Who else has experienced this and what can I do to get to sleep before three or four in the morning? (I have to get up around 7:15 to make it to work on time, which doesn't always happen.)
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 24 April 2003 21:57 (twenty years ago) link
Do you watch TV in bed? thats a big no-no. Get some exercise too.
― ryan, Thursday, 24 April 2003 21:58 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:02 (twenty years ago) link
Actually I don't know if my habits qualify as insomnia. I generally just stay up, reading or listening to music, and sometimes checking email etc., well past the point where I know I should go to bed. It's a compulsion. Last night, for example, I got home about eight, made dinner, did my homework, and then proceeded to stay up until nearly 3:30. At some point I was actually falling asleep on my sofa while doing my homework, and later I did the same while reading a novel. But I got up, got a glass of milk, and stayed up several more hours. My brain seems at war with itself; likewise, in the mornings, I often get up and part of my brain tells itself, "Gosh, I'm so tired, won't it be OK just to lay back down and rest?" Typically I'm able to resist such temptations, but lately I've been so zonked out of my mind with tiredness that I've actually done it. Result: I wake up at 8:45, get ready for work in a mad rush (thus: no breakfast, no time to shave), and either take a cab ($15 I can't afford) or simply skulk in the office at 10 (not the worst thing in the world, as I can stay until 6 or 7, but not so great either).
Sorry to bother you with these personal details but this is the number one problem in my life at the moment and I would like some advice.
― 4mateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:02 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris P (Chris P), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:05 (twenty years ago) link
― 4mateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:06 (twenty years ago) link
(on x-post: what Dan Perry said)
― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:09 (twenty years ago) link
― Andrew L (Andrew L), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris P (Chris P), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:11 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:13 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:15 (twenty years ago) link
I'm not sure. I just hear that a lot. I also hear that you should never do anything in your bed besides sleep and have sex. I know that when I observe these rules I can't even read in bed because I will just fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
I have this problem all the time, and yes I think it's a product of feeling unsatisfied. that's why I said check out Cioran!
― ryan, Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:16 (twenty years ago) link
ps--moving to another country didn't work.
― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:16 (twenty years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:18 (twenty years ago) link
― ryan, Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:19 (twenty years ago) link
The nights where I REALLY couldn't fall asleep, getting slightly tipsy did work wonders.
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:20 (twenty years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:21 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:21 (twenty years ago) link
TV and using a computer at night is supposed to be too stimulating. Just the light/flickering of the screen, I suppose. I go online when I have insomnia, which is exactly what you're not supposed to do.
Being up late at night just seems more interesting somehow.
― JuliaA (j_bdules), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:29 (twenty years ago) link
Maybe this is the key thing. When you have roommates, you get to see people, talk to people at night. Without roomates you look for stimulation from things like TV, internet, reading etc. You need to do these things for much longer to get that socially tired out feeling that living with actual people brings.
I am speaking from personal experience, I live alone too. (Also that feeling of "tee hee, I live alone! I can do whatever I want at any hour I please, oh ho ho ho!" has never quite worn off with me)
― rainy (rainy), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:30 (twenty years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:31 (twenty years ago) link
― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:41 (twenty years ago) link
― buttchh, Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:44 (twenty years ago) link
― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:48 (twenty years ago) link
― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:49 (twenty years ago) link
― mookieproof (mookieproof), Thursday, 24 April 2003 22:52 (twenty years ago) link
Anyway, I have insomnia, but it's part of a broader thing, and I take pills for it. I don't have anything helpful to share, especially, but if the thread'd been here last night I could've at least rambled on about it for a few pages, damn.
― Tep (ktepi), Thursday, 24 April 2003 23:05 (twenty years ago) link
But yeah, as I think I mentioned on one of those threads, Melatonin can really work well - it puts you to sleep but you don't wake up with that "having taken a sleeping pill" feeling. The problem is I think I built up a tolerance to it or something, as its efficacy seemed to wane in recent months.
Lately I've been taking this tea with Valerian about twenty minutes before bed, then going to bed with a book and the lite jazz of WBEZ; not the strain of jazz I largely listen to but it serves to relax me before bed for some reason.
