then returning after drinking water and then bathroom, again, works. Snacking helps some get drousey, non-caffine tea, .....experiment. Even computer time makes me drowsy, though it shouldn't.

 

[SkyWriting]

I worked nights for a few years when I was a police officer..yuck. Anymore if I don't wake up at 4 to og to the bathroom, my aging dog does. My issue is once I wake up, I cant get back to sleep.

Experiment with darkness, drinks, food, exercise. Oh I forgot that one....kicking my legs frantically till they hurt, which can be seconds to minutes, kicks off some sleep pattern. The muscles release something that says "Rest". This can put me to sleep. If I'm careful I can even avoid waking my wife while kicking my legs in air like an idiot. But that stops my legs cramps when that's a problem.

 

[miggles]

Blue/White lighting shuts off melatonin productions which is part of the "falling asleep" process. Blue/White comes from phone screens, televisions, and some of the new types of lighting, and fluorescents.

One milligram of chewable melatonin is the smallest dose manufactured, but you only need 1 tenth of that amount. One Microgram is all the bloodstream needs. I used to chew the smallest part of a tablet I could break off, but now the chewables just dissolve fast. It doesn't "knock you out," but it puts a bit of a "fuzz" on everything that lets you sleep pretty much any hour you choose.

Working 12 hour nights I would switch to night shift then back to day shift every weekend so I mastered my switching methods.

My newest method is "pulling". When you close your eyes you can clear your mind now and then and sense your whole body being relaxed for a moment. Now, I "grab and Pull" myself into that moment and wrap it around my thoughts. My only thought is "PULL". Next thing I know, it's morning, so it must work pretty well.

My old technique was "smoothing". I imagined that all thoughts were spikes on a graph. As the spikes came up I respond by "Smoothing" them out flat as if they were mashed potatoes. I just imaging taking my hand and "Smoothing" those thoughts out. That has worked well for years.

Try eliminating any electrical lighting from your hours before you want to sleep. Normal yellow incandescent lighting is OK for sleep and lower wattage is yellower and ok. Yellow light is best for letting you sleep. Blue/white is the worst.

How Blocking Blue Light at Night Can Transform Your Sleep - Healthline

those are wonderful suggestions. i will try them tonight.

 

[Danthemailman]

do you find once you are old your sleeping habits become more erratic? i have found this to be so.

Yes! I would not classify myself as "old" at age 52 (almost 53) but certainly "older" and after turning 50, I noticed that my sleeping habits have become more erratic and I don't get as much sleep as I used to.

 

[musicalpilgrim]

Hi miggles, I thought this may be a good verse to sleep with tonight...praying for a good night's sleep for us all,
Psalm 4
8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

God bless us all

 

[musicalpilgrim]

It's 1am and I don't know why I woke up suddenly, but here I am on the night watch again with a cocoa in hand and a Psalm 91,
He who dwells in the secret place of the most high
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty...

 

[miggles]

musicalpilgrim, you are so inspirational to me. i woke up at 1 a.m. too but i feel so good and rested. thank you for that verse. it makes me feel so good. hugs to you.

 

[SkyWriting]

I worked nights for a few years when I was a police officer..yuck. Anymore if I don't wake up at 4 to og to the bathroom, my aging dog does. My issue is once I wake up, I cant get back to sleep.

I just remembered another method I have used. Counting deep breaths will work. After about 30-90 deep breaths you get a buzz from too much oxygen. This will certainly interrupt any persistent thoughts running round and round in you heard as well as "surfing the bed" where one thought leads to another...and another.....for hours. In addition to interrupting your thoughts it usually send you to slumberland. Sprinkle in lying on your back leg exercises, and tiny doses of Melatonin and you should be out.

Fine, I just remembered another trick. (Switching 1st to 3rd shift sleeping patterns twice a week for over a decade has it's many downsides) For ambient white noise I use a cheap box fan, when not using the window air conditioner. You just turn the fan on low and turn it toward the wall near your bed. The white noise covers up most any other distractions and seems to disrupt endless thinking to some extent.

Naturally avoid any caffeine for at least 6 hours before sleeping.


Here are the some of the foods you can eat before bed that might
improve your sleep quality:
Almonds
Turkey
Chamomile Tea
Kiwi
Tart Cherry Juice
Fatty Fish
Walnuts
Passionflower Tea

The Best Foods to Eat Before Bed - Healthline

 

[musicalpilgrim]

...that is very interesting!
I have an extra event...'exploding head syndrome', yes I had never heard of it before, but I described the symptoms to 'Dr. Google' and the info' came up on the screen. I believe it isn't dangerous, but it makes me jump when the explosions occur, just as I am nodding off.

 

[miggles]

It's 1am and I don't know why I woke up suddenly, but here I am on the night watch again with a cocoa in hand and a Psalm 91,
He who dwells in the secret place of the most high
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty...

i woke up at 1 a.m. this morning again. what is it about 1 a.m.? lol.