Insomnia

[Matt]

So for the past six years, I've been going to bed in the "morning" on a daily (nightly) basis. It seems I'm unable to go to bed before 1am, and many times I'll spend several hours doing useless things until I finally go to bed at 4am, pissed off that this keeps happening. -_-

It's odd, because every time I go to bed, I tell myself, "This is never going to happen again!"

And, of course, it happens every night.

Now, it's not quite so bad when I went to bed late because of homework. Because then I'd at least have a tangible factor to attribute this to - a purpose (and thus some consolation).

But most of the times it's just because I don't want to go to bed, feeling as if I'm cutting my life short by spending time unconscious instead of fully awake. Of course, prolonged sleep deprivation will probably shorten my life rather than extend it, but this cognitive reasoning doesn't seem to affect me. =/

And, of course, the loneliest times of my life are late at night when it seems the whole world is asleep, and I'm left alone in the secluded depths of the nocturnal world. It very much sucks. ><

So, this thread is for all those who can't go to sleep at night. Especially if you're regrettably awake at this very moment!

 

[mimizu]

I'm regrettably awake. I wish I could go to sleep and didn't have to wake up.

 

[mink]

I experience this a lot too during long school holidays and i can totally relate to what you said, Matt. I always think that sleeping is a waste of time (i haven't changed my mind on this) but then now it's the opposite for me lol. I lack sleep cos of too many things that needs to be done and i think i need the sleep lol.

 

[mintymint]

So, this thread is for all those who can't go to sleep at night. Especially if you're regrettably awake at this very moment!

This is a good idea for a thread, although it seems that it never caught on. If my necroposting can be forgiven(this thread could be in grade school by now), perhaps it can be given a second chance? Either way, I'm wide awake right now

 

[ladyforsaken]

Aww what an old thread.

But yeah, I've always wondered if anyone here has any solutions to insomnia?

 

[jaguarundi]

But yeah, I've always wondered if anyone here has any solutions to insomnia

Yes and no, really. For one thing, depends on the individual, why they can't sleep, obviously.

I have struggled with this for many many years, - I am the kind who just can't switch my brain off sometimes, going over and over worries, making them worse, thinking of all the disasters that might happen, re-opening old wounds from years ago....going over and over my plans for difficult meetings coming up at work - that kind of crap. A few things have helped me.

- Although having a good drink of alcohol in the evening seems like it will give you a good sleep, actually it doesn't. You might drop off quickly - but in fact it disturbs your REM sleep and so you wake tired, and if you have a drink the next night the cycle repeats. So the tiredness makes the bad thoughts more and more pervasive. I cannot comment on smoking dope - I understand from some who do that they don't dream when doing so, and I just have a feeling that this cannot be good - but maybe anyone reading this can comment on how this affects them?

- Tablets from the quack ...tried 'em, felt like honeysuckle through the day - stopped them. In any case most of them are only prescribed short-term. The herbal type (usually Valerian plus other stuff) did help a bit, but not enough - for me, anyway. Everyone is different.

- Sometimes, when honeysuckle is raining down on you from every source, it perhaps in unrealistic to lie in bed willing yourself to sleep, when you can't. So you might as well get up and do something (read, make a hot drink, whatever)to take your mind off it.

- Regular Meditation - works well to calm the mind and help with the sleep so I am told - if you are the type.

- Naps - I am good at naps. Always have been. Planes, trains whatever - snnnzzzz... A 20 min nap through the day can really help re-charge sleep deprived batteries. If you can find somewhere to do it..

- No TV in the bedroom - it disturbs your sleep. Dark in the bedroom is necessary. The blacker the better. Nothing too stimulating before sleep - computer games of the shoot 'em up or racing sort .. there is a level of stress with these, I find they make it difficult to get your head down.

- The best for me - I found some guided visualisations and music on youtube (TheHonestGuys elf-and-hobbit stuff actually) that really helped me. I just pop my tablet on my bedside table or under my pillow, earphones on or not - works well a lot of the time. There is loads of other music and visualisation type stuff there, you just need to like the person's voice or the relaxing music, and do your best to concentrate on what you hear. Keeps the hamster-wheel thoughts at bay - so I drop off.

But that is me. You??

 

[ladyforsaken]

^Very interesting there, jag! You make a good point about booze there. It always makes me so **** sleepy even with just a bottle of cider, it gets a bit annoying sometimes. But now that you mention it... yeah.. it doesn't really give the best sleep.

I don't have insomnia. But I have disturbed sleep all the time. I'd have cut up sleep now and again, I could wake up as many as 4 times a night in the span of a 5 or 6-hour sleep. It sucks because then I feel tired still when I get up. Some people tell me it's because I go to sleep with so many things on my mind and I worry so much about them that it makes me panic in my sleep or something like that.

Sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep too. I usually just lay there and do nothing. Either I listen to music, watch something or just let myself feel sad to the point of just crying myself to sleep.

