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Well I think all of these
" * I didn't sleep a wink last night
* I must get eight hours of sleep
* My insomnia is going to cause health problems
* I'm dreading bedtime
* Why does sleep come so easily for everyone but me?
* I feel miserable because I didn't sleep well
* How will I function today after such a horrible night of sleep?
* I can't sleep without a sleeping pill"
Also, it's 06:04 AM now when I'm reading this. I'm partially blaming you for my insomnia now cause i've been reading this for the past hour! Very good guide, i'll think about it when i'll go to sleep now (or maybe i shouldn't)
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This is the only guide ive read fully and i got to say it was amazing.
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Awesome, this is a really well-written and detailed guide. Right when I think I can't love Micronesia anymore :3
<3
On June 14 2009 11:04 Chef wrote:
I used to suffer from insomnia before I discovered TvT VODs
+1
zzz
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United States24750 Posts
On June 14 2009 11:33 Macavenger wrote:
micro, since you seem to be using insomnia in a general sleeping problems type sense, what do you call an acute temporary case of being almost totally unable to sleep? I had this happen to me twice in college, where I was basically unable to sleep more than 1-2 hours per day at most for about 2 weeks straight. The student health center referred to that as insomnia, and said basically that there wasn't anything that could be done other than wait for it to pass, and gave me some very light sleep aids to help make it manageable (trust me, going that long without significant sleep fucks you up hardcore). That's one case where it seems to me light sleeping pills are appropriate - I just used (at the Health Center's direction) an OTC dose of diphenhydramine hydrochloride antihistimine (anti-allergy) once a day when I wanted to sleep. It was enough to let me fall asleep for 6 hours or so for a few days until the issue went away and I could sleep normally again. I didn't see any mention of this in your guide (though I only skimmed the latter 2/3 of it), so I don't know if you want to add any kind of comment on that as a special case or something.
Do you have no idea what might have caused it? Something happen with drinking, drugs, or highly stressful events in life? If you can't think of anything significant, then I have no idea why it happened. However, from the sound of it, that was the perfect case of when to actually use a sleep aid. It helped you get enough sleep so that you could complete your academic activities, and then you stopped using it when your sleep returned to normal. Interesting but I'm sorry I can't help you more. Maybe if you can provide more details it might help, but this might be a question for your doctor possibly XD
On June 14 2009 11:42 uglymoose89 wrote:
ooh this will probably be the guide that helps me the most out all of the ones written, thank you!
Actually when I was thinking about making a new guide (recall I've made several before the contest was even announced) I was thinking of what topic would be helpful to many different people on tl... I realized that my current interest in treating my mild insomnia would be a good topic for most people to read about. I particularly love how I was able to write it on a topic where most people are grossly misinformed (I also love specializing in areas of physics which are grossly misunderstood).
On June 14 2009 11:44 ShaperofDreams wrote:
edit: also i think Micronesia wins this guide thing, this is thoughtful guide since he knows so many TLers don't sleep right.
Yeah most people who are on the computer a lot for recreational purpose seem to have sleeping problems.
On June 14 2009 12:06 z]Benny wrote:
Well I think all of these
" * I didn't sleep a wink last night
* I must get eight hours of sleep
* My insomnia is going to cause health problems
* I'm dreading bedtime
* Why does sleep come so easily for everyone but me?
* I feel miserable because I didn't sleep well
* How will I function today after such a horrible night of sleep?
* I can't sleep without a sleeping pill"
Also, it's 06:04 AM now when I'm reading this. I'm partially blaming you for my insomnia now cause i've been reading this for the past hour! Very good guide, i'll think about it when i'll go to sleep now (or maybe i shouldn't)
I wouldn't think about it too hard as that will trigger your wakefulness system... but you can just think to yourself that you have found a good tool to help you combat insomnia and you will suddenly find it easier to fall asleep!
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Dude if this works and actually helps me with not falling asleep when studying and in class, im gonna owe you big time.
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thanks for the guide. i have some questions
what time of day do you recommend exercising? Is it best to exercise when our body temperature is at its peak or when it is about to drop (when we start getting drowsy)? does it matter?
how important do you think it is to structure our day based on our body temperature rhythms? working/doing homework during our peak hours and taking breaks / eating when the temperature is dropping?
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United States24750 Posts
On June 14 2009 13:37 xbarisg wrote:
thanks for the guide. i have some questions
what time of day do you recommend exercising? Is it best to exercise when our body temperature is at its peak or when it is about to drop (when we start getting drowsy)? does it matter?
Exercising causes an increase in body temperature followed by a decrease a few hours later. This decrease persists 2-4 hours after exercising and makes it easier to fall/stay asleep.
What I've read states that the beneficial effects of exercise on sleep are maximized when exercise occurs within three to six ours of bedtime. Be warned that exercising less than three hours before sleep can make it difficult to fall asleep since your body temperature may still be elevated.
how important do you think it is to structure our day based on our body temperature rhythms? working/doing homework during our peak hours and taking breaks / eating when the temperature is dropping?
