I can't sleep

[tina1979]

I messed up my sleep schedule pretty bad over the weekend.

Saturday night I went out and partied all night. I got to sleep about 6 am. This is not the first time I have done this. Most saturdays I am out until about 6am sunday morning. It comes from having worked at the bar until they close at 6. Now i just hang out with my friends until the bar closes, then we usually go get some breakfast.

Anyway, monday after work I decided to take a nap. Thats not unusual. I take plenty of naps all the time, but that night I tossed and turned all night. Tuesday by the time I got home from work I was exhausted, so I slept again. This time when I actually went back to bed for the night I didn't sleep at all.

I stayed hom e from work yesterday and forced myself to stay awake, hoping that if I went to sleep at a "normal" time instead of napping that I would sleep. I went to bed at 9p. I tossed around until 10. I got up and found my daughter's nyquil and took some of it. I finally fell asleep around 11, but I only slept until about 3:30.

Now I still feel like crap. I can't focus, and I feel like my body is falling asleep, but my mind isn't. Ugh! I don't know what to do. All I want is one good nights sleep so I will feel better.

[Deavan]

Hey Tina:

I have been there and it sucks. You should contact your PCP and see if your doctor could prescribe a small amount of sleeping pills...that is what I ended up doing, I was given 10 10mg pills which I split in half and I have 7 pills left so it got me back in the groove of sleeping normally and that was a year or so ago...

[coll214]

I broke down not too long ago to and bought some unisom. For the same reason, to get back into the groove of sleeping. After a night or two, I was ok.

[tina1979]

can I get that kind of stuff over the counter? I'd rather not have to go to the doctor about not being able to sleep. divorce stuff is starting to take off and I just got a questionnaire type thing that I think I will have to fill out. One of the questions is about my health and if I am under a doctor's care. I'd rather not have to explain why I can't sleep in court. :sad:

[coll214]

Unisom is over the counter...

[embrassezla]

Valerian root is available at GNC.

[tina1979]

I think I might just hit up walgreens or GNC after work then. I need to sleep. I am babysitting all weekend. I can't be a zombie while watching a 3 year old.

[Kitty]

Tylenol PM.

[weary]

a bottle of wine

[tina1979]

i was definately thinking of alcohol last night. i wanted to sleep so bad I was ready to break down and cry.

[meatwad]

i was definately thinking of alcohol last night. i wanted to sleep so bad I was ready to break down and cry.

Just rent Pear Harbor.

[enigma]

Second on the Tylenol PM... Good stuff there!

I know that when I get over tired I have lots of problems sleeping. You just have to take some to get back on schedule...

[MollyMe]

I hate when you are really tired during the day and when it comes to sleep, you just can't sleep.
I've never taken any sleeping pills, but things like Tylenol PM and Benadryl will put me to sleep at first but then will wake me up after a few hours and make me really alert.

[Xander]

Yeeesh... putting things into our bodies can be pretty serious, so please use caution.

i was definately thinking of alcohol last night.
Alcohol has an initial sedating effect and may help you fall asleep a little faster, but it disrupts the sleep cycle. Basically, you may fall asleep quicker, but you may also wake up in the middle of the night, or when you wake you wont feel as rested.

Okay, found an article:
http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa41.htm

And please keep in mind that sleeping pills are fairly addictive. You wouldn't want to start with a sleeping problem and end up with a medication problem. :sad:

The best way to get good sleep is to have a routine. It's easy to disrupt this routine (as you know from staying up) so... well, I don't know. I'm not a doctor. But it also helps to have lights fairly dim an hour or two before bed. Sometimes it's easier to entirely skip sleep for one night just to reset the next, but that "next" day is pretty terrible. ;): If you can last that next day without a nap, you should sleep well that night if only from exhaustion.

Anyway, my point is, please be careful what you put into your body.

[beeblebrox]

Just rent Pearl Harbor.

hehe, that made me laugh so hard. It makes me think of Team America: World Police with that song where "Ben Affleck sucked in Pearl Harbor and I love you song"

[K-man]

Yoga works for me.

[tina1979]

The best way to get good sleep is to have a routine. It's easy to disrupt this routine (as you know from staying up) so... well, I don't know. I'm not a doctor. But it also helps to have lights fairly dim an hour or two before bed. Sometimes it's easier to entirely skip sleep for one night just to reset the next, but that "next" day is pretty terrible. ;): If you can last that next day without a nap, you should sleep well that night if only from exhaustion.


I actually did try to reset my self. I was awake all of that one night. Kept myself up all the next day (skipping work because I was so tired) then didn't go to be until 9. It didn't work.

