Trouble sleeping?

Twin_Cam wrote: 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?

Actually that's a good point. I've found something out recently. If I do a lot of physics in one day for example, and I wake up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break... for about 30 seconds I am almost positive that my arms and legs are making an xyz coordinate plane and I have to solve my other arm and leg for their cartesian vector notation components. It's seriously berkeleyed up. It's almost like 30 seconds of psychosis, and as I try to go back to sleep it comes back before I'm unconscious.

But nights that I don't do a lot of work, this does not happen at all.

It's almost like proof that your brain does work stuff out when you're sleeping.

and if I don't get the sleep, there's unprocessed crap that it hasn't had time to work out yet.

Maybe that's the function behind vacation?

Twin_Cam wrote: 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?

Yeah. I like some kind of simple fiction that I don't need to think/worry about when I put the book down. I've also found that I can read in bed provided that I actually sit up while reading with my back against the wall, not laying down.

And yeah, imagining yourself driving a car or something is awesome. Force yourself to focus on something, and you don't leave room for any of the stream-of-consciousness worries.

Taking a Tai-Chi class and practicing tai-chi forms would be an awesome thing to do before bed. If you already dance, practice your dance moves and really visualize everything before getting into bed.

Speaking of which, what kind of dance?

Lots of good advice posted already. One thing not mentioned is your circadian rhythm. It really helps to wake up during the lightest stage of sleep. It's covered in The Four Hour Body as well as a lot of different sleep tips/hacks. The author did tons of research. Fascinating stuff.

One thing I would try is finding a really boring podcast and playing that on your computer or chosen audio device. Set your computer/audio device to shut down after 30-40 mins or however long it typically takes you to fall asleep. Nothing puts me to sleep faster than someone going on and on about a subject I couldn't give two E36 M3s about.

The thing that got me was being irritated that I couldn't sleep. I would get worried, angry, restless... Now I get up and read or watch an episode of Top gear on the DVR (hopefully an old one I've seen) and don't worry about it.

Salanis wrote: Speaking of which, what kind of dance?

It's an evolved street dance called 'c-walk.' It actually was historically tied to the blood/crip gang wars, but I do it because I think it's fun. I'm not very good, but I would like to be. It's proven to be incredibly good for my balance thus far, and it's hilarious fun.

Here's a video of someone who is significantly better at it than I am.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3v1KlA8jis

Taiden wrote:

Salanis wrote: Speaking of which, what kind of dance?

It's an evolved street dance called 'c-walk.' It actually was historically tied to the blood/crip gang wars, but I do it because I think it's fun. I'm not very good, but I would like to be. It's proven to be incredibly good for my balance thus far, and it's hilarious fun. Here's a video of someone who is significantly better at it than I am. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3v1KlA8jis

UHHHHH..... that's berkeleying AWESOME!!!!!! I MUST LEARN.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: UHHHHH..... that's berkeleying AWESOME!!!!!! I MUST LEARN.

If you have an android phone do a search for "sylo c-walk". Has pretty much all the tutorials you need

Taiden wrote: It's an evolved street dance called 'c-walk.' It actually was historically tied to the blood/crip gang wars, but I do it because I think it's fun. I'm not very good, but I would like to be. It's proven to be incredibly good for my balance thus far, and it's hilarious fun. Here's a video of someone who is significantly better at it than I am. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3v1KlA8jis

That is frickin' sweet! I do partner dances (tango, lindy, blues), but I could totally blend some of that into my footwork for blues and/or WC swing.

But, back OT: practice that for like 15 minutes right before bed, brush your teeth to let your heart rate drop, and go to bed. Endorphine rush, clear head, and physically tire yourself.

Taiden wrote:

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote:

Taiden wrote:

Salanis wrote: Speaking of which, what kind of dance?

It's an evolved street dance called 'c-walk.' It actually was historically tied to the blood/crip gang wars, but I do it because I think it's fun. I'm not very good, but I would like to be. It's proven to be incredibly good for my balance thus far, and it's hilarious fun. Here's a video of someone who is significantly better at it than I am. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3v1KlA8jis

UHHHHH..... that's berkeleying AWESOME!!!!!! I MUST LEARN.

If you have an android phone do a search for "sylo c-walk". Has pretty much all the tutorials you need

The funny is... i've been looking for tutorials how to do the "robot dance" in LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem.... never knew/made the connection that it was a c-walk step. (Towards the end i guess)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8&ob=av3e

Well, now that i watched it again, maybe it's not true c-walk, but similar?

I had sleeping problems for years and found out about Melatonin. It's produced naturally by the brain and some people don't produce enough. I have anxiety and tend to worry about things too much. I'm one that hates taking pills, even tylenol, and I'm kinda cautious about taking anything. Anyway, these have helped me:

I don't like telling people to take anything since I'm no doctor,but these help me. Try shutting down the internet and t.v. earlier at night too. They may give you vivid dreams. Like lastnight I dreamed that Jason Vorhees was in my garage waiting to kill me:(

Per Schroeder wrote: I like benadryl. Generic is available at Walmart for $4 for 100 caplets.

my wife will slip me two of these once or twice a year.....my head is foggy in the morning though.

I call them bennies to get more of an illicit drug use feel.

Apexcarver wrote: 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.

This. Bed=Sleep. Don't do anything else there, no reading, no watching TV, nothing but sleep and sex. If you can't sleep, get up and go do something boring until you can. Don't lay in bed fretting about it. Once you program your brain, getting to sleep is easy. My head hits the pillow, I'm out in under 5 minutes no matter what time it is.

