Sleeping Problems? 253
hugo_pt asks: "I have had sleep problems for some years, but it always get worse in the Summer. Yesterday I slept one hour, so when I got home at 8PM I thought I'd sleep till 9AM or so. Wrong. It's 1.36AM, and I can't sleep anymore. Instead, I'm reading The Complete FreeBSD, and the urge to sleep is gone.
I was wondering how many Slashdot readers suffer from this problem, and what they do to combat it ?"
Solution (Score:2, Funny)
Go to work. Repeat as necessary.
Re:Solution (Score:2)
You're not gonna like this idea... (Score:5, Insightful)
Years ago, I had an extended bout with insomnia, and the only thing that cured it was a career change.
Often, sleep loss coincides with stress, and that typically is job related. Even going on vacation doesn't tend to help due to the fact that you still think about work (at least in the sub-conscious.)
At the time, I was sleeping maybe 3-4 hours a night, and I had no idea what was causing it. On the advice of a professional, I tried another industry, and found that my sleep pattern improved almost over-night (no pun intended.)
Re:You're not gonna like this idea... (Score:3, Informative)
SO true...
Loss of sleep (and Oversleeping) are symptoms of Anxiety and/or Depression. I know. I suffered from it... Somedays I could sleep 14h strait... a week later, I would get 14h of sleep in 3 days... Not fun...
But simple insomnia is also a chronical problem. If it really is a problem, I suggest seeing a doctor. He can probably point to some group or clinical study.(if he doesn't just gives you pills)
I know that the University of Montreal has a kind of
Re:Solution (Score:2)
I have problems sleeping too MUCH. I have trouble getting to bed some nights, but usually, after 8 huors of sleep, I have trouble getting out of bed. Sometimes my blood pressure is about 70/40 mmHg when I wake up and my pulse is about 40BPM (my physician's best guess is that my body slows down so much when I'm asleep that I don't get enough oxygen).
I never have the energy to do anything. I'm young, in fairly good health, get some regular exercise, eat a mostly balance
Re:Solution (Score:2)
Sound a bit like Sleep apnea [www.lung.ca] altough it would give you HIGH blood pressure, not low... You might want to ask your physician about that...
Get some kids (Score:2, Insightful)
I never have a problem sleeping.
Re:Get some kids (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Get some kids (Score:2)
The particular irony of this whole situation is that he sleeps like a log for 10-11 hours now and Dad is the one getting sleep in 4 or 5 hour chunks.
What I'm trying to do.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Currently, I'm cutting back, and have been on a 2 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon ration. Bit by bit, I'm going to get off it completely. Of course, when work gets busy, I'm sure I'll get back on it.
Re:What I'm trying to do.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What I'm trying to do.... (Score:4, Informative)
Other thing is your monitor. It is proven that staring at a bright object will postpone your sleep cycle. (It applies to TV as well), so lay it off by 9-10pm, then you will get sleepy naturally.
Re:What I'm trying to do.... (Score:2)
Re:What I'm trying to do.... (Score:2)
The big thing about Tea is that, cup for cup, it has less caffiene than coffee, but it does have caffiene. It also has some other stimulating chemicals and, if brewed for a long time, some other stuff that counteracts the stimulants.
Caffiene is one of those substances where you don't *need* to go cold turkey, you can fade out your caffiene intake over time.
Re:What I'm trying to do.... (Score:2)
It's helpful to know how much caffeine levels vary between different forms of liquid refereshment. [coffeefaq.com]. Your average 12 ounce cup of drip coffee, for example, has between four and six times as much caffeine as the same volume of Mountain Dew. (Note that the figures on the website are based on '7 oz' cups. Who the hell has even seen a 7 oz cup?)
Headaches can be dehydration-related (Score:3, Informative)
Damien
Re:What I'm trying to do.... (Score:2)
Plus, since I stopped I have gotten back to the point where it works on me, so if i stayed up drinking all night, coffee actually helps me get through the day.
ej
Re:What I'm trying to do.... (Score:2)
Seriously, even with sustained high levels of coffee over years, it shouldn't take much more than a week to beat a caffeine addiction. One drink and you'll be back, but it's not nearly as hard as some people make it out to be. It's not heroin, people. It's not even cigarettes.
With any luck, the headaches will convince you of what a stupid ide
Re:What I'm trying to do.... (Score:2)
Coffee for me keeps me very alert during the day (good for proving theorems and taking notes in booooring classes), but I don't have any problem sleeping at night. I wish I could sleep fewer hours, though. Oh well
benedryl (Score:2)
usually I cant sleep because I cant stop thinking about what I am going to do the next day.
