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electric_black
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18 Jan 2009, 3:19 am

Wow.

I've had sleepless nights the last 3 nights in a row because i got my sleeping patterns all messed up last week on videogames and caffeine. Finally had enough of it today and grabbed some nyal sleep aid when i was out shopping. half an hour after taking one i was on my back listening to music and dreaming that i was riding some sort of hoverboard through a dark rollercoaster.... (i woke up when something went wrong and i went falling to the ground as happens in most dreams like this, im kinda scared of falling)

First thing since my brief relationship with mary jane thats been able to relax me and stop my mind in its tracks like that. This may only be temporary relief but with help from valerian i can see myself atleast getting back to a normal sleeping habit with a set bed time instead of laying in bed for many an hour cursing myself for not being able to sleep.



pensieve
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18 Jan 2009, 3:25 am

I've had difficulty sleeping for ages, that was until I started to take calcium supplements. I've stopped drinking tea at night too. That was a hard routine to get out of, but I'm glad I did so I can sleep better.
I haven't got much sugar in my diet too.
I don't have a weighted blanket but I wrap myself tight in my blanket and sheets.



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18 Jan 2009, 3:52 am

pensieve wrote:
I've had difficulty sleeping for ages, that was until I started to take calcium supplements. I've stopped drinking tea at night too. That was a hard routine to get out of, but I'm glad I did so I can sleep better.
I haven't got much sugar in my diet too.
I don't have a weighted blanket but I wrap myself tight in my blanket and sheets.


Ca is a good idea! Also, I take vitamin D IU @ 1000, quite a whopping dose. The reason: vitamin D is a neurotransmitter which affects circadian rythym. I'm an Alaskan so sunlight is at ~ 4 hours now, less than 4 hours at winter solstice - then the reverse in summer-time. I actually prefer winter-time and like the darkness, which is opposite of most. Season Affective Disorder (= SAD) is rampant in Alaska during winter-time and melatonin is lacking; hence the vitamin D.

Ca implies.....warm milk at bedtime! Cookies? I'm like pensive, I like blankets too. Have you tried herbel tea (no caffeine) though?


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oblio
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18 Jan 2009, 4:41 am

sunshower wrote:
Drugs: I think I would prefer to leave that as a last resort, if nothing else works, but thanks all the same..


merry u anna does not come with alcoholic hangover and is much cheaper; NO physical addiction, however long term intensive usage seems to have indicated increased vulnerability to psychosis; the stuff is my 'adhd'blocker and actually make me more focused, active and productive
(hasjiesj whacks me out instantly, strangely - very effective for sleeping)
both, especially the latter, combine brilliantly with musical drowning of any genre however hard;
both, especially the latter (though haven't done H for eons, want to stay alert, so M): much more effective than alcohol, much less draining on the physical system, very little side-effect post & very 'controllable' (manageable) in terms of addictivity

Masturbation:
"Weirdly enough, this did used to help for a time, but nowadays it seems to have more the opposite effect - wakes me up :? ."
Think i get that one, :elephant:

Masturbation = Massage = Exercise
(all relaxation of body, meditation > mind; no masturbation without mind however)

And from meditation, i know of a way to combine it all (without the masturbation, which i would never want to do without), in order to relax and release built up tension by mesans of a purely lie-down (very inbeddable) physical exercize:

lie down, first empty mins as mmuch as poss; then, start tightening specific area of the body as tense as you can, hold, hold, and.... release

you work this from the extremities upward to and including the head

start with clenching feet like you would clench your hands to fist
(sorry for accidental contextual reference)

in the effect this has on each separate muscle group, there is something strikingly similar to sheer physical orgasm: it could be said masturbation would be the sexual expression of the same exercize, as the sexual members will not be cleched on instigation of merely physical stimulus: it will invlove the brain's imaging processes (can there be something like merely physically coming?)

sunshower wrote:
Conclusion: Shall try having a cup of tea, a warm shower, and lie in bed listening to soothing music and trying to relax my muscles.


get a hot jaccoozi, and experiment a wider range of masturbative spots;
there might be some (one?) quite surprising in both excitation (tightness) and release (orgasm, quite emotionnal, i noted to my amazement)

ENJOY

EDIT
PS: one (1) step further in phrasing and this needs moving to the adult forum


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nothingunusual
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18 Jan 2009, 10:21 am

I have the same problem. I find it hard to shut my mind off and if my anxiety levels are high it makes it all the more difficult. :(

Wearing earplugs in bed have helped me somewhat, along with drinking Valerian tea before bed and having a bath sometimes. I waiting to get a weighted blanket also.


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TallyMan
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18 Jan 2009, 10:40 am

You could always record some political speeches and leave them playing while you try to get to sleep. :D

I too suffer from problems getting to sleep, my mind will not slow down and keeps going around and around in circles thinking about this and that. One thing I've found that does work is to try to think about something very boring, or to try to picture blackness in your mind. Every time your mind wanders off the blackness or boring thing bring your attention back to it. Before you know it you are gone. ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.