I am proud to announce that I slept pretty good thursday night. I was atching Pirates of the Cari (however the hell you spell that) and I finally got tired about 11. I slept all night, but I was still kinda dragging the next morning. I had spotty sleep friday and saturday night, more because I was in an unfamiliar environment than anything. I did sleep like a rock last night though. :) Hopefully this wierd sleep thing is over. Hopefully I am back on schedule... Of course not this coming weekend, but the next it'll probably get all screwy again. :googly: or maybe it'll just be like it used to be. Maybe I am getting too old to party all night.... :neutral:

[wordsmith]

Actually, after an all-nighter, I'm fine the next day...it's the day after that that the damage is felt.

[coll214]

Actually, after an all-nighter, I'm fine the next day...it's the day after that that the damage is felt.
Same here... i seem to have a delayed reaction to it.

[wordsmith]

I think it's that you get through that first day on adrenaline instead of rest. Then when you actually do sleep, you crash and burn.

[Kitty]

I have never pulled an all-nighter. I just can't do it.

[Xander]

Yay! I'm glad you're more or less back to schedule. Sorry the all-nighter didn't work. I usually fall asleep by afternoon the next day.

It's hard, but stick to that schedule! ;)

I had spotty sleep friday and saturday night, more because I was in an unfamiliar environment than anything.
Yes! That's very important too. The whole "sleep routine" should be repeated in such a way that everything is familiar.

There's also a self-hypnosis type of routine that I sometimes do if there's too much on my mind (usually the only reason I can't sleep). You make sure your entire body is comfortable, then tense up your whole body and hold it for a few seconds, then relaaaax your whole body. Then be really mindful of relaxing your body starting at your toes. Sense your toes and feet and picture them becoming more relaxed and comfortable, sinking into your bed as you relax it, then your ankles, legs, and up... all very slowly.

Then when you're entire body is relaxed (be sure to not move a muscle, like your whole body is numb with comfort) picture yourself in a dark room with only a staircase going down. Take a step. With each step, you get more relaxed and sleepy. Do this slowly. Take another step... sleeeepiiier... and so on until you're asleep. :rolleyes:

Anyway, it works for me 90% of the time. The other 10% I start out worried about having too much to do the next day and end up worried about not getting to sleep (which makes me not sleep).

Oh yeah, don't do this: When I was little, when I couldn't sleep, I'd hold my breath until I passed out.

[MetFanL]

I have never pulled an all-nighter. I just can't do it.
I did a few times, but it wasn't b/c I was working or studying... I was just, literally, out until 6 am. Since we were up, we just drove up... it's a 3 hour drive. BAD idea. But, it was fun!!

[Kitty]

I have stayed out all night...but then I usually slept during the next day. So, I don't know if that qualifies as an all-nighter.

[MetFanL]

I have stayed out all night...but then I usually slept during the next day. So, I don't know if that qualifies as an all-nighter.
Yeah, I only count mine b/c I had to drive home and stay up for most of the following day.

I never pulled all-nighters in college b/c I didn't see the point. Papers I always finished early. There was no point in staying up to study b/c I'd be too tired to concentrate and would end up getting the same horrible grade as if I didn't study at all.

[Kitty]

I never pulled all-nighters in college b/c I didn't see the point. Papers I always finished early. There was no point in staying up to study b/c I'd be too tired to concentrate and would end up getting the same horrible grade as if I didn't study at all.

Same here. I find that if I sleep on what information I have studied, I'll do better than trying to cram more in last minute or staying up later to try to get more in my brain.

I really think that the night before a test is best spent sleeping and allowing the material to absorb.

Anyway, in all the test prep courses I ever took they always recommended that.

[wordsmith]

I never really studied in college. My all-nighters were all paper-writing (which I had about 10x more of than tests, anyway, hence the not needing to "study," as such. 99% of my classes were papers, not exams. And all-nighters are THE way for me to write. My best work. Still are. Everything I've ever won anything on has been written in the wee hours. That's when I'm most focused, and what works for me.

[coll214]

I never really studied in college. My all-nighters were all paper-writing (which I had about 10x more of than tests, anyway, hence the not needing to "study," as such. 99% of my classes were papers, not exams. And all-nighters are THE way for me to write. My best work. Still are. Everything I've ever won anything on has been written in the wee hours. That's when I'm most focused, and what works for me.
Sounds familiar. Except for me it was computer projects. Like the one the night before it was due that I scrapped at a 2am fit and ended up with a MUCH better project than originally intended...

[shimma]

Nyquil.

uhihtiiiiiiiuherhwirhiqqrjjuuhf

[Kitty]

Nyquil.

uhihtiiiiiiiuherhwirhiqqrjjuuhf

The only problem with that is that you're in a zombie trance the following day.

[mishl982]

Dude, I've had so much trouble falling asleep the past few nights. I just moved into a new home, so I think that has a lot to do with it. But I would be dead tired all day, spaced out, but when it came time to hit the sheets - I just tossed and turned. It has sucked and it also has been affecting my mood to the extreme! I tried some Benadryl but even that didn't help. I hope that I'll get back into the swing of things this week. I dont like being zombie-like!