Oh, and also, exercise helps, no question. Even if it's just some walking in the evening or something.
― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Thursday, 24 April 2003 23:17 (twenty years ago) link
At first I blamed it on the storm of personal chaos, stress, and depression I was going through. Most of that has kinda dissipated now, but actual sleeping has been rare. I rarely drink coffee past lunchtime and especially avoid heavy eating in the late evening but the only thing that's sort of worked is having one glass of red wine beforehand.
Amateurist, you mention several times above that you're having a glass of milk whenever you wake up. Skip the milk next time. I used to drink milk in the middle of he night whenever I was insomniac and discovered that my stomach was keeping me awake from trying to process the lactose.
― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Friday, 25 April 2003 01:57 (twenty years ago) link
Try to make a routine for yourself, so you don't go, say, directly from computer to bed each night. Don't lie down earlier than you need to... get in bed when it's time to sleep, and give yourself 8 hours until you need to be up. At first, you'll lie awake, but your body will get used to it. Try not to get upset or anxious about going to sleep, as that will only make it harder.
Obviously, cut out coffee and caffeine stuff at least 6 hours before you want to go to bed, if not earlier in the day.
And exercise, definitely, just like everyone else said.
If you're having a lot of trouble establishing a routine, you could see a doctor and be prescribed a short dose (3 or 4 days) of something like Ambien, which is pretty damned effective at putting you out a few days in a row and getting your body back onto a schedule (provided you take it at about the same bedtime each night for however many nights your doctor prescribes).
― martin mushrush (mushrush), Friday, 25 April 2003 02:04 (twenty years ago) link
― JuliaA (j_bdules), Friday, 25 April 2003 07:01 (twenty years ago) link
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Friday, 25 April 2003 07:15 (twenty years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 25 April 2003 17:40 (twenty years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Friday, 25 April 2003 17:42 (twenty years ago) link
― Chris V. (Chris V), Friday, 25 April 2003 17:47 (twenty years ago) link
Thanks everyone for the advice. I hope to gain the self-discipline to put it to good use.
― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 25 April 2003 17:48 (twenty years ago) link
― slutsky (slutsky), Friday, 25 April 2003 18:00 (twenty years ago) link
― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 25 April 2003 18:08 (twenty years ago) link
My computer engineer/born-again Christian father calls it "defragging the hard drive," possibly because he is too born-again to realize how ideal that phrase is as a masturbatory euphemism.
Either that, or he DOES realize it, and I now know how my father deals with insomnia.
Ew.
― Tep (ktepi), Friday, 25 April 2003 18:12 (twenty years ago) link
― buttch (Oops), Friday, 25 April 2003 18:13 (twenty years ago) link
― ChristineSH (chrissie1068), Friday, 25 April 2003 18:16 (twenty years ago) link
like ppl said above, try cutting back on coffee, don't go the milk route (most ppl i know do find it keeps them up) and most importantly, try and get exercise. That is the only thing that sometimes helps me. Booze wakes me up even more and I find myself posting drunkenly to ILx.
My insomnia started when i was about 12 or 13. I'll be ok for a few months and then get a bad patch again. In normal cirumstances I usually have a least one night a week or so where I don't sleep. In bad patches it can be up to 3 nights of no sleep (and I mean none whatsoever) I've basically adjusted and try and either get some work done, catch up on reading and not force sleep.
In your case, if you are on a work schedule where you can go in a bit later and stay later, maybe try doing that for a while. Good luck.
― H (Heruy), Friday, 25 April 2003 20:54 (twenty years ago) link
― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 25 April 2003 22:24 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 23:00 (twenty years ago) link
― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 23:01 (twenty years ago) link
Have you seen a doctor about it?
