Trouble sleeping.

[maggie01]

My husband has trouble sleeping normal hours that is. He works hard and could keep working all hours god sends but the minute he stops, he will fall asleep on the sofa. Not a deep sleep. He goes to bed say around 11pm and he will be up again at around 12-30 making a cup of tea. Then he stays up till around 2am and then comes back to bed. About two hours later he is up again making something to eat. He says he is not worried about anything and doesn't know why he is like this. Does anyone else suffer like this. He has his own buisness so I know his mind is active most of the time.

[smudge]

I'm a night owl & have had many a night like this maggie!

It can be frustrating at times, but if you have an overactive mind, it's very hard to switch off & sleep through the night without waking up thinking about something!

I find not eating late at night & taking a nice walk in the early evening helps.

P'raps your husband could have a word with his GP - you never know, there could be an underlying problem that could be dealt with, helping him to sleep better.

Good luck.

[Shannon07]

I bet he is watching TV until the very last minute and then goes to bed - If he is hungry in the night then make sure his dinner is a slow burning meal like pasta etc. It should stop his middle of the night cravings.

Have half an hour before he goes to sleep where there is no television on. Have a hot drink and perhaps read, something that is not 'thinking work, tv, sleep, awake, drink, sleep, awake, food'. - he needs his mindset on something else before he nods off... a book should do it.

i have been to sleep clinics and once i cut out TV 30 mins before bed and had a hot drink it helped loads.

[maggie01]

He finds it better to eat at lunchtime so I have no control over what he chooses to eat. When he comes home he will just have a snack type meal which he gets himself as he says this is better because he comes in at all different times. The trouble is when he gets up to make tea or something to eat early in the morning, he usually switches tv on. I will try to persuade him to see his GP just encase he has a problem. I find it hard to understand as I did Yoga some years ago and I still find what I learned helps me to relax and sleep. Lucky me I suppose.

[smudge]

Hi again maggie - I should have written I've had many a night like this, 'in the past'!

I had lots more to think about when I was co-running a Company for 26 years, hence waking up during the night thinking about my 'to do' lists for family, home & work!

I also go to Yoga classes these days & that, combined with swimming helps no end!

As Shannon says, TV could be part of his problem & to switch off an hour before he goes to bed sounds like a good idea - although if he decides to turn in on in the early hours, there's not much you can do about that.

As I say, I think a visit to the Doc might be the best option for him.

Good luck.

[ELVIS68]

Me, because I work 3 different shifts...7am- 3pm, 3pm- 10pm and 10pm - 7am my sleep pattern is all over the place,even when I`m doing the 7-3 shifts I still can`t just go to bed at say...11pm ...and sleep for 7 hours, I`d stay up til 3.30am then sleep for a few hours then go to work

Even when I`ve been working all night, I`ll come home at 7 and only sleep for 4-5 hours

As for him nodding off on the sofa, put something decent on TV!..lol

[maggie01]

Elvis. I can understand having trouble sleeping when you do shift work. I still wake at 6.45 every morning even if it is my day off. As for putting something decent on tv, have you ever known a woman have control over the remote control. lol

[ELVIS68]

I don`t have problems sleeping, I just don`t need more than 3-4 hours per day

As for the remote control,you get to use it when we`re out so what`s the problem

ps.....why can`t you women leave it where you find it, or do you bury it down the chair or leave it in another room on purpose?

[maggie01]

Mis-understood about the sleeping but as far as the remote control, I have no objection to him having the remote as long as he is watching the tv. As soon as I turn it over, he wakes and says that he was watching that programme. With his eyes shut, I don't think so. I expect you have been there as it seems to be a man thing.

[WendyS]

Your husband may just be an insomniac like mine is. Could you persuade him to take a little gentle exercise just before going to bed, or a few minutes stretching to relax his muscles. Perhaps a small portion of microwaved porridge just before he goes to bed would help break his need to 2 a.m. snacks as this dissolves more slowly into the bloodstream and helps to preven thunger pangs. also, if he's restless in bed, perhaps he could have a small personal radio or I-pod with headphones and listen to something which might send him off to sleep again. He probably needs to try and break this pattern and maybe if his GP could prescribe some sleeping tablets and he could take them for 3 nights on the trot, this might help.

[joko]

try kalms before bed, they should stop him waking.

[maggie01]

WendyS.
I think you are right and it has become a habbit.
Jaco. I have tried Kalms in the past and they were very good. I may have to get him some.

[ELVIS68]

Does this sleeping pattern bother him or you?...If it doesn`t bother him I`d leave him to it.

As for sleeping through a tv programme...Yes we can actually sleep and still hear whats going on and picture the scene in our minds

[maggie01]

It bothers me because it has only just started recently so I do worry there may be something wrong. Also we live in a bungalow so you hear the kettle boiling (it whistles when boiled) and the microwave pinging. When I get up at 6.45am he is asleep then. So it does affect both of us and whereas he naps when he wants to so he says his sleeping pattern doesn't bother him too much, it stops me getting my sleep also.

[maggie01]

Forgot to say. Not to mention the dogs who think it is morning when he gets up.

[ELVIS68]

Ooh ...get you with your whistling kettle,lol

I would say that because he`s getting up and actually doing something, ie eating,making tea,watching telly etc that there isn`t anything bothering him

Whereas if he was just waking up and laying there staring at the ceiling or sitting on the sofa doing nothing, then I would say there is something on his mind

ps...when I let my dog out in the garden at 3am for a pee, sometimes he runs to the end of the garden barking, so I have to quickly run after him,he then thinks it`s a game and runs round the garden like a loony barking his nuts off.....not very amusing I can tell you, especially when it`s peeing down with rain

[maggie01]

Yes! You are probably right Elvis. Now I feel I have the problem because it keeps me awake. How is your dog? Mine wouldn't dream of going out in the rain. Thanks for the replies

[ELVIS68]

My dog is about six months old now,he doesn`t have a choice about the weather, door opens,swift kick up the ar$e(ok..gentle tap)and he`s out, then it`s fingers crossed he doesn`t start barking

gonna get him snipped soon as he`s getting quite fruity at times...not sure what will hurt more...him getting snipped or me paying the bill