I Finally Bought A Robot Vacuum…But Here’s The Problem (Plus, Please Help An Insomniac Sleep!!)

Well, I finally bought a robot vacuum. So many of you have recommended that I purchase one over the years. I’ve looked at them several times on Amazon over the last couple of years, but never knew what to buy. Some of them are reasonably priced, while others are ridiculously expensive, and there was no way I was going to pay several hundred dollars for a robot vacuum.

But when Sherry at Young House Love started recommending the one she bought in their Instagram stories, and then she started sharing all of the positive reviews that people were sharing with her, I decided to take the plunge. I bought this Eufy robot vacuum that has a 4.4 star rating with over 45,000 customer reviews.

Overall, I have to say that I love it. The main thing that stopped me from buying a robot vacuum until now is that I have a dog — a 100-pound dog named Cooper. His size isn’t the issue. His shedding is the issue. He’s part Labrador retriever and part German shepherd. Both of those breeds generally shed year round, and German shepherds “blow their coat” twice a year. I can testify to that, as I see it on my floor every single day. I joke that Cooper sheds the equivalent of a long hair chihuahua on a weekly basis, but it’s really not a joke. It’s the truth. And Cooper isn’t the only furry creature with whom I share a home. We also have our cat Felicity. So I never thought that a robot vacuum would be able to keep up with all of that fur.

Well, I was wrong. I just needed to give the house a good initial vacuum with my regular vacuum cleaner, and then set the Eufy loose (Matt named ours Bug), and it has done an amazing job at keeping the floors fur-free. And it’s super simple to empty each day. I have ours set to vacuum each night at midnight, and then at some point during the day, I just have to remember to empty it, which takes about 30 seconds. I just press the button to remove this little container…

…and then open it up and dump the contents, which is 99% Cooper fur every single day.

The first two nights, it was picking up so much Cooper fur that it clogged the roller brush on the bottom. But that’s super simple to clean as well. The brush has a plastic piece that holds it in . That plastic piece just pops right out, then the roller brush comes out. I pull the fur out of the roller brush, put it back in, pop the plastic piece back on, and done! So on those first two days when I had to clean the roller and empty the container, the whole process took about one minute.

The one problem that I have with Bug is that I’ve used her four times now, and every single time she has gotten stuck under something. Every single morning, I wake up and see if she’s on her charging station, and every single morning she’s been M.I.A. So then I have to hunt her down to see where she got stuck.

Night 1: Bug got stuck under the sofa.

She fits under the back side of the sofa that’s just sitting on the hardwood floor, but she gets stuck under the front part of the sofa that’s sitting on the rug. That issue will be solved as soon as our new sofa arrives, since it doesn’t have feet and sits directly on the floor. But right now, that new sofa is stuck on a ship out in the ocean, and isn’t scheduled to be here for another two or three months.

Night 2: She got stuck under the refrigerator door. I’m not really sure how to solve this issue.

Night 3: Bug got stuck under the buffet in the sitting room…

And night 4 (last night): She got stuck in the exact same spot.

I guess I can add little 1/2-inch risers under the feet of the buffet so Bug can easily get under there. It’s just that center part that’s a tad too low where she gets stuck.

Other than having to play “hunt the Bug” every morning and manually sending her back to her docking station, I’ve really enjoying having a robot vacuum, and I’m still amazed at how she keeps the Cooper fur cleaned up. I never thought a robot vacuum could handle that job, but clearly I was wrong!

Right now, our entryway is kind of cramped with the bathroom doors and sinks still sitting in the floor. But as soon as I can get these items cleared away, I’m going to set up Bug’s docking station underneath the credenza in the entryway. That bottom shelf has plenty of clearance, and there’s an outlet right behind it. So when not in use, Bug will be hidden away, out of sight.

So I’m very glad I finally took the leap and bought a robot vacuum! It works amazingly well on my hardwood floors, and does a pretty decent job on my two low pile carpets. It’s definitely not a replacement for vacuuming those carpets with an actual full-size vacuum cleaner on a regular basis, but it keeps it looking cleaner on the surface between those vacuums. Anyway, you can check out the Eufy here if you’ve been on the fence about a robot vacuum. I highly recommend it, but just know that you might have to make some minor adjustments to some furniture pieces if it gets stuck.

On a completely different topic, I need y’all to tell if if you’ve ever dealt with insomnia, and if you were able to find a remedy. Please share what worked for you!

I used to be such a good sleeper. I mean, once my head hit the pillow at night, I was out, and I would sleep all through the night until my alarm went off in the morning. Then I’d wake up feeling rested, refreshed, and ready to tackle a new day.

Not anymore, though. And this has been going on for a long time. Matt says it’s been going on since 2020. I didn’t remember it being that long, but I would have guessed it’s been going on for several months now.

The problem is that I go to sleep just fine, but I can’t STAY asleep. I’ll wake up during the night thinking that it must surely be time for my alarm to go off, so I’ll just lie there waiting for the alarm. After 15-20 minutes of waiting, with no alarm going off, I’ll grab my phone to see what time it really is, and it’ll be 1:00am, or 3:00am. I try to go back to sleep, but I just can’t. But I don’t want to wake Matt up, so I just lie there, or I’ll get my phone and scroll Instagram or Facebook for a couple of hours. I generally fall back asleep around 5:00 or 5:30am, and then when my alarm goes off at 6:50, I feel groggy and exhausted.