― JuliaA (j_bdules), Thursday, 8 May 2003 00:43 (twenty years ago) link
I would just got to bed but I have three days to memorize all of this:
Lesson 6 - Adverbs
I. General considerations II. Forming adverbs from adjectives III. Position of adverbs IV. Comparative and superlative forms of adverbs V. Negative adverbs
I. Introduction
An adverb is an invariable word that can modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs generally answer one of four questions: how, when, where, and how much
The following is a list of just a few adverbs: adverbs of time (when): adverbs of manner (how): aujourd'hui today bien well autrefois in the past mal badly, poorly tôt early ensemble together bientôt soon vite quickly tard late vraiment really maintenant now réellement really, actually aussitôt at once d'habitude usually actuellement at present, currently heureusement fortunately, luckily tout de suite right away, immediately encore again, still, another time seulement only, however déjà already autrement otherwise d'abord first, at first brusquement suddenly, all of a sudden hier yesterday très very généralement generally souvent often
adverbs of place (where): adverbs of quantity (how much, how many): près near beaucoup a lot, very much loin far peu a little, not much ici here assez enough là there, here trop too much, too many là-bas over there plus more ailleurs elsewhere moins less partout everywhere quelque part somewhere
adverbs of restriction presque almost peut-être perhaps, maybe seulement only à peine hardly, scarcely
Exercice (6.1)
II. Forming adverbs from adjectives
1. Many adverbs of manner end in -ment. This corresponds to the English -ly. To form such adverbs, take the feminine form of the corresponding adjective and add -ment : curieux curieuse curieusement normal normale normalement
2. If the masculine form of an adjective ends in a vowel, the adverb is formed simply by adding -ment (no extra -e is added): poli poliment absolu absolument terrible terriblement vrai vraiment
3. Adjectives which have two or more syllables and end in -ant or -ent are changed into adverbs by substituting these endings with -amment or -emment: évident évidemment différent différemment courant couramment élégant élégamment
4. The following adverbs are irregular: adjectives adverbs bon bien well meilleur mieux better, best mauvais mal badly gentil gentiment nicely, pleasantly rapide vite fast, quickly bref brièvement briefly commun communément commonly, generally énorme énormément enormously, tremendously aveugle aveuglément blindly précis précisément precisely profond profondément profoundly, deeply
Remember that vite is an adverb and cannot be used as an adjective. Rapide is the corresponding adjective:
Tu as mangé ton gâteau trop vite! Tu as mangé ton gâteau trop rapidement! J'ai un modem très rapide.
5. Certain adjectives can be used idiomatically as adverbs:
coûter cher C'est très beau mais ça coûte cher. It's very beautiful but it's expensive. parler fort Pourquoi parles-tu fort? Why are you speaking loudly? parler haut/bas Pourquoi parles-tu bas? Why are you speaking softly? sentir bon/mauvais Ça sent bon ici. It smells good in here. chanter juste/faux Roseanne chante faux! Roseanne is singing off key (badly). voir clair Je comprends; maintenant je vois clair. I understand; now I get it. aller (tout) droit Pour arriver à la bibliothèque, tu vas tout droit. In order to get to the library, you go straight ahead. travailler dur Les élèves travaillent dur. The students are working hard.
When used in this way, these adjectives are invariable (the masculine singular form only is used) and come directly after the verb.
Exercice (6.2)
III. Position of adverbs
a. in simple tenses
In simple tenses in French adverbs never come between the subject and the verb, as they often do in English. They are normally placed after the verb. Compare the following sentences in English and French:
Je vais souvent aux Etats-Unis. I often go to the United States.
J'aime beaucoup les cerises. I really love cherries.
If you want to place emphasis on adverbs of manner (how) that end in -ment, you can place them at the end of the sentence:
Il ferme la porte brusquement.
Certain adverbs usually come at the end of the sentence, or at least near the end. Specifically, these are adverbs of time (when) and adverbs of place (where):
Marie va au zoo aujourd'hui. J'ai laissé mes affaires là-bas.
If you want to place emphasis on adverbs of time (when) or place (where), you can often place them at the beginning of the sentence:
Ici on ne fume pas. Généralement, il fait beau en juin.
When the adverbs meaning "probably," such as peut-être, probablement, and sans doute begin a sentence, the subject-verb word order is inverted. Ils sont peut-être en vacances. Peut-être sont-ils en vacances. Tu as sans doute raison. Sans doute as-tu raison.