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poopylungstuffing
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18 Jan 2009, 1:01 pm

Badger sleep balm on my temples and near my eyes...Buckwheat pillow over my face...I sleep with my pillow over my face....I also take l-tryptophan and chamomile and sometimes l-theanine,

I can't do melatonin because it makes me have lucid surreal nightmares for some reason :?

If I try to read something, I am usually out like a light.



NarfMann
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18 Jan 2009, 1:04 pm

As one who suffers from persistent insomnia, I have to say that while sleeping pills may cause you to be unconscious, I would not classify the effect as sleep. It's not restful like sleep, and being knocked out by drugs for 8 hours leaves me feeling pretty much the same as not sleeping at all, except that my body isn't as worn out. Unconsciousness is not the same as sleep.

The thing that works for me (usually) is being physically and mentally active all day long. If I exercise throughout the day and force myself into the uncomfortable social situations that wear me out mentally and that I desire so dearly to avoid, I will usually sleep for around 6 hours that night, which leaves me feeling refreshed and hyper-alert.



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18 Jan 2009, 3:19 pm

what's sleep? Never heard of such a thing. Tell me if this even makes sense, a few days ago I was put on a pill for my Evil Schizoaffective disorder (which I don't agree with) and it makes me more tired but during this same period of time its actually HARDER to sleep! I've been getting up every few minutes all night long. I didn't have much to drink before bed (just chocolate milk).



Keirts
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18 Jan 2009, 3:24 pm

I have suffered from a pretty bad sleep disorder my entire adolescent and adult life, severe enough that I've lost countless jobs because I simply don't wake up, and when I do wake up, it's often with fewer than 4 hours of sleep, as I had such a tough time falling asleep the night before. To put things in perspective, at one point I had bolted a master kill switch, the kind used to energize/de-energize 600 volt circuits, to the outside of my house, and ran a wire from there to the pantry. Inside the pantry was my "alarm clock", which consisted of a stereo and amplifier on a plug-in wall timer. The stereo had a CD in it of an air raid siren going off. The pantry was locked from the outside, and the key to open it left in the shed. Thusly, I had to get up and walk outside to turn off my alarm clock. The switch outside the house was necessary because if I walked back in the house to shut off the alarm, I would invariably fall asleep again. Then once I had eaten breakfast, I was usually OK to return to my bedroom to reset the alarm for the next day. It was overkill, but at least it worked.

These days I seem to be managing the problem a lot better. I think a big part of it was that I eventually realized I would be fighting this my entire life... it's not going to get any better. I guess I just sort of resigned myself to the fight. I get out of bed no later than 8AM, come hell or high water, as more than one late morning will mess up my schedule to high heaven. Unfortunately, that means I quite often have to face the day with insufficient sleep, but I find it's better than too much sleep, missing half the day, and finding myself out of work.

I take Imovane when it gets bad occasionally, it helps to "readjust" things. It leaves a horrible taste in my mouth the next morning and even water tastes unpalatable; it also wreaks havoc with my memory - if I clean the house after taking one before I go to sleep, I can't remember where I put anything the next morning. I find breaking them in half, or dissolving them in water (yuck) helps me metabolize them quicker, so I get better quality sleep. They do their thing, put me to sleep, and once I'm asleep they metabolize in an hour or two, leaving me with relatively good quality sleep for the rest of the night.

Establishing a regular routine has helped quite a bit. I can't keep my mind active before I try to go to sleep or it races for hours while I toss and turn in a futile attempt to sleep. Sometimes I'll read a book, watch a movie, or chat online, depending on my mood that day. I also keep my bedroom only for sleeping. I don't watch television, work, eat, or pretty much anything but read a book or sleep in there. Turning the furnace down to 16C/62F helps for me as well.

But despite all the strategies I've come up with to date, I still don't trust that I've solved the problem adequately enough to hold down a 9-5 job reliably.


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18 Jan 2009, 5:01 pm

Kierts - That's rough! But I can somewhat identify in that being sleep disordered calls for extreme measures. I've run ice cold water over my wrists to wake myself up and thought of a mild electric shock. Once, accidentally, I got a mild electric shock in the kitchen. I had a pan with Aluminum foil cover and somehow the corner of the Al foil was inserted into the electric outlet. ~~~ SHOCK ~~~

Anyway, I had considered this, but then re-considered. I'm mostly ok with waking up. I did laugh (not AT you, but...you know) with your ingeneous alarm solution. Did you know there is an alarm clock now on the market that is robotic, in that it 'walks' about your room. This means when the shrill alarm goes off, you - the sleeper- must FIND that alarm clock! If that doesn't wake one up I don't kniow what will. Or at least frustrate you awake....sigh.

Lab Pet doesn't usually reveal, but I do have a much older brother - aspie. And I do like but barely know him (he's not a communicator). In the profession of architecture, and very talented. His wife did reveal this (I'm sure my brother would cringe if anyone knew......his wife's chatty though): Lab Pet's brother quite routinely wakes up at extreme early hours, like 1 or 2 am. Apparently he'll dream his alarm has gone off and he doesn't know it's not 6 am (wake-up time). So he takes a shower, eats his bowl of Captain Crunch, and is fully dressed. His wife will then 'catch' him, reminding him - 'It's NOT time! Go back to bed.' I guess he'd even gone so far as arrving at the work-site at some bizarre hour and not understand WHERE his co-workers are......geez. Brother has an aversion to watches and will not wear a watch. Unknown why, but I don't wear a watch - ever. Brother is smart and talented, but may not have a clue as to the date, etc.