Where I run into problems is staying asleep. Usually six hours is it for me. If I go to bed at 10:00, I'm up at 5:00. After 2 or 3 weeks of that I crash as soon as I walk in the door from work. Then I'm out for 12-14 hours.

I think I'm going to loft my bed. That will give me space underneath to put some kind of 'hang out zone'. Then when it's time to sleep I can crawl up and crash. It's like a bunk bed with no bottom bunk. This might be the best move as far as living space setup is concerned.

I'm going to try to make a point to exercise more. I was just talking to a girl who is also in engineering, she said the only thing that keeps her sane is the gym and her woodsmans team. (Pretty awesome, check it out if you are unfamiliar)

I'm going to start giving myself a 2 hour grace period before I hop in bed, giving my mind a chance to cool off. Also I'm going to try to do work earlier in the day instead of later at night, for the same reason.

I just realized that I brought my copy of "The Education of Little Tree", which as it so happens, was recently announced to be fiction! So it fits that bill perfectly.

Anyone tried the cold shower thing? According to the venerable magic maker Tim Ferris it makes you fall asleep faster. I always did the relaxing warm shower instead of the testicle shrinking cold shower.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: The funny is... i've been looking for tutorials how to do the "robot dance" in LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem.... never knew/made the connection that it was a c-walk step. (Towards the end i guess) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8&ob=av3e Well, now that i watched it again, maybe it's not true c-walk, but similar?

Check out "popping"

If you are in a dorm, lofting the bed might be a good idea. My brother ended up doing that when he was in college. Otherwise there wasn't enough space to turn around. Four 4X4s and a couple of 2X6s took care of it. Ended up with enough room for a comfy chair and a table to spread out on.

Toyman01 wrote: If you are in a dorm, lofting the bed might be a good idea. My brother ended up doing that when he was in college. Otherwise there wasn't enough space to turn around. Four 4X4s and a couple of 2X6s took care of it. Ended up with enough room for a comfy chair and a table to spread out on.

Yeah, luckily the school provides 'engineered' kits that they deliver to your door. I think I'm going to make the maintenance request tonight.

In reply to Taiden:

yeah, good idea on the loft. also, when i lived in a noisy house for a while about 2 years ago, i would hang my earbuds over the headboard and play sarah mclachlan's "fumbling toward ecstacy". it's very mellow, and i have many good memories associated with it. also, another +1 for turning off the computer 1 hour before bedtime. brain doesn't shut down quickly after such intense visual input.

Bob. Ross.

Happy trees will wisk you to sleep.

neon4891 wrote: Happy trees will wisk you to sleep.

But not their friends.

Comfort means a helluva lot. A simple 2" memory foam pad made a huge improvement in sleep time and quality for me. They're cheaper at Overstock than retail shops.

Per Schroeder wrote: I like benadryl. Generic is available at Walmart for $4 for 100 caplets.

AMEN brother!! or just get drunk...

im drunk...good night

Well, I did a few things last night.

I stopped all school work 2 hours before I planned to lay down.
I shut off the laptop about 30 minutes before I planned to lay down.
I didn't lay down until I was ready to go to bed.
I didn't chug water before bed (I always drink water so I typically drink all the way up until sleep time)
I actually counted all the way to 200 just to see if I could haha.
Instead of thinking about tomorrow or school work I just imagined myself skateboarding and feeling the wind on my face, which is funny because I don't skate.
Set an alarm and told myself to not get up until the alarm goes off.
I also put a tshirt over my eyes to block any light.

Ended up passing out at around 12:30 and getting up at 8:30.

Score!

As a chronic insomniac, I can advise to take it seriously and do something about it because it gets worse if you don't. The more you worry about falling asleep, the more it keeps you awake.

I have done Ambien and other prescription drugs, Melatonin, Tylenol PM and other OTC drugs, and every trick that anyone has ever offered online or in a book. I have learned that what works for some, doesn't work for all, so you have to find what works for you. Ambien for example works great, until you are totally hooked on it, taking 15 mg nightly and then your doctor won't refill your prescription and you are in trouble.

All the advice given so far has been excellent, and you should do the following as a minimum:

1. No caffeine after X o'clock. (for some it is 6pm, others 4pm, and it's noon for me although I try to avoid it completely)
2. Get regular exercise, but not less than an hour before bedtime.
3. Light discipline: Your caveman brain connects a few hours of darkness with time for sleep. So having all the lights on inside and watching TV or reading a book signals the brain that it is still daytime. Get it dim an hour before bedtime and cut out TV, internet, X-Box, etc.
4. No sex after X O'clock: Despite the roll over and go to sleep effect, the testosterone released during sex hit you 30 to 40 minutes after "the act" and can keep you up for a while.
5. If you are mentally crunching numbers, working on an issue, or worrying, it can keep you up. Learn to turn of your brain through meditation or distraction.
6. Have a set bedtime, and a set wakeup time, even on the weekends.

Ditto the foam overlay, just not memory foam until winter time. Memory foam is hotter than blue blazes!

I used a temp probe to discover that the bed was15 degrees hotter under my body with a memory foam topper than without.

What helped me was joining the Army. After 6 weeks of Basic Training I could fall asleep in about 5 minutes just about anytime anywhere. It drives my wife nuts, she has trouble shutting off her brain.

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: What helped me was joining the Army. After 6 weeks of Basic Training I could fall asleep in about 5 minutes just about anytime anywhere. It drives my wife nuts, she has trouble shutting off her brain.

Dammit you stole my suggestion! Well I was smrt and joined the Air Force, but same principle. You get me not doing anything for 10 minutes, I'm out. Works great for car rides!