However, if one wishes to avoid the inversion, que may be used after peut-être:
Peut-être que vous êtes perdus.
b. in compound tenses
The position of the adverb in a sentence with a compound tense depends on the type of adverb. Most often, the adverb is placed between the auxiliary verb and the past participle. Adverbs that fall into this category are: adverbs of quantity, adverbs of manner , adverbs of manner that imply restriction, and certain adverbs of time.
Elle a bien fait son devoir. Nous avons presque terminé notre repas. Il a vite compris la leçon.
A second category of adverbs, however, never go between the auxiliary and the past participle. These are adverbs of place and certain adverbs of time (avant, après, aujourd'hui, hier, autrefois, tôt, tard):
Je ne suis jamais allée là-bas. Etes-vous sorti hier?
Exercice (6.3)
IV. Comparative and superlative forms of adverbs
The comparative and superlative forms of adverbs are used according to the following constructions:
comparative: (plus, moins or aussi) + adverb + que
Je marche plus vite que toi. I walk faster than you.
superlative: (le plus or le moins) + adverb + de
Elle marche le plus vite du groupe. She walks the fastest in the group.
* Note the use of de in the above sentence. Where English uses the word in in superlative expressions (in the world, in the class, in the family), French uses the word de (du monde, de la classe, de la famille).
Some adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms: bien mieux le mieux beaucoup plus le plus peu moins le moins
* Remember that mieux and le mieux are adverbs (they describe verbs) and that meilleur(e) and le/la meilleur(e) are adjectives (they describe nouns).
Superlative adverbs, just like superlative adjectives, can be intensified by possible:
Venez chez nous le plus tôt possible. Come over as soon as possible.
Il est arrivé le plus vite possible. He arrived as soon as he could.
Exercice (6.4)
Exercice (6.5)
V. Negative adverbs
To form a negative sentence, you use both the negative particle ne and a negative adverb such as pas, jamais, rien, plus, etc. Study the list of negative constructions below: ne ... pas not Ils n'ont pas appelé leur mère. ne ... point not at all (literary) M. de Charlus n'aimait point les arrivistes. ne ... plus no more, no longer Mon père n'a plus de cheveux. ne ... jamais never Tu n'as jamais mangé d'huîtres? ne ... que only Il ne mange que des hamburgers et des frites. ne ... rien nothing Elle ne m'a rien offert. ne ... guère hardly Ils n'étaient guère gentils. ne ... pas encore not yet Vous n'êtes pas encore partis? ne ... plus jamais never again Jean ne va plus jamais chez ce dentiste. ne ... plus rien no more, nothing else Je n'ai plus rien à vous donner. ne ... personne no one Ils n'ont vu personne au café. ne ... nulle part nowhere Elle n'est allée nulle part toute la journée.
ne ... ni ... ni ... neither ... nor Il ne parle ni français ni espagnol. ne ... aucun(e) none, not any Nous n'avons eu aucun problème. ne ... nul(le) none, not any Il n'y a nulle raison de se fâcher.
* Note that aucun(e) and nul(le) are adjectives and agree in gender with the noun they modify. They always remain singular.
Il n'a aucun ami. He has no friends.
*Note that de and d' replace du, de la, de l' and des after a negative adverb. J'ai toujours de l'argent. Je n'ai jamais d'argent. Il a des pommes. Il n'a plus de pommes.
However, this rule does not apply to ne ... que whose meaning is not negative.
Anne n'achète que des légumes frais. Anne buys only fresh vegetables.
Ni....ni will replace indefinite or partitive articles but not definite (le, la, les) articles. J'ai un frère et une soeur. Je n'ai ni frère ni soeur. Voulez-vous du sel et du poivre? Je ne veux ni sel ni poivre, merci. BUT: Tu aimes les chats et les chiens?
Je n'aime ni les chats ni les chiens.
Depending on the particular adverb, a negative adverb can be placed before or after the past participle of a compound tense such as passé composé.
Before the past participle:
Je n'ai pas vu cet homme que tu cherches. Je n'ai rien acheté. Je n'ai jamais entendu cette chanson. Je n'ai plus écrit à mon frère. Je n'ai guère travaillé hier.
The negative adverbs which go after the past participle:
Je n'ai vu personne. Je n'ai fait que le premier exercice. Je n'ai vu ni chien ni chat. Nous ne sommes allés nulle part cette anée.
