What do you do when you can't sleep?

[Nect]

OK, here I am, WIDE awake when I should've been in bed two hours ago. :) And I am BORED. I don't want to do another tarot reading for myself, the blurry images were on the brink of giving me another nervous breakdown.

So, do you just stay awake the whole night when you can't sleep? If not, what you do you to induce sleep?

Yep, I told you I'm bored! :lol:

Nect

[Deziraie]

I read or write poetry. Sometimes I try to do relax my whole body starting with my toes and working my way up till I am relaxed, usually I fall asleep before I am done!

[Flaire-FireStar]

I usually read, listen to some music or have a snack. ;)

[Nect]

I'm STILL here! :lol:

And I knew I was going to get hungry soon...damn it...

Nect

[Melysande]

I either surf online or do work I brought home. (One of the perks of being an editor. I can bring my job with me wherever I go.)

[Flaire-FireStar]

Originally posted by Nect
I'm STILL here! :lol:

And I knew I was going to get hungry soon...damn it...

Nect

:D You can have one of my donuts if ya want. ;)

[shnen]

I never go to bed hungry... even if I have a quick snack.
If I can't sleep, I first try meditating, slowly concentrating all single parts of my body, then on my breathing... like with yoga.
if that doesn't work, I read. if that doesn't work, it's to tv... the wonderful programming is enough to make a caffine addict fall fast asleep!

This whole process can usually take a while too... Or have a bath, put some lavender in it to relax you...

[Dellit Tandannon]

i'm an insomniac so i have this problem just about every night. lately i've been getting better sleep though. i meditate before bed all the time and its only recently started working hehe. but when i can't sleep i normally skim through the forums here, write, read, play a video game, write a program, go for a walk, or go to the beach.

[shnen]

go to the beach - i wish I could do that when I couldn't sleep - i love the beach at night!

[MammaStar]

I start off by reading or watching TV. That USUALLY does the trick, however, on those nights when it's real bad & I'm freaking cause I gotta get up in 3 hours, I pop a Tylenol PM. Not the most "natural" way to do it, but IT WORKS!!! ;)

[MasterMoon]

When I cant fall asleep, I dont. I dont have too, lying motionless is almost as restfull as sleeping. And I definetly dont do any meditation. That stuff is bad fer ya.

[Topazz]

When I can't sleep I read a book. At least that way I'm laying down and getting some rest. :zzz:

[Jeleia]

If I can't sleep, I usually paint or draw.

[Dellit Tandannon]

Originally posted by MasterMoon
And I definetly dont do any meditation. That stuff is bad fer ya.

um, how? :confused:

[Garnet]

I read. Nothing really interesting...I'm afraid I'd get so involved that I won't want to sleep. I like the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series...books full of articles, short enough to read in the loo. There's a variety of stuff: history, trivia, quotes, riddles, etc. I think there's over a dozen books in the series. I also like two books about real haunted sites (the addresses & whether they're open to the public is included). I scare myself to sleep.
Or I try a relaxation technique I learned from a self-hypnosis tape.

[flar7]

meditation is one of the most relaxing things you can do other
than sleep itself.

[callalily]

I highly recommend Carlyle's "French Revolution". I've had it for about 10 years and am only on page 100 of volume one. 3 pages and I'm out. I will also put on an all-night radio call-in show with the volume turned down very low. For some reason I can tune out the topics and the lack of commercials makes all the voices blur into a drone.

[GingerBurkley]

Ambien!

[jelly.belly]

when i cant sleep... which is almost every night, I meditate, read a book, come on the internet, do some stuff like that, but if I really CAN'T sleep and I'm wide awake.. i put on all the clothes i have and try to mix them... or i play with my hair, wich is very long... or i do stuff like exercises, so after, I'm tired and i go to sleep! stuff like that...

[kblackthorne]

Well, I've found that sitting at the computer is the WORST thing I can do for insomnia.

Reading is good. A hot bath is good.

There are also the traditional "home remedies". A cup of chamomile is great for getting to sleep.

Or warm milk. Cold doesn't do it -- the triptophanes aren't "activated".

What's that, you say? "Warm milk -- GROSS!"

