[INSOMNIA] Meditations

[Rain't]

On the second hour of trying to fall asleep with no success, I'm here with a 100% blue-light filter and dim brightness. Anyone else struggling to sleep? What do you think about?

I was thinking about how weird the things we do are. Something as critical as sleep for example isn't something we can do as easily as breathe. Why is it that we can't simply decide to sleep instantaneously?

[Echo]

Just watch some golf or American football. That'll send you to sleep.

[trash nyan]

My girlfriend can sleep instantaneously which makes me jealous as hell not the mention lonely when I have insomnia

[Triple G]

I mean You won´t die if You don´t sleep for a night - or only very short.

Like: if You can´t sleep - don´t. I´m not aware of any technique that would help, and i found to sleep less quite helpful. You´re probably more sleepy the next day.

What might also help: physical work.

I personally had problems with sleep mainly when i worked in shifts. The first three days i couldn´t sleep much at all, like 2h per day, then longer, and when i was okay with the new rhythm, the shift would change, so it starts anew.

If i´m not bound to anything, my schedule is not like 16h woke and 8h sleep, but rather i´m up for 24h or even more - and then i sleep for 12h.

[Apostate.]

I'm a lifelong insomniac – I used to also work rotating late night shifts too, so I have some experienced advice for you (a lot of my advice comes from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/):

• Try to stick to a regular sleep cycle pattern – if you screw up, gradually bring it back because there's no use in forcing yourself to sleep when you've only been awake for a relatively short period of time.
  
• Don't drink any stimulants ideally 6 hours before bed; don't eat 2 hours before sleep (to avoid indigestion – and waking up).
  
• Light is your enemy; sleep with no lights on – wear an eye mask if the sun is up.
  
• Don't use electronics in bed as your brain will otherwise won't associate the bed with sleep (consequentially making it harder to go to sleep).
  
• No physical activity too close to bed (as it'll wake your body up).

Medication wise, if you can ween off of it, then power to you. HIIT helps a lot if you need to increase your tiredness level for a hard reset – again, don't do it too close to bed.

Originally posted by Triple G:

I mean You won´t die if You don´t sleep for a night - or only very short.

I'm very much against that advice; forcing yourself to stay awake for the rest of the day is a terrible idea, as you'll only be putting more pressure on both your health and body while you're needlessly exposing yourself to further misery.

Plus, your risk of fatigue might just become so overpowering that you'd just shut down in the middle of the day and wake up after a few hours of sleep while being stuck back at square one.

You'd be better off getting an 11 hour maximum of oversleep—ASAP, if it isn't past midday—to push back on any experienced sleep debt and then spending the next waking day on gradually correcting your internal body clock.

Granted, you will likely feel groggy after initially resetting your body clock, but you will feel better for it after 2 successive days of proper sleep practice (as it takes 2 days for your circadian rhythm to reset).

[Rumpelcrutchskin]

Watch Ancient Aliens, guaranteed sleep in 15 min.

[Senor Eppeb Beppers]

Focus on the story you want to dream about. I usually think about sleeping on a train, boat, or space ship. Everything Apostate said is great. Keep it dark, avoid caffeine and exercise during the day. Don't eat right before bed. White noise, like television, helps some people begin to fall asleep. Just be sure to turn the TV off right before you pass out or it can wake you back up.

[WarHeRo]

try High-Intensity Interval Training

[Rain't]

Originally posted by Triple G:

I mean You won´t die if You don´t sleep for a night - or only very short.

Like: if You can´t sleep - don´t. I´m not aware of any technique that would help, and i found to sleep less quite helpful. You´re probably more sleepy the next day.

What might also help: physical work.

I personally had problems with sleep mainly when i worked in shifts. The first three days i couldn´t sleep much at all, like 2h per day, then longer, and when i was okay with the new rhythm, the shift would change, so it starts anew.

If i´m not bound to anything, my schedule is not like 16h woke and 8h sleep, but rather i´m up for 24h or even more - and then i sleep for 12h.

Originally posted by WarHeRo:

try High-Intensity Interval Training

I box religiously; it doesn't serve for much more than stress release and keeping me fit

Originally posted by Rumpelcrutchskin:

Watch Ancient Aliens, guaranteed sleep in 15 min.

Screens, even with 100% bluelight filters don't help me sleep. I always have soft jazz on in the background instead

Originally posted by Senor Eppeb Beppers:

Focus on the story you want to dream about. I usually think about sleeping on a train, boat, or space ship. Everything Apostate said is great. Keep it dark, avoid caffeine and exercise during the day. Don't eat right before bed. White noise, like television, helps some people begin to fall asleep. Just be sure to turn the TV off right before you pass out or it can wake you back up.

I have tried all of this, and what I find weird is that I actually tend to sleep better by doing the inverse of this advice. A light snack before bed makes me drowsy. Coffee before bed is warm, so my body cools down afterwards which is associated with your body shutting down before sleep. Because I feel pretty much permanently tired, the caffeine gives me the illusion of a comedown via the caffeine crash which makes me feel like I'm depleting energy rather than coasting

Originally posted by Apostate.:

I'm a lifelong insomniac – I used to also work rotating late night shifts too, so I have some experienced advice for you (a lot of my advice comes from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/):

• Try to stick to a regular sleep cycle pattern – if you screw up, gradually bring it back because there's no use in forcing yourself to sleep when you've only been awake for a relatively short period of time.
  
• Don't drink any stimulants ideally 6 hours before bed; don't eat 2 hours before sleep (to avoid indigestion – and waking up).
  
• Light is your enemy; sleep with no lights on – wear an eye mask if the sun is up.
  
• Don't use electronics in bed as your brain will otherwise won't associate the bed with sleep (consequentially making it harder to go to sleep).
  
• No physical activity too close to bed (as it'll wake your body up).

Medication wise, if you can ween off of it, then power to you. HIIT helps a lot if you need to increase your tiredness level for a hard reset – again, don't do it too close to bed.

Originally posted by Triple G:

I mean You won´t die if You don´t sleep for a night - or only very short.

I'm very much against that advice; forcing yourself to stay awake for the rest of the day is a terrible idea, as you'll only be putting more pressure on both your health and body while you're needlessly exposing yourself to further misery.

Plus, your risk of fatigue might just become so overpowering that you'd just shut down in the middle of the day and wake up after a few hours of sleep while being stuck back at square one.

You'd be better off getting an 11 hour maximum of oversleep—ASAP, if it isn't past midday—to push back on any experienced sleep debt and then spending the next waking day on gradually correcting your internal body clock.

Granted, you will likely feel groggy after initially resetting your body clock, but you will feel better for it after 2 successive days of proper sleep practice (as it takes 2 days for your circadian rhythm to reset).

I've tried their CBT worksheets to little success. Stuff like melatonin doesn't help either

I did end up falling asleep, but only after doing pushups and having a warm shower