I can’t keep doing this, so I’m getting desperate. I HATE taking pharmaceuticals (prescription or OTC), but I’m okay with natural supplements or vitamins. I already sleep with a sound machine that plays white noise through the night, so it’s not sounds that are waking me up. I’m not anxious about anything, so it’s not an overactive mind that’s worried about things that’s waking me up. I don’t know what it is, but I’ve got to find a way to sleep through the night. My days are less and less productive the more this goes on, because I’m so tired that I just want to nap during the day, and when I do work, I have a hard time staying focused.

So, tell me what’s worked for you! I’ll try just about anything at this point (except pharmaceuticals…it’s just a “me” quirk).

 

 

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106 Comments

  1. Do you workout in the morning or evening? I have found a morning work out (every morning … no skipping days ) helps my evening sleep but an evening workout gives me a restless sleep .

  2. Hi Kristin.
    I also bought an Eufy from Sherrys recommendation! ( I call her Hazel) and I LOVE her! So much!

    I also wake up every night. I have learned NOT to watch anything as it stimulates my brain too much.
    I have ear buds next to my bed and Iput on a boring podcast😆. I fall asleep within minutes!
    It works!!!

    1. So I guess putting in my earbuds and listening to a true crime podcast is probably not the way to go. 😀 I’m trying to think of what boring podcast I could listen to. Any recommendations?

      1. I love the podcast “Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep.” The host, Kathryn, is so soothing!

  3. Your bug sounds pretty cool except for the getting stuck part. I’ve never had one, but I have plenty of stuff to get stuck under. I don’t think that’s a problem I could readily solve.

    I found that reading technical (or coding) manuals would put anyone to sleep in a hurry. Thing is, you might learn something new by accident, and maybe sometime in the future it will be helpful. That, or some detailed world history book.

  4. I’ve been considering another robot vacuum, our initial bit the dust due to a lightning storm, however it used to be full with pet hair and not finish the house. Maybe this one is larger.

    Does your insomnia coincide with the starting of carnivore or keto? It could be you’re low on magnesium and need more of that. I know electrolytes are also important and that could be part of the problem. I’ve been low carb for 5 years now to help manage my type 1 diabetes and I noticed the sleep part after about a year of starting that. I started taking Magnesium and it went away almost immediately. Been a long time now so don’t remember the exact timing. It could also be thyroid related as in you have a hyper active thyroid – another one of my autoimmune issues I manage partially with diet and know it can throw off my sleep so very attuned to it.

  5. Same sleeping problem here. I take NOW Melatonin, 5 mg found on Amazon and it is AMAZING. Promotes healthy sleep cycle it says, and I’ve been taking it for two years with no problems (79 yrs young here), along with my other meds. Highly recommend.

    Also have TWO robot vacs, one Eufy and one Rumba, both work great; Rumba is louder. What a help they’ve been. Just need to watch the “suction” power when you buy one. The higher the power, the better the vacuum job.

    1. MENOPAUSE: I totally quit sleeping for three months until I could get in to see a psychiatrist who sent me to an endocrinologist who prescribed bio identical hormone creams for me. I used them for about a year. The hormones, especially estrogen, helped me sleep and got me off the heavy sleep med the psychiatrist had me on. Look it up and see how menopause affects sleep.

  6. As much as it killed me I stopped any caffeine (diet Coke) after dinner and stayed off of my phone after 7 PM. I started to read old school books in the bath and before bed. This seemed to help me stay asleep. If I do wake up I stay off of my phone and I have been falling back to sleep much faster. I also used to be scrolling through my phone half the night! Good Luck!

  7. When you’re ready to upgrade robot vacuums I highly recommend the Roomba 7 series and above that self-empties into a bin. Then you don’t have to empty it until the sensor says the bin is full! PLUS, it has a laser mapping system that create a route map that it follows every day and you can program it to avoid the areas it tends to get stuck–ours was a specific kitchen cabinet.

    1. Ditto this comment. We have two shedding golden retrievers and didn’t think a robot vac would work for us. We “lease” ours for $29 per month from irobot – the latest roomba with a self emptying bin. It maps the house amazingly and we can schedule which rooms to vac at diff times. The app tells irobot when we need more bags to put in the machine (so we do empty those twice a month), and when we need new filters, etc. They just automatically ship to the house. My husband said they’re probably losing money on us as frequently as they have to send us those things. I realize we’ll never own it, but if it breaks they send a new one, so it has been worth the $1 a day!

  8. Olly brand sleep gummies! They are melatonin and other botanicals. Take 2 nightly! They work! Also you might consider checking out Mark Bowden guided hypnotherapy. Lots of the recordings are free!

    1. Olly Brand and Nyquil ZZZZ Brand gummies are both awesome! Neither have any medicine in them and are both natural ingredients. I HAVE to sleep and as I got older I noticed I was in the same predicament as you. I take 2 Advil PM around 7:00 and then when I’m getting in bed around 8:30 I take the 2 melatonin gummies. Again, all natural so I’m not worried about adding them to the Advil PM. My husband does 1 of each.

  9. Thanks for sharing your experience with the robot vacuum. I’ve not considered having one either, but you’ve given me food for thought. As to the insomnia, I use a supplement called Sleep3 that I get in the pharmacy at WalMart. Works for me!

