Sucks, doesn't it?

How many of you are plagued with this? How bad? How often?

It's gotten progressively worse for me as finals loom closer, as do the holidays... Lately I'm lucky if I get to bed by six in the morning. No matter how little sleep I get, I can never fall asleep at night. I'm just perpetually tired... It's not pleasant.

[ 12-15-2004, 05:10 AM: Message edited by: Illumina Drathiran'ar ]

It has been this way for me since I was in the service. I had late morning ( 3am to 6am ) guard duty. Years later, I am not saying how many years later, I am still hit with this. As you can see this post is being done at 5:10 am. I have been up since 2 am. I have pills to help with this but don't like to take them. I may sleep from 6 am to 8 am then get up and work. But like you said it still sucks. I get many things done during this sleepless time. I would rather be sleeping though. No wonder Santa never brings me presents. I am always up and awake when he could be here. LOL

Some things to try is lay off the caffeine earlier in the evening. Try eating later at night, or at least a snack before sleeping. Tylenol pm may help also. As a last resort when your home see your doctor and talk to him/her about this.

The thing is this... I know tons of cures (Funny, reverse the last two letters of "cures" and you get "curse") but none of them have been working for me. I've even laid off the coffee after five. And that's extreme, for me. There are good yoga poses to do... Nothing's helped. I believe that in my case it's stress, but I don't see an easy way to relieve that.

[ 12-15-2004, 05:29 AM: Message edited by: Illumina Drathiran'ar ]

I get it. I solve it by pretending I dont actually need the sleep that I am missing. Works sometimes. I also try to think of it as "extra free time". If I'm not going to sleep I may as well do something enjoyable while not sleeping. Super Nintendo and Gameboy work great during these times. :D

What's not cool is being tired, but totally unable to sleep. I have a touch of that now.

Well, I've got a couple of suggestions, but I don't know for sure they'll work. Something to consider at least, though.

I used to stress myself into sleepless nights - often awake up to 4 days at a time.

One thing, for me...if it isn't too severe, reading will put me to sleep. It just takes my mind off of other things enough to distract me and let my mind relax.

The other is a *good* workout. If you get in a good workout and cooldown before bed, it will often physically exhaust you to the point your mind *can't* stay awake. Not a workout that *hurts* you, mind you. Just a really intense one that leaves you good and tired. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Edited to clarify: I didn't mean to do the workout *right* before going to bed, but to do so in the evening. I'm an odd person in that, if I work out in the morning, it gives me loads of energy, but if I *also* work out for about 20 or 30 minutes in the evening, even if it's just a walk in the neighborhood - a few hours before I go to bed - it helps me sleep for some reason. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Also! Something to consider trying...take a warm shower before going to bed. This has helped relax me soooo much at times.

[ 12-15-2004, 10:11 AM: Message edited by: Lady Sedai ]

wish i could help you but whenever i have that problem 1 or 2 tylenol pm solve it for me. luckily tho this pregnancy i'm not an insomniac!

good luck, a work sounds ok, but for some people working out just energizes them, that is why it's reccomended to do in the morning.

Illumina, do you have problems with not getting enough sun exposure this time of year? I know my sister in law has several problems that stem from that and has a special lamp to help her in the winter.

Barring that- some things I've seen in medical articles on insomnia include:

1.don't excercise right before going to bed, but do get some earlier in the day; lower caffeiene intake;
2. try warm milk before bed
3. if you don't fall asleep in the first 15 minutes after you go to bed, get up and do something else (read, watch tv, do a puzzle etc) then try to go back to bed later
4. limit protein based foods right before bed, they take more effort to digest and can keep you awake

If all else fails, see your physician for some other options.

I hope you can work this out. I know how bad sleep deprivation can be and sleeping disorders are the pits! (My husband suffers from sleep apnea)

It's not insomnia plauging me, it's chicken pox, but i feel for you illumina, i realy do. When i don't get a full nights sleep, i'm REALY tired and grouchy in the morning. I can only imagine how evil insomnia is.

Thank you all... I was more or less ranting and looking for other people who suffer from this incredibly irritating condition, but the suggestions are nice, too.

Cloudy- Yes, I do... As if I didn't have enough problems this time of year, right? At one point I did have a lamp like that, but it didn't help much. Who knows? Maybe this will give me an excuse to move to the tropics.

It's 3am here right now, so that might show a slight sleeping disorder.
But other than going to bed late, I rarely have problems sleeping, in fact I usually get a good 10 hours or so, or 2, depending on what is happeneing, but I really enjoy sleep, so more is better.

(my sleeping patterns have changed since I finished school, when I was at school I used to get a regular 5 hours a night, for months at a time, now I can get as much as I want)