sleep...

[helix27]

how does one sleep? I think I once knew how... although now, I am not so sure. How is it something that comes so natural and easy to most anyone, has eluded me. It seem so simple... lay in bed, head hit pillow, eyes close.. snore! Why cant I do it? There are not enough sheep in this world! My eyes want it, but my mind says NO! May I have a shotgun? Ok I am going to go try now.

 

[artsmom]

Oh, Helix...I totally understand how you feel...it can be so frustrating!

Now, I won't ask you all the common questions like...caffefine intake...is something on your mind...change in routine....etc. I am sure you have explored all those possibilities yourself.

However, I do know that mine came from a change in my routine. I teach school and here during the summer...I have ended up staying up really late and still getting up early. And when I try to go to bed at a reasonable hour...nothing happens. My body is tired...but my eyes just stay open. I hope your situation resolves itself...and hopefully mine will too when school starts back.

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}

 

[subwannabe]

Hope by the time you read this you have slept well. I don't know if you were just venting or you seriously wanted help. If you really want help you either need to go to the doctor or give us a lot more details and then we can "diagnose" and treat you.

 

[Mr.G]

For what it's worth ...

a 12ga. is NOT an answer to sleep deprivation. It may seem like the easy answer NOW but it ain't. It will cause only a temporary suspension of your problems but before you know it you'll have those AND all the ones you'll get with a new life. Sounds shitty sometimes but with few exceptions ya GOTTA handle the crap HERE and NOW or it gets tougher the next time.

Please don't assume this is a wild theory and test it.

If it is JUST sleep (I'm assuming it's a combo of things) you may just need some short term biofeedback therapy. You must be getting SOME sleep or you'd be insane inside of two weeks so when do you sleep and under what circumstances? Analyze those times and repeat them - first in your head and then do it. Are there drugs involved.

Talk to us ....

 

[helix27]

Hope by the time you read this you have slept well. I don't know if you were just venting or you seriously wanted help. If you really want help you either need to go to the doctor or give us a lot more details and then we can "diagnose" and treat you.

pretty much just venting.

 

[RedCherries05]

I can't even try to sleep if I haven't done enough during the day. Activity wise I mean, doing some late night exercising has done wonders for me.

 

[Recidiva]

Whatever the brain takes to sleep, I don't make it. I need drugs or I will just go crazy.

 

[MaydayUK]

I get phases like this from time to time, will have very poor quality sleep for a while, then boom, the switch won't turn off and I will be completely unable to sleep for three or four days. I'll get to the stage of hallucinating, which I take to be some kind of sleep intruding on being awake (I'll be able to walk, talk, eat etc but have weird dream things doing on at the same time) then I'll just pass out.

The first time it happened, I stupidly decided to go cold turkey on some fairly strong prescription painkillers I was on. Worst mistake I've ever made. 4 or 5 years on, I still have some symptoms.

 

[helix27]

I get phases like this from time to time, will have very poor quality sleep for a while, then boom, the switch won't turn off and I will be completely unable to sleep for three or four days. I'll get to the stage of hallucinating, which I take to be some kind of sleep intruding on being awake (I'll be able to walk, talk, eat etc but have weird dream things doing on at the same time) then I'll just pass out.

The first time it happened, I stupidly decided to go cold turkey on some fairly strong prescription painkillers I was on. Worst mistake I've ever made. 4 or 5 years on, I still have some symptoms.

whoa... that was one hell of a first post!!!

 

[SweetErika]

I started taking Melatonin about a year ago, and it works really well. I didn't think it would because my insomnia is pain-related and none of the OTC medicines work well, but it really does help; without dependency, grogginess, or any other negative side effects! It seems like I get a deeper sleep when I take it, too, so I'm not so tired if I don't get enough sleep.

Give taking some (I think I take 3-6 mg, depending on how much trouble I think I'll have getting to sleep) and relaxing in bed a shot for a few weeks, and see if it helps you get to sleep and/or maximize the time you have.

 

[kiba]

i sleep better during the day thats why i am usually here. just cant go to sleep

 

[Davross]

This is going to sound really out there but try two things (both are equally important). 1.) Drink lots of water. 2.) (Very important) don't eat or drink anything with Red #40 food coloring in it. It has a tendency in about 5% of the population to cause serious irritability, over excitedness and extreme insomnia (I suffer from it personally so I talk from experience). You need to read the label of everything, it is everywhere.

Other than that have you tried reading an old college text book recently?

 

[RunningJib]

I have the same struggles

Dear Helix,

Sorry to hear of you plight. I have the same problem; mind just bounces from one topic to the next, almost like you are hearing voices?
First, we aren't alone. Secondly, you need professional help. I'd recommend you make an appointment w/ your doctor. He / She can you help you determine the best course of action.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of things I’ve learned along the way. First, if you can’t sleep, get out of bed. I’d recommend reading and a glass of warm milk. In terms of a book, try short stories, lest you find your book interesting and not want to put it down. Moveable Feast is a good suggestion and so are the stories by O’Henry and Doyle (Stories of Sherlock Holmes). Peaceful music works in the background, however, something you are familiar with and very low volume.

