colterphoto1 Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Why do I get up in the middle of the night and type endless diatribes about stereos? Why can't Michael sleep? (yes you have to worry about me when I speak of myself in the third person) Anyone else with this debilitating illness? Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sire Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Woke up at 4:15. Had to hit the restroom. Tossed and turned and finally got up at 5:30. Started to mindless surf the web On a day off. Sucks Can't sleep late like I could when I was younger. Seem to wake up same time whether it is a work day or not Really sucks. Maybe I should go back to drinking. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted February 12, 2005 Author Share Posted February 12, 2005 trust me, the drinking won't help anything. Same problems, only worse. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Michael, When I'm having trouble sleeping I take Tylenol PM. There is another product out there, forget the name, that's got the same sleepy meds without the tylenol. It helps me. Also if I wake up at night, I read sometimes. Not Tom Clancy for sure, but something that will help me relax and fall asleep again. Hope you have some good results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 I just sleep when I run out of gas, and enjoy the uptime when I'm awake. No sense in trying to sleep when you can't. Work is tough sometimes though, and I usually just come home and pass out. Then I get up a 8, back to bed around 2, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted February 12, 2005 Author Share Posted February 12, 2005 Thanks for suggestions. I've tried the TylenolPM, but found that it levels me for 12 hours, so I almost have to take it ahead of bedtime. If I took one in middle of night I'd be groggy until noon. I'm one of those who has to be careful because I'll abuse anything I'm allowed to take. Scared to get into anything habit-forming. With all the stereos in the house, guess I could set up a small bedroom system with some ambient sounds CD or something relaxing to help. Got a cat who purrs real loud and that helps me get to sleep, but then Steely wants out about 4:30 and I'm all messed up again! (yes, Steely after Steely Dan, he looked like little ball of steel wool as a kitty) Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Adams Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Hey Michael - I went through a bout of that not too long ago. Some of the things I read, heard about and tried was: - Never read in bed. Theory is that your body/mind should view the bed as a place to sleep. If you must read, go sit in a chair. - If in bed and can't sleep, don't try to keep your eyes closed. Actually, just the opposite - try to keep your eyes open and try to make yourself stay awake. I guess it's a reverse psychocology thing or summat. But it seems to work. - Don't use a computer. Something to do with the screen flicker and having to scan the screen and the hand/eye coordination thing that tends to excite the nervous system just enough to give you a "high" which is opposite of what you want. - Music can be good, but it has to be non-involving music. IOW, music that doesn't have you concentrating on the music or the vocals or the instruments. I've not used what they recommend, but that music you hear in those spas is what they're talking about. A motorcycling buddy of mine always brings his sound machine with him on bike trips. Says it helps him get to sleep. It's one of those small radio looking things that plays bird chippings or a running stream sound or whatever. Actually I think he brings it to drown out my snoring.. - While lying in bed, eyes open, try to think about a project you are doing or want to do. Think of it in sequential terms as in how you would go about putting something together or the things that need to be done first, then second, etc. Lastly....there's one other suggestion I have, but am a bit reluctant to mention, but I will. There's always the blow-up doll. Now just hold on, and hear me out - that goes for the rest of you turds. Sometimes when I can get to sleep, I go get the blow-up doll. After puffing and puffing to blow her up, I get real dizzy and pass out. Wake up in the morning and everything is fine. ROTFLMAO........... Seriously though, I know what you go through. The toughest part is trying not to dwell on it. That only makes it worse. Hang in there dude. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Xanax - .5MG Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerohm Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 melatonin 3mg - no 'hangover'. The thing I like about Tylenol PM is that is it the same chemical (the PM part anyway) as Benadryl (and over-the-counter sleep aids, as far as that is concerned) and is an antihistamine. Too much Tylenol PM or Xanax clouds 'my' mind... your mileage may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerFan Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Micahel, I've suffered from insommnia for years. I've discovered one thing that works for me that goes against what most others recommend; if I can't get to sleep, instead of getting up and reading, watching tv or whatever, I just lie there as quietly as possible. I always feel better the next day that way. Not sure why that works for me, but I think it's because I must drift off from time to time even if it's for only a minute or two here and there. A little sleep is better than none. If I get up and try to do something to relax myself, I end up doing whatever it is until the alarm goes off and it's time to get ready for work. Even on my best nights, it usually takes me over an hour to get to sleep, I always wake up a couple of times during the night and it takes some time to go back to sleep. The other thing is my alarm wakes me up maybe twice a year. Every other morning I'm awake about a half hour or so before it's time to get out of bed. So if I go to bed late the night before, I feel like crap. I try to hit the sack every night of my life including weekends and days off around 10pm and I'm up before dawn. Doesn't matter how late I stay up, I always see the sunrise. I just feel terrible if I stay up late. