Sleep problems (Help)

[GeneralElectric]

Howdy all, lately I've been suffering from a terrible lack of sleep. No matter what I'm doing, I'm not getting enough.

I charted out my sleep pattern for the past week.

Thursday I woke up around 12 noon. I dismantled all my furniture in my room (big old heavy furniture (2 dressers, bed, night stand) from the 60s) and I piled it all in my backyard for burning. I sanded all my walls down for repainting and patched any holes, and then I repainted it. After that, I sanded down my bedroom floor for refinishing. Afterwards I went out with some friends for some drinks, and I came home and got all the finishing supplies ready for my floor. I wasn't tired, so I ended up doing my floor as well.

Its now well into Friday and I fell asleep around 3 in the afternoon. I woke up around 6pm that night, ate, and went to go record. Afterwards I came home and moved all my remaining furniture and my mattress back into my room.

I started to work on my basement (as I'm building a rehearsal room/recording room in there) and I ended up cleaning a lot. I worked in there by myself for about 8 hours.

Spent the weekend mostly cleaning out the basement (it was A LOT of work) and I put up all the framing for the double walls, and I just started to put up the actual wall around the outer edge of it, since the other junk I was getting rid of could be removed through the storm cellar door.

I didn't sleep till late Sunday/Monday and I passed out around 11:30. I slept about 5 hours as I woke up at 4:30 in the morning. I spent the day doing errands (cashing in my change jug) bringing all my scrap metal to the scrap yard for money, etc, and hanging out with friends.

I went to bed at around 8:20am tuesday, and I woke up at 9:45am. With an hour or so of sleep, I was up an additional 15 hours. I went on a 4 mile walk, I cleaned my basement out even more, and I chopped firewood. Long story short, I kept myself busy with physical activities all day in an effort to make myself tired.

I went to bed at midnight and I woke up at 3am, so here I am at 6am.

I'm getting hardly any sleep, and I'm doing physical labor to tire myself out, so I can go to sleep. I haven't been sleeping for weeks now, and I've tried everything. I've tried taking melatonin, I cut caffiene out of my diet almost completely (I've had one cup of coffee all of January, and all I drink besides that is water or juice in the morning) I eat healthily with no junk food. I'll lie in bed with the lights out and just sit there. I quit cigarettes months ago, and I hardly ever drink anymore. I haven't smoked anything else either aside from this morning after I woke up.

My friends are all telling me like I look like hell and I'm forced to agree. My muscles are sore but my body isn't tired. It feels like a "I just worked out a ton" kind of sore. My mind is whats tired and I can't go to sleep.

Any help TB?

A doctor (I don't even know what kind of doctor I'd go to) is out of the question until late February at the earliest when I get my insurance back.

[brothernewt]

Originally Posted by GeneralElectric

...and I hardly ever drink anymore.

So I'm thinking that's your problem right there...

[GeneralElectric]

Originally Posted by brothernewt

So I'm thinking that's your problem right there...

I'm an arrogant drunk. For the sake of my remaining teeth, I've cut back on alcohol.

[AlembicPlayer]

I feel ya dog
I sleep at most 3 to 4 hrs a day or night
I don't mind, it fits my lifestyle


diet. caffeine, stress
all these can be factors

[Selta]

Start by forcing yourself to go to sleep at the same time each night.

[Rune Bivrin]

Sounds like a couple of issues.

First of all, you're exhausting yourself physically, but it doesn't sound like you're working your brain much. Cross word puzzles, sudoku, charting songs and reading are good ways to do that, as well as talking to friends.

Secondly (and I think most importantly) you don't seem to have any routines. The key element in sound sleep is to be regular. Go to bed at 10:30pm - 11pm, no matter if you feel tired or not. Read a while. If you don't fall asleep after 20 minutes, get up and do something. Take a walk, have a glass of milk, play some bass for about 30 minutes. Repeat until you actually fall asleep. Make sure you wake up no later than 8am.

Keep at it. You want to condition your brain to associate bed with sleeping, not with sleeping problems. One important element in that is to prevent yourself from thinking about trying to fall asleep. One trick for that is to focus hard on thinking about something else. Like counting sheep. As corny as it sounds, it can actually work.

I have used something which is arguably very geeky, but incredibly effective: I picture myself suddenly transported to Middle Earth and meeting Frodo. Together we work at destroying the one ring with superior modern science.

When I started doing this we would make it to Mordor. Now I only think "Frodo...zzzz".

Some people do that anyway, but that's another issue...

[GeneralElectric]

I guess my amount of mental stimulation has been pretty low lately, I'm not working and school isn't in session yet. I have been reading (Theodore Sturgeon stuff) and I read everyday.

I've been recording a lot, but its all laughably easy stuff (its hip hop and R&B) so I haven't had to actually do anything hard aside from remembering chord changes. I don't even need to plan stuff out, or think about it. Its just second nature stuff. The only time I think is when I'm helping everyone else with chord changes, or arranging new sections.

I haven't been composing, or trying to learn new songs either but I guess I'll get cracking on Jaco's Birdland today. Maybe that'll wear out my noggin.

