insomnia

Kriista · Post by **Kriista** » January 22, 2004, 7:48 am

i get brutal insomnia every now and again

i had a month or so where i couldnt fall asleep till i literally could not stay awake, all red eyes and confused

if youve ever laid there in bed all night without being able to sleep, you know what a terrible feeling this is, particularly when you have nothing to do, or are actaully tired

what do you guys do when you cant sleep?

i normally try to sleep, if it doesnt happen within an hour or so i get up and do something, see if i can approach bedtime from scratch again
a warm shower sometimes works nice, sometimes i read

i wish i had a cd player or pc speakers in my bedroom, music used to help me sleep back in the day(its initially counter productive, i actively listen, but after 20min or so it fades and i sleep)

being on the pc rarely helps, i get bloodshot eyes, a sore ass, and awake as fuck

ive never tried pills, and wouldnt want to, dont want to become physically or mentally dependant on something like that for sleep

off to try again

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » January 22, 2004, 8:01 am

I'm just getting over a nasty bout of insomnia though slightly different to yours. I've had no trouble getting to sleep - it's staying asleep that's the problem. I'm a fairly light sleeper anyway and for the last 3 months, as soon as I wake up for any reason, I stay awake. For the vast bulk of this time I've only been staying in bed for about 4 hours and only sleeping about 3 of those. It totally fucks you up.
In the end I just went to my doctor for advice and he gave me sleeping pills. I have no principles regarding pills so I was happy to take them as long as it got me some rest. He prescribed me a month's worth but they are habit-forming so i've never taken them more than 2-3 nights in a row.
Give them a try. A couple of nights of 6-8 hours uninterrupted sleep is teh win.

Estrosiath · Post by **Estrosiath** » January 22, 2004, 8:28 am

Although I can't say I suffer from insomnia per se, I have an extremely regular internal clock; I wake up every morning between 5 to 6.30 am... No matter at what time I go to sleep the night before, or how tired I am. Now, although I am certainly not prone to going out night after night and coming home at 4am, whenever I did so, it was quite a problem. I did get some pills prescribed. Very mild ones... but they do help quite a lot. I take care to use them once in a while ( taking them too many times in a row would probably make them less effective after a while ), but I think their effect is both psychological and physiological.
As far as I am concerned, I am quite sure the simple fact of having "sleeping pills" puts one to sleep quite well... Even though for all I know they might be very mild, or even ineffective, it's simply the power of the mind over the body.
Unfortunately, sleeping disorders are quite tough to get rid off, even with our current level of medical technology. And I sincerely hope you manage to find a way to sleep. I remember the few nights when I really couldn't fall asleep, but wanted to, and I'm not really looking forward to it happening again.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » January 22, 2004, 9:17 am

I masturbate vigorously 3-4 times, pop a Xanax, take a hot shower, and I'm out.

Akaran_D · Post by **Akaran_D** » January 22, 2004, 9:52 am

Same as Masteen, only without the Xanax.
Anyone else notice that if you're up more than 24 hours, you start getting insatibly horny? Or is it just me?

Other solutions include sitting down and coding for a few hours. Usually numbs the mind.

Syenye Squirrellyelf · January 22, 2004, 10:06 am

been an insomniac for 9 years. i can't fall asleep. i take melatonin, they don't make me sleepy, they just help regulate my sleep schedule and help me fall asleep faster whenever i go to bed. i'm sure a lot of it is psychosomatic though.

tried ambien once to help me sleep on a plane. i freaked out, went crazy for about 20 minutes then passed out. i don't remember most of it, just what they told me, and lucky for me someone caught it on film. i don't go near those pills.

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » January 22, 2004, 10:33 am

Sleep is for the weak

Deward · Post by **Deward** » January 22, 2004, 10:34 am

My wife has trouble falling asleep because of anxiety. She is better now but she used to take ambien (sleeping pill, half a tablet is plenty) and trazodone (anti-anxiety).

I have never had trouble falling asleep. I am usually out like a light in less than 5 minutes. I usually concentrate on some sort of fantasy (usually not sexual) and try to bring out all the details in my mind. Puts me out quick because I have been doing it since junior high and my mind is conditioned to fall asleep this way. Does piss my wife off though because that is her talky time. hehe

Mukyluk · Post by **Mukyluk** » January 22, 2004, 10:47 am

smoke more pot..