Autists are really funny. I guess to have a sense of humor about this is best, at times. Just wonder if others here need a clock or rely upon their watch. I've met plenty of humans who are wickedly dependent upon their watch. Lab Pet is rather oblivious.


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Keirts
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18 Jan 2009, 5:36 pm

LabPet wrote:
Did you know there is an alarm clock now on the market that is robotic, in that it 'walks' about your room. This means when the shrill alarm goes off, you - the sleeper- must FIND that alarm clock! If that doesn't wake one up I don't know what will.


Sure, it would wake me up. But after shutting it off, I'd be right there next to a nice warm bed and invariably, I'd go back to sleep. I just don't have enough reasoning power when forced awake to realize that every time I crawl back in to bed, I fall asleep again, and this time will be no different. It never fails. I'm simply "stupid" when I wake up. It's almost like looking after a child in that I have to think of myself as a different and less intelligent person when coming up with ways to get myself out of bed. Had I the same level of intellect in the first few minutes of the morning as I do the rest of the day none of all that would be necessary. It's like my brain just needs time to warm up first - the neurons just aren't firing yet.

I always wear a watch now, unless I forget it, which is rare. I hate being late, and hate even more not knowing whether I am late or not. My watch is always set to within two or three seconds of CNN, as is every timekeeping device in the house - it's my little OC trait.


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ngonz
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18 Jan 2009, 6:28 pm

Exercise does help, as someone else suggested. You just have to be sure not to do it too close to bedtime. Also, psychologist can give you some relaxation techniques that will help you wind down.

Here is another device: a sunrise/sunset clock. I use it to wake up to because it helps my body wake up as my brain does, and I am not jolted awake. The sunset feature also helps one's body slow down, relax and get ready to sleep as if the sun were really setting.

http://www.amazon.com/BioBrite-Sunrise- ... 252&sr=8-1

It is a bit of an investment, but I consider it to be medicinal. A good night's sleep is worth just about any amount of money.


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TheMidnightJudge
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18 Jan 2009, 9:48 pm

I've had exercise work. It's a good healthy stress reliever.


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18 Jan 2009, 10:21 pm

I simply cannot sleep until I'm literally too exhausted to stay awake. My eyes have to be closing of their own accord, at which point I could then sleep anywhere, regardless of where I am. It usually happens quite suddenly, which leads me to fall asleep in the early hours of the morning on a regular basis on the floor or in my chair or even slumped against my desk. My bed hardly gets slept in when I'm at home!

Because I have so much trouble sleeping, I did try sleeping pills (Temazepam) for a while. Trouble was, they did nothing for me, even with a double dose. And then, because of my tendency to melt-down at times, one night when I couldn't sleep and the roommates next door were being noisy, I freaked out and took the whole bottle of pills - and ended up in hospital overnight. Even then, I didn't sleep, and spent most of the time wandering around the ward in a daze until they hooked me up to the monitor thing.

Now I have a studio flat, so noisy flatmates aren't a problem. I still have trouble sleeping (it's 3:15am right now, for instance), but there's a few things I've done to help:

Hot soya milk with honey before bed (I don't have dairy)
All lights out and laptop closed
Hot water bottle - heat is soothing to me
No heavy foods near to bedtime (and I have cut out wheat completely)

The flip side is that when I DO go to sleep, I find it INCREDIBLY hard to wake up. If I set my alarm, I HAVE to get up immediately because if I turn it off and rest my head for even a moment, I will fall asleep again and not wake up until three hours later. I can then sleep all day, even. Up to 18 hours.

Basically my sleep/wake cycle is royally screwed :P


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CelticRose
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18 Jan 2009, 10:23 pm

Somebody on this forum mentioned Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder last week on another thread. (I wish I could remember who so I could thank them.) I'd never heard of it, so I looked it up and realized that this is what I've been fighting my entire life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_disorder

I've been able to use a few of the treatments mentioned in this article to get myself to mostly adhere to a regular sleep schedule. I've gotten up on time every day this week, but due to various stress factors and events I haven't been so good about getting to bed on time. It's mostly a time management issue at this point.

First thing in the morning, as soon as the first alarm clock goes off (I set two, and I have been known to turn them off in my sleep even though they're on opposite sides of the room) I turn on every light in the apartment and put on lively music.

In the evening, I listen to soft, soothing music, and I only have on those lights that are absolutely necessary to perform tasks and keep myself from running into the furniture. I also keep it cool in my apartment in the evening, and cold when I go to bed.

To reset my internal clock, I stayed up for an entire night (I did end up taking a three hour nap -- I'm not as young as I once was).

A half hour before bedtime, I turn off the computer no matter what and start getting ready for bed.

I have to stick to my schedule. If I deviate from it for just one night, I have to start all over again.


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