Similarly, if the negative adverb modifies an infinitive, it is sometimes placed before the infinitive and sometimes placed after it, depending on the particular adverb. The same adverbs that preceded the past participle will precede the infinitive and vice versa.
Before the infinitive:
Elle préfère ne pas voir ce film. Nous préférons ne rien dire.
After the infinitive:
Elle préfère ne voir personne aujourd'hui. Tu préfères ne faire que le début? Il préfère ne lire ni celui-ci ni celui-là.
Nous préférons n'avoir aucun visiteur cet après-midi.
Je préfère n'aller nulle part ce weekend.
*If a negative adverb is used as the subject of a sentence, ne must be placed before the verb.
Personne ne m'a dit la vérité. No one told me the truth.
Aucun de mes amis n'est venu à la fête. Aucune de mes amies n'est venue à la fête. None of my friends came to the party.
As you saw in the list at the beginning of this section, more than one negative adverb can be used in a sentence:
Je n'entends plus personne. I don't hear anyone anymore. Il n'y a plus que moi. I am the only one left. Elle ne va jamais nulle part. She never goes anywhere. Ils ne parlent jamais ni de leur travail ni de leurs enfants. They never talk about their work or their children.
The negative adverbs will always be placed in the following order in a sentence: que rien ne . . . plus . . . jamais . . . personne ni . . . ni nulle part
*Note: "pas" can only be combined with ni and que:
Je n'ai pas envie de la voir ni de lui parler. I don't want to see her or talk to her.
Il n'y avait pas que des livres dans cette librairie. There weren't only books in this bookstore.
When answering a negative question with an affirmative (yes), "si" is used instead of oui. Tu n'as pas apporté les photos? You didn't bring the pictures? Si, elles sont dans mon sac. Yes, I did. They are in my bag.
* Ne . . . que means only. The que is placed before the relevant noun.
Je n'ai acheté que deux pêches. I only bought two peaches.
Exercice (6.6)
― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 8 May 2003 00:50 (twenty years ago) link
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 8 May 2003 00:59 (twenty years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 8 May 2003 01:11 (twenty years ago) link
What does a sleep study actually involve (in the UK)?
― djh, Monday, 19 June 2017 22:46 (six years ago) link
?
― djh, Sunday, 25 June 2017 08:34 (six years ago) link
Anyone find white noise helps for insomnia? I use it for anxiety and it helps greatly. Some online suggest it works wonders for sleep as well
― Unchanging Window (Ross), Monday, 3 July 2017 21:08 (six years ago) link
Insomnia has been so bad over the last few nights I'm dreading even trying to go to sleep. Fucking fuck.
― djh, Tuesday, 22 August 2017 20:40 (six years ago) link
What have you tried so far?
― just1n3, Tuesday, 22 August 2017 20:59 (six years ago) link
Lots of things over the years. I'm kind of used to poor sleep but every now and then I'll have a spell that seems intolerable.
"Sleep hygiene", alcohol, no alcohol, sensible coffee drinking (helpful), magnesium spray (usually helpful), Z-drugs (waste me the next day to the point of ... pointlessness), silence, music, sounds. Not quite sure what is out of kilter.
― djh, Tuesday, 22 August 2017 22:30 (six years ago) link
i dont usually have full blown insomina but i do have trouble getting to sleep sometimes. a GABA supplement has really changed that. i actually fall asleep against my will sometimes. no idea how/if it's working or just a placebo but there's definitely been a change. worth a shot if you're desperate.
― ryan, Wednesday, 23 August 2017 01:15 (six years ago) link
xps are you still suffering from the body-twitching?
have you tried weed? or a sedative prescription from your doc yet?
― just1n3, Wednesday, 23 August 2017 03:11 (six years ago) link
Twitching is bad at the moment.
Not a massive fan of sedatives (just feel groggy the next day); have occasionally found them useful to get back into a sleep pattern but resisting for the moment.