Asheran Mojomaster · January 22, 2004, 12:21 pm

Take Tylenol P.M. about 2 hours before you go to bed. It works every time. Sometimes I have to lie in bed for 3-4 hours to finally get to sleep if I dont take a Tylenol P.M. but every time I take one I'm out in 15-20 mins after lying down.

Psyloche · Post by **Psyloche** » January 22, 2004, 12:32 pm

Exercise a few hours before you go to sleep for a reasonable amount of time. Doing it directly before bedtime can keep you up because your heart is racing after the workout.

Or have sex for a few hours before hand, it works much better.

Skogen · Post by **Skogen** » January 22, 2004, 1:13 pm

Load up the dual-chamber with some greenbud, take a few giant rips. The go to the couch, watch some TV...and you'll be drifting off to beautiful sleep a short time later!

Legenae · Post by **Legenae** » January 22, 2004, 1:26 pm

I get insomnia quite often. When I'm really frustrated with it I head to the doctor's for some prescription sleeping pills (over the counter ones don't work for me).

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » January 22, 2004, 1:26 pm

I suffer from bouts of really acute insomnia a few times a year. It usually only lasts for a week or so, but it's really bad. I get literally no sleep at all. Most insomniacs get narcoleptic after a couple days and usually manage an hour or two a day but I will literally be wide awake the entire time.

It's more annoying than anything else. Once a few years ago I was awake for almost two weeks and I kind of had a panic attack and freaked out my boyfriend. He drove me to the hospital and the doctor gave me a shot of something that put me out like a light for about two days. Other than that I try to stay away from sleep aids. Even prescription sleeping pills just make me groggy when I get like that.

My metabolism is kind of fucked up though. I normally only sleep for 2.5 to 3 hours a day. I've always been like that. I don't undstand how people can sleep away so much of their lives

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 22, 2004, 2:55 pm

Plane of Earth raids used to be the trick to make me sleep like a baby.

I usually stay up till I fall asleep at my computer or watching a movie, whatever. If I'm not tired, I won't sleep so there's no reason to try and force it.

I do notice my attitude sucks at work after only getting a few hours of sleep though. About 5-6 hours of sleep seems to work the best for me. Everyone's biological clocks are different. Without outside influences, my normal sleep pattern would be from 6am - 12noon. That's great for EQ and Net activities, not so good for work.

Obvious things that will keep people awake are stress, boredom, aliens, diet and addictions. Identify the problem...stress related insomnia is hard to combat. Try focusing on something else each night before going to bed. (fantasize that you have a life) Also, I've read that if you watch TV in bed that you don't get a good sleep...in practice, that seems to be the case for me as well. It's best to only use your bed for sleep. Watch TV, Computerize, etc elsewhere. My time from hitting the bed till I'm asleep has got to be like 5 mins or less unless I'm sick or something.

Taking pills is not the answer! You could drink a lot of booze and pass out but the quality of sleep from that can't be that great.

Sirensa · Post by **Sirensa** » January 22, 2004, 6:00 pm

I don't really get insomnia, but have periods where I have a hard time falling asleep.

It's easier for me to sleep well when I keep fairly active and don't eat three hours before bedtime. I also tend to take a warm bubble bath before bed more often than not. And if I can't fall asleep, I'll get up and read or something - but don't read in bed if you're having problems falling asleep, just makes it more difficult.

Shashonna · Post by **Shashonna** » January 22, 2004, 6:10 pm

Also takes me 4ever to fall asleep. Nothing works... sleep pills dont do anything. Sex just makes me more awake. So its just laying there till I get sleepy. Flip thru tv etc....reading helps me and I read in bed. If Im reading in bed usually put the book down once its hitting me in the forehead lol hehe

Hope you can get some good sleep soon

Rivera Bladestrike · Post by **Rivera Bladestrike** » January 22, 2004, 8:13 pm

When I sit awake thinking too much, I find myself lying awake for 4 or 5 hours before I try to stop my mind from thinking by like thinking of the color black, one hand clapping, a tree falling in the woods... those mind clearing things, but usually actively thinking of something like that, and i find my imagination taking those things and trying to figure them out... and i'm like i just want to sleep damnit!