  10. I love my Eufy! We just call him Euf. And he does get stuck, and then beeps like he is saying. “Trouble!” until he gets tired of letting you know. I have two spots, both where he can’t back up over the rug. I just put a blockers there. I also have insomnia, started within the last year. May try melatonin, seems to work for a friend.

  11. As a long-time insomniac, I can empathize. The best thing I ever had for sleep was gabapentin after my last knee replacement, but the doc cut me off after the knee heeled. But you said no pharmaceuticals, anyway, so here are some things I am trying (with varying degrees of success. Read an actual book or magazine with a low light — do NOT look at your phone or electronics because apparently the light from these devices stimulates your brain to wake up. Soak your feet in Epsom salts right before bed. Then massage CBD oil into your feet. Take melatonin, and if you wake up in the night, take some more. I use the higher dose which seems to be more effective (10mg). Lay off caffeine; switch to decaf coffee and tea and colas. This also means chocolate. Don’t watch the news channels a lot, especially at night — I used to be a news junkie, but watching or listening all day just makes me anxious. Now I watch about an hour around 5 o’clock or so, and that is enough. Last, know that you are in good company. Ever since the pandemic has been upon us, insomnia is a major problem for most of the population. The social isolation and limitations on our human contacts have seriously affected us all.

    1. I have a Eufy robot vac as well and I love her. I call her Miss Eufy. I have 3 dogs in the house so her main job is daily dog hair patrol and she definitely gets the job done. She did get stuck under my buffet and I didn’t find her for a month. Sure did miss her

  12. I too have a terrible sleep pattern. I started taking Melatonin quite some time ago. 5-10 mg. Some nights it works great, some nights I can’t get to sleep anyway. When it works I am asleep quickly and stay asleep. When it doesn’t seem to be working I cannot get to sleep for hours. Once asleep I usually stay asleep. Thank heavens it usually works well. and worth a try. I know all about tired, and needing a nap! PS) I already tried medications…no matter what I did I was sleepy all day. I hated them. And, sadly, some of sleep issues happen as we age…just another thing to deal with!

    1. I agree with Joan – my sleep has gotten worse as I’ve aged. Used to sleep like a rock, awaking well rested. Now it’s hit or miss. I’m not stressing about it – thankfully we are retired & I can sleep later in the morning if I need to (usually) or take a nap in the day. I do take Melatonin, 5-10 mg. Some nights are better than others. Agree with cutting off phone use. Read a book on Kindle with low-light (a boring book works!). The struggle is real!

  13. I don’t know how old you are Kristi but I found that menopause put an end to a good night’s sleep for me. It started with spontaneously waking up at odd times – my eyes would pop open and I would be wide awake. I keep a book on my nightstand and I would just read until I was ready to go to sleep again. Sometimes it would be a few minutes, sometimes it might be an hour or more.

    It’s not that bad now – I don’t have the same issues with falling back to sleep but broken sleep is a way of life now. Gone are the days when I could sleep for 6-7 hours without a break.

  14. Are you sure you’re not anxious about anything? Sometimes we are anxious about things that we aren’t even aware of. You mentioned Matt thought this started in 2020. Well so did something else (I won’t get into that can of worms). Also, it’s quite possible your sleep disturbances could be hormonal. Many women experience changes in their sleep cycles and energy levels as they get into their 40s and beyond.

  15. The insomnia is a change in hormones as we age. I’ve struggled with this for years with no solution. ♥️

    1. I have also struggled with insomnia for the last 40yrs. I tried it all. Prescriptions, calming sounds, turmeric and milk, baths, melatonin which is not prescribed in Europe you should only take 1 mg. Because it is a hormone. Absolutely nothing works for me plus I have sleep apnea. So if there is a miracle out there let me know!

  16. I take CBD oil and that has helped with my sleep. I also have a sleep spray that I use occasionally. If you would like more information on either of these, let me know.

  17. Midnight shift worker here who has to adjust my schedual constantly. I’ve found a few tricks to help me switch/sleep well.

    A) magnesium, strangely enough. You can take it in supplement form or as I do, there are bath flakes like epson salt, SleepWell Magnesium Chloride Flakes 3lb – Absorbs Better than Epsom Salt – Unique & Natural Full Bath Soak Formula for Healthy Relaxation – With USDA Organic Cedarwood & Lavender https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072FJ3J2R/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_HAZEWPFV57R67EMHBSGS?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 take a bath a couple times a week (in what will be your amazing bathroom) using thoes flakes. Or there are lotions, there is one I just found that I have been using for my autistic daughter who struggles with staying asleep at night. It has magnesium and melatonin. Magnesium Sleep Lotion with Lavender and Melatonin – Topical Application Night Cream for Sleep Aid- High Potency – Organic Materials – Large Size – Great Value – 8 fl. oz https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXNPLJL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QA889YH89W7PZWZZ04KK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 A little goes a long way, I rub in into her feet at night, and she’s almost stopped waking up at night. Only if she has to go potty now and goes straight back to sleep. (She’s 4)

    B) morning workout, and limiting electronic devices at night. The light up kind. I like listening to history documentaries, ones that I have already seen/heard and like so I won’t get absorbed into it. And the lack of lighting helps to not wake you up further.

    C) take time for self pampering. (I’m a mom of 2, ages 4 and 2. I work midnights so they never had to go into daycare). Find something you enjoy that feels totally indulgent. I do face masks. Have quite the collection at this stage. It’s a way I’ve found to take time to settle and relax fully before I go sleep.