― djh, Wednesday, 23 August 2017 20:06 (six years ago) link
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/24/why-lack-of-sleep-health-worst-enemy-matthew-walker-why-we-sleep
― djh, Sunday, 24 September 2017 22:06 (six years ago) link
rip ilx
― Le Bateau Ivre, Sunday, 24 September 2017 22:10 (six years ago) link
I think I've lost the ability to sleep without drinking. I've twice taken a day off recently and been up all night. And my dog mocks me by loudly snoring by my side all night...
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Thursday, 4 January 2018 03:48 (six years ago) link
try taking more than one day off -- idk how much you are drinking, but alcohol is very disruptive to the length and quality of your sleep even if it seems to plunk you down into sleepsville faster than nothing.
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Thursday, 4 January 2018 13:59 (six years ago) link
I'm an alcoholic - it has just been a long time since I've gone without. I managed six months a few years ago, but a manic episode felled me. Which is actually what I think is going on now - there's a bunch of stuff I'm noticing that tends to happen when I'm manic. Hopefully just a bump, though.
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Thursday, 4 January 2018 16:57 (six years ago) link
Sorry, I just need to vent. I woke up at 2:30 this morning. About an hour and a half before my alarm at 4. Laid there in bed for half an hour before I decided to drop a melatonin and reset my alarm to 4:30. Melatonin never really kicked in even though I washed it down with some chamomile tea. Decided to get up at 4 anyway. Finally on the bus into work around 630 I started feeling sleepy again, but couldn't give in and let it wash over me. Now I'm just sitting here at my desk slothful and miserable.
― how's life, Tuesday, 27 March 2018 14:07 (six years ago) link
fucking hell
― mookieproof, Monday, 17 December 2018 13:04 (five years ago) link
i haven't slept through the night in weeks
― errang (rushomancy), Monday, 17 December 2018 13:41 (five years ago) link
idgi
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 17 July 2019 07:01 (four years ago) link
I listen to podcasts — it takes my mind off of stressing about not being able tosleep and also I feel like I am learning something. Right now I’m listening to The Fall of Rome but I always fall asleep in the middle of an episode and am not sure where I should start again. This one is pretty straightforward but I’ve listened to more creepy/ engrossing ones and it still worked. I often get really interested and then the next thing I know I can barely stay awake.
― Virginia Plain, Thursday, 18 July 2019 01:16 (four years ago) link
GP has referred me to a sleep clinic and I have the options of "Home Sleep Studies" at the Churchill, Oxford or "Overnight Sleep Studies" at the John Radcliffe ... Genuine question: what's the difference?
This comes with the usual disclaimer of: I know here isn't the right place to ask this.
― djh, Thursday, 18 July 2019 21:58 (four years ago) link
For me - home sleep study = self-placement of all the monitor electrodes (upper torso/neck/head), bad night's sleep in my own bed; overnight sleep study = technician placement of all monitor electrodes including leg monitoring, semi-decent but short night's sleep in a hotel room-like setting.
― Jaq, Friday, 19 July 2019 16:22 (four years ago) link
gaaaaah
― WmC, Thursday, 29 August 2019 10:01 (four years ago) link
Jesus fuck I am going insane.
― emil.y, Saturday, 27 June 2020 08:19 (three years ago) link
Never been a problem in my life before now. the problem is multi-faceted:
1) I cannot get my brain to settle down enough to go to sleep. I lay down and a myriad of issues and worries just flood it, which even despite me being an anxiety patient, never happened pre-COVID. it's like a stream of permanent dread and sadness.
2) Sleep aids, which used to be the solution, have outright stopped working. half the time they do nothing.
3) time of sleep doesn't help either. I go to bed early, I go to bed on time, I go to bed late, it makes no difference...it still takes me until very late to get to sleep if it happens at all
4) i have a real hard time pulling myself away from things at night to go to sleep, as well. I become a news junkie at 12 am. sometimes I have to find articles that put my mind more at ease.
5) Part of it is also that I don't do things anymore to tire myself out. I was a night owl prior to the pandemic, so in a given week, I used to go out 4-5 times, if not more. concerts, movies, hangouts with friends, bars, etc....so I'd be mentally and physically spent. now, it's just...sitting in my room working, not much else. I think i'm going to try exercising before bed to tire myself out.
any other suggestions?...I'm going on like 3-4 hours of sleep in 3 days.
