Not really, but I like it when people stay up late on the mainland. That gives me adversaries and coop friends.
"Thanks, KrazyTaco, thanks. I'd put it in your pooper too." -Mex "Krazy, I love the fact that you exist." -Vector "Oh, KrazyTaco, you fulfill all my wishes." -pneuman
xboxlive= KrazyTacoFO
I've struggled with sleep my whole life. I've always been leery of sleeping pills so I've eventually learned to manage it.
No coffee or Coke after 3 pm, at the latest.
No sleeping in, ever. It is critical to maintain sleeping patterns.
Sometimes I don't sleep properly for a couple of nights, I just accept it, warn the people around me that I'm going to be a little clumsy and eventually I will pass out early and sleep solidly for a whole night.
kuddles wrote:
The game could be Ray and Greg jumping out of the box and kicking you in the junk, and I'd still be on message boards defensively saying people were being too harsh on it.
**I deleted the video link because I think it is close to being not allowed by GWJ**
"Thanks, KrazyTaco, thanks. I'd put it in your pooper too." -Mex "Krazy, I love the fact that you exist." -Vector "Oh, KrazyTaco, you fulfill all my wishes." -pneuman
xboxlive= KrazyTacoFO
One of the best tips is not to do anything too stimulating just before you go to bed i.e. games or getting into heated debates on the GWJ forums
Also, if I really can't get to sleep, I get up, have a cup of tea (you're not supposed to as it's a stimulant) and watch a programme I've saved up or read and then go back to bed again. It seems to break the cycle of frustration when you're just lying there thinking, "Go to sleep damnit!"
Now I lay me down not to sleep
I just get tangled in the sheets
I swim in sweat three inches deep
I just lay back and claim defeat
Chapter read and lesson learned
I turned the lights off while she burned
So while she's three hundred degrees
I throw the sheets off and I freeze
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
My hands are locked up tight in fists
My mind is racing filled with lists
of things to do and things I've done
Another sleepless night's begun
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
There's so much joy in life,
so many pleasures all around
But the pleasure of insomnia
is one I've never found
With all life has to offer,
There's so much to be enjoyed
But the pleasures of insomnia
are ones I can't avoid
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around
Hala Hala Hala...
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
Unfortunately by round three i mean going on day 3 not three times up 2nite
O.O I think any advice is wasted, you need meds! And it isn't something I say lightly.
Higgledy wrote:
Also, if I really can't get to sleep, I get up, have a cup of tea (you're not supposed to as it's a stimulant) and watch a programme I've saved up or read and then go back to bed again.
Have you tried rooibos tea? It's awesome stuff, apparently it's available in the UK at health shops. Nice taste, unlike most herbal teas, zero caffeine and plenty of anti-oxidants.
kuddles wrote:
The game could be Ray and Greg jumping out of the box and kicking you in the junk, and I'd still be on message boards defensively saying people were being too harsh on it.
I have a similar problem, I usually can't sleep till 1Am or so. My mind just wonders when I close my eyes, I think about work, issues, everything. I have been sleeping with the TV on for the last 7 years so a droning choice on the history channel can lull me to sleep.
I recently started turning the tv off and have been slowing learning how to shut my brain off and get to bed a bit earlier but I envy those that can sleep just by laying their head on the pillow.
I don't think I've ever said this sentence before, but man would I love to hump that butterfly.-- KrazyTaco
One phone call and you're melting like butter over my kettle pop. -- Edwin to Mex
2005 GWJFFL2 Champion
Have you tried rooibos tea? It's awesome stuff, apparently it's available in the UK at health shops. Nice taste, unlike most herbal teas, zero caffeine and plenty of anti-oxidants.
I'll look out for it
I sometimes do something that sounds crazy but it pretty consistently works for me. I lie in bed, on my back and raise one or both arms. I have to hold the arm/arms up in the air as long as possible and then let them drop. I haven't to move them from where they landed and if I do I have to hold them up again. I think it works because it distracts me from not sleeping.
