The sleep culture thread

[Milzy]

Just lately I’ve got plenty of REM but not enough deep. How can I get more deep sleep C.C fans??

 

[Drago]

Stay off the devices after tea time, dont eat too late, weighted blanket.

 

[vickster]

Go to bed earlier and get as much sleep as possible before midnight

 

[Rusty Nails]

Ditch the sleep monitor.

 

[wafter]

Watching with interest as my sleep seems to be perhaps the single-most problematic factor for my wellbeing currently...

I recall I had an uncharacteristically decent patch last summer where I was getting to bed regularly at 11 or before, sleeping through and feeling pretty good when I got up consistently at 7ish. I remember this corresponding with a notable absence of anxiety / generally a much better state of mind.

Now I'm often awake until well past 12, usually get up at least once for a leak and often struggle to get back to sleep afterwards.. while there's also no consistency from one day to the next. I've spent the holiday catching up on sleep; it's still all over the place but I am gradually feeling better for i - serving to illustrate how much running a constant sleep deficit has been hammering my mental health.

I'm aware of the need for better "sleep hygiene" at night, which in itself is a bit frustrating as I really love some mindless time buggering about on the net at the end of the day to decompress. I'm less sure how to combat the early waking - the need for night time leaks is going to become more inevitable with age but allergies also play a part - when I've had particularly bad reactions to food I've been up five or six times in one night..

The waking is only one issue of couse - the other being getting back to sleep afterwards; which I think is torpedoed by anxiety as silly O'clock in the morning seems like a perfect time to ruminate over all the stuff that's currently going wrong.

 

[Mo1959]

I recall I had an uncharacteristically decent patch last summer where I was getting to bed regularly at 11 or before, sleeping through and feeling pretty good when I got up consistently at 7ish.

Vitamin D with getting more sunlight in the summer?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You’re likely staying awake worrying about what your fitness watch says, Ditch the thing.

 

[PaulSB]

Ditch the sleep monitor.

You’re likely staying awake worrying about what your fitness watch says, Ditch the thing.

I think this depends on individual need or choice. I bought a new watch in June/July, it's proved to be one that I'm comfortable wearing 24/7. Prior to this I had a Garmin which was uncomfortable to wear at night.

Although I can sleep literally anywhere my night time sleep pattern is poor. One thing I suffer from is thinking I'm awake when I am in fact asleep. Yes, it's bizarre.

A daily report showing how I've slept helps me relax more at night knowing I do sleep more than I believe I do. This may not make sense. I'm quite capable of believing I've been awake for hours when in fact I was asleep.

 

[ColinJ]

I think that I am awake when I am asleep, and asleep when I am awake...

The only time that I am definitely 100% awake is when I am exercising!

It is only mid-afternoon but if I stop typing I will probably doze off despite it being less than 6 hours since I woke up.

I really do have to get to grips with my sleep problems in 2026 because they are scrambling my brain. Buying a better mattress would probably help. I sleep better when on holiday because the guest beds that I sleep on are much more comfortable than mine.

 

[PaulSB]

I think that I am awake when I am asleep, and asleep when I am awake...

The only time that I am definitely 100% awake is when I am exercising!

It is only mid-afternoon but if I stop typing I will probably doze off despite it being less than 6 hours since I woke up.

I really do have to get to grips with my sleep problems in 2026 because they are scrambling my brain. Buying a better mattress would probably help. I sleep better when on holiday because the guest beds that I sleep on are much more comfortable than mine.

This is exactly what I get. You're the first person I've heard say the same thing. It's very, very weird.

 

[raleighnut]

This is exactly what I get. You're the first person I've heard say the same thing. It's very, very weird.

I get that too, I think I've failed to drop off so decide to get up to find that instead of looking at the ceiling/window for half an hour or so in fact over 4 hours have passed.

 

[Milzy]

Good replies there guys, my Garmin is annoying lately. When I get more time off work I’ll naturally exercise more but my Garmin isn’t used to it so says, “woooahh woooo wooooh you’ll strain your self man!”
I started taking magnesium and for a few months I’m certain it actually helped but now seems to have stopped.

 

[Milzy]

Go to bed earlier and get as much sleep as possible before midnight

Living after midnight
Rocking to the dawn
Loving till the morning
Then I'm gone, I'm gone.

 

[Chris S]

I'm normally wide awake between 3am and 5am. Apparently split-sleeps were the norm until the Industrial Revolution.
https://www.wealddown.co.uk/museum-news/two-sleeps/

 

[Milzy]

I'm normally wide awake between 3am and 5am. Apparently split-sleeps were the norm until the Industrial Revolution.
https://www.wealddown.co.uk/museum-news/two-sleeps/

Read about split sleeps. They’d wake at midnight & stick kettle on & play cards etc then go back to bed. Then as we became economic slaves we had to sleep one big long one to function.