Trouble sleeping?

Just looking for some ideas that don't include things like Ambien or reverse choke holds.

I'm in school as some of you might know. Mechanical engineering specifically. We get a lot of work. I'm keeping on top of most of it. The only real reason why I'm falling behind is this issue with sleep (that I've never really had before).

I try to get to bed around 11:00 to wake up for 7:00. But I always lay in bed thinking about random things until about midnight. Then I have to pee. Then I get up and pee and lay in bed until about 12:30. Then my roommate comes back and I'm up until like 1:00. Then I feel so restless that I get online to check my email and crap. Now it's 1:30. Finally I pass out at 2:00.

7:00 rolls around and I've had 5 hours of sleep, when I had originally budgeted for 8 hours.

I've tried mixing things up and trying to prepare myself better for sleeping but it doesn't seem to work.

Back home I had no problems passing out at 11 and waking up at 8.

But it's an issue because now I'm so tired during the day it kind of brings on general anxiety, which makes me adverse to all the maths I do on a regular basis. When I'm well slept I'm like a math destroying machine. When I'm not, it's like nails on a chaulkboard.

I even tried to take a nap today and was unable to pass out for about an hour. Eventually got a 15 minute nap and woke up again.

Also, almost a week ago I got 10 hours of sleep one night. For the next two days I felt significantly better than I have in probably a month.

I'm jealous of my roommate too. Because he'll come back to the room, drop his bag on the ground, lay down, and within 5 minutes he's out cold. Then he wakes up 9 hours later and does it all over again.

So I don't really know what I expect you guys to do or say, but maybe you all have some ideas that will help put this to rest. Lol. Rest.

It doesn't help with your crammed schedule, but are you getting any exercise?

If you're losing three hours of sleep to insomnia, giving up an hour for exercise might help you actually be asleep for the other two...

This might help:

https://www.advocare.com/10014252/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=W3721&id=D

Also, I've found that I've had to learn to think about something else. Usually driving up a mountain road in my favorite car, focusing on the sites and sounds, the bark on the downshifts, etc.

What is your routine right before going to bed?

Maybe try something like, shut the computer off at 10. Sit in a chair in the corner of the room (not your bed; reserve that for sleeping), and just read a novel for about an hour.

Does your bed suck? Would it help to get some kind of memory foam topper or something?

+1 on getting some sort of exercise or doing a meditation or visualization kind of thing.

I find reading a book tends to keep all of those "DON'T GO TO SLEEP" thoughts at bay.

Hate it when that happens.

+1 on exercise, too.

Sleep hygene stuff There's the basic stuff. Other things to watch out for is caffeine and sugar intake - coffee, tea, energy drinks.... will mess with you.

Some people say melatonin supplements work, but generally, there isn't enough actual melatonin in the over the counter supplements to have much effect. Other people say Valerian Root supplements work for them (others say they get weird dreams - reason enough right there to give it a go).

Some times I use headphones, the 2nd half of TOOL's lataralus albums works well, especially after a little night cap...not saying you need to get e36m3-faced before you go to bed.

Meditation helps me. You can PM for specifics on that subject.

If you lay in bed studying, STOP! That was a critical one that got me, you need to mentally reserve your bed for relaxation. Don't lay on your bed in the afternoon and watch TV either.

You can try reading (recreational, not studying) and see if that helps you. What I frequently did was turn on the TV and not look at it, just have something to listen to that distracts you, but not engages you. (adult swim- family guy/ american dad were good for this)

Key is to get yourself to stop thinking so hard when your trying to relax, its not easy, but you can find a method that works for you.

Sorry man. I'm right there with you. I'm getting 4.5 or 5 hours most nights. Sleep in on Saturday 'till about 10 to make up for it, but it's not the same.

I think the only time i get more than 4 hours of sleep is if i had 2 or more drinks within an hour or two before going to bed.

I'll give valerian root a try... heard a few people say it works, haven't tried that yet. Tried many other things.