You could always get really drunk and pass out... it may be a bit more entertaining than lying awake for several hours, and not hard either.

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » January 22, 2004, 8:27 pm

watching something really dull on tv usually knocks me out
but a lot of the times i just learn of another good movie

noel · Post by **noel** » January 22, 2004, 9:06 pm

Read an RFC.

Seriously though, cut caffeine out of your diet completely. That was the single biggest factor fucking up my sleeping schedule, the quality of my sleep, and my ability to fall asleep when I wanted to. Since I stopped drinking soda/tea/coffee (except on very rare occasions), I get to sleep well, and can make due on fewer hours of sleep.

Akaran_D · Post by **Akaran_D** » January 22, 2004, 9:08 pm

Aranuil.. that's.. that's..

You sir, are a HEATHEN.
(but probably right)

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » January 22, 2004, 9:22 pm

it must differ from person to person, because caffeine has never kept me up

Aslanna · Post by **Aslanna** » January 22, 2004, 9:26 pm

Rivera Bladestrike wrote:When I sit awake thinking too much, I find myself lying awake for 4 or 5 hours before I try to stop my mind from thinking by like thinking of the color black, one hand clapping, a tree falling in the woods...

Does it make a sound? The tree that is. In your dreams, I mean.

Legenae · Post by **Legenae** » January 22, 2004, 11:12 pm

Winnow wrote:
Taking pills is not the answer!

Neither is trying to function on no sleep!

I do my best to try other things: reading, watching tv, listening to some tunes to help me relax, taking a bath, trying herbal remedies... when nothing else works, I ask the doc for something stronger.

The worst is when you have to be up at a certain time, and you KNOW it... yet you stare at the clock thinking "if I fall asleep now, I'll have X hours of sleep." Yet you just can't fall asleep.

That's happened to me many many times.

Deneve · Post by **Deneve** » January 23, 2004, 12:12 am

no one has suggested drinking at all...a couple shots an hour before bed would prolly do it...

Asheran Mojomaster · Post by **Asheran Mojomaster** » January 23, 2004, 1:01 am

Rivera Bladestrike wrote:When I sit awake thinking too much, I find myself lying awake for 4 or 5 hours before I try to stop my mind from thinking by like thinking of the color black, one hand clapping, a tree falling in the woods... those mind clearing things, but usually actively thinking of something like that, and i find my imagination taking those things and trying to figure them out... and i'm like i just want to sleep damnit!

You could always get really drunk and pass out... it may be a bit more entertaining than lying awake for several hours, and not hard either.

Thats exactly why I can't get to sleep. I CANNOT turn my brain off, it just doesn't work, I just keep thinking of stuff. I can't even leave the radio on, because I find myself actively listening to every work and trying to analyze what the song means. Drinking definately helps though

or smoking, but I dont smoke much anymore.

Tyek · Post by **Tyek** » January 23, 2004, 2:10 am

Ambien works great for me, but be careful very addictive.

Truant · Post by **Truant** » January 23, 2004, 5:13 am

Honestly, 1 drink before bed will do the trick for most people.

And many doctors recommend one glass of red wine a day as being heart healthy.

Working a very fast paced, 10 hour shift, it's sometimes hard to unwind and fall asleep, which can get nasty after three or four days of 10 hours. I have a drink before I go to bed, nothing crazy...just a drink when I'm particularly wound up.

emmer · Post by **emmer** » January 23, 2004, 6:09 am

I've had insomnia ever since I was about 13. Everyone I know knows I have it, and I have tried all of their suggestions, waking up early, exercise before bed, pills... you name it. I've talked to several doctors over the years who have been unable to help me with medication. I finally had to just come to terms with it and fit it into my routine as much as possible, nothing else would work.

My problem is that tiredness and sleepyness are not necessarily synonymous. No matter when I wake up, how much or how little I do that day, I won't fall asleep until my mind completely burns itself out. I don't have the ability to look at a clock and tell my brain "well, it's 10 o' clock and I have to wake up early tomorrow so you need to shut down so I will be bright eyed and bushy tailed for work" like most people seem to have.

