I have a sleep app and it tells me my average time to fall asleep is 6 mins.....drives the wife mad.

 

I now read when I go to bed....and the time to fall asleep has dropped to 3 minutes.

 

Try reading something you don't enjoy.

Had the same problem when I faced my chronic problems and did run a activity and event company. Rapid thoughts and helplessness is common, and making a plan how to solve your situation might be the best long term solution, instead of relying on herbs. 

 

Talking to some professionals who can guide you is one thing, but not easy if you do not have resources. What you describes is something that can impact your mental health. So try to see solutions you can work with, and easy your worries 

2 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

I'll offer an alternative solution that's absolutely free.

Meditation.

You don't have to be religious or even spiritual to meditate. While meditation is used in those practices, neither are needed to get all the benefits of meditation.

15 minutes a day sitting quietly isn't too great a burden to carry to calm your mind so you can get some restful, peaceful sleep. (Twice a day works even better.  There are dozens of meditation videos on Youtube, but you will want to find "How to meditate for beginners." Most are only about 5 minutes long because it's really easy to meditate. 
Hey, it works. However, you have to do it regularly for about a week before it begins to show its effects. From then on, it's 'the peace of nature' all day long.

I wish meditation would work for me but after trying it several times, I just could not convince my brain to stop thinking so much. 

7 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

I have a sleep app and it tells me my average time to fall asleep is 6 mins.....drives the wife mad.

 

I now read when I go to bed....and the time to fall asleep has dropped to 3 minutes.

 

Try reading something you don't enjoy.

You are a very fortunate man. I have suffered from Insomnia most of my life. I once slept at a Sleep Clinic where they hooked me up with many wires to my head to monitor my sleep. My diagnosis from the result of the tests was mild depression. So I have been on Trazadone for many years to help me sleep. 

5 minutes ago, dutch boy said:

You are a very fortunate man. I have suffered from Insomnia most of my life. I once slept at a Sleep Clinic where they hooked me up with many wires to my head to monitor my sleep. My diagnosis from the result of the tests was mild depression. So I have been on Trazadone for many years to help me sleep. 

 

Oh wow.....sorry to hear that.

 

I'm out like a light......at 70 I do wake in the night, but usually get a hour of deep sleep and eight hours of core sleep and REMs.

 

One of my kids gave a tip to the others........"make sure your lower jaw muscles are totally relaxed".....they said that worked wonders for them.

24 minutes ago, dutch boy said:

I wish meditation would work for me but after trying it several times, I just could not convince my brain to stop thinking so much. 

Then use a ‘thinking’ meditation. 
There is no need to empty your mind’ to meditate. In fact, you’ll have better results if you DO choose something to focus your mind on. 
Look on YouTube for a meditation style. (There are 100s of different ways to meditate and all of them work equally well) that suits your needs. 
You don’t have to live in a cave or mountain top to meditate. I often meditate while walking around the city. 

49 minutes ago, dutch boy said:

You are a very fortunate man. I have suffered from Insomnia most of my life. I once slept at a Sleep Clinic where they hooked me up with many wires to my head to monitor my sleep. My diagnosis from the result of the tests was mild depression. So I have been on Trazadone for many years to help me sleep. 

I get dizzy and nauseous from trazodone.

Still have a pack in the fridge.

Lorazepam is the best for me , but hard to get.

Local hospital gave me 0,5mg x 10 , no more.

What a joke.

 

For the ones that say meditation.

Your mind starts to wander off to the problems after a minute.

2 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Wrong insurance company 

Your insurance company won't be paying your claims at 78, get real, people are so gullible here

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Your insurance company won't be paying your claims at 78, get real, people are so gullible here

I'm 78, and they pay until I die

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Regardless of why you receive them or the fact that they are inconsequential, I'm fascinated to know how you know that there are three particular posters that thumbs down you...do you have access to AN's database or is Support leaking info to you?   Without that access how could you possibly know - paranoia, perhaps?