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwinr Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Other than the excellent medication suggestions here, Michael, how about purchasing a simple tube amp kit or other electronic kit. When you get a dose of the twitches in the middle of the night, get up and do some soldering. It works for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Really like the roster given by Tom Adams. Sounds really good 'cept for the blow-up doll thingy. His defintion is a classic hyperventilation pass out. Member when as kids you would squat, breath heavy then stand up and faint. Well that's a combination of hyperventilation AND gravity. Anyway the result is that the bwain is deprived of O2 and bango your OUT. Hyperventilation blows off CO2 from the blood, which, in turn constricts cerebral blood flow...and, well now you see...you black out. Not a swell idea. You will fall...and land...on whatever...mebbe hurt something....or break something. Anyway...count the sheep things or anything BUT hyperventilate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott0527 Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Excercise. We're all to busy playing or tweaking our darn systems and don't get enough exercise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 2.5 ml of xyrem. Though that is the extreme end of the spectrum. As if any one looks into what xyrem is I think they will be quiet horrified. But it puts you to sleep in 15 minutes. I would no sleep for 3 days on end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwm Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 The melatonin suggestion is good but I would recommend only taking half the usually prescribed dosage. i.e. 1.5mg Sometimes middle of the night awakening is a symptom of depression, have you looked into that? The herbal remedy St.John's Wort is good for low to moderate depression and also acts as a leveller. Its been evaluated by the British medical association and also is extensively used in Europe. Its been studied in Germany against a placebo control so I wouldn't regard it as "snake oil". I worked evenings for years as I couldn't adjust to being awakened by an alarm clock....Strangely enough if I travel I can adopt to more orthodox daytime hours. Go figure. The only other OTC med that I might suggest is GRAVOL (dimenhydrinate) used for anti nausea-----it does cause drowsiness. BTW, I am not an M.D. but all of the aforementioned have helped me on occasion. Hey some of the most accomplished people in science and the arts were/are insomniacs......(I'm NOT in their category) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 INSOMNIA??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!! Try this for a few years you wide-eyed weenies... "Dougy's four-week rotation work schedule": WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 MON off 7a-7p off 7p-7a TUE 7a-7p off 7p-7a off WED 7a-7p off 7p-7a off THU off 7a-7p off 7p-7a FRI off 7a-7p off 7p-7a SAT 7a-7p off 7p-7a off SUN 7a-7p off 7p-7a off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted February 13, 2005 Author Share Posted February 13, 2005 uggh, that SUCKS, Doug hats off to you if you can live with that. Imagine rotating weekends. WOW guys, I get Tues and Wed off this week! I'd never sleep. I think I'm letting my afternoon naps get out of hand. Will try to eliminate that practice, and excercise more. That may do it. I started hitting weights last week, got feeling really macho, then tweaked my back. Since I can't take pain pills, that made for a few sleepless nights. Felling better today. Thanks guys. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 if it makes you feel any better i have only been getting worse about a year ago i would sleep from about 1 to 730, now i sleep from about 330-730, so things aren't getting any better for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 ---------------- On 2/13/2005 4:49:03 AM jdm56 wrote: INSOMNIA??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!!! Try this for a few years you wide-eyed weenies... "Dougy's four-week rotation work schedule": WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4 MON off 7a-7p off 7p-7a TUE 7a-7p off 7p-7a off WED 7a-7p off 7p-7a off THU off 7a-7p off 7p-7a FRI off 7a-7p off 7p-7a SAT 7a-7p off 7p-7a off SUN 7a-7p off 7p-7a off ---------------- Try my schedule JD > On call 24/7 for the last 28 years. Off days are > none. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted February 14, 2005 Share Posted February 14, 2005 ---------------- On 2/13/2005 9:27:28 PM T2K wrote: Try my schedule JD > On call 24/7 for the last 28 years. Off days are > none. Keith ---------------- Oh yeah, sure, somebody ALWAYS has to 1-up me! ps - some have mentioned Tylenol PM. I use that too, but like someone said, it seems to be slow to work, and then hangs around in your system for twelve hours. But since I usually have a headache to go with my sleeplessness, it usually does the trick. I just have to be sure I don't take it too late in the evening, or I'll be a zombie for a few hours in the AM at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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