[tomtom]

Earplugs. I used them for a couple of years and ended up with repeatedly blocked ears. For me they tend to just ram the wax down the ear and eventually it hardens and blocks... This has caused me all sorts of grief over a couple of years - and now the ol lug holes have come to some sort of normal balance again... Different folks have different ears/rates of wax production etc... blah blah..

As an Australian colleague once said to me (you need the accent) his doctor told him: Greg, the smallest thing you should put in your ear is your elbow....

[SA Chris]

Are your kids that noise sensitive that they'll wakeup at 05:30 if you get up? I thought kids hated getting up?

Early hours are when they sleep lightest. ATM We get between 6:30 & 7 if we are lucky, but they would wake up earlier if there's any noise. Don't confuse little kids with teenagers or school kids!

We've got a memory foam mattress already, bliss.

[krymson]

If you've ever found you sleep better when it's raining you may have realized a good option for dealing with noise, is more of it -- specifically white noise.

rainymood.com is one source or when the weather is warmer you can try a fan.

works whether the noise is from an external source, or from a brain that won't shut up 

[underground]

 

What type do you use? I've tried the disposable foam ones (too uncomfortable) and got some Doc's Proplugs I bought for surfing but never used for sleeping.

they are a very soft mouldable foam one called Moldex 7800 'Spark plugs'. They are loads better than the big yellow ones and really comfortable, create a good seal and don't hurt my ears or protrude and get knocked out by the pillow

[psychomansam]

If you've ever found you sleep better when it's raining you may have realized a good option for dealing with noise, is more of it -- specifically white noise.

rainymood.com is one source or when the weather is warmer you can try a fan.

works whether the noise is from an external source, or from a brain that won't shut up 

I now love this website.

[tomtom]

The old gits next door (sorry they annoy me) listen to their TV loud until c.11 pm, if I want to go to bed I can hear it droning away even upstairs.. so I have a fan/air purifier that generates enough white noise/dull noise that blanks it out..

[Boredboy]

Good article here on stimulus control therapy for insomnia, hard work but along with good sleep hygiene this is a great option to improve your sleep:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleepless-in-america/200905/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-insomnia-part-2-stimulus-control

[tomtom]

To be fair, CBT is probably good for insomnia. Last time I read a book on it I was out like a light

[underground]

What type do you use? I've tried the disposable foam ones (too uncomfortable) and got some Doc's Proplugs I bought for surfing but never used for sleeping.

they are a very soft mouldable foam one called Moldex 7800 'Spark plugs'. They are loads better than the big yellow ones and really comfortable, create a good seal and don't hurt my ears or protrude and get knocked out by the pillow

the dropping jaw is there because it takes a while to load on the phone and gets pressed as I start typing... not intentional...

[grumpycrumpy]

Good article here on stimulus control therapy for insomnia, hard work but along with good sleep hygiene this is a great option to improve your sleep:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/sleepless-in-america/200905/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-insomnia-part-2-stimulus-control

Six hours sleep a night is certainly not insomnia, it's easily within the parameters of what most people would regard as perfectly normal ......... And waking up an hour before your kids is something to revel in, you can finally finish reading yesterday's  newspaper without fear of interruption, you can fantasise about finally getting fit enough to climb that problem that you've been wanting to tick for years, you can work out how to make reindeers out of dyson vacuum cleaners, the list is endless ........ What I'm saying is embrace this time and stop worrying about how it's come about, you'll get used it after a while ......... And all the mattresses and earplugs and soothing background noises are not going to make any difference, except to your bank balance which will give you one more thing to worry about and thus keep you awake even more  .......... And as CBT only helps you to fall asleep, something you don't seem to have a problem with, then that not's going to do much good either ......   You could of course try smoking a big fat bifter stuffed to the gunnels with White Widow ( the insomniacs skunk of choice) because, trust me, that is the only way you're going to get more than six hours kip a night ......     

[fatdoc]

 

To an extent... And yes, as u get older it's common to sleep less every night, and have a nap once in while during the day.. Some of best sporting / working achievements have been after a nap.. Including between runs down a mountain on a bike and bouldering in recent years.