Best of luck,

R'jib

 

[Eilan]

I started a thread about this a couple of years ago. You've gotten really good advice already; maybe there's something there that will help you as well.

Sleeplessness/Relaxation Issues

 

[helix27]

Well to be honest, most of mine is my job. take tonight i just got home and its 4:30 am. I haven't really eaten anything so I am eating. I dj at clubs. I have to have very high energy to keep the place going both thru my mixing and thru the mic. So coming home and being able to sleep isn't usually possible. Then during the week mon-wend. I am still on this time set. Although I can sometimes switch it around for a few days so I can try to get things done during the day. I wish I could just push a button and sleep when I need to. Doesn't work that way. Yea I usually have a lot of things going thru my head when I am trying to sleep. Usually about work. It sucks but not much I can really do about it. Anyone that works thirds can feel my pain I am sure. Although that you very much for the input. I will keep them all in mind and give em a try... I dont know if I want to use meds because most of it is just my sched. Dont want to be dependent on it. Thats a worry of mine. Although tonight I should sleep well tonight though! Dj'd 12 hours today with setup and tear down and the two gigs I had. I am sore. now watch I wont be able to sleep now.

 

[MaydayUK]

whoa... that was one hell of a first post!!!

Heh heh, hello.

If you're working strange hours, then that's gonna cause a lot of your problems - especially trying to switch back to "day mode". I've had periods where I woke late in the evening, stayed up all night, went to lectures/tutorials in the morning, went to bed etc . . . it worked okay so long as I could stick to that pattern, and not try to be awake during the afternoon.

My current job helped my sleep problems a huge amount - I enjoy being in work so I wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed somewhere between 6.30 and 7.00 without an alarm, so I then get tired enough to sleep by 11 or midnight, etc. When that clicked into place a lot of my other medical problems just vanished as well.

Probably the one thing that consistently gets me to sleep well when I otherwise can't is total physical exhaustion, in my case from playing hockey - after tournaments a sleep like a baby. Maybe some really intense exercise before bed would help, too?

 

[helix27]

Maybe some really intense exercise before bed would help, too?

any woman want to help with this part?? ;-)

 

[Cathleen]

any woman want to help with this part?? ;-)

I was going to suggest having an orgasm. I understand with your work schedule you'll need some winding down time when you get home but maybe after some food, reading (boring stuff) an orgasm is worth a shot. (I get jazzed most of the time but ... fun is fun!)

I have trouble sleeping too. It used to be one of my best skills but menopause hit and whamo. Nothing trumpts a hot flash, well short of being knocked out. I had forgotten about melatonin, (thanks Erika), I'm going to pick some up and give it a try.

I get in bad routines and they're tough to break. Like Erika my sleep trouble is pain related and if I can get into a deep sleep the pain won't wake me but that's a tall order.

I need to really try to establish a good routine, I've been lax about it and change doesn't happen like magic. Hopfully I won't come here in the wee hours ... yeah right, this is exactly where I come.

Seems we're all in good company.

btw, your picture is so peaceful to look at...I like it very much.

 

[DrHappy]

One of my best discoveries in combating insomnia is to avoid all sources of monosodium glutamate (MSG). Even small amounts can disrupt my sleep. I can be extremely tired, but the sleep part of the brain won't turn on. MSG (or other forms of free glutamates) are tricky to avoid because they are often labeled deceptively. People are now avoiding "MSG", so it is now hidden inside other ingredients. Definitely avoid anything with "autolyzed yeast extract" or gelatin. Alcohol makes it worse if I've ingested any form of MSG.

Melatonin helped a little for me, but I feel depressed after I've taken it for a while.

 

[RunningJib]

Are you being realistic?

Well to be honest, most of mine is my job. take tonight i just got home and its 4:30 am. I haven't really eaten anything so I am eating. I dj at clubs. I have to have very high energy to keep the place going both thru my mixing and thru the mic. So coming home and being able to sleep isn't usually possible. Then during the week mon-wend. I am still on this time set. Although I can sometimes switch it around for a few days so I can try to get things done during the day. I wish I could just push a button and sleep when I need to. Doesn't work that way. Yea I usually have a lot of things going thru my head when I am trying to sleep. Usually about work. It sucks but not much I can really do about it. Anyone that works thirds can feel my pain I am sure. Although that you very much for the input. I will keep them all in mind and give em a try... I dont know if I want to use meds because most of it is just my sched. Dont want to be dependent on it. Thats a worry of mine. Although tonight I should sleep well tonight though! Dj'd 12 hours today with setup and tear down and the two gigs I had. I am sore. now watch I wont be able to sleep now.

Most of us (myself included) get home, have diner and relax a bit before going to bed. Do you really think it is realistic to get off work, grab something to eat and then get some serious rack time?

I think you are going to need to adjust your goals a bit.

