Insomnia, it sucks

[SHOGUN]

High intense workouts in the mornings always helped me. If that doesn't get me tired enough at the end of the day, I'll go for another workout in the evening.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by peter12

What is it with insomnia? Is it a brain thing? Behavourial?

Big plus on the no screens, Jiri. Anything visually stimulating before bed will keep me up.

Does anyone else here suffer from OCD or other anxiety-related issues?

A lot of mine is stress driven, or not being able to "shut" my brain down. I find I do well, if I have no caffeine after after 11 am.

Reading helps sometimes, as does chatting with my wife when in bed. Problem is she is like an android, she can just shut down, and sleep.

[peter12]

My wife is also a fembot, and will promptly fall asleep for 8 complete hours. Every night. No matter how much she is stressed. In fact, that seems to speed her way into sleep.

Mine is stress-driven, and also OCD driven. The perils of being an OCD insomniac are perilous.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

High intense workouts in the mornings always helped me. If that doesn't get me tired enough at the end of the day, I'll go for another workout in the evening.

Evening workouts can make sleep harder. If you are going to do an evening workout - get it in as early as possible

[JiriHrdina]

Mine is stress related as well, but the main thing I'm stressed about is not sleeping. I know there is something more core to it - that started this whole thing, but the main thing is worrying about not sleeping.
I dread bed time now. Dread it.

However, I've basically made a deal with myself. I go to bed and if I'm awake after 60 minutes, I get up - pop my pill - and stay up for another 20 minutes - then start again.

Doing this all under very close doctor's care.

[SHOGUN]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Evening workouts can make sleep harder. If you are going to do an evening workout - get it in as early as possible

I like to do weight training in the mornings and cardio in the evenings depending on my energy level. I find running later in the evening for whatever reason puts my body in a weird comfortable state where just want to relax. After running, I would take a hot shower followed by a cold shower for 5 mins. After that, I'll read a book in dim light for 45 minutes to an hour.

If that isn't enough, I'll just smoke a joint and pass out.

[SHOGUN]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Mine is stress related as well, but the main thing I'm stressed about is not sleeping. I know there is something more core to it - that started this whole thing, but the main thing is worrying about not sleeping.
I dread bed time now. Dread it.

However, I've basically made a deal with myself. I go to bed and if I'm awake after 60 minutes, I get up - pop my pill - and stay up for another 20 minutes - then start again.

Doing this all under very close doctor's care.

Have you asked your doctor about marijuana?

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

Have you asked your doctor about marijuana?

Not my cup of tea. Generally it doesn't relax me.

[Brendone]

Might want to look into "Sleep Restriction Therapy". Basically reducing the time in bed until you achieve a high quality of sleep then gradually increasing the time in bed as you maintain quality.

http://www.sleepdex.org/restriction.htm

I started into it prior to a long trip, and it seemed to be helping. I found the reduced sleep had me feeling better than 8 hours of poor sleep. Have to get back into it for an extended period.

[Gundo]

3:28am.....that has been my witching hour for YEARS! Wake up full of stress and anxiety, fall back asleep for 30-45mins and then wake up.

Recently I have started to go to regular councilling for anxiety and stress related issues. My Psycoligist helped me by explaining why my brain wakes up at 110mph and keeping me awake and "snowballing".

She then gave me a mind excercise that seemed so simple I dismissed it at the time. Then one night I tried it, and it worked. And it worked well.

It's a needless mental excercise that requires thinking and keeps my brain working until I wind down and fall asleep. All I do is close my eyes and picture myself in a grocery store, then I start with the letter "A". I then picture myself looking for 1-2 things that start with that letter and move through the alphabet A-Z. Sometimes I only think of 1 item for each letter or if my mind is really going I make myself think of 2-3 items for each letter.

Sounds stupid I know, but I swear it works wonders. The other simple thing is I put a note pad on my nightstand to write down pressing matters that pop into myhead so I won't forget about them by morning.

But as someone who has suffered from stress and anxiety related insomnia for the better part of my adult life, speak to your doctor about it or perhaps try going to councilling to see if that may also help. I did and it has changed my life in the past 5 months.

[Jordan!]

Melatonin has been huge for me.. Take it before the evening shower before bed and i'm out pretty easily straight through to the alarm.

edit, I've also been meditating since about 2005-2006 ish.. Which also helps your mind handle anxiety/stress so you don't dwell on what is going through your mind.

[calgaryblood]

These last couple weeks have been hell trying to sleep. 4 hours a day max and can't sleep til 4-5 AM.

Would take sleeping bills but I don't want to be dependant on them. Know too many people who can't sleep without taking a sleeping pill.

[albertGQ]

Zzzquil works for me to help me sleep. Anyone try it?

[CaptainCrunch]

Eventually you just give up on sleep. I'm to the point right now, where I've been tested and mangled and given drugs and the problem never really goes away. Sure I might get a couple of weeks of respite where I sleep almost normally. But then I go months at a time of basically cap naps and wakefulness.

[stampsx2]

The last week has been a pain to stay asleep. What worked for me before was getting blinds that let zero light in. If light before bed screws up your body's melatonin production I figure keeping the room dark would help.

Another silly but effective thing is to picture yourself in a boat on the ocean going up and down with the waves but the waves should be slow and in sync with your breathing.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Eventually you just give up on sleep. I'm to the point right now, where I've been tested and mangled and given drugs and the problem never really goes away. Sure I might get a couple of weeks of respite where I sleep almost normally. But then I go months at a time of basically cap naps and wakefulness.

if this was the gear grinding thread it would be those who screw up their idioms

[Dan02]

I managed to fall asleep well last night for the first time in forever(around midnight) only to be awoken 2 hours later in a rage after goalie on my beer league team decided he didnt want to play goal so he played out and we played with no goalie. sigh no more sleep was to be had.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Dan02

if this was the gear grinding thread it would be those who screw up their idioms

I ain't gonna lose any sleep over it

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

The last week has been a pain to stay asleep. What worked for me before was getting blinds that let zero light in. If light before bed screws up your body's melatonin production I figure keeping the room dark would help.

Another silly but effective thing is to picture yourself in a boat on the ocean going up and down with the waves but the waves should be slow and in sync with your breathing.

What if you're prone to sea sickness? I don't want to wake up covered in my dinner.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Dan02

if this was the gear grinding thread it would be those who screw up their idioms

If the Captain takes the nap is it not a cap nap?