Unusual Sleeping Habits

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Ever since I was a kid, up till now, I've slept like this - prone, in a fetal position, with my back up and facing the ceiling. I usually have the covers pulled up over my head and I shake my whole body or legs to get to sleep. I've always thought I did it because I was abused a lot and the way I slept in this defensive position was a coping mechanism. Does anyone else have unusual sleeping positions, rituals or habits?

Last edited by redrobin62 on 29 Oct 2013, 7:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

If it's slightly too hot or cold. I won't sleep
If it's too loud or quiet. I won't sleep
If it's too bright or dark. I won't sleep
If I'm in the wrong position. I won't sleep
If it's not my pillow. I won't sleep
If the covers are in the wrong position. I won't sleep

I can sleep... as long as it is the EXACT temperature with the EXACT amount of noise and the EXACT amount of light and I'm in the EXACT position with the EXACT pillow and my sheets in the EXACT position required for me to sleep.

Redrobin, I am trying to visualise a fetal position with your back facing the ceiling and I cannot. I thought the fetal position involved by definition lying on one's side.

Asperger96, I am surprised you ever get any sleep at all. Personally, my list is:

If there is background noise, I can't sleep.

If it's too light, I can't sleep.

If my brain is busy thinking, I can't sleep.

If I am very sad, I can't sleep.

If I am very excited, I can't sleep.

If I am too cold or too hot, I can't sleep.

If I am uncomfortable (i.e. something is digging into me), I can't sleep.

If my dog is not curled up next to me, I can't sleep.

If my stuffed toy is not tucked under my arm, I can't sleep.

I suppose a lot of those things are true for everyone but the problem is that my brain is almost always busy thinking. I often lie awake all night long and cannot make myself go to sleep because my brain won't stop thinking.

I keep the TV on low for the noise. Its not loud, but it drowns out other sounds. I can sleep if its that one quiet noise, but not if I can hear all the other noises: Crickets chirping, motorcycles going by, dogs barking, etc

The cooped up way I sleep resembles the fetal position except I'm on my knees with my back in the air. My head is down and my hands beneath my chin.

[img][800:693]http://seattlewordsmith.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/woman__fetal_position_by_lostgeisha.jpg[/img]

Wow that is a very unusual sleeping position, I believe. I have never seen anyone sleeping like that before. You must have been very traumatised and terrified indeed. I'm so sorry to hear about the abuse you went through. ((((hugs)))))

I don't understand how you can breathe with your face pressed down like that and the covers pulled over your head. Also I would expect your legs to get very cramped being bent like that. But I'm sure your body is used to it if you sleep that way every night.

Lucky you I wish it was that easy for me to fall asleep
In all seriousness what he said. This is a major bone of contention with my GF as I absolutely cannot fall asleep when she is in the bed PERIOD. I was up all one night and half the other night before I told her she had to sleep on the couch before I go cracked. She hates sleeping alone so you can imagine the friction this causes! I also need a ton of weight on me so I must be the only person who loves cold winter nights as July and August are downright brutal for sleeping.

Every time I go to a hotel it's usually not until 3 or 4 am until I can fall asleep and even then it's not a deep sleep (have to bring my own pillows). I once decided to get up really early before a trip just so I would be good and tired and all it did was make me sleepy to the point of being a danger to other motorists on the drive home. So, if you see a guy out at 3am by himself driving around your city it's just me not able to sleep and engaging in my special interest.

I absolutely NEED a fan running to sleep. Which can be frustrating when I need to buy a new one, since many newer fans are too quiet.
I also need a totally dark room, I have my window completely blocked off.
And I much prefer to have the bed to myself, even the cat is banned from the bedroom when I sleep.

I never heard of a man making his wife sleep on the couch. Only the other way around.

When I was a kid, if it was really cold outside and I had enough blankets on the bed, I would sleep with the window open.

The entire heat for the house was a gas stove in the living room. For safety reasons, we would turn it off at night and the entire house cooled down pretty quickly. My bedroom was upstairs. Even in the best of times in the winter, it didn't get all that warm anyway.

I found out that I really liked sleeping when it was 20 degrees or less inside and out.

Of course, this is out in the country where most noises are those of cattle, coyotes, dogs, and owls. Occasionally you might hear a truck drive by down the highway half a mile from the house.

When I lived in the city, I couldn't do this because of all the street noises.

I would still like to sleep with the windows open in zero to twenty degree weather but don't dare because it would freeze pipes. When I was a kid, there were no pipes in the wall to freeze (no water at all upstairs).

Well we aren't married, we don't live together and I had severe back issues which is why I have such a large bed. I tried several times and ended up miserable, in pain and unable to sleep. At some point you have to put your foot down even if people see me as an a**hole for it. Bottom line, if she doesn't like it she's welcome not stay over because I can't sacrifice my health and going without sleep sucks especially working full time.

When I was younger, for years, I slept in my upright fetal position. For the past few years, however, I sleep less upright but am still in a side fetal position. I tend to shift around a lot in bed, too. Makes it hard for the cat to sleep on the bed with me because I'm always waking her up.

I dribble in my sleep-I'm pretty sure it comes from dreaming about eating a lot!

I usually listen to music, but not always.

When I was little I used to sleep on my stomach with my butt in the air sometimes lol, It's kinda soothing.. I think a lot of kids do it NT's as well.

I always sleep with the TV on, i'm trying to break that habit. I also sometimes cover my face and sleep under the covers.

I need the fan running when I'm asleep. As a matter of fact, the colder it is, the better I'll sleep. I also have to move my legs or flap my hands, otherwise, I can't fall asleep.