 

Its possible to have a good guess at who the culprits of repetitive negative emojis might be.

 

I see it in threads by other people, when they made an innocuous comment, yet received a thumbs down emoji, at a similar time we can see who is 'active' on the thread in the 'recently browsing' section - with enough repetition we can see the pattern and draw a conclusion.

 

I'm aware of a couple of posters who will give me a thumbs down emoji regardless of my content.

 

 

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Get rid of the health plan. Just say no to the medical mafia. Self insure. And when it is time to go, just embrace it. 

 

 

 

That's a great idea until reality smacks you in the head with an unregistered, unlicensed pickup driven by a drunk meth user, or some other random accident or illness leaves you devastatingly injured.

 

Not life threatening, but your body will be horribly damaged.  You may not die, but you'd wish you had..............insurance.

 

Without insurance, hospital will patch you enough to stabilize you and send you on your way with 50% of your former ability, whereas unaffordable surgery and therapy might could give you back 90%.

 

 

3 minutes ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

That's a great idea until reality smacks you in the head with an unregistered, unlicensed pickup driven by a drunk meth user, or some other random accident or illness leaves you devastatingly injured.

 

Not life threatening, but your body will be horribly damaged.  You may not die, but you'd wish you had..............insurance.

 

Without insurance, hospital will patch you enough to stabilize you and send you on your way with 50% of your former ability, whereas unaffordable surgery and therapy might could give you back 90%.

 

 

Well that that attitude is what keeps healthcare companies in business, they depend upon your pathological fear to stay profitable. Sorry but I just don't buy into that crap. 

Just now, spidermike007 said:

Well that that attitude is what keeps healthcare companies in business, they depend upon your pathological fear to stay profitable. Sorry but I just don't buy into that crap. 

 

That's the attitude that keeps GoFundMe in business.

 

If you don't want insurance, that's fine.  It's your decision, and you should bear the consequences.

 

But if you slip and fall and break your legs, don't come running to me!

6 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

My biscuits cost 700 Baht for 20 and I usually take half each evening. That is 525 Baht per month.

 

 

I doubt that will break the bank.

But they have a point. The cannabis, however good at the time, is just masking the issue. Ruminating is especially pronounced at rest/at night. Easy to say focus on the present moment (by letting everything else pass by), but that is key. That might also be masking issue of course, but then again there is never any issue right now... it is all manmade tat, esp if one has a pension anyway. Manage monies better. But watch 'out' breaths, count the sheep jumping over the hedge, whatever, and don't take your phone to bed. 😉

Op.if you cancel your health insurance you will have extra money to do useful things with.

I am also considering doing that,it sounds a bit scary at first but if you feel healthy and still are pretty active i think it is the way to go.

There is a cheaper option for sure,you can get an accident only policy and other options.

Even at your bank they have insurance options.

I have 6 more months on my insurance and then i will cancel it and look for something better.

You should try some THC gummies to help you sleep,a good sleep is very important!

 

6 hours ago, FolkGuitar said:

I'll offer an alternative solution that's absolutely free.

Meditation.

You don't have to be religious or even spiritual to meditate. While meditation is used in those practices, neither are needed to get all the benefits of meditation.

15 minutes a day sitting quietly isn't too great a burden to carry to calm your mind so you can get some restful, peaceful sleep. (Twice a day works even better.  There are dozens of meditation videos on Youtube, but you will want to find "How to meditate for beginners." Most are only about 5 minutes long because it's really easy to meditate. 
Hey, it works. However, you have to do it regularly for about a week before it begins to show its effects. From then on, it's 'the peace of nature' all day long.

I completely agree! meditation, even just 5 minutes a day as an atheist, can be life-changing. Same with exercise, even a slow 5-minute walk. I actually structure my day around those.

 

 

3 hours ago, dutch boy said:

I wish meditation would work for me but after trying it several times, I just could not convince my brain to stop thinking so much. 