Probably not recommended if you have a partner otherwise, not only will you be awake, but you'll have someone with a black eye calling you names.
I used to sleep 3-4 hrs a night. That was awesome, I had more than enough gaming time. Then I started dating someone with narcolepsy. She says it's not contagious but now I can't even lay down on the chase to watch a movie without falling asleep!
So it's 1 of 2 things:
1) I've caught narcolepsy (highly unlikely)
2) I stopped playing WoW 60+ hrs a week so I could spent time with my GF. (More than likely)
We will just have to see what happens when Warhammer is released, although I'm going to try to keep the playtime down from what my WoW addiction was.
What helps me the most is "no lit screens or bright lights 30-60 minutes before bedtime". That plus a completely dark bedroom turned me from a sleepless wreck into one of those people who is usually asleep within minutes of getting in bed.
For those rare times when I'm in bed for half an hour without falling asleep, I go into the living room and read for twenty minutes or so.
I've always been a bad sleeper too, which cultivated some pet peeves for me:
- I always have a glass of water nearby
- Same for mosquito swapper
- Never turn on lights when going to the bathroom at night.
- I don't have my alarm clock too near, so the minute counting doesn't start when I can't get to sleep.
- Full darknes = mandatory
Am I the only one that keeps the score on sleeping hours? As in "dammit right now I only have 4h53m sleeping hours left. Need to sleep NOW!"
Roo: "Just to cheer you up if any of the above made you sad: Boobies."
Koning_Floris, on my online 'skills': "Stinking is a skill too!"
I have a similar problem, I usually can't sleep till 1Am or so. My mind just wonders when I close my eyes, I think about work, issues, everything. I have been sleeping with the TV on for the last 7 years so a droning choice on the history channel can lull me to sleep.
I recently started turning the tv off and have been slowing learning how to shut my brain off and get to bed a bit earlier but I envy those that can sleep just by laying their head on the pillow.
I found the best solution was not trying to go to bed early, but waking up early. No matter how little sleep I have I never sleep later than 6am on weekends, during the week I have to wake up at 4.30 to get to work. By the time I get to 9 pm I'm really struggling to stay awake. If I sleep in one day I struggle for at least another 3.
dejanzie wrote:
Am I the only one that keeps the score on sleeping hours? As in "dammit right now I only have 4h53m sleeping hours left. Need to sleep NOW!"
Nope, I used to do that. Now I don't sweat it.
kuddles wrote:
The game could be Ray and Greg jumping out of the box and kicking you in the junk, and I'd still be on message boards defensively saying people were being too harsh on it.
We're in Myrtle Beach this long weekend for a crafts fair and vacation. This hotel has the absolute worst sound proofing I've ever experienced. Simply awful. That plus my natural insomnia meant I got 3 to 3.5 hours of sleep Friday night.
For the past 8 months I've been on a number of different sleep meds, including Ambien and Ambien CR. In the end, I'm going back to over the counter melatonin, 3mg a night.
Fedaykin98 wrote:
Good lord, I wouldn't have expected brilliance like that from that nemeslut Quintin Stone!
I've always been a bad sleeper too, which cultivated some pet peeves for me:
- I always have a glass of water nearby
- Same for mosquito swapper
- Never turn on lights when going to the bathroom at night.
- I don't have my alarm clock too near, so the minute counting doesn't start when I can't get to sleep.
- Full darknes = mandatory
Am I the only one that keeps the score on sleeping hours? As in "dammit right now I only have 4h53m sleeping hours left. Need to sleep NOW!"
I do that.
Have others tried a sound machine? We use these, and by "we" I mean one in each of our bedrooms (plus one or two extra just in case), my parents have multiple ones, my sister and her family have multiple ones, no one in our family ever goes anywhere without it. Our family could be the poster family for these things. I have a hard time sleeping always, but I can NOT go to sleep in a silent room.
I do not take a lot of pain medication, but I have found that on really bad nights two Extra Strength Tylenol can relax me just enough to make that final leap to sleep. If I do it many nights in a row, they lose their potency on me.
