Thanks for the advice and the link.
Have to say though, if only insomnia was as easy to cure as switching off your computer or telly before bed.
Have heard so many times from various people things along this line:
"Get off your computer, 'cause that's why you can't sleep!!!" or,
"Don't watch tv at night, that's why you can't sleep," or
"Always drink milk before bed," or,
"Just try to sleep." or,
"You should have a hot bath before bed, I always sleep after having a hot bath," or my all time favourite,
"You just need some hot sex, some happy chemicals running through your brain! That will fix it!" Had this MTH worker once give me this huge lecture a few years back about sleep hygiene, as though I didn't know what she was going on about, apparently my insomnia was all my fault, that I should just try harder to sleep, have a glass of milk before bed-time, have a bath, get into bed at 8.30pm every night and just lie there every night until I fall to sleep etc... felt like laughing at her
as though I hadn't tried hard enough to sleep every night for all those years. I've read so many books on the subject, and she just fucking bugged the shit out of me (for that lecture of hers, not to mention some other really fucking tactless comments she made to me, she really shouldn't have fucking been working in Mental Health
), wanted to tell her to fuck off, that it wasn't as simple as having a glass of milk and trying but instead listened to her wise words and still got no fucking sleep.
Worrying about not being able to sleep and trying desperately to sleep for hours on end makes insomnia worse: so doing something, like coming on here, or watching a movie (especially one that keeps my brain from thinking too much), or doing craft projects helps me distract enough from the worrying and frustration of not being able to sleep and won't make it worse.
Yeah, some things help more than others, and some things/stuff/methods 'cause more problems or help more than others for people with insomnia, and different people have insomnia for different reasons, different people have their insomnia worsened by some things than others and some find they can find an easy solution that fixes it, and for others like me have bad insomnia most of their lives and nothing seems to work.
I long for sleep but dread it at the same time, 'cause when I sleep I have nightmares, and then can't get back to sleep again. I long to sleep, just don't want the nightmares.
I've been on sleeping tablets every night for two years now, they help 'cause I do get more sleep now days than I used to, but even the sleeping meds aren't doing for me what it does for most people. It relaxes me enough so that the swirling yucky/sad thoughts and anxiety and flashbacks aren't as bad at night (as it was), and so is easier to switch off than before I got on these tablets, however the nightmares are pretty bad still, but for some reason none of the sleeping tablets I've been on work for me the same as it does for other people and I find it very hard to fall asleep
even on these tablets. I get drowsy and sleepy, but won't be able to fall asleep.
Some nights I know it's going to be a really long one, and other nights I kinda know that I might get some more sleep tonight than most nights.
I've been insomniac most of my life, in fact as far back as I can remember. Had insomnia when I was a kid, and certainly didn't have a computer screen to look at at night, or a tv to watch, so don't think computers have everything to do with insomnia, sure for some it can make insomnia worse, but for other's like me, if I didn't have something to distract me from the frustration of not being able to sleep at night, I'd seriously go bonkers.
Have tried reading books, used to be a big reader, but now days I find it really hard to concentrate on a book enough to read it. Housework is good but can be too stimulating sometimes for me, so prefer to do something that is more sedating like listening to music, or getting on here (or surfing the net), or watching a movie, painting, craft etc...
I do need a cure for my insomnia, but if switching the tv off at night and not looking at a computer screen would fix it, then I'd be fixed by now.
But thanks for the info and link anyway.
Topic: Insomnia related to internet activity at night