[sarcastro83]

I could sleep after I quit smoking myself, dude... maybe it's that?

Also, I found it helped to pick a regular bed time every night. Up to two hours before bed, I'll do NOTHING. Just relax. Listen to some music... watch a movie... read a book... would playing music help you to fall asleep? Works for me sometimes...

[Joe Nerve]

The lack of routine screws with me all the time. When I went to russia a few years ago and only slept a couple of hours a night I was the same kind of mess when I got back - btwn jet lag and my body being totally confused anytime I tried to sleep I could only do it for an hour or two, 4 or 5 if I got really lucky.

My schedule still changes like crazy because I generally get up during the week at 6AM, and go to sleep at that time on weekends due to gigging. What I started doing is taking an over the counter sleeping pill when I need to knock myself back into the getting up at 6Am schedule. I take it even if I'm wiped out tired and it keeps me asleep for a good solid 6 or 7 hrs. Generic antihistamines are the same exact thing as sominex at about 1/10th the price. Noticed that while buying both and waiting in line reading labels while waiting to pay. Diphenhydramine HCL 25 mg. There's another type of generic sleeping pill that actually wires me out... I don't take that one. If one don't work for you, I'd try the other.

I too don't drink for desire to keep all my teeth. countless other reasons also.

[armywalaby]

Maybe its the recent stoppage of all of the bad intake?

I know when I first joined the Army I had to stop smoking pot and all the pills I was on, and it didn't take effect until I was sitting there in my Army sweats with a shaved head. At the same time, I had a nicotine headache and I was also feeling some physical withdraw from the lack of caffeine (was a big caffeine junkie, not as much anymore). But yeah, a routine that you force yourself to stick to should get you goin in no time.

[GeneralElectric]

Originally Posted by armywalaby

Maybe its the recent stoppage of all of the bad intake?

I know when I first joined the Army I had to stop smoking pot and all the pills I was on, and it didn't take effect until I was sitting there in my Army sweats with a shaved head. At the same time, I had a nicotine headache and I was also feeling some physical withdraw from the lack of caffeine (was a big caffeine junkie, not as much anymore). But yeah, a routine that you force yourself to stick to should get you goin in no time.

Well, aside from New Years, I haven't had cigarettes since November 22nd. (See how good I am at counting?) I haven't gotten into the habit of drinking any kind of regularly for a year now since me and my ex went to AA (I was there for moral support) and the fact that usually when I'm drunk I pick fights with people. (I'm already missing 4 teeth from drunkenness)

Never really ate unhealthly (though I stopped working out, and I ended up taking in way too many calories for awhile) and while I used to smoke other stuff a few times a day, I don't have people to smoke with anymore as my friends all have real jobs.

[Relic]

Wow this all sounds familiar.. I'm the same way.
The only thing that works for me is to get back into a routine. I think Rune already mentioned this, but you need to go to bed roughly around the same time every night. If you cant fall asleep, take an excedrin PM, whatever. Do it for a few days until you're back into a regular schedule, then try your best to keep it that way.

[Bard2dbone]

Maybe lay off of the meth?



Sorry. It was my first thought while reading your description of your 'schedule'.

You need a sleeptime ritual to program your body that it is time to crash.

A friend does yoga. Another one masturbates. Hey whatever works.

I check my email and webcomics and that's how I know it's time to crash.

[GeneralElectric]

Originally Posted by Bard2dbone

Maybe lay off of the meth?

A couple of my friends asked this one already. Unfortunately, only half were joking.

[armywalaby]

What was the game in 40 year old virgin? Where takes three excedrin and tries to masturbate before he falls asleep?

[kesslari]

Do you have insurance?
If so, see your Dr. get a referral to a sleep specialist, and get a sleep study done.

If you have a diagnosable sleep disorder, or sleep apnea (which can mess with both your sleep schedule and the amount of restful sleep you get regardless of the "hours spent asleep"), getting it diagnosed is the first step toward getting your life back.

[GeneralElectric]

Originally Posted by kesslari

Do you have insurance?
If so, see your Dr. get a referral to a sleep specialist, and get a sleep study done.

If you have a diagnosable sleep disorder, or sleep apnea (which can mess with both your sleep schedule and the amount of restful sleep you get regardless of the "hours spent asleep"), getting it diagnosed is the first step toward getting your life back.

I won't have any insurance until February.

I'm hoping a major part of it is not having a sleep schedule. I'm going to go to Duane Reade to pickup some meds after I drop off my best to get its cracked fingerboard replaced.

[Georynn]

I have sleep problems too.
I feel your pain.
I know you have gone through some very trying times recently, GE.
Perhaps talking about it with someone close will ease your subliminal tension. Going to bed at the same time is a good idea, but really you should consider making a regularly scheduled "bedtime routine". something like , shower, read 20 pages of a book turn off light, close eyes, count sheep. If you still cant get to sleep after 45 minutes, get up and start the routine again...

If that doesn't help, sign up for some samples of Lunesta... you'll sleep then...

Good luck...

[MakiSupaStar]

You need to get laid. That'll knock you out.

[Georynn]

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

You need to get laid. That'll knock you out.

never hurts..., unless you're doing it wrong...