I've had my occasional sleep issues and for some reason they got worse last year when I had a really bad month.
Used Ambien for a while, but that stuff is bad news over long periods of time or if you mess up and don't sleep long enough when taking it.
The keys for me are a "low light" time before going to bed and never sleeping in. Exercise can help too, but I find if I do that too late in the afternoon it just makes thing worse because I'm still amped before bed time. Morning exercise would be best.
Strangely, I now sleep better on trips than I ever have. I always used to have a lot of trouble. But my sub-concious now correlates by home bed with more sleep trouble than botel beds. So score!
I slept last night from 7pm to 7am. I wasn't feeling so great, though. (Ran out of Zyrtec.)
Usually I need 8-9 hours of sleep, though. And I am not afraid of naps, as long as they are an hour or less and finish by 6p.
The few times that I have trouble falling asleep, I usually need it to be colder (and I make sure I have blankets near so I can regulate without getting out of bed). Also, SleepyTime tea is good and actually helps a little.
"I can't knife you right now. I have a chair and some pants."
Unfortunately, I have a few things that keep me from escalating my war on sleep. Caffeine is one of them. I get chronic headaches, and it's the caffeine in soda that keeps them down to a managable level. (And yes, I've tried quite a few things to confirm it wasn't just caffeine reliance, mostly that I didn't start drinking soda heavily until my doctor suggested the caffeine might help. ) I also get migranes pretty frequently.
Mostly though, it's that I get antsy. I can't lay in darkness for longer than 15 minutes without going completely insane (which chases sleep away, quickly). Lack of stimulating activities doesn't help at all, I still get antsy. I just can't sleep unless I'm tired, no matter what.
I do have a couple of tricks that may be handy for short-circuiting the process though.
Do something physically exhausting. I go for a walk or a run. When you get home, you'll likely be tired enough you'll fall over and sleep, even for a few hours.
Also, try your best not to worry about sleeping. If anything, try to take advantage of it. Your body will tell you when you _need_ to sleep. (My record is a week with no ill effects. I wasn't even fatigued until the last hour, and I laid down and slept.)
My most entertaining thing I've done, is completely beat FFVII without sleeping. (I was playing it most of the time I wasn't doing something else).
Exercise can help too, but I find if I do that too late in the afternoon it just makes thing worse because I'm still amped before bed time. Morning exercise would be best.
This works for me. I'm one of those people who slowly stays up a little later each day (it's uncontrollable) until I'm up past 2am everyday, leaving me exhausted the next day. I've learned that exercise everyday will stop that and it helps keep my sleep time static and routine. I also recommend darkness and NO TV in the bedroom, soft music/relaxation sounds are good.
(WAR) Snaek - Black Orc -- Iron Rock
(WAR) Whyppet - Magus -- Iron Rock
(WAR) Snaekolf - Engineer -- Badlands
I've been an insomniac for years. The others have talked about what works: keep to a schedule; use your bedroom only for sleep and snu-snu; avoid both caffeine and booze; and do something physical every day. The last one is what allowed me to break the chain of staring at the clock at 4am waiting for the alarm to go off.
You might also want to look into meditation. My insomnia would come from lying down to sleep and having a flood of crap from the day come back to me: things I need to do at work, issues with the relationships I was in, general worries, etc. If you can power through those, sleep will come. If its 30 minutes later and you're still awake, get up and do something. You don't want your bedroom mentally tainted as a place you can relax in.
I'll still go through periods where I'll accidentally invert my days, staying up all night and sleeping through the day. It's not a good practice to get into.
Sleep used to hate me, then I dumped the source of my stress on his ass and now I sleep like a baby.
That's not entirely true (though it helped). I took sleeping pills when I was really running on empty and did all the other things mentioned on here: dark room, white noise, sleepy time tea etc.
I'm usually out and dreaming within ten minutes of my head hitting the pillow now.
LilCodger wrote:
Stengah wrote:
Jimmies. Dessert sprinkles. "I'd like a sundae with chocolate jimmies."
I don't get it. How do you kick someone in the sprinkles?