    D) if you have a favorite scent or one that is relaxing to you, try having it in a diffuser next to the bed. I have one that I change out the essential oil from one when I’m sick (eucalyptus), to my favorite sleep scent (lavender). InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser, Upgraded Diffusers for Essential Oils Aromatherapy Diffuser Cool Mist Humidifier with 7 Colors Lights 2 Mist Mode Waterless Auto Off for Home Office Room, Basic White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V9JP8EE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_J4Z80Q6WGYRH4547KX7M.

    These are things I’ve found to help me. I hope something help!

    Also, I got a Eufy for Christmas this year, I run it nightly with a household of 2 cats, 1 dog, 2 kids, and 2 adults. I absolutely love it. It saves me so much time and I don’t have to deal with animal hair “tumble weeds” if I go too long between vacuum’s.

  18. I have found taking a Magnesium pill with a full glass of water just before bed makes me sleep like a rock, Try it!

  19. I have two comments – the first is whether your waking is hormonal. It may or may not be accompanied by hot flushes/flashes – I can’t remember your age, but I’m 45 and this was what happened with me. No other real symptoms, but waking up at night was destroying my productivity and daily energy. One to consider, because HRT sorted that right out (although some supplements did help a bit too).
    Secondly, I love my robot vac too, but I live in a house with my husband, two boys, a male cat and a male dog. I briefly thought about making the vac female for that reason, but then decided that if anyone was going to be cleaning up it wasn’t going to another woman. So ours is called Marvin. I feel that Bug is probably now a male name right???

    1. I thought Bug would be a male name also! But Matt was quick to inform me that she’s a she. 😀 I can only deduce that I’m married to a sexist. 😀 Just joking. He’s been wanting to get another female cat for a year now, and name her June Bug. I’ve been slow to commit to a second cat, so I guess he thinks the robot vacuum is the closest he’s going to get to a sweeet little female cat named June Bug. 😀

  20. Have been looking at robo sweepers for months – can’t decide which one. Regarding sleep; you are not alone. Some nights are worse than others. Tuesday night saw the clock at every hours – exhausted the following day

  21. I can’t get to sleep is my problem. I also wake up if I do go to sleep. I was taking melatonin, 10 mg, about four of them, and still can’t sleep. Plus several other prescribed meds for sleep. Still nothing. I should be in a coma for all I take. Then I tried Avinol PM plus melatonin and it worked great for a couple of weeks, now I am back to the old can’t sleep routine. I also tried Tylenol PM and Advil PM. They say no TV, kindles or phones before bed as that stimulates you with the light it gives off. I don’t use any caffeine at all. I hear a warm bath helps, but I can’t get in or out of my bathtub because of knee replacements. Then get into bed. Hope something works for you as I know how mad I get after hours and hours of being awake. I have two sound machines to be sure I don’t hear anything, black-out curtains and a CPAP machine. Good luck and if you find anything, please let me know.

  22. Keeping my bedroom temperature around 65 degrees and taking 5 mg of melatonin seems to work for me (not a 100% of the time though).

    Yes, morning workouts are better for my sleep pattern vs evening workout.

    Do my best not to eat dinner or what I consider heavy meals after 6pm. I do not eat ice cream before bed. This will for sure keep me up at night. Good luck, I hope you find a solution!

  23. If I go to bed between 10 and 11 pm, I always wake up about 2 or 3am. So I stay up most nights until about midnight, and then can sleep through the night. Try going to bed an hour or even two later than normal, see if it helps.

  24. I love my Roomba, we named him Bot and I put eye and mouth stickers on him so he has a face. My granddaughters got upset when he lost an eye and they wanted him to be able to “see” again with two eyes. 😉 He got new eyes. I run mine during the day since there are a couple of places he gets stuck or I sometimes will block off those spots. I still use my upright vacuum too in some areas of the house.

    As far as sleeping goes, I began suffering from interrupted sleep after my husband died when I was 38 and then with hormonal changes. Twenty years later, I’m still battling it at times, but that’s when I don’t adhere to the practices that help me sleep. I’ve found that the combination of Melatonin 30 minutes before bedtime, no caffeine after noon, no screen time of any sort two hours before bedtime, a very cool bedroom, sound machine and complete darkness have been a tremendous help. I even cover my digital clock to block the light it emits.

  25. Very common for women nearing pre menopause / menopause age. Melatonin in low doses works best , no caffeine after a certain time , it does get better With time!

  26. I know I’m in the minority here, but I bought a Roomba and hated it. I don’t even use it any more. It kept getting stuck under multiple pieces of furniture, didn’t navigate under my dining room chairs, and took forever to finish. I didn’t set it to vacuum at night because it would need to be unstuck in the morning, then continue to vacuum. The thought of pool noodles always under my furniture? Nope. It was so not worth it for me.

  27. Ughh, insomnia! I feel you, been dealing with it for years. Wish I could tell you I found a ‘cure’, but no such luck. I too hate pharmaceuticals, but here are some other things that have helped.
    1) The Nodpod is a weighted eye mask that can help in relieving some pressure in the head and help me relax/ stay asleep (link is too long, just search for it on Amazon). Great for napping during the day as well.
    2) The Calm app (or another meditation app on your phone) can help me push the stressful thoughts out of my mind in the middle of the night and fall back asleep. I had to test a bunch out until I found the right ratio of white noise to talking & the best volume.
    3) Eating right. I have a restricted diet because of medical stuff. If I eat foods I shouldn’t, my stomach wakes me up & my brain kicks in and sleep is out the window. Alcohol & weed don’t help – make you pass out, but your ability to stay asleep is much worse.
    4) Less stress! This is the hardest one, but works the best. My bouts of insomnia are always worse at times of high stress in my life.

