Insomnia?

[Alex]

So since I have to get up at 4:30am for work, I have to go to bed quite early. So I go to bed at around 9pm, lay in bed waiting to fall asleep. My wife finally gets in bed about 10pm, we chit chat and around 11pm she finally conks out. I am still awake.....at midnight I decide to go surf the forums, which doesn't help going back to sleep. At 2am I check to make sure the time is still ticking, sure is.... finally at about 3 am I finally fall asleep! So ya it sucks.

Just wondering, what do you guys do to fall asleep. Do you use any remedies? Take sleeping pills? Go on a walk? Shoot yourself in the head? Can anyone share some wisdom here?

Off to work, hope I won't fall asleep in I-15

[sparker1]

This won't help very much, but one can sleep much easier without the stress and pressures of a job. A clear conscience helps, too.

[Sombeech]

The Political Arena.



Naw, but I usually get around 5 hours each night. I'm making a new video each week, so I'm up late editing every night.

If I know I'll get a break, I'll take a Benadryl at about 10, so I can wake up by 5:30.

[Alex]

Ya I took sleeping pills a couple of nights, but I hate to get on the "pill" solution, hate to be addicted to something.

Man.... today is dragging already

[Sombeech]

Try watching my weekly videos. That will put you out.

[Alex]

Try watching my weekly videos. That will put you out.

You do have a point

[derstuka]

So since I have to get up at 4:30am for work, I have to go to bed quite early. So I go to bed at around 9pm, lay in bed waiting to fall asleep. My wife finally gets in bed about 10pm, we chit chat and around 11pm she finally conks out. I am still awake.....at midnight I decide to go surf the forums, which doesn't help going back to sleep. At 2am I check to make sure the time is still ticking, sure is.... finally at about 3 am I finally fall asleep! So ya it sucks.

Just wondering, what do you guys do to fall asleep. Do you use any remedies? Take sleeping pills? Go on a walk? Shoot yourself in the head? Can anyone share some wisdom here?

Off to work, hope I won't fall asleep in I-15

Sex, and/or more sex....

[Alex]

Sex, and/or more sex....

...didn't help

[rockgremlin]

I hate it when I can't sleep. I hate even more the groggy, "hungover" feeling the morning after taking sleeping pills. I have yet to find a sleeping pill that doesn't have that side effect.

Funny as this sounds, narcotics have worked great for me as long as I take them at least an hour prior to bedtime, and allow for a full 8 hours. For me, narcotics don't have any side effect. Anything with an active ingredient of Doxylamine Succinate leaves me drowsy the next morning.

Have you tried exercise?

One thing is for sure - after going 36 hours on only 1.5 hours of sleep you are almost guaranteed a good night's sleep.

[sparker1]

Sex, and/or more sex....

...didn't help

I'll bet it worked for her.

[Alex]

One thing is for sure - after going 36 hours on only 1.5 hours of sleep you are almost guaranteed a good night's sleep.

That's not always the truth, sometimes you are so exhausted and worried about getting more sleep that you still can't fall asleep. i hate pushing myself to that point.

Ya exercise might be an answer, didn't think about that. I guess I better dust off that treadmill.

[MY T PIMP]

I just started the Atkins diet, since I'm in the process of trying to convince my body to burn fat for energy I am dealing with a great deal of fatigue. Go no carb, and no caffeine for a day you'll sleep good. Trust Me.

[Sombeech]

Sex, and/or more sex....

...didn't help

I'll bet it worked for her.

She was already asleep.

[gonzo]

After my ACL surgery I couldn't sleep, so the doc gave me an Abian prescription. Didn't do a damn thing. I used to have good luck with melatonin, but it gave me weird freakin' dreams so I stopped taking it.

My ultimate cure for insomnia though? The Hunt for the Red October. I don't know what it is about that movie, but I've never successfully watched more than the first 30 minutes.

[savanna3313]

Ya exercise might be an answer, didn't think about that. I guess I better dust off that treadmill.

Just be careful that you don't work out too close to bedtime if you're the type that gets energized from a workout. I find that if I work out too late (after 7pm or so) I am wide awake until the wee hours of the morning.

[rockgremlin]

Alright...I've got yer sure fire cure for insomnia: Nitrous Oxide. Works like a charm, every single time!

[JP]

finally at about 3 am I finally fall asleep! So ya it sucks.

I know how ya feel. I've been working midnights for just about 15 years. On average I get 4 hours of sleep a day. I seem to do just fine with it. But, when I have to go in for an 8-4 shift that is after my days off, I cannot sleep either. I'm basically awake all night and come 8, I'm drooling on myself as I'm driving to work. If this continues, head on off to the doctors and tell him your problem, they'll give you something that will take care of that problem. It will help you adjust, you see all the commercials on TV, and they do work.

[Shan]

I suffer from bouts of insomnia also. I once went 8 WHOLE DAYS, with about 3 hours of sleep. I could no longer drive or bike anywhere I was a mess. Here's a few things I try.

Exercise earlier in the day or before dinner, not close to bedtime. Though a 3 hour rigorous mountain bike ride has the alternate effect on me - it's like my metabolism keeps me up.

Try Melatonin, find it near the vitamins. It's safe and non-toxic, mimics the sleep hormone in your body.

Don't eat or drink a whole lot before lying down if you get indigestion/heartburn.

soak in a hot bath with lavender oil with a candle - helps clear your mind of any distractions. Lavender is a calming oil.

Ask you wife nicely not to chit chat when you have to get to sleep so early. I have this sleep "window" and if my H is gabbing away at me, I miss the window for that night. Makes me so mad!

Avoid anything that is stressful the hour before bedtime (heavy financial conversations seems to fall into this category!). I wouldn't check emails since this may get your mind spinning. Maybe infomercials on TV, they are good.

Try separate rooms - we have separate bedrooms back when H has insomnia about 5 years ago and we never went back! We each have our own queen sized bed.

Try 2 Benedryls one hour before bedtime (8pm for you).

Are you on any other medications that may have insomnia as a side effect?

[greyhair biker]

Shan 's got some good points. With my shift schedule I only sleep with my wife less than half the month so we dont need separate beds but the ideas the same. My jobb is very physically demanding so if Im on shift I can fall asleep at the mere thought of sleep...but I only sleep 5 hours. I try to catch up on sleep on days off. If I cant sleep though I work out early in the day- HARD- and then make sure I dont catnap the rest of the day... lay off the caffeine (as much as on shift) or take a half dose of tylenol pm so I'll get to sleep, just not all night. Just a side note: my circadian rythyms' been screwed up for years...I dont think you really ever get used to shift schedules(days to graves and back again)