Try the Waking Up app by Sam Harris it's free. The focus is on being mindful of your thoughts and thinking, not on stopping or controlling them.

Off-topic and/or unhelpful posts have been removed.

 

OP has made a serious request for advice.

 

Yes of course, resolving his financial issues needs to happen, but being sleep deprived is not going to facilitate that.

 

@Canoodler see these other threads 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1324514-top-5-cannabis-strains-for-sleep-disorders/

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1308536-i-need-some-thing-to-help-me-sleep/

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1365538-trouble-sleeping-solutions/

 

If you decide to go with a cannabis product, be a bit careful as law seems to be changing (I am not clear in current status). Getting from a clinic may be best.

 

 

9 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

My biscuits cost 700 Baht for 20 and I usually take half each evening. That is 525 Baht per month.

 

 

I doubt that will break the bank.

 

 

Even better (financially) is @BritManToo 's 1 Baht a day.

3 hours ago, NoDisplayName said:

 

That's the attitude that keeps GoFundMe in business.

 

If you don't want insurance, that's fine.  It's your decision, and you should bear the consequences.

 

But if you slip and fall and break your legs, don't come running to me!

 

 

You misunderstand. 

 

The OP has health insurance, wants health insurance but is being priced out. He also has some reserve funds.

 

He has made enquiries in a mature and sensible manner. This is one of the more interesting threads because it is a subject that will affect quite a few posters here - and almost certainly several of our friends.

 

 

9 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

I mentioned the cannabis eatables.

 

I have found that within an hour or so after eating half a cookie I am struggling to keep awake.

I’ve seen them, been to a shop in Chiang Mai, but never tried. Do they stink like the smokes do? Is it addictive?
 

6 hours ago, Hummin said:

Had the same problem when I faced my chronic problems and did run a activity and event company. Rapid thoughts and helplessness is common, and making a plan how to solve your situation might be the best long term solution, instead of relying on herbs. 

 

Talking to some professionals who can guide you is one thing, but not easy if you do not have resources. What you describes is something that can impact your mental health. So try to see solutions you can work with, and easy your worries 

That’s a sensible and effective approach. It’s all about the right habits, mental and physical... to keep us going. That said, I’m far from there, lol.
 

23 minutes ago, falangUK said:

I’ve seen them, been to a shop in Chiang Mai, but never tried. Do they stink like the smokes do? Is it addictive?
 

 

 

No and no.

 

There is a slight smell and if you are sensitive to smell of cannabis you will notice it. Mine come in sealed plastic bags so obviously no smell until you open them. 

 

I occasionally forget the biscuit and I would not normally take them when traveling anywhere - especially overseas. So definately not addictive. 

39 minutes ago, falangUK said:

That’s a sensible and effective approach. It’s all about the right habits, mental and physical... to keep us going. That said, I’m far from there, lol.
 

 

 

I think that few are................striving for that goal is still the way to go.

On 9/21/2025 at 1:56 PM, scubascuba3 said:

Your insurance company won't be paying your claims at 78, get real, people are so gullible here

Reliable international insurers, such as the OP has, most definitely do pay claims at age 78 and well beyond. Age is irrelevant to payment of claims. (It is, however, very relevant tio premiums, which go up with age precisely because the insurer anticipates having to pay more for claims as you age).  

 

A newly issued policy to someone over 70 will often have exclusions for age related considerations but no a policy already held for a long time.  OP has held his policy for 20 years, so not an issue for him.

 

 

28 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Reliable international insurers, such as the OP has, most definitely do pay claims at age 78 and well beyond. Age is irrelevant to payment of claims. (It is, however, very relevant tio premiums, which go up with age precisely because the insurer anticipates having to pay more for claims as you age).  

 

A newly issued policy to someone over 70 will often have exclusions for age related considerations but no a policy already held for a long time.  OP has held his policy for 20 years, so not an issue for him.