    Good luck to you, hope you can find something that helps!

  28. My go to’s are taking Calm magnesium in the evening, acupuncture, shower in evening.

    Love my robot vacuum too

  29. I don’t fall asleep easily and I don’t sleep more than a couple of hours before waking. I use a prescription but don’t want to remain dependent. I’ve tried melatonin and several other supplements and medications and they all cause me to have night terrors.

    Last week, a medical professional recommended a weighted blanket. She has similar issues to mine, and has just started using one for herself and a child in her home, as well.

    Also, if you take any prescription meds, check side effects for sleep issues/insomnia. I had to change two of mine, and it helped.

  30. This works for me: I lie on my back and clear my mind. Then I start concentrating on my feet, saying (not out loud) relaxing words/phrases for a few seconds until they feel completely relaxed; then I move on up to my lower legs saying the same things, then the knees, then the upper legs, etc. Frankly, I have never gotten past the knees before I fall asleep. It may work for you too.

  31. Same issue on my roomba getting stuck everywhere, even under the kick area of the kitchen cabinets. Ugh. We named ours Rosie (think Jetson’s). I quit using it because she was always stuck somewhere in the morning, completely dead & needing a charge. We even checked into the cost of getting the cabinetry “shaved” a little in the kitchen. Estimate over $500, I think not. As far as sleeping, I get an audiobook from the library and listen to it when I turn out the lights and again if I wake during the middle of the night. That usually does it for me. It stops the racing thoughts which are my issue once awakening. It’s as if I have the need to solve all of tomorrows problems at 3:00am. A book stops the thinking process and I usually nod off fairly soon.

  32. Evening shower, relax, no food, 400 mg magnesium citrate and sometimes two Tylenol if I ache anywhere. I am 75 and sleep very deep even with bathroom breaks during the night. If I am worried I wake up like clockwork at 4 am and think until I fall asleep. Usually I ask myself what I am worried about and convince myself that I will take care of it tomorrow.

  33. My roomba came with a little laser device. I can aim the laser beam across the area I need to block off.

  34. As others have mentioned, a very likely cause of your sleep disturbance is perimenopause. I’d advise talking to your ob-gyn. Perimenopause symptoms can be extremely difficult to live with and there is treatment.

  35. I’ve been using a magnesium lotion from 8 Sheep Organics. It’s supposed to help relax muscles and provide better sleep. I’m pregnant so I mostly use it for restless legs and can’t sleep without it because my legs are so bad. It is scented with lavender essential oils. Overall I highly recommend.

  36. Have you tried melatonin? It comes in various forms, but you can pop a pill or tincture under the tongue. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it works for me. Also, no electronics to “help” fall asleep. I’ve heard the blue light messes with your brain shutting down. Working out in the a.m. would definitely be better. You want to start relaxing at least 1/2 hour before going to bed…meditate, read, journal etc.

  37. My robot vac got a rock stuck in the rollers and ended up scratching up my floors everywhere it went. It was awful and expensive to fix the floors.

  38. I’m the exact same way. I use my iPad mini and listen to books or a podcast. But sometimes I wake up to use bathroom. I’ve been on CBD 10mg 2x day from Equilibria (recommended by Kim from Yellow Brick Home) and I notice I do fall asleep faster . It’s helped with the stress of selling the family home back in Ohio.

  39. To me, that is the main problem with all robot vacuums. I never leave mine alone as it gets stuck or caught in cords that I forgot to move or something else. So it takes a long time to vacuum and babysit it. And so sorry about the sleeping. That has been my exact pattern for several years no matter what I try. Wish I knew something that would work!

  40. I started having sleep issues related to hormone levels at a relatively young age (mid 30s). I suggest having thyroid levels checked as it controls sleep/wake patterns among other things.

    To help with sleep, I like valerian root pills. It’s rather stinky so I don’t recommend the tea. Melatonin doesn’t work for me because I wake feeling super groggy and for some it cause nightmares/ vivid dreams.

  41. Hi Kristi- I can surely sympathize! A referral to a doctor that specialized in bio-identical hormones was a game-changer for me.

  42. Re: Insomnia: could be a lot of things (diet, changing hormones, etc.) but do be sure you are using a blue filter on your electronics (or wear blue-filter glasses while perusing your screens). Same with LED light bulbs. I know you switch all of yours out…if they have more blue light than previously (and the timing matches), it could be those new ones are part of the problem.

    [When I lost my glasses with the blue filter coating and had to use regular readers, I could tell right away that my sleep was being impacted…)

    Good luck! I hope you find something that helps!