Many/most people make absolutely no attempt to do this, and a good percentage of them manage fine. This seems to vary from person to person. As long as you don't do activities at times that throw off your cycle (such as doing stimulating things at bedtime) you won't receive adverse effects on sleep. There may be other health benefits when you attempt to align activities with body temperature cycles, but aside from the obvious siesta example I can't tell you one way or the other.
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kinda funny i just watched the movie fight club tonight.
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On June 14 2009 12:50 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On June 14 2009 11:33 Macavenger wrote:
micro, since you seem to be using insomnia in a general sleeping problems type sense, what do you call an acute temporary case of being almost totally unable to sleep? I had this happen to me twice in college, where I was basically unable to sleep more than 1-2 hours per day at most for about 2 weeks straight. The student health center referred to that as insomnia, and said basically that there wasn't anything that could be done other than wait for it to pass, and gave me some very light sleep aids to help make it manageable (trust me, going that long without significant sleep fucks you up hardcore). That's one case where it seems to me light sleeping pills are appropriate - I just used (at the Health Center's direction) an OTC dose of diphenhydramine hydrochloride antihistimine (anti-allergy) once a day when I wanted to sleep. It was enough to let me fall asleep for 6 hours or so for a few days until the issue went away and I could sleep normally again. I didn't see any mention of this in your guide (though I only skimmed the latter 2/3 of it), so I don't know if you want to add any kind of comment on that as a special case or something. Do you have no idea what might have caused it? Something happen with drinking, drugs, or highly stressful events in life? If you can't think of anything significant, then I have no idea why it happened. However, from the sound of it, that was the perfect case of when to actually use a sleep aid. It helped you get enough sleep so that you could complete your academic activities, and then you stopped using it when your sleep returned to normal. Interesting but I'm sorry I can't help you more. Maybe if you can provide more details it might help, but this might be a question for your doctor possibly XD
Definitely wasn't in any way drug related, as I don't drink or use anything. Academic stress was probably the most likely trigger. The way the health center people talked about it, it was something they'd definitely seen before repeatedly but I don't think they really knew a whole lot about the causes and stuff themselves.
Don't really need any help with it at this point, I was just curious about how it might fit into your guide because that kind of experience is what I've associated with "insomnia," at least since that time.
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thanks a lot. another question:
if we get in a situation where our sleeping pattern gets messed up from staying up too late, whats the best way to fix it and get back to a normal schedule? whenever i stay up too late (and then wake up late the next morning) i feel like i settle into a new sleeping schedule and it's very hard to get back into my old one. i suppose this is similar to dealing with jet lag.
i guess the best solution is to completely avoid it in the first place and wake up at the same time everyday. but is there anything we can do if we already screwed up and woke up later?
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United States24750 Posts
On June 14 2009 14:04 Macavenger wrote:Show nested quote +On June 14 2009 12:50 micronesia wrote:On June 14 2009 11:33 Macavenger wrote:
micro, since you seem to be using insomnia in a general sleeping problems type sense, what do you call an acute temporary case of being almost totally unable to sleep? I had this happen to me twice in college, where I was basically unable to sleep more than 1-2 hours per day at most for about 2 weeks straight. The student health center referred to that as insomnia, and said basically that there wasn't anything that could be done other than wait for it to pass, and gave me some very light sleep aids to help make it manageable (trust me, going that long without significant sleep fucks you up hardcore). That's one case where it seems to me light sleeping pills are appropriate - I just used (at the Health Center's direction) an OTC dose of diphenhydramine hydrochloride antihistimine (anti-allergy) once a day when I wanted to sleep. It was enough to let me fall asleep for 6 hours or so for a few days until the issue went away and I could sleep normally again. I didn't see any mention of this in your guide (though I only skimmed the latter 2/3 of it), so I don't know if you want to add any kind of comment on that as a special case or something. Do you have no idea what might have caused it? Something happen with drinking, drugs, or highly stressful events in life? If you can't think of anything significant, then I have no idea why it happened. However, from the sound of it, that was the perfect case of when to actually use a sleep aid. It helped you get enough sleep so that you could complete your academic activities, and then you stopped using it when your sleep returned to normal. Interesting but I'm sorry I can't help you more. Maybe if you can provide more details it might help, but this might be a question for your doctor possibly XD Definitely wasn't in any way drug related, as I don't drink or use anything. Academic stress was probably the most likely trigger. The way the health center people talked about it, it was something they'd definitely seen before repeatedly but I don't think they really knew a whole lot about the causes and stuff themselves. Don't really need any help with it at this point, I was just curious about how it might fit into your guide because that kind of experience is what I've associated with "insomnia," at least since that time.
I don't have much I can add to this, but I could say this is a classic example of how sleeping medication can actually be helpful. I know I strongly suggested staying away from them, but I did say that there is a time and a place where they can be effective. You seem to be the textbook case :D
On June 14 2009 14:07 xbarisg wrote:
thanks a lot. another question:
if we get in a situation where our sleeping pattern gets messed up from staying up too late, whats the best way to fix it and get back to a normal schedule? whenever i stay up too late (and then wake up late the next morning) i feel like i settle into a new sleeping schedule and it's very hard to get back into my old one. i suppose this is similar to dealing with jet lag.
i guess the best solution is to completely avoid it in the first place and wake up at the same time everyday. but is there anything we can do if we already screwed up and woke up later?
