I can't sleep.

[LucyDuke]

I have moderate insomnia. Once I get to sleep, I'm usually out for good, but getting there is not easy. Especially if there's anyone else around, whether I've got people over or I'm staying the night at a friend's place, I am invariably the last person to get to sleep. I can never sleep when there's someone else awake. I've been that way for as long as I can remember. That part's probably just anxiety, but even when I'm home alone, I can't count on falling to sleep within any reasonable period of time. Usually, if I realize it's not going to happen, I'll read for an hour or so and then try again, sometimes repeating this all night. I've tried all sorts of things, from getting up earlier to exercising more to avoiding caffeine. It's becoming a serious problem because I'm starting to be late for work way more frequently than is sustainable. This isn't every night, but it's a problem at least as often as it isn't.

So how about the rest of you? Do you get enough sleep? Are you an insomniac? Do you have a problem with getting to sleep or staying asleep? How do you deal with it, or don't you?

 

[JonnyB]

I'm the exact same way, it's just something I've learned to accept.

 

[CaptainF]

I'm not an insomniac.

During the weekdays I normally get anywhere between 6-7 hours of sleep per night, which is not enough quite frankly. At the end of the week I'm tired as hell.

Weekends I get anywhere from 10-12 hours of sleep, which is probably too much. Anything over 12 hours and I feel tired too.

The primary reason as to why I don't get that much sleep during the week is because I'm a night owl and prefer to do things at night. I'm a stay up late/get up late sort of person. But if I'm tired enough and am given a good enough surface to sleep on I sleep realllllly heavily.

 

[LucyDuke]

I'm the exact same way, it's just something I've learned to accept.

Does it have a negative impact on your life? I can't understand just living with it, it's hard to live with.

which is not enough quite frankly.

Yeah, my original intent was to ask if people felt like they got enough sleep, but I'd bet just about everyone would say they didn't.

 

[Potatish]

I used to have a sleeping problem, but I found out several years ago that it was because I always left the television on. I turn it off before I go to sleep, and I'm fine.

Of course, I shouldn't be awake at the moment, as I have to go to work at 10:45 in the morning. However, I'm ripping some vinyl LPs for a friend, so I'll just have to suck it up and do the best I can when I wake up.

That said, I deal with getting less than adequate sleep by taking a nice, hot shower after I wake up. It works wonders... You should try it.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Studies show anything more then 12 hours has no benefits.

Lucy: for sleep try powernapping, also covering eyes and ears to signal the body you wish to sleep. Anxiety exercises minor mental activities to reduce stress. Some with eating habits. avoid all suger, avoid fuilds after 7pm.

 

[aneeshm]

Have you tried the standard routine:

b) Have a hot bath/shower, at the end of which you use cold water for about thirty seconds to a minute
c) Have a glass of warm or chilled milk (flavoured any way you like)

Then simply go to bed, turn off the lights, force yourself to close your eyes, and philosophise.

Moderator Action: Keep it suitable.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889

EDIT: I apologise if the material posted was not suitable. I encountered it a long time back, on CFC itself, if I recall correctly, when someone made a similar thread asking the same question.

 

[Nylan]

Have you tried the standard routine:

b) Have a hot bath/shower, at the end of which you use cold water for about thirty seconds to a minute
c) Have a glass of warm or chilled milk (flavoured any way you like)

Then simply go to bed, turn off the lights, force yourself to close your eyes, and philosophise.

I'll have to give c) a shot, it's late here and I'm still up when I know I've a lot to do tomorrow

 

[JonnyB]

Does it have a negative impact on your life? I can't understand just living with it, it's hard to live with.

It's hard to say, since I've never known anything else. But I have to be careful about sleeping over, or having a girlfriend spend the night. If I feel I need to get a good nights sleep then sometimes I have to choose not to do that.

I've also missed work when my inability to sleep becomes severe. But I've tried several things and nothing has worked in the long run, and some have actually made it worse. Sleeping pills actually have the opposite effect on me, they just make me stupid and I don't sleep at all.

 

[JonnyB]

Have you tried the standard routine:


b) Have a hot bath/shower, at the end of which you use cold water for about thirty seconds to a minute
c) Have a glass of warm or chilled milk (flavoured any way you like)

Then simply go to bed, turn off the lights, force yourself to close your eyes, and philosophise.

The first three are all helpful to some degree. I avoid philosophizing though, I tend to get too interested and then I don't want to sleep.

 

[Red Door]

I can't sleep at the moment because I had 2 cans of Red Bull and a couple of beers tonight. And now, I feel like crap.

