Not the most cheerful of topics, but I’ve been suffering from chronic bouts of quite bad insomnia for years (I forget how many now) Im going through one now and I find it really dampens down my creativity and motivation , which is a shame as when im sleeping well it all springs back to life, I just find it so frustrating as it’s hard to be a ‘regular’ of forums and updating etc when you feel like your losing your marbles slightly anyway not sure why Im posting, I suppose im just having a rant and wonder if anyone else feels the same way
I can feel your pain. I live with a chronic snorer rather than suffer from insomnia though. This has been going on for several years and I either have to wear ear plugs and suffer with constant ear infections, or suffer with sleep deprivation. It is very hard to persuade him to keep going back to the doctor who doesn’t take it seriously.
I also find it saps my motivation, some days you just don’t feel like creating, or if you try to do stuff it goes wrong because you’re tired. I know the losing your marbles feeling very well! I’ve come out of a supermarket with none of the items on my list because I am a zombie!
I don’t know if you’ve tried going to a sympathetic doctor? My research on the net about snoring says there are sleep disorder clinics, but getting referred is the issue.
I hope you can get back to your normal creative self soon x
I know what you mean about snoring I have both hubbie and the dog some nights and they keep me awake. I would get so tired and although it didn’t stop my creativity of thought it just made it hard for me to concentrate to make any thing.
I just jot down a few notes for when I’m feeling awake enough to put those little ideas into some kind of project.
I’ve taken to leaving my bed and sleeping on the sofa just to get some sleep on occasion.
I’m surprised to read that a doctor will not take this issue seriously. Is this a GP? Can you see another doctor there or register with another one?
I just did a search on Google about ‘chronic snoring’ and several topics came up. Your GP should be able to refer you.
I’ve read that insomnia (chronic or for a short period of time) is mostly related to stress and anxiety and often to indigestion . At least for me it is as I don’t normally have problems sleeping. I don’t know if these help with chronic insomnia and you might have tried them already, but I thought I’d write them anyway.
Turn off your laptop at least 1h before you go to bed as it stimulates the brain.
Finish your dinner at least 2hrs before you go to bed. If you have to eat late, avoid heavy food: pasta, fried food, rice etc.
Try meditation or some activity that empties your mind before you sleep. So when you go to bed there is nothing left to think about. Otherwise, when you wake up, you’ll find that you start thinking about things straight away.
Try hot shower or bath, relaxing music, reading a pleasant book or even write in a journal.
Exercise or get fresh air as often as you can. Some people say avoid it in the evening as it keeps you awake. I haven’t experienced problems sleeping after exercising, but everyone is different.
Balanced diet throughout the day.
And yes, it does affect creativity as you can’t concentrate and can’t think of new ideas as you are tired.
I hope the situation improves and you can start sleeping!
We are just in the process of changing GP’s as the one we were with was dreadful. But it’s also a case of persuading a man to visit a doctor, you know what they’re like, it’s not easy! I think the fact he knows he might need his nostrils scraped surgically doesn’t help either!
I have had chronic insomnia for years, well over 20 and nothing worked for the longest time. I tried all the recommended things to do, it didnt make any difference at all. Often I would go over 24 hours with no sleep! Then I started taking Nytol one a night which did regulate it but whenever I tried without it nothing would work.
The last few months I have been on anti depressants to help my anxiety and my sleep has never been better, so may be worth looking into.
I have phases of insomnia and there’s no explanation for it. In addition, when I’m okay at falling asleep I usually wake up around five times a night and take ages to drift back off. I was prescribed a type of antihistamine that is used as a pre-operation relaxant for children and it helps to keep me under so I take it when I need it. I refuse to take sleeping tablets. I agree that not having a decent night’s sleep zaps my creativity so I play catch up when I’ve had a good few hours sleep (usually not more than 6 hours).
