You may see in my other post relating to work hours. I spent many, many years working odd hours, late, missed nights etc. I subsequently developed a major issue with sleep, and concern regarding sleep. This was an inability to fall asleep for years, regardless of fatigue (I've been up for 90 hours straight, still couldn't sleep). But it is curable, well at least the concern. I've had 4 hours sleep, been up since 3am, and am not bothered. If this is an ongoing issue, you can start with your GP, and/or plenty of information on the web. Off the top of my head, what didn't work for me, but is still good advice: Good sleep hygiene: use the bed only for sleep (or sex), have a routine, bed at the same time, don't watch TV/computers/phone in bed, turn off these devices an hour or two before bed, avoid strenuous exercise in the couple of hours before bed, avoid caffeine, avoid alcohol, avoid large meals. Exercise, but not before bed. Sleeping tablets to get to sleep (ok, they worked, but not a long-term solution). What DID work, in the rough order: Changing circumstances such that change became possible (I subtly changed tack on my career, from one where my life would be after hours, to one where that was not so onerous). Admitting that I needed help, and that this was ruining my life - I wouldn't go out after dark as I wanted to ensure my routine was rock solid. Bedtime preparation and thoughts of this began mid afternoon. Seeing a sleep physician. We didn't do much medically, as it was clear to both of us that there was not a medical cause, but a problem that had been induced by many years of forcibly staying awake at odd hours, and becoming increasingly focussed on it. Seeing a specialist normalised the problem, and gave me hope for a solution, with almost immediate effect. Like losing a massive weight. Keeping a sleep diary and it's knock on effects: After a few weeks, I found that if I had had 5-6 hours sleep, I felt great, and could function at 100%. And that meant that 5-6 hours was OK. This allowed a mental reset, and an acceptance that I didn't need the 8 hours I was so desperate to achieve, but never could. Seeing a sleep psychologist. This was life-changing. Just having an hour to sit, be taught to relax and practice imagery was the clincher. She may have just saved my life, at least figuratively. Having sleeping tablets as a backup, rather than the plan. Ie, if i wasn't asleep by 12-1am, I could have one, or could have them as a safety net for holidays etc where the routine was off (this is still the greatest challenge). The final straw comes when you realise that you are sleeping WORSE with any sleeping tablet (temazepam, stilnox, melatonin), and then you are free! Ongoing effort. But not too much. And armed with the information that people definitely CAN help if needed.
@Bran how many years were you working odd hours? I have been doing night shift for 18 months now and my sleep pattern is already terrible. I'm hoping to only do this for a couple more years and everything will go back to normal when I stop.
10 years, but I wasn't doing night shift. I was just missing near entire nights of sleep every 2nd or 3rd night. I would sometimes sneak 2-3 hours sleep in that time. Others did the same hours, but slept more. That was my problem from the get go, I just couldn't. But I coped, and thrived even. At the tail end of it though, I added in a baby, missed nights of sleep sometimes every night (don't ask), and tried to study at least 3 hours a day, usually more.
I am joining the club... My problem is not felling in sleep. I can do it anywhere anytime, in car, bus, train, sofa, bed, chair you name it. The problem is stay in sleep. About 2-3 am I wake up and I mean I am awake, feeling completely alert and not able to fell back at sleep and nothing seems to be working, meditation, relaxation, internet surfing, reading, too late to take sleeping pills. Nothing seems to work. Then I fell in sleep about 1/2 hour before alarm goes off... The problem looks like to run in my family... My mother suffers insomnia as well. But the difference is that she does not need more than 4 hours sleep to be able to function 100%. I do need more.
I've been very familiar with insomnia since I was a child. Can't turn my mind off. https://justgetflux.com/ + http://www.sleepcycle.com/ are two hacks I've used to sleep better/wake better rested. Highly recommended.
Yup, lifelong for me too, and my parents before me, and their parents before them, and the monkeys before them.
Give it time and there will be plenty of threads in the economics section of this forum (some of them started by me of course). Sure fire sleep material.
Tillie. Have you thought of getting checked out for narcolepsy ? My wife and her 3 daughters have suddenly let each other know that they each have had a problem falling asleep at various times through the day. They each thought it was just normal tiredness but now one has been diagnosed and another is getting results back this week. My wife often has to pull over for a sleep while driving if the journey is more than an hour. They've all come to the conclusion that to some degree they have all got it.
Thanks Dylan for your post. I have been considering it, but the difference is that I do not need naps or fall asleep during the day. However I can force myself to ffall asleep pretty much when and wherever I want to, but my problem is not to be able to sleep more than 3 - 4 hours at the time.
A friend was just recently diagnosed with sleep apnea after years of not getting enough sleep. She had to go to a sleep laboratory to get it diagnosed. She though she had chronic fatigue syndrome, but addressing sleep apnea has really helped her.
Sleep apnea is a serious issue. People assume that you have to be overweight or have a unhealthy lifestyle to have this medical condition. Not the case. I am not a smoker or overweight, keep my diet in check and exercise regularly. I was diagnosed with this 6 years ago. A girl at the time I was seeing always complained about the really weird noise's I would make and that I would hold my breath a lot in my sleep. She convinced me to have a sleep study test. I had severe sleep apnea. For people who are unaware what an apnea is it is when breathing stops for a period of time. This is caused by the walls of the throat collapsing and coming together blocking off the upper airway. The brain will trigger a drop in oxygen and then send a small wake up call to alert you of the danger. The sleeper will slightly awaken , gasp and gape for air, then drop back off to sleep without realising what had just happened. This pattern can repeat itself 100's of times in a night causing a very disturbed sleep. I averaged 23 sleep apneas and hour. Starving myself of oxygen for approximately 8 minutes every hour. No wonder I felt so crap when I woke up. I was constantly exhausted and tired. The docs said if I had not been made aware of my sleeping condition I was guaranteed, let me say that again "Guaranteed" a stroke or some heart disease within 5 years. Get checked out if in doubt. Its a simple test and I believe it can even be done in the comfort of your own home now. That girl who stayed over that night became my wife. That girl saved my life
I'm another one with ongoing sleep issues. No dramas falling asleep, it's just staying asleep. Tried Stilnox (back in the day, before the reports about driving cars while asleep came out) but it did absolutely nothing for me. Has anybody tried hypnotherapy for their sleep problems? I was considering this for a bit but never got around to trying it. Would love to hear any feedback on how it worked (or didn't work).
I have had sleep issues since high school. Every job I've had have been late nights or shift work. I average about 4 hours sleep when I have to work. Been doing rotating shift work for 3.5 years, 12 hour days, nights so I never get a good sleeping pattern.
I haven't slept through the night for years, normally awake approx. 2-4 am when I get stuff done, don't consider it a problem.
I would have tried anything, but the psychologist sessions did the trick. Have you tried that yet? And to Tillie, I think your first step needs to be to avoid falling asleep anywhere and at anytime except your bed, at bedtime.
