[adriana (OP)]

hi...i just wondered if anyone knew of any insomnia support groups in london, where i could maybe meet up with people in person and just talk about sleeplessness over a coffee - or maybe some alcohol!
any ideas or contacts would be appreciated.
thanks,
adriana

[chris]

Neil, on here, is our professional insomniac. Maybe you should chat to him, here !

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[adriana (OP)]

Thanks!  I dropped him an email so hopefully he'll reply.  If you know of any other London insomniacs, it would be great to get in touch.
Thanks,
Adriana

[neilep]

Hi Adriana (yawn )....I never received your email, though I may have inadvertently deleted it...sorry about that, would you mind forwarding  it to me again ?
Though, I must say I've never been involved in a support group , though over the years I have seen a few therapists and had group therapy. My latest attempt was Cognitive Behavioural Therapy which I tried for 6 months, and, well....*sigh* it was a dismal failure. The object was to retrain my body to get used to a routine, but in reality, it made my life a living nightmare, as I was getting up at the some silly hour every day but not falling asleep as intended. If you drop me a line I'll go into more detail if you wish, but for me, it did not work...However, I understand it is a tried and tested method with a high rate of success.

In my case, I've been like this for 34 years now, and over the years have been the subject of sleeping studies and various techniques...... Still, this is not really answering your initial enquiry is it ?

One would think there must be some 'bodies' out there that offer support. When I get back in later I will try and do some research for you...in the meantime....email me, perhaps we can chat, I'd be pleased to meet some time, I live in North London with wifey and three Kids (fourth on the way !!)...Well, when you're awake as much as I am, what else is there to do except make kids  ?....

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[neilep]

well....I'm exasperated !!..I thought there may be a group out there, but all I could find was plenty of advice and support for depression..........oh...I did find one group here but, it's only got four members and it's been active since Nov 2003...*sigh*...

Adriana, how long have you had this ? what's a typical night like ?

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[neilep]

quote:Originally posted by chris

Neil, on here, is our professional insomniac. Maybe you should chat to him, here !

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

It would be great if such a profession really existed, ho hum !!

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Adriana

Have you considered that your body might be rejecting horizontal sleep, and that you may be aware subconciously that sleeping horizontal might be the reason you are not letting go and sleeping?

Place two six inch / 15 cm blocks under the bed base at the head end and if your bed joins in the middle (divan)you will need to support the join with 2 3 inch blocks and remove the castors from the bottom end of the bed.

Let us know how you get on if you decide to try it.   first two weeks seem a bt strange, you may develop a slight temporary stiffening feeling in the neck, But you will sleep, believe me

"The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct."
K.I.S. "Keep it simple!"

[Detour]

Andrew, that sounds like an interesting solution.  I've heard what seems like a bazillion cures for insomnia over the years and that's the first I've heard this one.  What makes it work?  What's the story behind this?

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Detour

Its a long long story, but relates to another thread about how gravity lifts water in trees, on another thread. Sleeping on a flat bed is something humans have adopted at some point. Only a short period ago, beds measured 4' 6" in the U.K. Because people were sleeping sitting up. I believe this was a result of the sweating sickness that killed many people of that time. They found that going to bed, often meant, never waking up again. So they found a comprimise and slept sitting up. The ancient Egyptians also had beds inclined by six inches at the head end.

Cattle and sheep in a field with a hillside, will all sleep facing up the hill. Apes and monkeys seldom sleep flat. People camping out under canvas find that they feel warmer with the tent pitched on an angle rather than flat!

My guess is you are not listening to what your body is telling you. Maybe you are more aware of the dangers of flat beds than your care to believe?

Anyway, it's simple to test and don't cost anything, so give it a try and come back and tell neil how you got on

Andrew

"The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct."
K.I.S. "Keep it simple!"

[Detour]

Thanks for the answer Andrew.  I may try it and if I do I'll let you know.  I clicked around a bit and didn't find the other thread you mention.  Would you mind pointing me to it?

I don't know if this would be a solution for me really.  I've given as many excuses as I've heard cures over the years, but frankly, it boils down to the fact that I don't like to sleep.  There are too many other things I'd rather be doing.  Since I don't sleep all that much I am interested in things that make what sleep I do get better, so I may try this one.

[Detour]

Nevermind, I think I found it.

[Andrew K Fletcher]

quote:Originally posted by Detour

Nevermind, I think I found it.

first two weeks feels a bit strange, you might get a stiff neck, some don't, but this will pass in a short while.

Have you ever noticed that some old people are bent over, was that the position they slept in on a flat bed?