― muntjac wagner (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 15:23 (three years ago) link
do you meditate? do you go for long walks to exhaust yourself like a dog (i do)?
learning some meditation practices and focusing on breathing is the only thing that has worked aside from drugs, and if they don't work anymore i would suggest trying to practice some meditation techniques to re-focus your brain on rest.
also exercise helps
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 17:25 (three years ago) link
or even having a sleep cue, like the smell/taste of a certain type of herbal tea or an essential oil. you're trying to retrain your brain to read the cues so you need to establish some cues that indicate to your brain TIME 2 REST NOW
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 17:26 (three years ago) link
Sympathy, I have this very badly right now too and it's the same dynamic... I sorta stopped fighting it for a bit because that's even more draining. I just stay up until I drop from exhaustion. I'm lucky in that I talked to my boss about it and have the sort of job where I can work any 40 hours in a given week so she is OK with my random schedule. For me it's just hopeless to address it until the election is over and the course of COVID-19 is a little more clear... those external stressors are just too strong. I'll revisit attempting to "fix" it in January.
I also figured out if I go out for a walk there are places outside (on our college campus mainly) that I can sleep for an hour or so. I can't really sleep in my bedroom anymore.
― avellano medio inglés (f. hazel), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 17:37 (three years ago) link
also be careful exercising before bed, it can have the opposite effect. calm, slow stretching works very well but as a runner, I learned that going for a run less than about four hours before bedtime means my body is still too jazzed from aerobic exercise to fall asleep.
― avellano medio inglés (f. hazel), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 17:38 (three years ago) link
Yeah, some of the things people always recommend (exercise, meditation, stop screen time well before bed, don't drink coffee after at certain point on the day) do seem to work. You mention sleep aids, do you mean prescription/otc stuff? Because I find melatonin to be really effective, but that seems to differ from person to person. And alcohol is bad for a good night's sleep, period, but we all know that, too.
Re: exercise, sometimes just a walk is enough, just to let your brain settle. My wife has stopped running but goes for a 2-mile walk every morning (and sometimes at the end of the day) and she swears by the effects.
One trickier solution that sometimes works is a change of scenery. I've never had insomnia, but I have a good friend who suffers from anxiety, which leads to insomnia, and she said a trip they just took as a family really helped her catch up on rest, because it forced her to take a break from many of the things/triggers that cause her anxiety. But that's another different strokes/folks sort of thing. A trip with my family is the last thing I would want right now.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 August 2020 17:39 (three years ago) link
Interesting and counterintuitive, I find that if I feel tired and go to bed too early I actually not only often wake up in the middle of the night but have trouble waking up in the morning. But when I go to bed later, I generally have less of a problem waking up earlier, even if I get fewer hours.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 August 2020 17:41 (three years ago) link
I can't really sleep in my bedroom anymore.Huge bummer — time to rearrange the home for a reset. That’s the worst feeling, to be triggered by the idea of sleeping in xyz area and I relate. I have to reset myself a lot!! I’m very easily conditioned :(
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 17:45 (three years ago) link
the thing that has worked for me honestly has been finding some podcasts I can listen to as I “go to sleep”. It keeps me from ruminating on myself/life and kinda promotes a sort of semi-hypnotic state. before I started doing this, I would generally just fill up with existential despair anytime my head hit the pillow. I would stay up way too late because it was the only way I knew to “get sleepy”. The podcast listening initially just helped manage the obsessive thoughts, filled in the empty space. But soon enough I started falling asleep like 15-20 minutes after turning the light off (at which point I groggily take my earbud out and stab the pause button on my iphone before conking out)
― brimstead, Tuesday, 25 August 2020 19:13 (three years ago) link
the worst part... (does this happen to anyone else?) is when you notice yourself getting sleepy and get so excited at the prospect of sleep that... you are no longer getting sleepy
― brimstead, Tuesday, 25 August 2020 19:17 (three years ago) link
well that’s not the worst part
I have another friend who has trouble sleeping who often successfully winds down and falls asleep to audio books. Typically non-fiction.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 25 August 2020 19:18 (three years ago) link
thanks everybody, I will try all of these things. did try melatonin once, it had mixed effects on me, but i wouldn't be opposed to another round.
the weird thing is I don't have a gauge on how tired I actually am because I do so little in a given day now.