Your last point is something I've heard people try too and they find that it does help. I personally haven't tried it though.

Oh and I heard masturbation also helps one to fall asleep.

 

[jaguarundi]

I don't have insomnia. But I have disturbed sleep all the time. I'd have cut up sleep now and again, I could wake up as many as 4 times a night in the span of a 5 or 6-hour sleep. It sucks because then I feel tired still when I get up.

I should think it would tire you out next day! Usually once I get to sleep it's ok thereafter - unless I have a curious incident of a rodent in the night. Middle cat brings them in alive, alive-o and chases them all over the bedroom with the help of the others and the dog... I can certainly vouch for 3am being a good time for the secret police to call, Girlie-Girl seems to have worked it out all on her own...

Sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep too. I usually just lay there and do nothing. Either I listen to music, watch something or just let myself feel sad to the point of just crying myself to sleep.

Your last point is something I've heard people try too and they find that it does help. I personally haven't tried it though.

Oh sweetie! Crying yourself to sleep is definitely not the answer. Honestly, give the visualisations a go. There is so much choice of this stuff on youtube, even if you don't drop off to sleep it does relax you. In fact if you tried, you might find that the extra 'hit' of relaxation might help with your waking up problem. I tried loads of things for years, and this has helped more than any of the others. Couldn't do it when I just had a PC in another room - the laptop and now the tablet have been a godsend here, an absolute godsend.

Oh and I heard masturbation also helps one to fall asleep.

An excellent prescription! Anything to cut the tension down! Although a fat cat plonk in the middle of my chest purring, whilst soothing, doesn't always fit the bill...

 

[WildernessWildChild]

I work shift work at a mine- two 12 hour days, 24 hours off, then two 12 hour nights. If I do o.t. I usually prefer nights for the better pay. Doesn't exactly create the greatest situation for consistent sleep patterns.

The most useful seminar the company I work for gave us about fatigue and sleep management, I learned a lot about modifying things to allow for more rest- jaguarundi has already mentioned booze not being an asset, I also learned avoiding extensive use of our favorite electronic devices (the blue light off the screens is a sleep-killer), creating an environment for proper rest, and so forth. Here's an article called "How Much Sleep Do You Need?" That breaks it down in an easily understood format....www.helpguide.org/life/sleeping.htm
....there's a lot of wordy and dry sites out there that give too much info and might put you to sleep if it wasn't for the blue light off the screen This info might not apply/speak to everyone, just like many other things in life you get out of it what you put into it.

There's an app for smartphones called SleepCycle. I'm not going to try and sell you on its effectiveness, I (and a couple of hundred people I work with) already know it helps. It's not going to put you to sleep but it's something you can use to get there.

I've taken a picture of some of the websites on the back of the handout I was given at the seminar, I've visited a few of them.

 

[lonelyfairy]

I wish I could give a little part of my sleeping skills to you guys!

 

[jaguarundi]

I wish I could give a little part of my sleeping skills to you guys!

Ah one of them, I see! A friend of mine is like that. When she visits me over here, she shuts her bedroom door, and sacks out for the full 8 hours. I once hoovered the entire downstairs and she never woke up at all. . . . green with envy!

 

[lostatsea]

I'm a night owl myself. If left to set my own sleeping schedule I'll eventually shift so that I'm going to bed at 3am or later. It can be a curse because loneliness is definitely amplified in the wee hours of the night.

I do know a lot of people use the term insomnia incorrectly. When you wake up at noon or 1pm it will be very difficult to sleep less than 12 hours later because you've just rested many hours and haven't been up very long. People call that insomnia when it's just your sleeping schedule that needs to be corrected, kind of like jetlag.

I've had real insomnia where I was unable to sleep for 76 hours. I would lay in bed for hours every night but my brain wouldn't sleep. It took sleeping pills to allow myself any rest.

 

[ladyforsaken]

Honestly, give the visualisations a go. There is so much choice of this stuff on youtube, even if you don't drop off to sleep it does relax you. In fact if you tried, you might find that the extra 'hit' of relaxation might help with your waking up problem. I tried loads of things for years, and this has helped more than any of the others. Couldn't do it when I just had a PC in another room - the laptop and now the tablet have been a godsend here, an absolute godsend.

Ah, maybe I should give it a try some time. Thanks, jag.

Oh and I heard masturbation also helps one to fall asleep.

An excellent prescription! Anything to cut the tension down! Although a fat cat plonk in the middle of my chest purring, whilst soothing, doesn't always fit the bill...

Lol! That sounds kinda adorable but yes, I see

 

[eva92]

I've had a problem with this for many years. Throughout the years I've blamed it on various things but while time goes on I just am starting to accept it as something that just "is". So until anything changes I just try to tire myself out as much as possible and if that doesn't work.. then I guess the internet controls me for a few early morning hours.