Sleepless Nights
 

It's late, almost 1am (west coast time), and I am sleepless tonight.

Over the past few years, since passing the 50 year mark in age, I have noticed that it is not always easy for me
to 'turn out the lights' and be able to fall asleep like I used to, when I was younger.

Part of me thinks that my sleeplessness is related to a number of things; but tonight, I felt led to construct a special forum thread where femmes might be able to talk (share and discuss) about what we can do to help ourselves when we're sleepless at night.

Operating under the premise that I am not alone in having difficulty with sleeping at night,
I am hoping other femmes will offer to share what advice they have.

To begin this discussion, I readily admit to having no idea what will help me get the sleep I need;
especially when nights like this come along and I cannot seem to fall asleep.

K, I'm going to try to snuggle with my pillows and get some sleep....
but I'll be back and highly curious to see if other femmes in our community
will stop by and share about how they approach this issue of sleeplessness.

*Thanks in advance for any help or support you might have*

:moonstars:

I found a bit of exercise each day helps me get to sleep at night.

I've slacked off lately with working out, and I've really noticed the difference at night when trying to relax.

Sweet dreams, Katzchen. :blueheels:

I think at any age we all have sleepless nights. I do believe a lot of mine comes from stress. I find talking to friends on skype when I can't sleep to help a lot. Usually they have me laughing within five minutes and sure enough maybe 30 minutes later I am yawning and they are telling me to get off skype and go to bed. The things that were in my mind before we started gabbing are not there "for now" and I am alble to relax and finally fall asleep.

awwww, thank you, Gemme, Soon, Amber2010 (and Always2late & Nanners)! :bunchflowers:


I think, Gemme, when you mentioned the factor of excitement, which that's a stressor so some degree, in either direction (-/+), it does seem to affect my ability to fall asleep! I think that's largely some of the 'problem' I experience lately because I teeter between levels of excitement and anxiety over larger issues that are looming over my life. Take for example the employment factors I face on a daily basis: will I hear back from potential employers, be hired - things of that nature that aren't always easy to 'turn off', lately (Thanks Gemme for mentioning the excitement factor).


And Soon, getting exercise is definately one factor that I know will help me fall asleep (Thanks so much for bringing up the exercise factor!). I had a job, not long ago, where I was literally running every day on the job. Back then, when I came home from a work-day, I would go straight to bed because that's what my body (and mind) dictated me to do, to lay down immediately and sleep! So yeah, exercise does help stablize a person's sleep cycle, I think (Thanks for bringing that up, Soon).


Amber2010, you mention that skyping helps you, being able to talk with friends to help meet a need for human contact (communication, etc). I think, in many ways, the reason I participate as a member of this community is not only to cultivate friendship, but the chance to 'talk' with other members via topics of human interest (thanks for bringing up another idea that could help, Amber2010)!


I think each thing that Gemme, Soon and Amber brought up are part of ways that we can address getting our needs met. Sort of like the nirvana of making sure we've had enough to eat, got our fill of human contact, getting exercise -- all those things we do to ensure our needs are being met, even the need for self-love which is to me a big factor (human touch, desireable sexual encounters of the beautiful kind).


For most who might not know me well (or even for those of you who do!), I'm the kind of person who is on *Top* of things of this nature, normally (so to speak). I try to maintain some sort of semblance of balance in addressing needs - that desireable level of satiation, where I feel I am getting my needs met, in ways that are hopefully healthy for me (or for others, each one of us).


The tricky part to my situation is that I think age factors are impinging on my ordinary ability to meet the nirvana that seemed easier to acheive before the age factor began to sing a little bit louder. *lol* (or not).

Something that is becoming a glaring truth for me, at this time in life, is that sometimes I find myself stuck in a cycle of thinking that I should be able to fall asleep, like I always have before. But lately this past year, it's anything but what I normally would experience. It happens more frequently now than I would like, but there are days when maybe my core sleeping cycle is less than 5 hours (with a couple of 'naps' during the day) and then days where I oversleep. Like two days ago, I slept probably about 12 hours, woke up and didn't feel refreshed but instead, felt like I should go back to bed (Not!). Which, this kind of thing is turning out to impinge on my way of leading a balanced way of life. <sigh>


Thank you Gemme, Soon and Amber for weighing in on ideas to help make getting sleep, something that is acheiveable. : )

It sounds like you may just be off of your routine. You mentioned waiting to be hired and a time when you were working when you slept well. Maybe just embrace the freedom you have at the moment to enjoy the night with thoughts that all will be as it once was when you are back to work. I am all for making the best of the hand that was dealt.


