Insomnia.

I think I've conditioned myself to stay awake much longer than necessary ... eventually, I force myself to get into bed and sleep, even though I'd rather be awake. No matter how many hours of sleep I get, I wake up feeling exhausted. So it's not really the same as insomnia because once I finally fall asleep I have no trouble sleeping for several hours. Still, it would be nice to fall asleep at a normal hour and wake up refreshed even if I get 7-8 hours of sleep. Advice?

Now, I want to help you, if you'd let me. My first recommendation is that you turn the clock toward the wall. This way, you can end the torment of those molten numbers hovering in the darkness as you fail to sleep. It's absolutely critical, however, that you not stay awake wondering if your mental tally of elapsed hours and minutes matches that of the clock's display. I bet you could exhaust a whole night doing that.

You also might want to consider visualization. Come up with a mental task intended to draw your attention away from the effort of nodding off, thereby allowing your automatic sleep mechanisms to engage. You can imagine something dull like a sequence of numbers, or project yourself into a more engrossing scenario: "I am the Super Bowl MVP"; "I am Malcolm X"; "I am the Hamburglar." Of course you'll need to be wary of the fact that the gnawing, self-conscious awareness of visualizing can get in the way of actually engaging in said visualization.

But maybe you don't even need my advice. Perhaps you can use the late hours to work on your novel, your quilt, or your Battle of Shiloh diorama — anything to distract you from the fact that recent studies showed that people who went without sleep for nineteen hours scored significantly lower on reflex tests than people with a blood-alcohol level of .08. (That's the legal standard for intoxication in many states.) And whether you've just poured calamine lotion in your cereal or stitched up Mr. Clark after his cesarean section, I implore you not to dwell on the reams of research attesting to how sleep deprivation impairs memory and judgment and is even correlated to a significantly shortened life- span. Likewise, while you're waiting outside an elementary school for a random kindergarten teacher to pistol-whip, keep in mind that a good night's sleep, which you're incapable of, dramatically improves mood. I should stop here. You probably want to jump into a shower that you won't be able to feel against your insensate zombie flesh and get out into a world of people and objects that will all seem fatally distant and unreal.

hi, i'm awake. i don't have to get up early tomorrow so i don't care whether i fall asleep or not. except over the past week i've been waking up in the middle of the night, which is a little annoying. it's nice and quiet right now though. birds chirping. minimal traffic outside.

awesome.

http://www.birdwatchersgeneralstore.com/mock.jpg

How do I learn to sleep on my back? I've slept on my stomach all my life but due in part to back/shoulder problems I can't quite get comfortable and thus never am able to go to sleep until I'm exhausted. Nonetheless I never feel right on my back and always wind up rolling back over.

Also, the only chirping I'm hearing comes from the chuckleheads and chickenheads across the street at the bar.

you could strap a tennis ball to your chest, or some such disincentive. no fun tho

Does that shit work? Because i just envision half asleep me ripping the tennis ball off and rolling over

What I need to do is strap a KNIFE to my chest

"Hurting"

nothing works, mr hurting. ive slept on my stomach since the beginning of time. just go with it.

Yeah, but getting five hours a night and waking up with stiff shoulders isn't working too well for me either.

flip your mattress

incidentally, i too have temporary insomnia on account of severe tonsilitis. it makes me physically incapable of sleeping for more than two hours at a time, or more than three to four hours a night total.

anyone else too high to sleep?

hurting, sleep on ur back w/ heavy pillow on your chest, or a cat. Sometimes it's the pressure ur looking for, in ur sleep. Also, try sleeping on ur back w/ a soba pillow under the shoulder/arm you tend to turn over toward. It's too hot for it now, but flannel sheets + flannel pjs = natural velcro can't turn over effect.

i wish xpost

here dude this is for u

http://www.imagedoll.com/show.php/5061_amazingPic1it.gif.html

oh what bullshit

http://ftp.pcworld.com/pub/screencams/illusion.gif

I only smoke weed when I need to
And I need to get some rest
I confess, I burnt a hole in the mattress
Yes, yes, it was me, I plead guilty
And on the count of three I pull back the duvet
Make my way to the refrigerator
One dry potato inside, no lie
Not even bread, jam
When the light above my head went bam!
I can't sleep, something's all over me
Greasy, insomnia please release me
And let me dream about making mad love on the heath
Tearing off tights with my teeth
But there's no relief
I'm wide awake in my kitchen
It's dark and I'm lonely
Oh, if I could only get some sleep
Creeky noises make my skin creep
I need to get some sleep
I can't get no sleep....

How do I learn to sleep on my back?

I had a similar problem in my early 20s. I would wake up with neck pain because of sleeping on my stomach, which I'd done all my life, so I resolved to learn to sleep on my back. The first few nights were difficult, since my mind was convinced this wasn't a position for sleep. I stayed awake hours longer than I normally would have, but my body started to overrule my mind sooner and sooner, and within a week, I was sleeping normally on my back.

Now, I sleep on my side, hugging my wife or a pillow, if she's sleeping on the couch (insomnia) or is hugging me. I find that this is the most "ergo" position for me: After years of sleeping on my back, I realized that this caused its own set of physical problems.

On the general issue of insomnia, I find that if I have a few drinks with dinner, I'll wake up between 2 and 4 and be unable to get back to sleep until about 6. When I don't drink at all, I sleep far better. One thing that does help me get back to sleep is a small snack of carbohydrates, like a piece of bread. It's probably just my own physiology, but that'll get me yawning in under 30 minutes.

OK, I need to try that (the carbohydrate thing) as I've been awake for well over an hour and it's 5 am here. (fell asleep in front of the telly at about 11 o'clock last night, after suddenly coming over all tired about five minutes earlier, having been wide awake before that)

Here we go again. Nothing lamer than going home early because I'm tired and then not being able to sleep.

Insomnia for multiple nights in a row sucks, and that is what I have right now. I can't turn my head off, but at least I know that I am up worrying about things that will change. (i.e. papers that need to be written for school and the imploding personal life of a friend)

My usual insomnia tricks:
get out of bed for at least 15 minutes
take ibuprofen or similar
read something dreadfully boring (I suggest an organic chemistry text)
write down what is bothering me
apply lavender scented lotion (or just inhale something lavender scented if that is too girly)

I have packed my lavender oil somewhere and I can't find it :-(

(I usually put some on a tissue and put it in my pillowcase)

I'm guessing farting around on the internet isn't really the way to go.

i am going to eat some carbohydrates
maybe not b/c i can't sleep
maybe b/c they are good and they are there

the only thing thats ever come close to working for me is

laying down in a completely dark room, listening to something like cocteau twins, with headphones, and concentrate on not moving at all... pretty much strangling the senses into submission

i've been taking melatonin from time to time; it seems to help.

farting around on the internet is not a help, no

sometimes you just need to fart, though

hi stanM :)

You want need sleep, you need Miracle Pill That Stops You Feeling Tired!

Work all day. Party all night. Never sleep. Never care about sleep. It's fun to be an insomniac!

^^
(ps: get me some if you find them)

i want me some of this shit. stet to thread!

I'm on it right now! It's not much cop as an everyday crutch, but when I need to get up early with only a few hours sleep, it's chemical magic.

You can get prescribed Modafinil in the UK now? Can you get over prescribed nudge nudge say no more etc?

I thought about using dodgy overseas dealers but cowardice got the better of me.

My getting up early thing I mentioned on the other thread didn't last. I'm back to staying awake until 3am then dragging my tired arse into work late every day.

dodgy overseas dealers here.

side effects?