sleep disturbances

[roy22341]

Sleep paralysis...

 

[jangoux]

I have a hard time falling asleep and if SOMETHING catches my attention then, BAM, there goes my will to sleep. Lately I am also waking at night to pee, and most times I dont sleep easily. Sports, or something to get me tired probably would solve that..

I took meds when i was 15, but it made me sleepy all day long, so i stopped that hehehe

 

[Erkan]

Dude, can I have one of those elephant duck's?

Dude, duck you!

 

[JBroll]

If you think it might be part of some bigger problem, see a doctor now.

I've been dealing with insomnia for as long as I can remember (during the times when I posted here more frequently, it would be unusual to see more than a few hours between posts... sleep just doesn't work, and lately it's been even worse) and for the next couple of months I'll be in a situation where I can't even afford (in time or money) to fix sleep issues.

My case is a little unusual, so hopefully you're not in as bad a situation as I've been, but at this point I wish that I had gotten at least a little bit of help with my sleep problems - I rarely get even a few hours at a time, I can't fall asleep when I have the opportunity, I simply don't have the time to work seriously on any kind of conditioning or behavioral changes (I barely have time to *walk* - I've started running between classes and offices out of necessity), and I'll usually go a day or two without sleep before passing out on the floor next to a few books and (when I'm lucky) a glass of water. I've been this way for quite some time, my already tenuous grasp of reality loosens by the day, and I won't even be able to make it to a doctor until halfway through the coming semester - I can't give you any help or solutions, but I can say that turning into me is a bad idea. Seek help if it interferes with your daily life and goes on for any notable period of time, period - you don't want to keep putting it off, since there may not be enough time later to take care of the issue.

Jeff

 

[abigor731]

If you think it might be part of some bigger problem, see a doctor now.

+1 do it!

i am currently working as some sort of military service substitution worker (i don't know how to call it, but if you refuse to go to the army, you have to let yourself assign other work by the state) in a village for handicapped children, and i really don't like it, i have to be an authoritarian asshole to the children all the time, and i've also got really nasty duty-rosters (even two shifts a day with a 5 hour gap inbetween) which constantly destroy my sleeping pattern and ... well we all hate work don't we uke:

what i want to say is don't hesitate going to a doctor, people always think this is only justified when you really have something "real" like a broken leg or something, but its the doctors job to determine wether you're sick or not, not yours that you can "offer" him some real sickness

at least that was what was keeping me away from seeing a doctor a long time, but eventually i did it and i don't regret it

 

[Harry Hughes]

On average (huge disclaimer here...I said AVERAGE) a person's sleep cycle is about 6 hours. In that 6 hours you go through roughly 5 stages of sleep, starting with the most refreshing and light sleep to the longer lasting and deep sleep (when REM happens).

If you get into a regular sleeping schedule, this stays in harmony and if you get a solid 6 hours of sleep the better. Remember, the earlier you go to sleep it works better since physically your body works harder to stay awake after dark. Waking up with the sun is great since it matches your bodies natural waking process. However if you are in an unstable sleep cycle, it gets harder and harder to enter the first stage of sleeping see it through to the end of the 5 stage.

Now to help you GET to that first stage, I recommend the following:

No TV, phone or computer for at least an hour before you try to sleep. They are all mental stimulants that will keep your brain chugging even if your body is exhausted. Calm relaxing music can help as long as it's not main focus (again, it can stimulate your noggin').
Alcohol/Tobacco is both a mental stimulant and muscle relaxer. You feel tired after having alcohol, but your brain gets a charge. Some people are really good at turning off their brains, others aren't. Find out if you can sleep better with or without alcohol. (Don't know about weed, never tried it and never researched it's effects on sleeping)
Mentally gear yourself down. You can't be workin' hard at a paper or doing research and then expect to hit the sack and knock out some z's. I would suggest taking the alcohol (if you so choose) at this point rather then right before you sleep. It'll force your body to relax which in turn can make you sleepy. If you time it right the alcohol's effect on your brain can wear off right before you sleep.

Last but not least there is the tried but true torture method. When you have a weekend or a really easy morning you can afford to bomb, stay up the entire night before and do your regular stuff during the day. This will utterly exhaust your body and mind, and use up any spare energy you would otherwise use to keep you awake (unintentionally, of course). I end up using this one most often. It SUCKS like anything at first, but it gives you blank slate to start working that on the sleep schedule.

I do the staying up an entire night thing every so often to fix my sleeping pattern.
Seems to work well.

 

[plague_rider]

I find some cheddar mash and a milkshake works

Sex, works wonders...

or the less extreme method

a mug of warm milk with a tablespoon of honey, in the microwave for a minute and a half, stir, drink, sleep...

beyond these healthier options, I normally agree with all those who say
-Stay up all night to reset body clock
-Drink/Smoke yourself under

 

[JayB]

Like some said before, exercise and healthy diet , AND if you are an insomniac like me , get some Valerian Root extract - I have a pill that is all natural , it has Valerian Root and Melatonin and some other shit. Smells really bad and tastes bad but it's the only thing that works for me. Take 3 hours before bed, you'll be falling asleep standing up.