Thread is very relevant to my interests. 55-60hr work week + building car(s) + 3-4 hours of sleep a night = HalfTrac crashes HARD about once every 6 weeks.

I too have this trouble a lot and I've found to read a book or even watch tv for a while before going to bed and refusing to plan the next day or even think about things I need to do can help clear your mind.

Also I take a time release Melatonin pill. Cheap and over the counter. It's what they recommend you jet setters take when you are crossing time lines. It takes about 20 minutes for me to feel the effects and the only effect I've ever found is that I get sleepy.

That still doesn't help that 3:00 a.m. bathroom break that can sometimes wake you up.

I did that same thing. I was dual degree, ME/AP. I also had ADD or whatever they call it these days, and my nights would go like that. Then we hit the gym. My two roomates and I would play raquetball, swim, crew (the machines, obviously), and a bunch of other stuff every night. Weekends we would hit the trail for biking, going between 7-15 miles every time. If you tire your body as well as your mind, you'll sleep better.

The other stupid trick works way better than it sounds. Don't move in bed. Lie there and don't move one muscle. Not one. Count slowly. I'll bet you can't get to 200 if you lie perfectly still with your eyes closed.

My routine is typically school work throughout most of the day. Take random breaks to poke around on youtube or whatever between homeworks (I do this in bed). Probably a half hour a day I practice dance as a hobby in my room. Actually, I spend most of my time in my room. I don't really like working at the library because the lighting is all fluorescent.

I try to leave my desk for homework only, and then relaxing in bed.. the issue though is that I end up spending a good portion of time in bed. That's what...she..said?

I actually opted to suspend my facebook account until fall break (in two weeks). I haven't figured out if this has helped or not. But before I did that, I'd be up chatting online until about 1 am every night.

I had more to say but I forgot what it was...

School work is incredibly satisfying when I'm well slept. When I'm not, it's incredibly daunting.

Glass of red wine usually helps me

I used to be the same way.

Now my routine includes the following:

Exercise.

No caffeine after 4 pm.

Watch the 10 o'clock news instead of the 11.

Oh,...and have a baby. You'll fall asleep moments after she does. Sometimes, before.

Taiden wrote: Actually, I spend most of my time in my room. I try to leave my desk for homework only, and then relaxing in bed.. the issue though is that I end up spending a good portion of time in bed. That's what...she..said?

These are your problems... GET OUT OF YOUR BED AND GET OUT OF YOUR ROOM!

You say relax in bed, but thats leisure relaxing, not sleep. It sounds dumb, but it makes a difference.

If your holed up in your room your gonna be used to being on edge getting your work done in there. Find someplace to go to do your work. Get out and change your environment during the day. See about study groups or something, getting out helps.

Happens to me too. What works for me is turning on the TV, tuning in to something I've already seen before, or something that doesn't require me to watch(like letterman, leno, daily show). Just enough to keep your mind active on the TV and off or other thoughts. Key is not to watch something so exciting that you can't sleep because of the topic.

fap.

failboat wrote: fap.

I LOL'd Yeah, I think you need more exercise regardless of how you do it.

I like benadryl. Generic is available at Walmart for $4 for 100 caplets.

failboat wrote: fap.

Exercise for an hour, fap, then a wee bit of four-twenty to seal the deal.

I second the reading thing. Your mind will go back and consider all the stuff you read (fiction is the best for this) instead of reviewing all the stressful E36 M3 you did during the day. And as cheesy as this sounds, sometimes if I have problems sleeping, I imagine driving X car and what modifications I would do to it and how it would look and sound like and....wow I sound really strange, don't I?

I've used melatonin ( 3mg) for yrs... seems to help... the otc sleep aids, unisom, etc will also help.. the only problem with them for me is they leave me sorta groggy for the first 30 min or so in the morning...

I've finally given in and had my Dr prescribe clonazepam ( .5mg ) takes about an hr.. can usually make it through the night ( 6 - 7 hrs worth anyway )