Not so. Take my husband's advice:

1 cup milk, heated slowly on stove.
1 TBS honey
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1 dash cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg

Stir well. Drink slowly. Go to sleep.

[crickett]

not sure if i do it cuz i cant sleep..or i cant sleep cuz i want to do it lol

[kblackthorne]

Well, when I'm on the computer, not only do I not get sleepy, I seem to do the oposite of REM.

As in, I can start experienceing REM-dep if I sit at the computer too long when I'm NOT tired.

So while it's often tempting, I try to avoid it until morning.

[crickett]

what is rem-dep: im a chronic insomniac, so i'd really love to know the difference?
Blessings :)

[kblackthorne]

REM = Rapid Eye Movement. It's the phase of sleep where dreaming occurs. It's really facinating to study -- there are so many contradictions that go on at this phase: near total relaxation of voluntary muscles; increases in heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, & brain activity; sexual arousal. People in REM are very difficult to awaken.

REM Deprivation: Your body needs a certain amount of REM. When you aren't getting enough sleep, your body will enter REM sooner & stay there longer to make up the lost time. Your body NEEDS this in a rather absolute sense, although we have yet to figure out precisely why. Severe REM-deprivation leads to a number of symptoms, including hallucinations and (eventually) death.


Drat -- I just tried to find my Psych texts dealing with this, but they're packed away!


One of the problems with using alcohol/sleeping pills to get "a good nights rest" when you have insomnia is that they supress REM-sleep... the very stage your body so desperately needs.

[kblackthorne]

OK, that was probably WAYyy more info than you wanted, wasn't it?


In short, most of the symptoms you associate with "sleep deprivation" are actually "REM-deprivation". If you were to sleep for 8 hours, but I poked you awake every time you started to enter REM, and did this a couple nights running, you'd feel like you do after staying up for two nights. Even though you got the full 8-hours rest.

Plus, you'd be really annoyed with me for poking you!

(OK, Katherine. Time for bed.)

[WtchyChick13]

Sleep? What is that exactly? LOL

Many think that I'm part vampire because I'm up all nite and sleep during the day. I've been a nite-owl since I was real little--now that I work for myself--I can set my own hours! :)

However the biggest problem I have is getting to sleep. I could be sitting here on the ol' 'puter and fall asleep looking at the screen (something I've done mannnnnny times), but when I actually get myself to lie down, a million things start to go through my head.

I used to use my laptop in bed before it crashed and became a very expensive paperweight! lol

Now, with some mint tea by my side and a book, I can pretty much shut the world out. (Earplugs are a big help too--can't sleep without them!)

If I find myself still obsessing over things that I need to get done the next day, I came up with a chant that I will share with you here:

My mind be clear,
my mind be free,
sweet dreams ahead,
so mote it be.
(So let it be works too--whatever you prefer.)

I had posted it in the chants and rituals section too--but it's for sleep, so here ya' go! lol

I find that the more I say it, or rather, think it, the more it flushes out whatever it was that I was obsessing about. The next thing I know, the alarm is going off and it's time to start a new day!

And just to get this comment in--the nites that I am really having trouble sleeping, I find that meditation works beautifully. No harm done there! ;)

~~Sweet Dreams Everyone~~

[kblackthorne]

Been there, done that.

One summer I had insomnia BAD. I was working on-campus food service at the time, and we had 3 shifts a day of a couple hours each. In the meantime, we'd hang out in the closed snack-bar & play pool.

On one occasion, I fell asleep face down on the icy-cold, slate-hard pooltable while making a shot. But when my friends tried to move me to the nice, soft, padded bench (it's really very "bed"-like) I couldn't sleep. I mean, the pool-table was hard, uncomfortable, and so cold I was shivering. They were just trying to make me more comfortable...

[Yvonne Belisle]

I look up people like Albert Fish and Jack the Ripper.

[Azure]

I read, usually something interesting rather than boring. meditation sometimes helps, and journeying also helps. . .

[Armitage]

I think of stories to write and usually as I try to figure out where the characters will go next I start drifting off.
Or I'll just lay there and try to be as relaxed as possible. If I can't sleep, that's the next best thing.