[QUOTE=Kätzchen;850770]awwww, thank you, Gemme, Soon, Amber2010 (and Always2late & Nanners)! :bunchflowers:


I think, Gemme, when you mentioned the factor of excitement, which that's a stressor so some degree, in either direction (-/+), it does seem to affect my ability to fall asleep! I think that's largely some of the 'problem' I experience lately because I teeter between levels of excitement and anxiety over larger issues that are looming over my life. Take for example the employment factors I face on a daily basis: will I hear back from
potential employers, be hired - things of that nature that aren't always easy to 'turn off', lately (Thanks Gemme for mentioning the excitement factor).


And Soon, getting exercise is definately one factor that I know will help me fall asleep (Thanks so much for bringing up the exercise factor!). I had a job, not long ago, where I was literally running every day on the job. Back then, when I came home from a work-day, I would go straight to bed because that's what my body (and mind) dictated me to do, to lay down immediately and sleep! So yeah, exercise does help stablize a person's sleep cycle, I think (Thanks for bringing that up, Soon).

My routine has not been quite the same, for years now, it would seem: Thanks for your idea, Slowpurr! Would you believe that when I read the strand of thought in your post, 'Let's make the best of the hand that was dealt', was channeled in the voice of a certain person I used to play cards with (the very British Englander, Mrs. Kindred: She and her husband were farmers who lived nearby our farm, when I was growing up - she taught me a lot about rules to certain card games)? :)


My day began about an hour ago and I may get some sleep tonight, it would seem: The first thing I do, after making coffee, is check my personal email for notifications and feedback from potential employers, which I got nothing from anyone on the employment search front, but I did get a rather interesting note, authored by an unlikely source at the State of Oregon employment agency.

The short version of the backstory: Because I took steps to renew yet another unemployment claim, doing so invokes a rather long process to be approved to access benefits set aside in the applicants name (in this case, mine). While completing the long and arduous application for benefits on the State agency website, I noticed that elements of my process were not being duly recorded, on my side of the domain. I took advantage of drafting a professional response and inquiry and sent my letter of communication via their website. Three days later, after our initial exchange off-site (via emails), I got an unexpected compliment this morning from that official. This was his brief communique from this morning:

"Ms XXXXX, your professionalism and courtesy are unparalleled. You are welcome anytime."

Mr. (his last name is remarkably similar to his style of brief one-liners), gave me the first smile of my day. And because I feel a bit irreverant this morning, I do admit his one liner felt almost as if he was pushing my, 'I am flirting with you', envelope. I count myself fortunate that I have taken the time to practice kicking around or flexing certain skill sets, over the years.

Nevertheless, it is brief moments of joy like this that help me get a bit of rest after a sleepless night.

OMG. It seems that as I get older I do NOT sleep anymore (though my body screams for sleep). Stress is definitely a factor but not the whole story. I blame it all on peri-menopause (which makes all stress seem INSURMOUNTABLE!) Love to my people who suffer with me through 3 AM wake ups for no darn good reason.

I am not having trouble going to sleep, but staying asleep has become nearly impossible. Low blood sugar wake ups, shaking sweating and delusional...unable to go back to sleep. The max dose of Lipitor, awake at 4 am and no hope of getting back to sweet dreams... I already look like near death due to the heart atack, add no sleep and i scare small children.

Different than your issues i guess, but i will be darned if i'm taking yet another pill just to sleep! How do you all go BACK to sleep when you wake up?

A comfy reclining chair does it for me..:alarm:

That, and timed release melatonin...Katzchen, or anybody...I recommend this product if you still suffer from sleeplessness!

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...Bj2wyWM8EODYsg


Perhaps this might help?