I asked to be referred to a sleep clinic, after losing 50 pounds over 6 years. That weight loss really helped my sleep, and took me off of a machine called CPAP. My sleep habits are excellent, and I'm getting CBT coaching around improving. Going to a talk on incontinence helped, although I only get up once a night, at the the most 2. There are a lot of tips that the nurse gave, and they have a clinic too, even if I'm not incontinent! What I want some coaching on is "Kegel" exercises, since I can eliminate that one wake period a night, making it more restful. What I didn't know is that sipping, instead of drinking liquids can wreck havoc with a bladder, and cause more trips to the bathroom(day or night),and disrupt your sleep if I'm sipping during the early evening. I cut off drinks at about 6 pm. I have to wait until I'm done with the sleep coach. An interesting book is called "Bright Eyed" by RM Vaughan. It's a biography about how we're geared to be wired, and too eager to sleep. Another book for good sleep hygiene is called Goodnight Sleep, by an expert in the field. The CBT coach is helping me log my issues, so she can identify problem areas. One thing I learned was to pull a toque over my head, instead of using sleep masks, which just slip off, are more costly. Live and learn, I guess....Pills only work temporarily, BTW, and can be addictive, but a good doc will make sure you're aware, and off them before you're harmed. I feel blessed, except for the fact that I worked shift work most of my life. Good luck.