  43. Hi Kristi,
    I am sorry you’re going through this, but there is hope. I used to teach insomnia classes for a healthcare organization. You are experiencing Sleep-Maintenance Insomnia. Read the article from the Mayoclinic on this. Here are a few fast pointers:
    1. Keep a tight nighttime routine. Our bodies love routine and yours is adjusted to waking up. The neural pathways for being awake are activated and you must re-teach your mind how to activate the sleep pathways.
    2. Consider keeping a sleep log – there are templates online.
    3. when you do wake up at night, do not stay in bed for longer than ~15min. Get up and go to another room, keeping the lights dim. Try to not wake Matt, but don’t stay staring at the ceiling.
    4. Do not turn on your phone or the tv (blue light activates the wake cycle). Find a calm activity and bring awareness to your body and mins. Some people journal or read; others start a meditation or practice deep breathing. You might even consider a walking-meditation – I like the one from the Headspace app, but that requires a subscription. Your body will tell you when it’s ready to go back to sleep.
    The key is to not stay in bed awake, this will make it worse.
    Good luck and let us know how it goes.

  44. For your insomnia issues, I would highly recommend trying GABA, which is the amino acid upon which Gabapentin is based. It’s all-natural, which, for me, is important and very, very effective. I went through a long period of waking up during the night. . .or too early in the morning. . . or being up ALL night that, like you, was making me desperate for relief. . .and this greatly helped. L-Tryptophan and L-theanine are other amino acids that can be very helpful. I take all three. 🙂 For information on the use of amino acids, Trudy Scott is a great resource.

    There’s also a product made by Oregon’s Wild Harvest, called Muscle Relax, which contains valerian root, skullcap, and hops, which I find to be very good. Between all of that and a low pre-bedtime dose of home-made oil-based drops of CBD, CBG, and THC, plus a very low dose (.3 mg.) of melatonin and some magnesium (yes, it’s a lot and I could probably cut out some of these things at this point, but why mess with success??), I’m now sleeping very well. I can’t remember the last time I woke up at 3:00 now. I thought I would never get relief. It definitely takes some trial and error, but it CAN be resolved. Good luck!

  45. Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back to sleep is common in “older” people, like over 65., so that shouldn’t be your issue. I know several people who take melatonin and swear by it.

  46. For the fridge buy some thick sliders and put under the rollers it will lift it up higher plus make it easier to move around.

  47. I’ve been fortunate to never have insomnia for more than a day or two but a friend who had long term issues swears by binaural beats. Have you spoken to your PCP or Gyn about working with a sleep disorders clinic? As others have mentioned, you have to ban digital devices from your bedroom. Their blue light emission actually blocks your bodies production of melatonin, the hormone that triggers sleep.

  48. The only thing that helps me is melatonin. I also refuse pharmaceuticals. But a very few times, nothing works. I mean like maybe couple times a month. Those times even melatonin won’t work. So I just suffer thru, but then I’m retired so I don’t have to worry about setting an alarm 😋 Good luck finding something that works for you.

  49. I’ve noticed I’m more awake at night with the full moon.
    Peak pollen seasons have me awake or sleeping lightly. (north TX)
    Stopped caffeine after late afternoon.
    Drink more water per day. Was another surprising one.
    Bedtime-specific yoga stretches. I was skeptical, but it always works when I do them. I found a selection on youtube.

    Robot vacuum:
    A friend says hers is like a toddler, always where it shouldn’t be.
    See if your app allows for “forbidden” areas to stop the sticking.
    Some call them “invisible walls”.

  50. I have been using Jupiter CBD oil. It took some time for my body to get used to it and I now get a full night sleep.

  51. Beware melatonin is a hormone an older lady friend told me only take one. I was taking up to 10-10 mg still not helping. When I wake up in the night I listen to Bible.is app it reads the Bible to you. I love it!

  52. Thanks for this post about your new robotic vacuum. would love to hear your thoughts on fabrics to use with pets, esp cats. Mine want to shred everything. Does yours bother your grey lvg room couch?

  53. We have an off brand robot vacuum, and I found it a pain on our main floor. It would get stuck under the dining table, fighting to get through all the legs of chairs. Also had to wrangle electric cords in so many spots it took me a while to get all things ready to give Alice her start. (That’s her name!) So we relegated her to our finished basement that has laminate floors and not too many cords. She’s much happier there. As for the sleep issue – if you are late 40’s or early 50’s, it’s most likely perimenopause. Don’t get me started on my experience, I could write a book! Bathroom trips are more frequent and you may not realize the “signals”, but I found if I got up and did a bathroom break, I could get back to sleep fairly quick. I still average 3 times a night at 68 years old. I also never use electronics or tv if I can’t sleep. A silly trick I do is to “rock” myself for a few mins. It sounds crazy, but if I do this, I tend to relax, and I can then fall asleep. IDK if it causes me to focus on the rocking, which takes my mind off other things, or what, but it works for me! I also heve to be super cool, and have a fan on me all night. No foods after 7 pm either!

  54. I loved my robot vacuum for a couple days – but like yours mine was always getting stuck. It would get a notification each day in my app that says it was “stuck near a cliff”. I’d come home from work and it would be sitting in the middle of the rug. Plus, when we got stuck at home during Covid and my dog was inside all day she would follow and bark and get really agitated by it. So I just unplugged it and stopped using it.

    As far as your sleep, what you described is EXACTLY like me. So if you ever find the secret to sleeping again, PLEASE let me know. I currently can go to sleep, but like you I wake up and can’t go back to sleep. I currently take both melatonin gummies and ashwaganda gummies before bed and I feel like I’m sleeping a tiny bit better. But not really.