I fully subscribe to the getting up and doing something with the time as above.. For me it's yoga.. For u it could reading, fettling in the shed.. Whatever.. But welcome each morning.. Whatever the time it is when u rise.

[tommytwotone]

The old gits next door (sorry they annoy me) listen to their TV loud until c.11 pm, if I want to go to bed I can hear it droning away even upstairs.. so I have a fan/air purifier that generates enough white noise/dull noise that blanks it out..

+1 on white noise. I know it's a waste of power, but I sometimes have a fan on just blowing at the wall next to the bed and the drone gets me to sleep really effectively. On the plus side it was a sleep timer so I can set it to run for an hour and then turn itself off.

[Falling Down]

Master the art of the silent wank over the side of the bed?

[underground]

Master the art of the silent wank over the side of the bed?

master the one inch punch!

[runt]

Laser lite ear plugs are awesome, yellow and purple ones, and olive oil in the ears occasionally seems to help stop wax issues, as wax can more easily self clean out of your ear, with your elbow..... (yes i've had to have ears syringed, fun).

Also what sam said about old style human sleep patterns, go to bed early, if you wake up get up and do something, then back for a second stint. Helps me to have a notepad to scribble stuff down for work etc, so you can then forget it and zzzzzzzzzzz.

good luck

[Bubba]

I can still hear the alarm ok, it just cuts out distractions from elsewhere in the house.

[andy_e]

The old gits next door (sorry they annoy me) listen to their TV loud until c.11 pm, if I want to go to bed I can hear it droning away even upstairs.. so I have a fan/air purifier that generates enough white noise/dull noise that blanks it out..

+1 on white noise. I know it's a waste of power, but I sometimes have a fan on just blowing at the wall next to the bed and the drone gets me to sleep really effectively. On the plus side it was a sleep timer so I can set it to run for an hour and then turn itself off.

I love the sound of extractor fans, find myself serenely drifting off, only to be suddenly awoken once it goes off after its time on!

[SA Chris]

White noise - great for parents of fretful newborns - maybe harking back to your infanthood andy.

[magpie]

I used to have terrible problems sleeping, particularly drifting off - I would lie awake for ages thinking about stuff or worrying or getting stressed about the noise the neighbours were making and how it was going to keep me awake.

What made a huge difference for me was doing more yoga in general but also doing yoga style relaxation / self hypnosis / meditation when I went to bed, it seems to get me through that overthinking stage that I struggled with previously.  I also always sleep with ear plugs in now too which makes a massive difference, I've never got on with any of the foam or silicone ones but I love the wax ones and the difference they make is amazing.

[tomtom]

Christ isnt modern living utter shite.... trying to smother out the noise and disturbance from all around us..

Depressing

[slackline]

[blacky]

Ear plugs are the shizzle. I use 'em every night and have no problems hearing my alarm. Having grown up in the middle of nowhere I've got freaking bat ears when it comes to noise.

These are the daddies, as previously suggested
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pairs-Howard-Leight-Laser-Plugs/dp/B0007XJOLG/ref=sr_1_1?s=diy&ie=UTF8&qid=1383325335&sr=1-1 or you could go with the max ones if you've got big ear canals! Make sure you lube 'em up with vaz and you're good to go!

[underground]

Yep, never have a problem hearing the alarm, unless I was up amazingly late / very pissed up before I went to bed. I also have 2 cats and 2 nippers who ensure it's never a problem anyway.

PS. Those Moldex plugs I use, I got 40 pair for 3 nicker from ebay...

[SA Chris]

To resurrect and old thread, sleeping a bit better than I was, but I've noticed I sleep badly after strenuous exercise, specifically fairly intense bouldering sessions down the wall. I'm normally there 7- 9 / 9:30 or so, home by 10, then unwind a bit before bed at 11, asleep until 4, then struggle for the rest of the night. Does anyone else get this? I would have thought that it would be the opposite.

[Nibile]

It's normal to be wired after strength excercise in the late evening or early night.
When I train late I can't sleep early.
It's due to increased level of hormones and general activation of the CNS.