 

[GenMarshall]

I have too many problems to sleep.

 

[Prince_Imrahil]

Sometimes neither can I. When you're on the pillow and under the covers, if the sex/masturbtion, hot shower and warm milk doesn't work, think of something you WANT to think about, that you're interested in, happy/pasionate about, and you wont mind being awke but trust me, you'll fall asleep.

(ps nice avvie, any similarity ;p)

 

[Heretic_Cata]

I have moderate insomnia. Once I get to sleep, I'm usually out for good, but getting there is not easy. Especially if there's anyone else around, whether I've got people over or I'm staying the night at a friend's place, I am invariably the last person to get to sleep. I can never sleep when there's someone else awake. I've been that way for as long as I can remember. That part's probably just anxiety, but even when I'm home alone, I can't count on falling to sleep within any reasonable period of time. Usually, if I realize it's not going to happen, I'll read for an hour or so and then try again, sometimes repeating this all night. I've tried all sorts of things, from getting up earlier to exercising more to avoiding caffeine. It's becoming a serious problem because I'm starting to be late for work way more frequently than is sustainable. This isn't every night, but it's a problem at least as often as it isn't.

So how about the rest of you? Do you get enough sleep? Are you an insomniac? Do you have a problem with getting to sleep or staying asleep? How do you deal with it, or don't you?

I'm just like you.

And i think i am enjoying it. My moderate insomnia started when i was in a depression so it was a real pain then. But now when i'm happy i enjoy it.
Why ? Because in those 1-3 hours that i have to wait to fall asleep i just let my mind wander aimlessly. And because i'm not in a depression anymore it wanders in good places.

How to get up in the morning then ? When i have to get up in the morning i just put the alarm clock/cell to wake me up when i have to and at that point i get up like i'm possessed or the house is on fire. It's not hard, just force your body to get up when the thing rings.

Also, buy a few sleeping pills. But DO NOT TAKE THEM. I bought 5 of them and i took one every night i had an exam or smthing important was going to happen. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you do not take them in consecutive days ... maybe even in the same week. Because once your body gets hooked it'll suck. Take them only when they are really necesarry. The 5 pills i bought were enough for 3 months.

 

[Urederra]

I don't have any problem to sleep, I have problems to get out of bed. I wish days had 26 hours, It just fits better with my circadian rhythms

 

[Yeeek]

I was in your situation for a long while. Whatever happens, don't use pills. You'll get addicted to it in the sense that you know you will only find sleep with them. While its true you'll get to sleep, you'll feel like crap the next morning. They can help once or twice if you are like me a person that struggle with anxiety in their every days life.

Exercises. That's how I did it. Sports or whatever float your boats. I picked up a mountain bike and I go on running around with it for hours. Granted once come the right hour, you'll fall asleep with no help.

I used to sleep when I just couldn't stay up. In other words, I could only find sleep once my body was exhausted. Which was very bad for my health. Now I can go to bed at around 10pm and sleep right away because of the exercises I do before. I don't bike every days because my Job is already exhaustive but when ever I can, I do it. Not only it will help loosing a few pounds (that was my case ) It will help keep you in good shape.


Before that I tried to read. It just didn't worked, I would get sucked in the story and read it in one trait over the course of the night. Ending up in a very bad night the next morning.

If biking isn't your thing, try something else. Jogging, any sports will do.

 

[Ansar]

I wish I could sleep longer.

My body for some weird reason won't let me sleep past 8 hours.

 

[GoodEnoughForMe]

Don't worry about it, sleep is for the weak anyways.

 

[kuukkeli]

I do have occasional insomnia and my circadian rhythm for sure isn't revolving around 24-hour cycles. During times when I'm able to sleep well (7-9 hours a day in my case) I have a tendency to stay active about 20 hours. Often these two combined lead to situation where for days I sleep too little while still staying awake at least 20 hours and finally when I get good sleep it's 12 hours or more. I'm also a night person so I'm much more active and sharp during the dark hours. My insomnia is usually at its worst during the summers as I find it very difficult to sleep when it's hot.

 

[Catharsis]

It normally takes me about two hours to get to sleep.

But now when i'm happy i enjoy it.
Why ? Because in those 1-3 hours that i have to wait to fall asleep i just let my mind wander aimlessly. And because i'm not in a depression anymore it wanders in good places.

This is what happens to me, too, and it is quite fun. Every so often I drift into consciousness to find that my mind is thinking about something quite unrelated to what it was thinking about when I stopped paying attention half an hour ago. It's always fun to attempt to trace my thoughts back to the original topic.