Again, best of luck to you

 

[helix27]

Most of us (myself included) get home, have diner and relax a bit before going to bed. Do you really think it is realistic to get off work, grab something to eat and then get some serious rack time?

I think you are going to need to adjust your goals a bit.

Again, best of luck to you

if it were that easy... lot of things on my off day require me to be mobile during the day.

 

[mjl2010]

I can sympathize with you. I've gone weeks without sleeping more than an hour or so a night.

For some of us, there's no help but a prescription. Part of the trouble is your body gets into a routine it can't break out of. This is part of my trouble. So a visit to the doc and a bottle of Ambien fixed me up good. At first I used them a lot. Then less and less.

I can't tell you how amazing I felt after I slept for ten hours the first night I took one.

Now, a prescription of thirty lasts me three months or more. The good doc says, don't let yourself fall into a pattern of not sleeping again. Twenty minutes and you're not asleep, get a pill and take it.

Nice thing about Ambien is how fast it works. Take one and GO DIRECTLY TO BED! 15 minutes and I'm out like a baby. If you don't get at least six hours you'll be pretty groggy for a while, but it passes.

Good luck.

MJL

 

[subwannabe]

My ex was a nurse and would sometimes work the night hours. She bought some very heavy, thick drapes for our house which were quite effective at making the room dark during the daylight hours. This helped her tremendously.

 

[naamplao]

I have had a lot of problems with sleeplessness. I still do.

I have been tested for sleep disorder and have found out that I am borderline narcoleptic. For those that don't know what narcolepsy is, it is the uncontrollable desire for sleep. This sounds like a great thing but it isn't.

I am only borderline since I did get 10 hours of sleep the day of my test (but not a deep sleep) but the killer was that after 10 hours of sleep they have you try to sleep again every hour for the next 5 hours and I was able to fall asllep within a few minutes every time.

I also have a supporting symptom called cataplexy. This scared the hell out of me until I found out about what it was. You suddenly lose muscle control when emotional...you literally can fall down laughing. I thought I had a degenerative nerve disease but I read a magazine article which showed the link between narcolepsy and cataplexy. My GP had to get a medical dictionary when I told him I had cataplexy....

Only 15% of people who have narcolepsy are diagnozed...I had to do it all by myself.

Personally I think it is an occupational hazard of being a traveling salesman.
I would get up at 5am to drive 4 hours to a city to begin sales calls...I would work until 4:30pm and go to my hotel room. I was not a drinker, pub goer...pretty dull guy I would either see a movie or watch one while I did paperwork. My evening meal was my night out so I would want to have it about 7:00pm...so at 4:30 I would relax on the bed, but fall asleep watching tv. I'd wake up at 9:00pm...hungry as hell. So I would go to a restaurant and eat a full meal...return to the hotel now wide awake...I could not sleep...I would leave the tv on and finally drift off at 2-3am and wake up at 7:00am....tired but I had to do another day.

I did this for 15 years and the pattern set in. That is my take on it anyway.

If you are interested in my describing this further I will...otherwise I won't bore you with it. When you ask for a sleep study, they screen you by asking some funny questions...they are signs of narcolepsy though.

 

[helix27]

I have had a lot of problems with sleeplessness. I still do.

I have been tested for sleep disorder and have found out that I am borderline narcoleptic. For those that don't know what narcolepsy is, it is the uncontrollable desire for sleep. This sounds like a great thing but it isn't.

I am only borderline since I did get 10 hours of sleep the day of my test (but not a deep sleep) but the killer was that after 10 hours of sleep they have you try to sleep again every hour for the next 5 hours and I was able to fall asllep within a few minutes every time.

I also have a supporting symptom called cataplexy. This scared the hell out of me until I found out about what it was. You suddenly lose muscle control when emotional...you literally can fall down laughing. I thought I had a degenerative nerve disease but I read a magazine article which showed the link between narcolepsy and cataplexy. My GP had to get a medical dictionary when I told him I had cataplexy....

Only 15% of people who have narcolepsy are diagnozed...I had to do it all by myself.

Personally I think it is an occupational hazard of being a traveling salesman.
I would get up at 5am to drive 4 hours to a city to begin sales calls...I would work until 4:30pm and go to my hotel room. I was not a drinker, pub goer...pretty dull guy I would either see a movie or watch one while I did paperwork. My evening meal was my night out so I would want to have it about 7:00pm...so at 4:30 I would relax on the bed, but fall asleep watching tv. I'd wake up at 9:00pm...hungry as hell. So I would go to a restaurant and eat a full meal...return to the hotel now wide awake...I could not sleep...I would leave the tv on and finally drift off at 2-3am and wake up at 7:00am....tired but I had to do another day.

I did this for 15 years and the pattern set in. That is my take on it anyway.

If you are interested in my describing this further I will...otherwise I won't bore you with it. When you ask for a sleep study, they screen you by asking some funny questions...they are signs of narcolepsy though.

humm that really makes sense. make sense as how with these type of schedules you could develop that.