This is the part that is still the toughest for me to overcome as well: getting my ass out of bed when I'm tired. It's going to happen... you are going to go to bed way later than you expected some time. The best way to deal with it is to force yourself to get up as early as you can. Keep in mind you are better off getting too little sleep that one night (since the mind can easily make up the missed deep sleep the next night) than sleeping in to avoid missing any core sleep. Of course this doesn't always work either. One suggestion is to use commercially available bright light boxes if the sun is not available for bright-light exposure. Basically, exposing yourself to bright light right when you get up can help to jump start your body temperature and hopefully pull back to your natural bedtime for that evening.
I find the hardest thing to find good advice on is how to get your ass up in the morning XD
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really long guide, but good nonetheless. yeah, idk i think the side effects of pills is just dependency of it or something, either that or it itself has side effects of its own. i still take my sleep aids but at the same time i try not to bc its stressful to my heart.
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United States24750 Posts
On June 14 2009 14:36 Raithed wrote:
really long guide, but good nonetheless. yeah, idk i think the side effects of pills is just dependency of it or something, either that or it itself has side effects of its own. i still take my sleep aids but at the same time i try not to bc its stressful to my heart.
It depends on the types of pills. Do you mean cheap OTC crap or prescription sleeping pills? Supposedly the newest prescription sleeping pills aren't as bad in terms of health risks, but I don't know much about it.
If you mean OTC crap then after a few weeks they really aren't worth shit unless you have strong placebo effect going...
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On June 14 2009 11:15 Yaqoob wrote:Show nested quote +On June 14 2009 11:04 Chef wrote:
I used to suffer from insomnia before I discovered TvT VODs I agree lol
QFT
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Great guide !
I have a stressful job (Air-traffic controller) with weird shifts (including night and/or very early morning), so my wake-up time always varies.
I guess my occasionnal sleeping problems come from this, as I don't remember having any before. I had already put some of the tips you mention into practice, and they helped me a lot.
For example, exercising in the afternoon has proven to be extremely efficient for me. Dimming the lights 1/2H prior to going to sleep helps me a lot to.
Naps do me a lot of good, especially after a crappy night, or worse, a night shift. If I keep it short enough (about 1H max.), I wake up rejuvenated and I can still sleep the next night.
A few questions though :
- I found my dinner to have a tremendous influence on my sleep. IE, eating too much, or too fat, or drinking alcohol causes poor quality sleep, and makes me wake-up very early, even if I don't feel sick from overeating.
Any idea where this can come from ?
- Having a bedtime routine is supposed to help your brain go into "sleep" mode. Is there any scientific evidence to support this ?
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I took these pics a few weeks ago and this is a decent place to post them I guess.
Confused?
+ Show Spoiler +The darker banana was left near my CRT computer monitor over night. The Light and Radiation blackened it. The other bananas are the same age which were in the kitchen.
Computers and lights will keep your mind occupied but also keep you from falling asleep.
You also blink a lot less when you are on a computer.
Not really sure of the relevance to this topic but I'm sure someone can fill in the blanks.
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On June 14 2009 10:40 decafchicken wrote:
I hesitate to say TLDR in a guide...especially since it looks like you put a lot of effort into it and might actually help me but.. TLDR
im an insomiac
i actually want to sleep after reading it. I read the whole thing but i feel so drowsy now. Its 6:30 pm too. Not saying its a bad guide. I was interested in the first page but as it got longer was getting tired. Nice guide it has some nice points that im going to try to use and not just give up that they dont work on their first try. Will need to print it though.
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On June 14 2009 14:41 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On June 14 2009 14:36 Raithed wrote:
really long guide, but good nonetheless. yeah, idk i think the side effects of pills is just dependency of it or something, either that or it itself has side effects of its own. i still take my sleep aids but at the same time i try not to bc its stressful to my heart. It depends on the types of pills. Do you mean cheap OTC crap or prescription sleeping pills? Supposedly the newest prescription sleeping pills aren't as bad in terms of health risks, but I don't know much about it. If you mean OTC crap then after a few weeks they really aren't worth shit unless you have strong placebo effect going...
its advilPM if that means anything lol.
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Few questions to our Mr. Sleep Expert.
It's 3 AM right now. I'll probably sleep soon from watching a chess vod.
However, my body will wake up @ 9:00. I then say, "hmm, Sunday...nothing going on, I'm going to go back to sleep." I wake up @ 11, do this again, repeat again and finally get up @ 12.
Why is it, that I'm not getting enough sleep, and sleeping very late, yet my body still wakes me up @ 9?
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Nice guide micro.
Question: You mention that needing 8 hours of sleep is a myth, and that in fact required sleep time varies from person to person.
Can people change how much sleep they need? If you get into a pattern of consistently getting, say, 4 hours of sleep per night, will your body adapt its requirements?
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i42.tinypic.com/2qby6f7.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i42.tinypic.com/2w1w5z5.jpg)
