Kevin's Watch

too true lorin.

My problem is I don't forget the *amazing* ideas I have during an insomniac night!

Worst insomnia bout in years. It is absolute torture. Like being in a maze with not exit. Back in the day (a few months ago) I would hide all my credit cards and then take an ambien. But I am certified drug free. Just look at the Organic stamp on my butt. I went to bed at 10 pm because I had to be up early and stared at the clock until 4:30 am then got up at 5:30 am.

Insomnia is a cycle of no sleep ----> neeed sleep ----> worry about needing sleep ------> no sleep -----> etc etc. Break the chain by reserving a special thing that you like only for when you have insomnia. Start enjoying the silence and peace only acheivable at 3am. See where your mind will take you when you give it freedom to roam where it will. These things can help. Most of all start to realise that you don't actually feel that bad even when you're short of sleep. You still function, you still perform - and sometimes even better than 'normal'.

[here's another trick; start going into your bedroom for a maximum of 6 hours per night and not a minute more. Within days you will be sleeping rock solidly for the 5 hrs and 58 mins you are in bed - guaranteed!]

When I know I have a lot on my mind and need a good night's sleep, I've gotten so I take Melatonin before bed and it seems to really help, at least for a few hours.

I am also having less neck and back pain because for some months now I do yoga or pilates almost every day.

And I am learning to let go of a lot that bothers me. I can't fix everything and I don't have to.

Here is one more thing I came up with that works. For me it's a prayer, but you could just do it as self-talk if that's what works for you: I tell God/myself, My feet have walked many steps today but now there are no more places I need to go; now they can just rest. My hands have done many tasks, but for tonight they are finished. My head has had many thoughts to process, but now I can just relax because the day is over.... each part I talk about is given permission, so to speak, to relax. It's been a good practice to get rid of muscle and mental tension.

"Take no thought for the morrow for the morrow will take thought enough unto itself....Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof..."

I'm into a one night good sleep, two nights terrible sleep at the moment. I wake up constantly (not always for the necessary visit). On a bad night it can take me up to two hours to get to sleep. I try to go early and read for at least an hour, but C never comes to bed before 12.30, and he usually wakes me up if I have managed to get to sleep and then I can't get back to sleep again. If I want a really good night I go into the spare room!

I go to bed sober - wake up every twenty minutes - have the weirdest dreams ever - sweat a lot - next morning feeling like a truck hit me. Repeatedly

I go to bed drunk - wake up 8 hours later next morning - feeling AWESOME. The whole day.

Iolanthe wrote:If I want a really good night I go into the spare room!

The foundation of a good marriage is a spare room and the understanding that good sleep is more important than the keeping up of appearences - especially when you are of an age to wear purple ]

peter wrote:

Iolanthe wrote:If I want a really good night I go into the spare room!

The foundation of a good marriage is a spare room and the understanding that good sleep is more important than the keeping up of appearences - especially when you are of an age to wear purple ]

It seems that melatonin has really helped me. I take it an hour before bed and one benedryl (however you spell it) and I get a full 7 - 8 hrs most nights. This is a far cry from the ambien and the pain pills I was sucking down.

It seems melatonin has a lot of health benefits as well
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

Apparently it is only available by prescription in the UK.

lorin wrote:It seems that melatonin has really helped me. I take it an hour before bed and one benedryl (however you spell it) and I get a full 7 - 8 hrs most nights. This is a far cry from the ambien and the pain pills I was sucking down.

Yay, this is good to hear...
"But I am certified drug free. Look at the Organic stamp..."? LOL.


And there's other good stuff I missed a month back, it looks like...

deer wrote:I am also having less neck and back pain because for some months now I do yoga or pilates almost every day.

And I am learning to let go of a lot that bothers me. I can't fix everything and I don't have to.

I hadn't seen this... yay!

peter wrote:[here's another trick; start going into your bedroom for a maximum of 6 hours per night and not a minute more. Within days you will be sleeping rock solidly for the 5 hrs and 58 mins you are in bed - guaranteed!]

This makes sense to me and sounds like a great idea. (I think the "5 hrs and 58 mins" bit is amusing.)
Some of the time I've just said, "I'm gonna order myself to just lie down; maybe I will fall asleep, maybe I will just get rest."
And it has seemed to get me into a better pattern; and I often would get the surprise of finding myself waking in the morning instead of having been lying awake much much longer.

it's baaaack.......................

Aw crap. I'm sorry, lorin.

working overnight 4 nights a week and not the other three days has done wonders for my sleep.

it is very hot and muggy during the day when I sleep. and then I have little time to transit between the two shifts.

I need to win the lottery.

sgt.null wrote:
I need to win the lottery.

You and me both. Of course, I'd need to start playing the lottery...

I've been having this recurring nightmare about fighting with a bear that's trying to get through my window. I can usually figure out most of the weird metaphors in my dreams, but I don't get this one. It's not a very large bear, nor is it very aggressive, but it's very stubborn. I don't have windows where I live, nor am I in an area that is prone to bears. It's really not a very disturbing dream, but it wakes me up with a full-on panic attack and I can't fall back asleep.

Well the latest in my insomnia battle.....just as i am falling asleep my body gives a giant twitch and I'm up again. Happens over and over. It's driving me nuts.

lorin wrote:Well the latest in my insomnia battle.....just as i am falling asleep my body gives a giant twitch and I'm up again. Happens over and over. It's driving me nuts.

Oh man I do that every now and then....wtf is that?? Like my shoulder or my hip will jerk and I'll be wide awake again. In fact, I'm up right now because I can't sleep...

That happens to me sometimes, but not *all* the time. That would drive me nuts.