― muntjac wagner (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 25 August 2020 19:30 (three years ago) link
Have you tried doing the thing where you keep a notebook by the side of your bed and write down the things you're stressing about so you can deal with them at another time? I've never tried it myself, but I've heard it helps get your brain off the hamster wheel.
I've also read that part of the purpose of sleep is to let your brain sort through memories from the day and forget the unimportant ones. So when I'm lying awake stressing about something little that happened that day, I try to tell myself that I don't even know yet if it's worth thinking about, because my brain hasn't had a chance to do its overnight sorting and processing. This may not work for you but I find it weirdly comforting.
― Lily Dale, Tuesday, 25 August 2020 19:32 (three years ago) link
Forgot to mention one of the most effective things I have tried -- the weighted blanket!
When I go to the dentist (where I have a lot of problems), I always wear the lead x-ray vest the whole time, and it really helps. Turns out a weighted blanket is like that only huge. I just put mine back on the bed and it's really helping me fall back asleep when i wake up at 3am with my mind racing.
There are some cons: it can be hot and they aren't exactly cheap. But that's it! Otherwise, I love mine and it really helps.
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Friday, 28 August 2020 13:36 (three years ago) link
Ugh
― Erdős-szám 69 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 06:56 (three years ago) link
yeah this shit is making my life impossible basically
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 07:04 (three years ago) link
I’ve managed to avoid it for a long time but tonight’s the night tonight. I’m kind of emotionally high for various reasons, and in my head I am having a future conversation I am looking forward to, this internal dialogue which I can’t turn off, an old habit I long ago broke myself since it’s the kind of expectation that brings disappointment, or so I’ve heard, oh wait, actually experienced firsthand many times.
― Erdős-szám 69 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 07:22 (three years ago) link
Past the point where I will vet even one four hour REM cycle. Hello walls!
― Erdős-szám 69 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 07:42 (three years ago) link
Zero hours of sleep last night, fun fun fun. I can take the brain derangement but the constant feeling like I'm about to have a heart attack is, well, killing me.
― emil.y, Wednesday, 7 October 2020 08:35 (three years ago) link
Nytol works well for me, you can get it over the counter without prescription. Weirdly the other thing that works for me is the Calm app in which you have various soothing-voiced people (even Matthew McConaughey pops up) to read you a bedtime story.
― joni mitchell jarre (anagram), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 08:41 (three years ago) link
Is that the free or premium version of that app?
― Erdős-szám 69 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 10:08 (three years ago) link
Premium
― joni mitchell jarre (anagram), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 10:59 (three years ago) link
There's a great podcast called The Maritime History Podcast that used to knock me right out. It took me months to make it past Hammurabi. But then my brain got used to that, and started a new trick: letting me go to sleep for about an hour from midnight to 1am, then waking me back up again for the rest of the night. The night before last I didn't sleep at all and eventually got up at 5:30.
It definitely helps me to get some exercise during the day and not eat late at night, and to avoid alcohol. But those things only help. They don't guarantee sleep.
― trishyb, Wednesday, 7 October 2020 11:26 (three years ago) link
“Nytol will help you get your zzzzzzzzs” = jingles u will never get out of your sleep deprived head
― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 12:54 (three years ago) link
Come on over to this thread, LL: Thread for random old TV voiceover/announcer phrases that pop into your head
― Erdős-szám 69 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 7 October 2020 14:13 (three years ago) link
it's baaaaaaaaaack. but now I have an anxiety-cause to some of it. pretty much for the majority of the year, some nights I try to go to sleep, and feel like every time I start to go under, I jolt awake, and my heart races and it repeats over and over for an hour or so until finally I fall asleep (or don't). it only started when I acquired an assload of stress and usually on nights when I have a lot in my head at bedtime.
also it's long past time I do a sleep study. i am 99% sure I have apnea, p much everybody in my family does.
― real warm grandpa (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 11 October 2023 17:19 (six months ago) link