  55. I’ve had the same sleeping problems for a long time!! My doctor said they can give people things to help them GET to sleep but not much to help you STAY asleep. Zzzzzquil makes an extended release melatonin that has helped me. I also wear earplugs. Every little noise would wake me up! Just the furnace kicking on would wake me up. Good luck!

  56. I used to think I had insomnia but it turned out I am sensitive to caffeine. Now I stop taking in caffeine at noon and sleep much better.

  57. I was having the same sleep issues and a naturopath recommended “Relora”. It’s a natural cortisol inhibitor and nothing like taking Melatonin. It was useful in helping my body break the pattern of waking up in the middle of the night. It’s to be taken short term and your body does not become reliant on it.

  58. I’m late to the comments but I take magnesium citrate supplement before bedtime and sleep like a baby. Also a Epsom bath to soak in helps also.
    Good luck in finding what works for you! No sleep is no fun.

  59. I’ve had insomnia for years, tried so many things. I’m currently taking Natrol Melatonin Sleep Time Release or medchoice natural sleep aid. I kind of alternate between several combos because no one thing has it all. I also take Swanson St Johns Wort 3-in-1 with chamomile and bacopa. (If I take more than 5 mg melatonin, it does just the opposite.) I’ve also found that eating ANYTHING after 3 affects my sleep.

  60. For your sleep issues, try listening to Nothing Much Happens, bedtime stories for grownups by Kathryn Nicolai. There’s a free option on the Internet. It may take a little while to train your brain with them to go back to sleep. But I have yet to hear a whole story—and often barely make it past the introduction. Good luck!

  61. I returned mine. I too took the plunge but I had a disappointing experience. No one mentioned fringe or pile height in their joyous promotion. But the instruction booklet tells you to fold under the fringe. That was an arduous task because I have several rugs with fringe. At the end of that task I thought I might as well have vacuumed. But the little robot couldn’t climb that height and even managed to get some out and get tangled up in the fringe.
    Conclusion: if you have low pile and no fringe go for it, otherwise stay away from it.

  62. My husband loves the PureZzz’s by Nyquil. I can’t take it cause I’m allergic to lavender, but he swears by them. They are non habit forming and have lavender and chamomile in them.

  63. Regarding robot vacuums. We have a Neato and it comes with an app you can program in zones so you can “tell” it to avoid certain areas where it might get stuck. Don’t know if Eufy has that, but you might look into it. As far as insomnia, I sometimes take melatonin, a natural supplement. You might also look into thyroid issues or sleep apnea. I have both and when my thyroid supplement is off or something isn’t set right on my cpap, I have problems sleeping.

  64. I too have trouble sleeping. I am always on my tablet and have the TV on before I go to bed. Two things they say not to do. (Old habits that are hard to break.). I like Nature’s Bounty Sleep3. It is all natural. It has lavender to calm you, quick release melatonin to put you to sleep and slow release melatonin to keep you asleep. I highly recommend.

  65. I have had the wake in the middle of the night problem for several years. Morning exercise helps but, listening to a ‘Mindful Movement’ youtube meditation helps a lot. There are many to choose from and some that I don’t like at all but, one I do like is the ‘Deep Sleep Meditation: calm an overactive mind’. Just pop in the ear buds and the next thing you know you will be looking at the morning.

  66. I love my Eufy too ….. have had it many years based on a Cote De Texas recommendation. Mine gets stuck sometimes too but I’ve fixed what I can (with small risers, blocking off the sofa underside etc) and just deal with the getting stuck issue when it happens. It is worth the minor inconvenience to have it pick up the dang dog hair!!! Also, when I can’t sleep at night someone told me to take three deep breaths, in though the nose, hold for 4 counts, out through the mouth. It actually works very well for me and I fall back to sleep

  67. Kristi I have a Eufy too, and really like it. (I’m 80, have arthritis, back trouble, etc. so a regular vac is our of the question any more….even the light ones are too heavy.). I agree that blocking under furniture, and blocking cords, is the biggest issue. I’ve solved it by using some 2×4’s placed strategically under front of furniture, or baskets, etc and then moving them back/out of the way; but I don’t ‘Eufy’ every day….
    And I also have the same sleep problem that you have. My dr. recommended something he uses and it helps me SOME of the time: Nature’s Bounty Sleep3 (time release melatonin plus a night time herbal blend). I get it on Amazon: https://amazon.com/gp/product/B086MFQHGJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    For awhile, I took it before bedtime; lately, I wait to see if I have problems during night and then take it…. (Last night, nothing helped 😅)

  68. Been there done that, I think it’s peri menopause. Talk with your GYN you make need a patch, it saved me it was a rough few years. Wish you the best

  69. I haven’t seen anyone else mention it, but your insomnia issue might be sleep apnea. My husband had similar symptoms, waking up in the middle of the night, feeling exhausted all day, along with sleep walking and talking. 3 years ago he finally got a sleep study and a c-pap, made a huge difference! No idea if that is what’s ailing you, but it might lead to a non-pharmaceutical solution.

  70. Low Ferritin can cause children to be awake all night–not sure if it is the same response for adults. A vitamin with iron isn’t enough iron to get your Ferritin up. Simple blood test, with Iron supplementation if levels are low

  71. Ah, insomnia. I found that taking magnesium at bedtime helps and a time released melatonin also helped. Insomnia can be a sign of peri menopause; you may want to talk to your dr.