Hi Suzanne, I suffer with chronic insomnia too, probably for about 5 years now. I have a lovely doctor who’s sent me for CBT treatment and prescribes sleeping tablets for when it’s really bad. Sadly the CBT hasn’t worked. When I do get a good night’s sleep it’s a bit of a revelation, I feel so awake and feel envious that most people must feel like that everyday! I struggle to hold down a job which is why my jewellery is so important to me as it’s often my only income. I don’t find it dampens my creativity but it eats into my making time, as I often have to go back to bed after taking my children to school. Like you, I have moments when I feel like I’m losing the plot and my memory is now appalling. I think I need to be sent to a sleep clinic! I understand your frustration, feel free to rant
yes I know the zombie feeling only to well! when im really tired even if I try and do stuff like you say it just turns out wrong, and you end up either wasting materials or extra energy! one time I was in the shed and lost control off the drill (its on a flex shaft) and water went everywhere and I felt like I was being attacked by a mad snake , it sounds hilarious but made me think how dangerous it could be, so I generally don’t use a drill when im very sleep deprived! I do tend to be a worrier, my mind does race a bit and I find it hard to relax, I think I need to learn how to relax I need a holiday I think :o)
Yes Im guilty of reading my kindle when I can’t sleep, though I have just downloaded a app to make it really dim, so maybe that will solve that problem. I have tried lots of things over the years, and sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t, but you have a good point about meditation, I have a good mp3 guided one, and it has reminded me that I need to do this - I find it really hard to relax, but on the occasions I have tried it, it has helped me- makes you wonder why I don’t do it more often - I have a strange block about it, high time I addressed it. Thanks for your suggestions :o)
yep it’s real pain , Im already on anti-depressants, I’ve tried hard to come off them but then the insomnia becomes frightening, so I understand where you are coming from, I suppose on a more positive note, it could be a lot worse , or rather it used tobe a lot worse. I think even talking about it on here helps ,as it’s good to know im not the only one - even though it’s not good that you have it x
I was thinking about CBT specifically for sleep, as I did an online course called sleepio, whilst I was on the program it really helped, as you had online support and other people doing it, but even though I know what I should be doing it was seriously hard,(sleep restriction) I try to put it into practice , but then end up going back to my bad habits, I have a terrible sleep pattern, when I actually sleep. I know what you mean about feeling envious of other people who sleep well, to have that much energy and clarity most days must be amazing! not to mention not looking like you’ve just crawled out from under a stone- I hate it when people say - ooohh you look really tired gggrrrrrrrrrrrrrr I have an appalling memory too, thanks for listening to my rant
im pleased to say im feeling more focused today, I actually got about 4-5 hours last night, so maybe it will start to improve a bit more, still very tired but more hopeful, been trying to make the most of it today . Thanks for everyone’s replies :o)
I had very bad insomnia when I was in my twenties brought on by my active but stressful job as a theatrical set painter. When I stopped doing that job things improved a great deal but it would come back to bite me occasionally and was very bad when I got post natal depression. I can still remember the days of mental white noise and no memory after I went days and nights in succession with no sleep. My sympathies to all folks on here with sleep problems, I’ve been there!!
I have found that a low dose of amitriptylene has worked wonders for my sleep patterns - although I was actually prescribed it to prevent migraines (not been a total success there!). But it doesn’t suit everyone. My husband took (it also to prevent migraines), he slept well but still got migraines and worse than that settled into an apathetic malaise that sapped him of energy, drive and memory. Thank goodness he finally worked out what was wrong and came off it!
Other than amitriptylene I found that Nytol was about the only other thing that helped my insomnia. Be careful with that one too though, long term use can lead to memory problems, apparently. Also, some people get used to it and it can loose its efficacy…
Thanks for posting that. I’ve actually been using sleep restriction again, it was seriously hard going at first but I have gradually built up some kind of sleep pattern, I don’t want to say too much in case it all goes pear shaped agin, but it’s helped so far - just have to make sure I don’t slip again. I also finding that a sweet milky cocoa in the evening (you’d think chocolate would be a stimulant!) is helping me to relax , I haven’t had cocoa for years
Yes, a milky drink is good for sleep for many people but some folks do find chocolate too stimulating for bedtime - I do!
I forgot to say when I posted before, recently the best thing I’ve found for insomnia is melatonin. My other half gets it from the USA when he’s over there where it’s sold as a food supplement. I don’t know if you can get it here… It doesn’t have so many side effects as some other things, as it’s the chemical the body naturally makes at night time to make you sleep (hopefully!).
Hope that’s useful! My sleep patterns have gone up the swanny a bit recently - but mostly due to my little boy having a tummy bug and needing to wake me and last night my daughter getting stressed out about her SATS and having nightmares. You know, it’s reminded me why I was so brain dead when my kids were younger - not enough sleep!!! Mind you, I don’t know whether this sounds odd, but I’d far rather have a bad night because I’m looking after the kids than to be awake pointlessly, that’s so frustrating!
Lying awake with Shingles! Anyone else had this?
There’s been a lot going on since moving house. I absolutely LOVE it here in gorgeous countryside but there have been many distractions from my craftwork, the current problem being that I have no running water! (It comes from a well some distance from the house and I’m trying to trace if the pipe has cracked in the cold weather or if it got damaged by the big tree that fell in storm Emma). The tree brought down the phone line, my van finally gave up the ghost and I started a new part-time job last week! Actually it’s all ok really (apart from the water situation) but it’s frustrating when all I want to do is get on with making things
anyway not sure why Im posting, I suppose im just having a rant and wonder if anyone else feels the same way
, it sounds hilarious but made me think how dangerous it could be, so I generally don’t use a drill when im very sleep deprived! I do tend to be a worrier, my mind does race a bit and I find it hard to relax, I think I need to learn how to relax 
I need a holiday I think :o)
:o)
I have an appalling memory too, thanks for listening to my rant 