Usually, sleep is not my enemy. Some time around 10 days ago, it started hating me. Waking me up all hours, keeping me up for an hour or so each time. It's probably just a phase though :/
Coldstream wrote:
Sands, S. & Murdoch, J.; New England Journal of Medicine. Why Guys Dig Chicks Who Kill Violently Kill Stuff Nov, 2008; pp 65-68.
Be active. Seriously, you will be surprised how good you will feel throughout the day if you weight lift or run in the morning. But the best thing is you will be more tired at night.
Location: I turn once more to those who/ sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer...
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 - 1:38pm
Before looking to drugs, most doctors will first try to get you to work on reducing stress, getting regular exercise (at least 2 hours spread out across each week), eating a healthy and regular diet, avoiding caffeine, and working on light signals. All these can change how your body naturally calibrates to know when to sleep and when to awaken.
For me, one of the best things I can do when I'm having trouble sleeping is to take time off away from technology. The lack of artificial lights and distractions gives me more time to concentrate on taking care of my body, and lets my body get used to the natural circadian rhythm that will start to coincide with the sun. Getting off the info grid also does wonders to relieve my stress.
Elysium: The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid.
XBL: E Munnie
elementsofmeaning.blogspot.com
Sleep loves me, and I love sleep. It's the people who don't take my job/lifestyle into account that hate me. I don't ask them to spend all night with me, so why do they ask me to spend all day with them? What part of "I work the nightshift" don't they understand?
Duoae wrote:
Frankly i'm sick of all this anti-nipple-establishmentarianism
merphle wrote:
The Konami Code taught me everything I need to know about sex.
(minor derail) 93_confirmed, I just noticed your sig. I have never laughed so hard at a tagline in my entire life (and the fact that I use "tagline" should tell you something about how long I've been on the internet)
(/derail)
(minor derail) 93_confirmed, I just noticed your sig. I have never laughed so hard at a tagline in my entire life (and the fact that I use "tagline" should tell you something about how long I've been on the internet)
(/derail)
Thanks . I has the same reaction when I first saw it on one of the "other forums" and decided to jack it from my own use.
Lag used to be a lot worse back in the day. Hell, it took Jesus 3 days to respawn.
Quintin_Stone wrote: The typical American eats 3.5 bigfoots in their sleep each year.
Not really, but I like it when people stay up late on the mainland. That gives me adversaries and coop friends.
"Thanks, KrazyTaco, thanks. I'd put it in your pooper too." -Mex
"Krazy, I love the fact that you exist." -Vector
"Oh, KrazyTaco, you fulfill all my wishes." -pneuman
xboxlive= KrazyTacoFO
I've struggled with sleep my whole life. I've always been leery of sleeping pills so I've eventually learned to manage it.
No coffee or Coke after 3 pm, at the latest.
No sleeping in, ever. It is critical to maintain sleeping patterns.
Sometimes I don't sleep properly for a couple of nights, I just accept it, warn the people around me that I'm going to be a little clumsy and eventually I will pass out early and sleep solidly for a whole night.
kuddles wrote:
MechaSlinky wrote:**I deleted the video link because I think it is close to being not allowed by GWJ**
"Thanks, KrazyTaco, thanks. I'd put it in your pooper too." -Mex
"Krazy, I love the fact that you exist." -Vector
"Oh, KrazyTaco, you fulfill all my wishes." -pneuman
xboxlive= KrazyTacoFO
Unfortunately by round three i mean going on day 3 not three times up 2nite
Your friendly neighbourhood hair splitting singularity.
Aperture scientist is my alter ego.
(Christmas avatar by Mystic Violet)
One of the best tips is not to do anything too stimulating just before you go to bed i.e. games or getting into heated debates on the GWJ forums
Also, if I really can't get to sleep, I get up, have a cup of tea (you're not supposed to as it's a stimulant) and watch a programme I've saved up or read and then go back to bed again. It seems to break the cycle of frustration when you're just lying there thinking, "Go to sleep damnit!"
