I have a Kindle that’s back lit. I almost always use it to read going to sleep or if I wake up in the night. It shuts down my “monkey mind” and allows me to no get into a thought spiral.

There’s also the sleep trick they evidently teach soldiers. Lie on your back, consciously relax your face and clear your thoughts. The last part is kind of mindfulness because you need to keep coming back to clear them. Are there any ex-service people here? I’m not sure if this one is bullshit. But I find it good for day naps.

And best wishes to you and your wife. I’ve been through a lot over the past year. Cancer blows.

It's not necessarily enjoyable, but I find that focused house cleaning (esp kitchen or floors ) wears me out in a way that helps with sleep. Also, having a clean(er) house in the morning is nice.

AttackChimp wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 10:52 am Wife is recovering from a radical hysterectomy (stage one vaginal cancer). The doctor butchered her up real good - ripped her ureters out, etc. My entire family is ill with this nasty flu thing that everyone has. Even my old Beagle is sick.

I've started having a recurring nightmare where my wife is moving out of the house. It seems pretty obvious that subconsciously I'm afraid she's going to die. I don't have a ton of extra cash, so I can't see a therapist in the foreseeable future.

Does anyone have a night-time ritual I can steal from them? I gotta get some sleep. Thanks for reading - I appreciate it.

Magnesium and calcium in a 2:1 ratio. Mugicha tea (Japanese roasted barley) with honey.

Try either or both together.

Good luck and best wishes for you and your wife.

Thanks very much. Gunna take all this in an try them out. Restlessness and nervousness is what I experience in the middle of the night. Cleaning, reading to clear the mind, Magnesium and calcium, Mugicha tea (Japanese roasted barley) with honey - gunna try `em all.

Thanks for the kindness.

Sometimes when I need to sleep but can't, I lay on the bed, face down on my knees (Kinda like the posture many babies take when they sleep) and then I try to hold that position a few minutes, until my thighs start to hurt. Then I stretch my body completely and keep laying face down. It works 2 of every 3 of the times or so.

Best wishes for all you people.

Some physical tricks to help with anxiety: box breathing. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 7 seconds, hold for 4, repeat 3 or 4 times. Has calmed my nervers. Some say (the good old some say) it helps you to fall asleep as well.

This I haven't tried for long, but it's easy and takes few seconds, so you might as well try: lie on your back, put your hand behind your head, relax. Orientate your eyes to your three o'clock and wait for a yawn or sigh. And that's it. It's weird, I usually yawn in 3 seconds or so. I maybe feel a bit calmer after that, but I haven't tried it when truly anxious, so it might be BS.

AttackChimp wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:49 pm Thanks very much. Gunna take all this in an try them out. Restlessness and nervousness is what I experience in the middle of the night. Cleaning, reading to clear the mind, Magnesium and calcium, Mugicha tea (Japanese roasted barley) with honey - gunna try `em all.

Thanks for the kindness.

Depending on your relationship with alcohol, NyQuil (nighttime formula, 10% alcohol) might work for you. It works for me when I'm desperate and not actually sick.

enframed wrote: Sun Mar 02, 2025 10:27 am

AttackChimp wrote: Sat Mar 01, 2025 4:49 pm Thanks very much. Gunna take all this in an try them out. Restlessness and nervousness is what I experience in the middle of the night. Cleaning, reading to clear the mind, Magnesium and calcium, Mugicha tea (Japanese roasted barley) with honey - gunna try `em all.

Thanks for the kindness.

Depending on your relationship with alcohol, NyQuil (nighttime formula, 10% alcohol) might work for you. It works for me when I'm desperate and not actually sick.

I'm not much of a drinker. I'll pick some up today. I'm still sick, so it'll probably help.

Thanks for the suggestion!

If you’re really struggling and just need a break from staring at the ceiling ask your doctor for some Amoban / Zopiclone. It’s a sleeping pill. I have a half cut and ready if I’m ever in a cycle of 4am ceiling staring. It’s a low dose and will get you back to sleep without much grogginess the next day. You have to use sparingly and definitely don’t allow yourself to become dependent on them. If I use for more than a couple of days I deliberately stop.

Sometimes you just need to sleep.

I can usually get a solid night's sleep if I get up early, have some amount of physical activity during the day, cut off caffeine by like 2 pm. Then by like 9:30 I'm ready to sleep and I'll read or do a crossword (no screens) and I'm out. I guess that's biorhythm or circadian stuff? Anyway, I believe that's been helpful with getting a solid sleep. I can get anxiety, and if I'm not diligent about sleep I'll get bouts of insomnia, so I have to be protective of my routines.