Sleep Issues

[Olinick]

It seems like a lot of people here are having sleep issues. I only sleep about 1 to 2 hours at a time. I had a period of two weeks when I actually slept for 4 straight hours 3 times. It was great. Then issues with work came up and I am back to square one again. Tonight I was determined to go to bed but here it is, 12:45 AM and I am still awake. The sad thing is my animals would love it if I went to bed, especially now that it is getting cold out but I still don't go to bed. The problem isn't that I can't sleep, I don't go to bed. If I let myself get into bed, read a nice book, I would sleep all night but I don't do that. This doesn't help the anxiety.

[Annst]

I have sleep problems too. Meds used to work but not now. Not sleeping all the hours in one go ruins the day following. You have my maximum empathy! 💐

[Squirrel_Master]

Me too... I sleep terribly. I would kill to get a solid 6 hours of sleep. Instead, I sleep about an hour or two before waking up again. Usually I am WIDE AWAKE during these times. Sometimes I am able to go back to sleep and repeat the 1-2 hour cycle again. But more often than not I lay there tossing and turning for another hour before getting angry and frustrated and getting out of bed again.

[quitter333 in reply to Squirrel_Master]

have you tried doing sports or working something manual ALL DAY?

I am trying to get back to exercise regime, but I am absolutely sure - if you spent whole day doing something physical, your mind would not make you toss and turn during the night.

depending on the weather where you live - go skiing for the whole day - i.e. early wake up, drive there, skii for some 2-4 hours, eat, then skii more, then go watch a movie or dance in a club. After this you should have solid sleep.

Problem is that you cannot do such activities every day, but the point is - if your brain remembers how good 6-8 hour sleep is, you will start sleeping much better after few such exorbitant active days.

[Olinick in reply to quitter333]

Actually I use to teach fitness classes so exercise doesn't work. The problem isn't that I can't sleep, it is that I don't sleep. I avoid sleeping until I am so tired I can't do anything but sleep. I guess it's my way to avoid the nightmares but it has also become a habit now. The hard part is breaking this habit.

[quitter333 in reply to Olinick]

interesting ..

my sleep issues ocured when I had quite bad night panic attacks few times because of smoking and voila - it has been now weeks later I still feel slight discomfort when evening gets late.

For example - today I had a good, disrupted but very long nights sleep. I think I woke up some 3 times, but slept in. While waking up at night can be anxious, I just got back again and again and did not start watching youtube on cellphone as usual.

I woke up with zero anxiety too.

Had a very lazy day, basically a rare ocasion of me just playing videogames and watching movies.

But now, it is almost midningt and I suddenly thought - weird, no anxiety

Thought about what it feels having it

Then I started thinking about schizophrenia and whatnot

and voila - I literally felt a wave of anxiety, got a bit scared, felt bloodrush.

..

It seems I should have packed my day with more things rather than just be lazy. I again started contemplating my health in my mind and it sent me to slight anxiety.

Even blood pressure went up from normal 120/60 to 135/75.

I BET these feelings are what wake me up at night.

I just need to pack my mind with useful stuff that needs night grinding - either adventures, sport or studies - and this should fade away.

[Olinick in reply to quitter333]

You know, as I was reading your response I got to thinking. Maybe being more busy during the day does help. Right now work has been very difficult which isn't helping the sleep issue but then on the weekends I am spent and don't want to do anything. So I do like you described - watch movies and play computer games. What I do need to do is get up off the couch, walk the dog, go out with friends. The more I do the less I will think about the things that cause anxiety and depression. I guess I need to give it a try.

[Olinick in reply to Squirrel_Master]

You probably don't want to hear this but it is so wonderful to hear about someone who experiences what I do. I will often sleep on the couch with the TV on so I too am wide awake in between sleep cycles so I just watch more TV. I can only have on HGTV or Hallmark channel because those are safe shows to watch.

[quitter333 in reply to Olinick]

Yeah I read your thing and thought we have similar issue with sleep.

For example it is Monday morning.. I have slep like 1,5 hours. I had another lazy day I think in part I knew this would happen ( videogames youtube and 1 hour gym). I now know for sure I need to do more quality things (though cant deny some interesting videos do their job at least for a short while). Felt quite normal right after gym. Did stupid mistake to just continue "relaxing" instead of going to sleep.

...

I can 100% attest beginning of my problems to extreme stress when quitting smoking. I think chemical imbalance in brain was just too shocking. Work stress that you have probably can cause the same thing.

...

Btw the studying stuff - I really noticed that especially memorizing something just like in university helps A LOT. If you can apply that knowledge even better.

However being busy shouldn't be just exhausting in the work department of our minds. Emotionally a day in snowy mountains or forest can be equally fulfilling.

...

Also a friend of mine who is into meditation and stuff like that gave a nice advice - create morning and evening routines so body knows when its time to sleep. I will use all my willpower and try the following: Evening - eat, take a warm bath, stretch throughly, drink sweet peppermint tea and go to sleep. No cell phone or pc for this whole period starting from eating supper. Ill read a book in bed if I need to. Thats it. Peppeemint smell should with constant use become associated in my mind with "Time to sleep!".

..

Morning: wake up. Make bed. 20 pushups squats, ab crunches. Shower. Eat exactly at 8 AM.

At this point I should be asleep for at least 6 hours straight. I really doubt 8 hours are necessary. You need to sleep as much as you need to. If I upkeep the routine body will choose to sleep for 8, 9 or 5 hours.

.

Ill give some update on how this worked out after a week. Hope you find your peefect schedule soon too!

[Olinick in reply to quitter333]

That sounds like a good routine. I may try it myself. I tend to eat dinner late which doesn't help. Keep me posted. I would like to know if you are able to keep it going.

[quitter333 in reply to Olinick]

After 1,5 hour night I was a bit sleepy. Next night slept 8 hours but still woke up for minute few times (my shallow sleep phase is just too shallow).

I used melatonin spray this night. Actually slept ok. Woke up 2 times but dreamt a lot and overslept even. I try to use melatonin to set my cicardian rhythms back in place.

[quitter333]

"If I let myself get into bed, read a nice book, I would sleep all night but I don't do that. "

Well.. what advice exactly do you expect here, when you already answered your problems?

Use some willpower sometimes

[Hidden]

Do you do any exercise?

[Olinick in reply to Hidden]

I do exercise but right now not regularly because usually I am too tired. I really do need to motivate myself more to exercise. It kills me that I use to be a fitness instructor and now I can barely do anything physical. The asthma killed that.