... herald of Piggledy 'Destroyer of Worlds'
Words & Music by Steven Page & Ed Robertson
Now I lay me down not to sleep
I just get tangled in the sheets
I swim in sweat three inches deep
I just lay back and claim defeat
Chapter read and lesson learned
I turned the lights off while she burned
So while she's three hundred degrees
I throw the sheets off and I freeze
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
My hands are locked up tight in fists
My mind is racing filled with lists
of things to do and things I've done
Another sleepless night's begun
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
There's so much joy in life,
so many pleasures all around
But the pleasure of insomnia
is one I've never found
With all life has to offer,
There's so much to be enjoyed
But the pleasures of insomnia
are ones I can't avoid
Lids down, I count sheep
I count heartbeats
The only thing that counts is
that I won't sleep
I countdown, I look around
Hala Hala Hala...
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
Who needs sleep?
(well you're never gonna get it)
Who needs sleep?
(tell me what's that for)
Who needs sleep?
(be happy with what you're getting
There's a guy who's been awake
since the Second World War)
O.O I think any advice is wasted, you need meds! And it isn't something I say lightly.
Have you tried rooibos tea? It's awesome stuff, apparently it's available in the UK at health shops. Nice taste, unlike most herbal teas, zero caffeine and plenty of anti-oxidants.
kuddles wrote:
MechaSlinky wrote:I have a similar problem, I usually can't sleep till 1Am or so. My mind just wonders when I close my eyes, I think about work, issues, everything. I have been sleeping with the TV on for the last 7 years so a droning choice on the history channel can lull me to sleep.
I recently started turning the tv off and have been slowing learning how to shut my brain off and get to bed a bit earlier but I envy those that can sleep just by laying their head on the pillow.
I don't think I've ever said this sentence before, but man would I love to hump that butterfly.-- KrazyTaco
One phone call and you're melting like butter over my kettle pop. -- Edwin to Mex
2005 GWJFFL2 Champion
I'll look out for it
I sometimes do something that sounds crazy but it pretty consistently works for me. I lie in bed, on my back and raise one or both arms. I have to hold the arm/arms up in the air as long as possible and then let them drop. I haven't to move them from where they landed and if I do I have to hold them up again. I think it works because it distracts me from not sleeping.
Probably not recommended if you have a partner otherwise, not only will you be awake, but you'll have someone with a black eye calling you names.
... herald of Piggledy 'Destroyer of Worlds'
I used to sleep 3-4 hrs a night. That was awesome, I had more than enough gaming time. Then I started dating someone with narcolepsy. She says it's not contagious but now I can't even lay down on the chase to watch a movie without falling asleep!
So it's 1 of 2 things:
1) I've caught narcolepsy (highly unlikely)
2) I stopped playing WoW 60+ hrs a week so I could spent time with my GF. (More than likely)
We will just have to see what happens when Warhammer is released, although I'm going to try to keep the playtime down from what my WoW addiction was.
Warhammer: Haruspex / Marauder at large
What helps me the most is "no lit screens or bright lights 30-60 minutes before bedtime". That plus a completely dark bedroom turned me from a sleepless wreck into one of those people who is usually asleep within minutes of getting in bed.
For those rare times when I'm in bed for half an hour without falling asleep, I go into the living room and read for twenty minutes or so.
Semper Delectatio
Xbox Live - Cannibal GWJ XFire - cannibalcrowley
http://cannibalcrowley.blogspot.com/
I've always been a bad sleeper too, which cultivated some pet peeves for me:
- I always have a glass of water nearby
- Same for mosquito swapper
- Never turn on lights when going to the bathroom at night.
- I don't have my alarm clock too near, so the minute counting doesn't start when I can't get to sleep.
- Full darknes = mandatory
Am I the only one that keeps the score on sleeping hours? As in "dammit right now I only have 4h53m sleeping hours left. Need to sleep NOW!"
Roo: "Just to cheer you up if any of the above made you sad: Boobies."
Koning_Floris, on my online 'skills': "Stinking is a skill too!"