 

 

I thought he had WR Life, anyway, good chance he will cancel when it becomes unaffordable, many people do, 80s, 90s

Better Sleep: Key Habits

(based on behavioral modification techniques)

Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional. This is not a complete guide, and it’s not meant as medical advice. It’s simply a checklist of reminders I’ve collected, partly from my own reflections and partly from points already mentioned earlier in this thread. Everyone’s situation is different — so if you have ongoing problems, please consult a qualified doctor.

🛏 Bedroom-only rule – Use your bed only for sleep (and intimacy). If you can’t sleep after ~20 minutes, get up and do something calm until drowsy.

⏰ Keep a steady schedule – Wake up at the same time every day (yes, even weekends).

🌙 Create a wind-down routine – 30–60 minutes of calming activities with dim lights.

💡 Manage light

• Get bright light in the morning (natural or light therapy).

• Limit screens and bright light in the evening.

🥗 Supportive lifestyle

• Avoid caffeine or nicotine late in the day.

• Limit alcohol before bed.

• Be active during the day (but not right before bedtime).

👥 Household rhythms – Respect different sleep patterns (night owl vs. early bird).

🏠 Small-space tip – In tiny rooms, cover the bed during the day to mark it as “sleep space.”

🩺 Medical checkup and health – Good sleep depends on peace of mind about health. Regular checkups (blood, urine, blood pressure, and the right medicines if needed) give reassurance. Looking after your own health — and that of your partner and children — is a powerful foundation for restful nights.

🧠 Shift your thoughts – Train yourself to redirect worry (journaling, calming visualization, breathing exercises).

🎨 Hobbies and meaning – Enjoy activities that bring joy and focus (like repairing clocks, gardening, or creative arts). A sense of purpose during the day supports better rest at night.

🛋 Therapeutic support – Sometimes sleep problems are tied to deeper issues like old experiences, stress, or unresolved worries. In that case, therapies such as CBT-I, counseling, or mindfulness training may be more effective than habits alone.

---

✨ A final thought
Life often brings more responsibilities and worries — caring for children, parents, grandparents, yourself, your partner, your pets, your friends, and even strangers. At some point, sleep and health are less about following every rule perfectly, and more about learning to live with what you have, and what you don’t have.

 

On 9/21/2025 at 10:03 AM, hotandsticky said:

 

 

Again, why some moron could give you a thumbs down is beyond me!

 

It is a great suggestion and I have found the deep sleep music to be very relaxing at the end of the day.

 

 

This is one of my favourite ones when I can't get to sleep, I bought one of those headbands with built in speakers so listening to it doesn't keep my GF awake... 

 

My problem is that I wake up at stupid O'Clock (Before 3:30am) so there's a few Youtube channels that tell stories in such a mellow voice that help me get back to sleep e.g. 

https://www.youtube.com/@SleeplessHistorian

https://www.youtube.com/@DozingDragonASMR

 

But my favourite is Simon from CrackingTheCryptic https://www.youtube.com/@CrackingTheCryptic/videos?app=desktop

guaranteed to send me back to sleep even though I really enjoy the content and will re-watch the video the next day.

 

 

Would love to find out more details about the edible cookies, the only thing I miss about becoming a non-smoker is smoking a decent spliff but I know if I smoked one I'd be back on the ciggies again (Even after 23 years it's hard sometimes not to go back on them)... 

I tried sleeping once after taking an edible, it had the exact opposite effect, I got too much into thinking deep and profound thoughts (which I'm sure were nonsense but seemed deep and profound at the time - I can't remember, I was stoned!).

 

The world according to Google: "Research also suggests that heavy or frequent use of edibles may lead to worse subjective sleep quality and shorter sleep duration."

16 hours ago, Sheryl said:

is, however, very relevant tio premiums, which go up with age precisely

You said this months ago already.

However, you're wrong.