  72. Not sure if you drink any alcohol or not before bed, but when I do I wake up after 4 or 5 hours LIKE CLOCKWORK, apparently it’s disruptive to the sleep cycle.

  73. This happened to me! I had to cut caffeine. When I went off it entirely, about a week in my sleep completely resolved.

  74. We have the Roomba S9 With the auto dump station. Bought it with my stimulus check — big $$ but It is fantastic — worth every penny…!!!!!!!!!! I move out some chairs, baskets on the floor, etc in certain rooms as the goal is to clean completely. Going around 4 legs on 4 stools is just insanity – easier to move them out of the room. and takes just a few minutes tops. Also rearranged cords – raised them up off the ground or move out of the way; now they are never a problem. And fixed a couple of common stick areas by placing something in front of them. Once it learned our house, I separated and labeled the individual rooms or hallways. And can start a clean in one or more rooms anytime. This way I can take a quick look, and move what I want before starting it. Or make sure I do not have any extraneous threads or needles next to a chair where I do cross-stitch. It returns home & empties into the vacuum bag when done and notifies me when it’s time to change the bag. Bought it & supplies via Amazon. You might try lodging a piece of foam in front of the fridge, your credenza, etc.

    re: Sleep issue. Depending on your age, perimenopause may be the problem. I sure did not have good help on this when I encountered it in my mid-40s… , but there is a lot more information on it today.

  75. I love my Eufy too! And same problem – so I use pool noodles to try and redirect. Didn’t you get some tracks in your box for creating borders?
    For sleep, Super Sleep is a lozenge that I get at CostCo. Works really well! Also, a rum and coke around 7:30 pm. But I don’t think you drink . . . . There’s also an app I find helpful, Yoga Nidra for Sleep.
    Good luck!!

  76. Most women our age I talk to have sleep problems. And it gets worse as we age. Highly recommend the book “The Sleep Fix” by Diane Macedo. She’s an on air journalist who had sleep problems. In her book she researched every one of the possible sleep cures out there. Does a very thorough job of explaining the pros and cons of each approach, plus understanding the underlying reasons. I am both falling asleep, and falling back asleep, much better since identifying what might work for me and trying it out. Highly recommend before jumping on anybody else’s approach.

  77. I just jumped on the Eufy bandwagon from the same YHL recommendation. I also have three pieces of furniture it continues to get stuck under. I’m debating adding a small lift under my tv credenza and coffee table to see if that helps. I’ve started running it at 7am so I can hear it beep and rescue it so I know it does a complete job. Amazing how much dog and cat hair it picks up daily, and my weekly heavy vacuum bin collection definitely much less now.
    I’m having the same insomnia issues, so look forward to all the comments!

  78. I’m concerned a robot vacuum charge might not last long enough to get everywhere in my open concept home. Can anyone tell me the approximate square footage cleaned on a single charge? I might revisit buying one after measuring clearances if it can clean the entire open area. Having to block off open areas every time would be a deal breaker.

    I used to have lots of sleep problems until I found this combination, 1) a shower just before retiring 2) a good quality eye mask and 3) the 4-7-8 breathing exercise, (lots of small variations on-line, mostly tongue position). I’ve had lots of masks but the best is a satin mask with a wide satin covered strap. Electronic power lights are the worst, but I think the coolness of the satin and it just resting against your eyelids preventing them from comfortably opening does it. If that bothers you a cupped eye mask might work. Good luck.

  79. Regarding your vacuum- I’ve stuck round felt chair protectors stacked on top of each other and recessed slightly where my vacuum gets stuck under my coffee table. This has worked wonderfully. My eufy also supports magnetic barrier strips which even work under my low pile carpet which also helps greatly around my recliner.

  80. I’ve dealt with insomnia for years and years, it’s not fun.

    That said my money is on not working out at night. Using your phone at night is also a no-no as the light is bad for sleep and it actives your brain.

    5mg (or less) Melatonin 2 hours or so before sleep can help. There are many herbal concoctions our there for sleep, most have Melatonin, but magnesium, GABA, valerian root, passion fruit, etc etc can help. Getting out of bed, having some Chamomile tea and reading something non-taxing under dim light until you’re tired again may help. Best of luck!

  81. I loved my neato but crazy expensive and batteries barely lasted 18 month. I got Shark with the extra canister from Sam’s Club and I am quite impressed. He rarely gets stuck.

    Also quick FYI for auto running, I stopped that when I had my cats because my Frisky liked to puke at night… On my white (Sighhhh) rug. MO (my vacs name) loved to smear in nice and deep. Just be cautious if your pets have night free roam.

  82. I apologize if this is repetitive; but there were too many comments (over 100) to read through. I use the Natrol brand of Melatonin. The fast dissolve (sublingual) tablets kick in within 15 minutes. They offer it in various dosages (start low and work your way up). I haven’t used it, but they even offer one they call 3 AM which is for the middle of the night insomnia. Just keep it on your bedside table so you can grab as you get in bed or if you wake up in the middle of the night. No water needed.

  83. I am a life long insomniac and I have probably slept a full night 5 times. I finally found sleep music and it puts me right to sleep, keeps me asleep for hours. The most effective for me is “Enlightenment Meditation Music” Youtube video {Relaxing Piano Music • Sleep Music}.
    If I wake up I go to the restroom, wash my hands and go back to sleep.
    If that is not why I woke up it is something to do and then right back to bed.
    Good Luck!!