I found the best solution was not trying to go to bed early, but waking up early. No matter how little sleep I have I never sleep later than 6am on weekends, during the week I have to wake up at 4.30 to get to work. By the time I get to 9 pm I'm really struggling to stay awake. If I sleep in one day I struggle for at least another 3.
Nope, I used to do that. Now I don't sweat it.
kuddles wrote:
MechaSlinky wrote:Yes.
We're in Myrtle Beach this long weekend for a crafts fair and vacation. This hotel has the absolute worst sound proofing I've ever experienced. Simply awful. That plus my natural insomnia meant I got 3 to 3.5 hours of sleep Friday night.
For the past 8 months I've been on a number of different sleep meds, including Ambien and Ambien CR. In the end, I'm going back to over the counter melatonin, 3mg a night.
Fedaykin98 wrote:
wordsmythe wrote:
I do that.
Have others tried a sound machine? We use these, and by "we" I mean one in each of our bedrooms (plus one or two extra just in case), my parents have multiple ones, my sister and her family have multiple ones, no one in our family ever goes anywhere without it. Our family could be the poster family for these things. I have a hard time sleeping always, but I can NOT go to sleep in a silent room.
I do not take a lot of pain medication, but I have found that on really bad nights two Extra Strength Tylenol can relax me just enough to make that final leap to sleep. If I do it many nights in a row, they lose their potency on me.
I've had my occasional sleep issues and for some reason they got worse last year when I had a really bad month.
Used Ambien for a while, but that stuff is bad news over long periods of time or if you mess up and don't sleep long enough when taking it.
The keys for me are a "low light" time before going to bed and never sleeping in. Exercise can help too, but I find if I do that too late in the afternoon it just makes thing worse because I'm still amped before bed time. Morning exercise would be best.
Strangely, I now sleep better on trips than I ever have. I always used to have a lot of trouble. But my sub-concious now correlates by home bed with more sleep trouble than botel beds. So score!
I also use sound machines or a fan if I can.
Xbox Live: psu13, PSN: psu_13
I slept last night from 7pm to 7am. I wasn't feeling so great, though. (Ran out of Zyrtec.)
Usually I need 8-9 hours of sleep, though. And I am not afraid of naps, as long as they are an hour or less and finish by 6p.
The few times that I have trouble falling asleep, I usually need it to be colder (and I make sure I have blankets near so I can regulate without getting out of bed). Also, SleepyTime tea is good and actually helps a little.
"I can't knife you right now. I have a chair and some pants."
Yeah, sleep and I are mortal enemies.
Unfortunately, I have a few things that keep me from escalating my war on sleep. Caffeine is one of them. I get chronic headaches, and it's the caffeine in soda that keeps them down to a managable level. (And yes, I've tried quite a few things to confirm it wasn't just caffeine reliance, mostly that I didn't start drinking soda heavily until my doctor suggested the caffeine might help. ) I also get migranes pretty frequently.
Mostly though, it's that I get antsy. I can't lay in darkness for longer than 15 minutes without going completely insane (which chases sleep away, quickly). Lack of stimulating activities doesn't help at all, I still get antsy. I just can't sleep unless I'm tired, no matter what.
I do have a couple of tricks that may be handy for short-circuiting the process though.
Do something physically exhausting. I go for a walk or a run. When you get home, you'll likely be tired enough you'll fall over and sleep, even for a few hours.
Also, try your best not to worry about sleeping. If anything, try to take advantage of it. Your body will tell you when you _need_ to sleep. (My record is a week with no ill effects. I wasn't even fatigued until the last hour, and I laid down and slept.)
My most entertaining thing I've done, is completely beat FFVII without sleeping. (I was playing it most of the time I wasn't doing something else).
St.Hillary wrote:
Commence your hatred, gentlemen.This works for me. I'm one of those people who slowly stays up a little later each day (it's uncontrollable) until I'm up past 2am everyday, leaving me exhausted the next day. I've learned that exercise everyday will stop that and it helps keep my sleep time static and routine. I also recommend darkness and NO TV in the bedroom, soft music/relaxation sounds are good.