[Flaire-FireStar]

Lately, I've been having a horrible time trying to get to sleep..I can read for hours on end, eyes get droopy, start to fade off to sleep... Hours later, still awake... I get up, get a glass of water, am wide awake by the time I get back to bed (2-3 mins later) then within 15 mins I'm out like a light. :confused: That's been happening the last few nights, which I find to be really...wierd..:p

[Twilight Garden]

I finally found that a book on tape is good. It's like reading, but you can close your eyes which allows you to drift to sleep easier than reading. I also do those Variety Word Puzzles almost every night in bed and doze off wonderfully.

[bansidhe]

this IS what i do when i cant sleep!!! :thumbsup:

[Xander67]

I go out on the couch, Read, and :(

Insomnia sucks!

[WtchyChick13]

this IS what i do when i cant sleep!!!

NEMA to that Bansidhe! I've been on here many hours past my bedtime--usually playing the word game with Flaire! (Hi Flaire!!!)

:sunny:

[Flaire-FireStar]

Originally posted by WtchyChick13


NEMA to that Bansidhe! I've been on here many hours past my bedtime--usually playing the word game with Flaire! (Hi Flaire!!!)

:sunny:

:wave: Hi Wtchy!


:o My lack-of being tired has been getting better..:huh: Maybe it's cuz I'm not eating all this junk food before I go to bed. :T

[Dellit Tandannon]

Originally posted by Xander67
I go out on the couch, Read, and :(

Insomnia sucks!

no way! insomnia is awesome, it gives me lots more time to do stuff that i can't do during the day. you just have to keep yourself occupied and then it really isn't so bad. well that and the night is a much nicer time then the day.

[Flaire-FireStar]

:razz: I'd rather get my sleep at night cuz I have to do about a million and one things during the day. *sigh*

Sometimes I really wish I was a morning person.

[Dellit Tandannon]

i have a million things to do during the day too. that's why i have to do another million things at night.

[Flaire-FireStar]

:( Flaire needs her sleep or else she can't do stuff during the day.

[kblackthorne]

no way! insomnia is awesome, it gives me lots more time to do stuff that i can't do during the day. you just have to keep yourself occupied and then it really isn't so bad. well that and the night is a much nicer time then the day.

Um, could we have different definitions here?

It sounds like you're a night owl -- someone who likes to stay up all night & get their sleep in during the daylight ours, what sleep they get.

That's different from someone who feels exhausted, and WANTS to sleep, but can't seem to fall asleep (or stay asleep)... insomnia.

[SmackGoddess13]

Read, listen to soft music, or Yoga- the music on my yoga tape alone is slow enough to put ya to sleep. :ahhhh:

[Dellit Tandannon]

Originally posted by kblackthorne
It sounds like you're a night owl -- someone who likes to stay up all night & get their sleep in during the daylight ours, what sleep they get.That's different from someone who feels exhausted, and WANTS to sleep, but can't seem to fall asleep (or stay asleep)... insomnia.

i'm familiar with what an insomniac is thanks. i used to be one of those people lying in bed all night trying to sleep. i've tried many ways to get more sleep. herbal tea, meditation, yoga, exercise, warm milk, perscription drugs, blah blah blah blah. none of them worked. since i have yet to find something that has truely worked, i said **** it and started working at night too instead of lying in bed thinking about everything and getting depressed. i am an insomniac. i have simply found a way to enjoy it instead of being miserable all night.

[Myst]

Yup. Dellit the insomniac tends to keep me entertained when I'm being a night owl :)

[Twig]

Valarian tea and a lite snack. That and ummmm....:cool: yeah. :)

Peace,
Twig
:elf:

[Myst]

heh lately I have the opposite problem.. I get tired after being up for 12 hours :)

[Dellit Tandannon]

that's pretty normal though, depending on how active your days are.

[Myst]

no, no it's not dellit

7 hours or less is normal for me, not 12 :)

[Dellit Tandannon]

i work with a guy that absolutely has to get 12 hours of sleep every night. he gets off work at eight, goes to bed at 8:30, and doesn't get up till 8:30 the next day. i guess normal sleeping patterns can only be measured person by person.

[Myst]

Yeah I have a friend who has to have at least 10

My mom can't function on less then 8 or 9

My fiance is great on 5

:)