Last semester, I was a full time student and near full time employee, and it wasn't uncommon for me to have 12 hour days out running around, and it beat the hell out of me. I'd walk in the door, feet killing me, ready to plop down in the nearest chair and not get up for hours. Yet if I tried to go to sleep, I would spend a minimum of three to four hours staring at my ceiling in the dark, wide awake, waiting.

The routine I was living with was to fall asleep two hours before my alarm went off, go to class, come home and take a one hour nap, then go to work. That was roughly three hours of sleep a day, and I still couldn't fall asleep at night. I've always hated pills and perscriptions, but I hope they make something someday that works better than what I've tried. I don't think most people correlate "insomnia" with "debilitating illness", but it's switched around my entire lifestyle for about as long as I can remember.

cid · Post by **cid** » January 23, 2004, 6:16 am

Deneve wrote:no one has suggested drinking at all...a couple shots an hour before bed would prolly do it...

I drink a lot when I can not sleep. It doesnt help.

It is 1:15am and I work in 5 hours. I have drank enought to but the normal person to sleep long ago.

But insomnia> then any amount I can drink.

Shit im even listening to Staind and I cant fall the fuck to sleep!

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I first saw you
And it's been awhile
Since I could stand on my own two feet again
And it's been awhile
Since I could call you

And everything I can't remember
As fucked up as it all may seem
The consequences that I've rendered
I've stretched myself beyond my means

And it's been awhile
Since I can say that I wasn't addicted
And it's been awhile
Since I can say I love myself as well
And it's been awhile
Since I've gone and fucked things up just like I always do
And it's been awhile
But all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you

And everything I can't remember
As fucked up as it all may seem
The consequences that I've rendered
I've gone and fucked things up again

Why must I feel this way?
Just make this go away
Just one more peaceful day!

And it's been awhile
Since I could look at myself straight
And it's been awhile
Since I said I'm sorry
And it's been awhile
Since I've seen the way the candle lights your face
And it's been awhile
But I can still remember just the way you taste

And everything I can't remember
As fucked up as it all may seem to be I know it's me
I cannot blame this on my father
He did the best he could for me

And it's been awhile
Since I could hold my head up high
And it's been awhile
Since I said I'm sorry

Fuck ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Keverian FireCry · Post by **Keverian FireCry** » January 23, 2004, 7:10 am

I've had heavy insomnia of an on for the last 3, almost years until recently when I started learning reading and practicing meditation. I take a medication called "Trazadone", it works really well, but can't always overcome cetain stress or worry issues. One thing you should try is to not do anything active(physical or mental really) within an hour of going to bed. I wouldn't play any video game or browse on the computer within an hour before bed. Just try that for a while atleast.

Reading, listening to music(no "aggresive" music", calming stuff) or just watching tv with the volume fairly low can get you into a relaxed and restful mode(each of these preferably while laying down).

Meditation is fucking incredible if you have the time to learn and practice the basics of it, it's actually fairly simple and the things I listed above are actually beggining steps(music, unactive things, simply laying down/relaxing). Really though, just get into a restful and relaxing mode around and hour before you want to go to sleep.

Another really important thing I've learned is that if you are in bed and still cannot get to sleep after 30-45 minutes, and it just seems futile, get out of bed and go do one of the "relaxing" things I stated in the above paragraph. Often laying down to bed when you are not really ready to sleep is the worst thing you can do. You just lay there and shit starts churning through your brain; random worries, excitement, etc.

The important thing is allowing yourself an hour so BEFORE bedtime to get into a relaxed, worry-free mode. AVOID arguments and such 100%, this includes bullshit on these boards(this was a problem for me and I didn't notice).

Deneve · Post by **Deneve** » January 23, 2004, 1:55 pm

pretty mellow song with an odd, kinda numbing rythm:
Coma White-Marilyn Manson

XunilTlatoani · Post by **XunilTlatoani** » January 23, 2004, 3:38 pm

have you tried starting a fight club?