(WAR) Snaek - Black Orc -- Iron Rock
(WAR) Whyppet - Magus -- Iron Rock
(WAR) Snaekolf - Engineer -- Badlands
Yay I'm awake, and it's 9pm!
Your friendly neighbourhood hair splitting singularity.
Aperture scientist is my alter ego.
(Christmas avatar by Mystic Violet)
I've been an insomniac for years. The others have talked about what works: keep to a schedule; use your bedroom only for sleep and snu-snu; avoid both caffeine and booze; and do something physical every day. The last one is what allowed me to break the chain of staring at the clock at 4am waiting for the alarm to go off.
You might also want to look into meditation. My insomnia would come from lying down to sleep and having a flood of crap from the day come back to me: things I need to do at work, issues with the relationships I was in, general worries, etc. If you can power through those, sleep will come. If its 30 minutes later and you're still awake, get up and do something. You don't want your bedroom mentally tainted as a place you can relax in.
I'll still go through periods where I'll accidentally invert my days, staying up all night and sleeping through the day. It's not a good practice to get into.
Sleep used to hate me, then I dumped the source of my stress on his ass and now I sleep like a baby.
That's not entirely true (though it helped). I took sleeping pills when I was really running on empty and did all the other things mentioned on here: dark room, white noise, sleepy time tea etc.
I'm usually out and dreaming within ten minutes of my head hitting the pillow now.
LilCodger wrote:
Usually, sleep is not my enemy. Some time around 10 days ago, it started hating me. Waking me up all hours, keeping me up for an hour or so each time. It's probably just a phase though :/
Coldstream wrote:
I think the main problem is I am f*cking addicted to Diablo 2 again - AND LOVING IT. Too bad college starts tomorrow (scurry :S).
Your friendly neighbourhood hair splitting singularity.
Aperture scientist is my alter ego.
(Christmas avatar by Mystic Violet)
Be active. Seriously, you will be surprised how good you will feel throughout the day if you weight lift or run in the morning. But the best thing is you will be more tired at night.
Thanks for standin' still Wanker!
-XBox Gamertag: Tempest Blaze (Without the Y)
Before looking to drugs, most doctors will first try to get you to work on reducing stress, getting regular exercise (at least 2 hours spread out across each week), eating a healthy and regular diet, avoiding caffeine, and working on light signals. All these can change how your body naturally calibrates to know when to sleep and when to awaken.
For me, one of the best things I can do when I'm having trouble sleeping is to take time off away from technology. The lack of artificial lights and distractions gives me more time to concentrate on taking care of my body, and lets my body get used to the natural circadian rhythm that will start to coincide with the sun. Getting off the info grid also does wonders to relieve my stress.
Elysium: The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid.
XBL: E Munnie
elementsofmeaning.blogspot.com
Sleep loves me, and I love sleep. It's the people who don't take my job/lifestyle into account that hate me. I don't ask them to spend all night with me, so why do they ask me to spend all day with them? What part of "I work the nightshift" don't they understand?
Duoae wrote:
merphle wrote:
Steam ID
I'm addicted to sleep. I can easily put in a good 12 hours straight anytime of the week. Hmm...I wonder how much of my lfie has been slept away?
Lag used to be a lot worse back in the day. Hell, it took Jesus 3 days to respawn.
Quintin_Stone wrote: The typical American eats 3.5 bigfoots in their sleep each year.
PSN: x93_confirmedx (message me for Socom!)
(minor derail) 93_confirmed, I just noticed your sig. I have never laughed so hard at a tagline in my entire life (and the fact that I use "tagline" should tell you something about how long I've been on the internet)
(/derail)
St.Hillary wrote:
Commence your hatred, gentlemen.Thanks
. I has the same reaction when I first saw it on one of the "other forums" and decided to jack it from my own use.
Lag used to be a lot worse back in the day. Hell, it took Jesus 3 days to respawn.
Quintin_Stone wrote: The typical American eats 3.5 bigfoots in their sleep each year.
PSN: x93_confirmedx (message me for Socom!)