I learned a new technique to help get to sleep, and it's been useful for me so far. It's called cognitive shuffling.

Think of a word. Then think of words starting with its first letter. When that stops being easy, move on to words that start with the second letter, and so on. I don't think I've made it to the end of the first word yet.

It works kind of the way topical treatments that make your skin tingle relieve pain.. by replacing the pain signals with a different sensation.

Instead of having worrisome or planning thoughts pop into your head, you're eliciting the natural state of a falling-asleep brain where random thoughts occur, using focuses that won't keep you awake.

#Insomnia #SleepTips

Problems with #insomnia?

I highly recommend anything read by Andy Serkis.

Not because he's bad! Oh no. Just the opposite.

He's *incredibly* good. He is stellar, excellent, astounding, fantastic, mind-blowing, one of the best readers ever.

Yet his voice is so damn soothing!

For a while for my troubling insomnia I was listening to the Silmarillion read by him. I highly recommended this one because of all the fantasy names and places that your brain absolutely *cannot* parse, especially if you're trying to fall asleep. He also uses a particularly silky, slow tone and drawn out vowels that I find incredibly soothing.

This week at bedtime I'm listening to The Hobbit read by him.

The way he does all of the voices in The Hobbit is amazing, so I've actually restarted the same chapter a couple of times in order to try to hear the whole thing before I fall asleep. I mean, it's not like I haven't read the book 2 dozen times in my lifetime and seen the movie almost as many times. I know what happens. 🤣

Still, his sonorous voice will soothe me to sleep every time, especially if I set my audiobook player to stop at the end of each chapter.

Gods bless #AndySerkis. He is a gem.

Problems with #insomnia?

I highly recommend anything read by Andy Serkis.

Not because he's bad! Oh no. Just the opposite.

He's *incredibly* good. He is stellar, excellent, astounding, fantastic, mind-blowing, one of the best readers ever.

Yet his voice is so damn soothing!

For a while for my troubling insomnia I was listening to the Silmarillion read by him. I highly recommended this one because of all the fantasy names and places that your brain absolutely *cannot* parse, especially if you're trying to fall asleep. He also uses a particularly silky, slow tone and drawn out vowels that I find incredibly soothing.

This week at bedtime I'm listening to The Hobbit read by him.

The way he does all of the voices in The Hobbit is amazing, so I've actually restarted the same chapter a couple of times in order to try to hear the whole thing before I fall asleep. I mean, it's not like I haven't read the book 2 dozen times in my lifetime and seen the movie almost as many times. I know what happens. 🤣

Still, his sonorous voice will soothe me to sleep every time, especially if I set my audiobook player to stop at the end of each chapter.

Gods bless #AndySerkis. He is a gem.

Almost a year to the day for very happily being on legal, medical #cannabis prescribed for #insomnia, #perimenopause and chronic #pain. AMA if you're at all interested, very happy to help people on their journey. (UK, clinic: Alternaleaf)

I don’t love having to ask for help but I do.
Did some #insomnia page creation and now our #givealittle is up here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-simon-access-adhd-meds

Simon is a loving dad and husband who has ADHD, ASD, PTSD, post-concussion symptoms and burnout. It’s been hell the past two years supporting him and seeing him - still the same person I fell in love with but much of the time behaving entirely differently. I believe getting access to meds will make a huge difference in his recovery, and in his and our quality of life.

Simon desperately wants to be able to return to work, to see his life as making meaningful contributions to society, and while he’s meaningful to me just for being who he is, I want that for him too.

#fundraising #NeuroDiversity #MentalHealth

@SimonCHulse

Almost a year to the day for very happily being on legal, medical #cannabis prescribed for #insomnia, #perimenopause and chronic #pain. AMA if you're at all interested, very happy to help people on their journey. (UK, clinic: Alternaleaf)

Silent here except
Little noises in big space
Cold creaks the old bones

#haiku
#insomnia
#TimezoneParkour

I don’t love having to ask for help but I do.
Did some #insomnia page creation and now our #givealittle is up here: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-simon-access-adhd-meds

Simon is a loving dad and husband who has ADHD, ASD, PTSD, post-concussion symptoms and burnout. It’s been hell the past two years supporting him and seeing him - still the same person I fell in love with but much of the time behaving entirely differently. I believe getting access to meds will make a huge difference in his recovery, and in his and our quality of life.

Simon desperately wants to be able to return to work, to see his life as making meaningful contributions to society, and while he’s meaningful to me just for being who he is, I want that for him too.

#fundraising #NeuroDiversity #MentalHealth

@SimonCHulse

Night 2. I hate my brain sometimes, especially at 3am during an #insomnia jag. Among the 100k competing things it tried to do last night, it started writing terrible, cryptic #RockStarRiddles. Thought I'd share them. Can you guess the rock star?

1. The English National Opera has been a very naughty boy

2. A homophonic book or magazine taken to the toilet to while away the time.

3. Steal a rocky void

4. Throw away a blue/cran/straw/rasp, etc.

5. Saturn's orbiting particles but around a sun

If you suffer from insomnia, are a radical leftist, hate Trump & his fascist peons, live outside of USA - I suggest you use your #insomnia time to call up & yell at USA cops & politicians. Leaving them angry voice-mails is quite therapeutic too ✌️😊🙌💗

This is #DirectAction that you can do remotely, from comforts of home.

#InsomniacsAgainstFascism #FascistSleepWeScream #AntiFascist #GlobalAction #PhoneBanking #PhoneActivism #CallUpFascists #MakeSomeNoise #InternationalMovement #InsomniacsAction #LetsDoThis

Sleep, come for me. You are welcome here.

#insomnia

I always thought sleep disturbances were a universal symptom of @adhd. So much so, I was wondering if the other symptoms might in fact be caused by chronic sleep deprivation. Nope.

Turns out that less than half of us have trouble sleeping. 44.4% according to this study;

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.663889

So is it even an ADHD symptom? Yes. Huh? Turns out the prevalence of sleep disorders in the general population is significantly lower. 33% according to;

https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.201153

#ADHD #insomnia