Insomnia

[Merzbow]

It's 7am and even Jim Cornette podcasts can't send me to sleep tonight or should that now be this morning? I fucked up and left myself without any Zopiclone..

I've been suffering for years with a whole bunch of mental health issues but the insomnia is on and off, winter is always the worst time and this winter coincides with a DWP assessment which sets everything off up to 11. I had to go to appeal last time which was hell as you can imagine.

I don't really know what I'm saying but I'm delirious and need to rant.

[Porkchopcash]

There was a discussion on Jeremy Vine today about insomnia, there was a sleep doctor on there. It may be worth a listen if its online anywhere for you people who struggle to kip.  

[Accident Prone]

Good job I give myself some buffer room in the morning, as last night was a disaster for getting sleep. I slid into bed and then *wham* everything went weird. I got really hot (like sleeping out of the covers hot) despite the heating being off and my fingers, arms and face felt numb, and this led to a really difficult attempt at dropping off. I think I managed to get four hours but it was absolutely maddening and frustrating.

It's the not the first time I've had this and it started to happen around December, but only about twice since then.

Naturally, I've spent the last 20 minutes at work googling these symptoms and I've diagnosed myself with everything from lime disease and multiple sclerosis to a trapped nerve and insomnia.

Oh, and I've woke up with a chesty cough from sleeping on top of the duvet all night. Brilliant.

[Brewster McCloud]

As an insomniac for most of my adult life, often going 3-4 days on a few hours' kip, I've found a few things help to combat it: avoid alcohol in general, and coffee after about 3pm. Don't stress if you can't sleep; get up and read for a while in a different room - see this as a bonus and know that you will be perfectly able to function the next day, look forward to the extra sleep you will catch up on. The main thing that helped me was not using the Internet in the evening, though - it helps the mind to relax if you're not constantly thinking about the news or whether or not someone has replied to your post! Exercise can help in the sense that you feel you've accomplished something. I'd always pooh-poohed exercise, but now I'm doing it - jogging, lifting weights - I find it helps, reaching a target and then saying "yeah, I did it!"