Badpassion Seelentrinker · January 23, 2004, 5:26 pm

I occassionally have problems to fall asleep too. Take a hot bath, sex, reading a book before sleeping usually no problem. If not, I do the think about black thing Shiez mentioned Mal told me about it. Amazingly it works.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » January 23, 2004, 5:52 pm

Deneve wrote:no one has suggested drinking at all...a couple shots an hour before bed would prolly do it...

Winnow wrote:
Taking pills is not the answer! You could drink a lot of booze and pass out but the quality of sleep from that can't be that great.

masteen · Post by **masteen** » January 23, 2004, 6:23 pm

Aranuil wrote:Read an RFC.

No fucking shit! I tried to read a couple RFCs on smart switching technology a couple years ago at my last job so I could compare what our product was doing to what it should be doing. I woke up about 2 hours into the document, which was now soaked in my drool.

Aranuil wrote:Seriously though, cut caffeine out of your diet completely. That was the single biggest factor fucking up my sleeping schedule, the quality of my sleep, and my ability to fall asleep when I wanted to. Since I stopped drinking soda/tea/coffee (except on very rare occasions), I get to sleep well, and can make due on fewer hours of sleep.

Infidel defiler! You shall all drown in lakes of blood! VIVA LA STARBUCKS!!!!

Deneve · Post by **Deneve** » January 23, 2004, 9:26 pm

Winnow wrote:
Deneve wrote:no one has suggested drinking at all...a couple shots an hour before bed would prolly do it...

Winnow wrote: Taking pills is not the answer! You could drink a lot of booze and pass out but the quality of sleep from that can't be that great.

mybad, and i can see where just drinking till you pass out wouldn't produce high-quality sleep, but a couple would take off the anxiety of trying to get to sleep...not a solution, just a little help

Kriista · Post by **Kriista** » January 23, 2004, 10:10 pm

thankfully my insomnia comes and goes, and is usually short lived(few days at a time)

at its worse, i had it for like a month, had an important job interview the next day, tried sleeping early etc.., literally was awake for like a day or 2 before, then showed up there probably red eyed and talking real fast
still got the job tho, heh

for me it was normally the 'brain running too fast' kind of insomnia, and i couldnt do anything about it but wait it out
as it usually coincided with something in my life at the time

i need to start being more productive when i have insomnia tho, would be nice to know im gonna be up all night anyhow, and do something with it, work on projects i have going etc..

a_guide · Post by **a_guide** » January 23, 2004, 11:07 pm

I'm with the boys who suggest getting your rocks off either with the participation of a loved one ( maybe just a live one depending on your standards) or alone when there is no alternative! When I've got no other choice and must sleep I give that a few goes and find it much easier to sleep afterwards.

Rivera Bladestrike · January 24, 2004, 11:54 pm

Opening up a statistics or calculus text book has been putting me to sleep lately... but other than that, if i go to bed at 11, I am up til 2am or so thinking about how I can make my girl happier.

tig · Post by **tig** » January 25, 2004, 3:17 am

i read VV boards ,

ohh ya no clue to answer your question im still wondering that i just drink lots of cokes and run around like a insane madman till finally i lay down and pass out. or i use punching bag and beat the crap out of it with a bat and sit back down and if i still cant goto sleep i sit there and watch tv till next mourning then when others wake up seems i can finnaly fall asleep but dont happens OMGIAMRETARDEDCAUSEALOTISTWOWORDS of times

get people to tell you boring stories of their lives ussualy works for me when my mom wont shut up

Drolgin Steingrinder · January 25, 2004, 3:33 am

It's not the lack of time spent relaxing, it's the lack of quality sleep that screws with you - and you don't get real, restful sleep when drunk or on a ton of pills. The sideeffects of true insomnia are potentially life (or at least sanity-) threatening.

I've had bouts with insomnia, all of them stress related. The list of "cures" is as long as I am tall, from old wives' remedies over new age gadgets to "just medicate the shit out of that sucker".

For me, the only thing that worked was reducing the stress in my daily life - and cutting caffeine and sugar intake. A friend of mine had similar experiences and for him, meditation was the way. YMMV - as usual.

Keverian FireCry · Post by **Keverian FireCry** » January 25, 2004, 3:58 am

Meditation is the best!!! I wake up with tons of energy compared to most of my life being more tired in the morning(and in to early after noon often) than I was in the middle of the night =)