Your heart rate will decrease by ten to twelve beats per minute, your respiration rate will decrease by four to five breaths per minute. The bed will feel more comfortable because your weight is distributed differenly, you will feel a slight stretching of the spine, your circulation will improve, and you will definately feel warmer in bed. No more cold hands and feet If you stay with it for longer than 4 months, there will be other benefits, like a general feeling of well being, more energy, less aches and pains, increased muscular firmness, particularly in the legs and arms, you will dream less and become much more relaxed, you will have less respiratory problems, like bronchitus and fight off colds easier, more labido, improved eyesight, varicose veins will vanish or at least shrink down to the level of your skin, urine will become stronger and smell stronger as more waste is removed from your system.  And No this is not just guesswork

 My bed has been tilted since 1994!
Andrew


"The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct."
K.I.S. "Keep it simple!"

[OhhWendy]

hi...i just wondered if anyone knew of any insomnia support groups in london, where i could maybe meet up with people in person and just talk about sleeplessness over a coffee - or maybe some alcohol!
any ideas or contacts would be appreciated.
thanks,
adriana

THATS FUNNY ADRIANA!

Coffee doesnt help me sleep and alcohol makes my clothes fall off.

[neilep]

quote:Originally posted by OhhWendy

hi...i just wondered if anyone knew of any insomnia support groups in london, where i could maybe meet up with people in person and just talk about sleeplessness over a coffee - or maybe some alcohol!
any ideas or contacts would be appreciated.
thanks,
adriana

THATS FUNNY ADRIANA!

Coffee doesnt help me sleep and alcohol makes my clothes fall off.

Wendy, are you planning a trip to the UK ?

Hang On !!!...I see what you've done, you're doing a quotey thing from the first post..Wendy, when you want to respond quoting another persons post you have to click the third button from the right across the top of the persons post you're responding to, like I have just done with you !!

Shucks !!..and there was thinking me and you could start our own support group []

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[NLJB]

quote:Originally posted by Andrew K Fletcher
Have you ever noticed that some old people are bent over, was that the position they slept in on a flat bed?

The hunching over is from the fratures in the vertabrae caused by osteoprosis. Although in some cases (this by the way is not at all proven) could possibly be caused by sleeping on a flat bed. However, you said that human's have adapted to sleeping like this, so it wouldn't cause abnormaility, or do you mean some people are not adapted as well as others so sleeping flat affects them more than others, or do you mean we didn't adapt completly or we adapted abnormaly?  Please clarify.


-"I don't mind if you shoot me, just don't tell me"- Bob Dylan

[neilep]

ZZZZZZZZZZ !!..I need support,... been awake about 40 hrs now...it's a little tricky to type, things are a little askew in perspective, getting the ' irritated ' phase now....takes much too long to type anything (I said that already didn't I ?)...soo many mistakes that need correcting!!..going to try and get some kip....night all !



Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[Andrew K Fletcher]

What I am saying is no matter how many years we sleep flat, the only adaptation to sleeping flat is that we will develop osteoporosis, neurological and age related conditions, muscular atrophy, sleep related problems, poor immune related responses to bugs, bulging varicose veins, glaucoma, diabetese, heart conditions, and eventual death.

My research over many years has shown that these conditions can be reversed by refraining from sleeping flat and adopting a slight head up incline on the bed.

A nurse, responsible for visiting many of the rest homes in the torbay area made an astonishing statement, following a massive improvement to her varicosed veins after she tilted her bed as suggested. She stated; 'This has now enlightened me to the fact that all of the people in the homes that live to be well over 80 years refuse to sleep flat and often sleep in an inclined position, propped up by several pillows or sleeping in an inclined chair.

On the other hand, all of the people that pass away quickly in the homes, sleep for long periods in the horizontal position'.

This is backed up by a massive amount of research on the Internet and at pubmed. Horizontal sleep is harmful!

quote:Originally posted by NLJB

quote:Originally posted by Andrew K Fletcher
Have you ever noticed that some old people are bent over, was that the position they slept in on a flat bed?

The hunching over is from the fratures in the vertabrae caused by osteoprosis. Although in some cases (this by the way is not at all proven) could possibly be caused by sleeping on a flat bed. However, you said that human's have adapted to sleeping like this, so it wouldn't cause abnormaility, or do you mean some people are not adapted as well as others so sleeping flat affects them more than others, or do you mean we didn't adapt completly or we adapted abnormaly?  Please clarify.


-"I don't mind if you shoot me, just don't tell me"- Bob Dylan

"The explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct."
K.I.S. "Keep it simple!"

[AlphBravo]

Funny set of posts, I suppose the old Valium (pharmacopia) does not do the trick?
What about a breathing method? I trained myself to sleep, anywhere anytime - almost!
(even real 4 wheel driving)

[neilep]

07:00....Yawn !!..not much point in my going to bed now.......ho hum !

Men are the same as women.... just inside out !!

[Fernando McFace]

Hi! Does anyone know of any insomnia groups? Either online or based in England?

I am very interested in Insomnia and as a sufferer of transient insomnia myself, i want to find out more about insomnia in general.

I am also interested in making my university radio project about it, so if anyone if interested, please email me at: sammonigh@hotmail.com