So I will usually get up, take a benedryl or 2 and do some work. Then I get sleepy in an hour or 2 and then I am good till morning.
But then I am usually groggy in the morning.
Tylenol PM also works.
I only have to do this from time to time so I am not too worried about getting hooked.
Watch out for sleeping aids... had a
Re:benedryl (Score:2)
Get generic benadryl and save money! (Score:2)
My doctor gave me the following advise: Get the generic brand of Benadryl and save money.
If you can't sleep because of stress, don't take Tylenol PM just for sleeping because it also contains a painkiller, acetaminophen, which may upset your stomach.
If two Benadryl makes you groggy in the morning, try taking just one.
Benadryl and Tylenol PM both contain the same active sleeping
Re:benedryl (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:benedryl (Score:2)
Same reason why folks are lethargic when you've secretly replaced their coffee with decaf....
Re:benedryl (Score:2)
And if you must use depressants to sleep, use alcohol. A (qty: 1) glass of wine with your evening meal will produce relaxation, is highl
Re:benedryl (Score:2)
Caffeine and Over-Tiredness (Score:5, Informative)
But, it realy does. On days I'm not feeling well or have sleeping issues, I simply cut my caffeine intake for the next two or three days and my body usually cycles back to normal.
It IS possible to be "over-tired". Try doing something quiet with the lights low, like reading a light book in bed, or talking to a friend on the phone with the lights off. It may take a while, but you'll usually doze off.
Insomnia (Score:2, Informative)
Alter your diet and/or take vitamins/supplements (Score:2, Redundant)
Re:Alter your diet and/or take vitamins/supplement (Score:2)
For my wife, who is for some reason nocturnal by default, melatonin has been *a* solution.
I'm glad that it's helping your wife, but I would like to add a caution about melatonin.
Given what the archetypical /.er's diet, stressful job, caffiene consumption, etc, I wouldn't be surprised if many have prehypertension (defined as BP at or over 120/80). Since melatonin can constrict blood vessels, there's some concern that it may pose a danger for those
Now, in the Jan. 20, 2004, rapid-access issue of Hyperten
Re:Alter your diet and/or take vitamins/supplement (Score:2)
(An aside,she takes it infrequently - I only slightly more often.)
As far as the peanut gallery, remember too that your doctor can (and should) tell you more about your blood pressure. If you don't know what that number means, DON'T ASSUME.
Re:Alter your diet and/or take vitamins/supplement (Score:2)
That's odd, because I'm left with the impression that 120/80 is actually an optimal BP.
It used to be, but they changed the standard.
In November 1997, the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC) issued the report that classified 120/80 and below as "optimal", which is a standard that many are familiar with.
However, after further research, the JNC concluded that the risks are greater than previously realized. On May 21, 2003, they published
Re:Alter your diet and/or take vitamins/supplement (Score:5, Funny)
Things to do (Score:4, Informative)
Some Obvious Suggestions (Score:5, Informative)
2. Stop watching TV or other "bright" displays a few hours before you wish to sleep. I forget the name of the brain chemical (and I don't feel like looking it up), but bright light (sunlight esp., computer monitors, TVs, etc.) cause the brain to generate "wake up" chemicals. Instead, try reading print material if you need intellectual stimulation in the evening.
3. Go to bed when you first feel drowsy. I have a window between 9 and 10pm where I get drowsy. If I don't go to bed then, I'll magically refresh and then stay up until 2+am.
4. Get a regular schedule. Don't nap. Get up at the same (early) time each day, and go to bed at the same time each night. Ideally, try to align your schedule with the sun. It will help.
Good luck.
Forgot One (a fun one :) (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Forgot One (a fun one :) (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Some Obvious Suggestions (Score:2)
This is well known and most people experience it. For most people it is two hours after your usuall sleep time. Some researchers refer to it as "dead time."
Re:Some Obvious Suggestions (Score:5, Informative)
Parent suggestions are good. The most important are sleep at around the same time each night. Don't do anything else besides sleeping or having sex on your bed (like surfing on the internet, eating, watching TV, etc).
I had sleep problems many years ago, and I took a class on Qi-Gong. I was able to sleep after 2 weeks of nightly meditation. The poster's inability to sleep may be due to stress. Exercise may help here--just don't do it just before bedtime. Balanced diet will also help.
Basically, you need to just try lots of things. But like many others have said, reduce alcohol and caffeine (including chocolate) consumption.
Melatonin - my sample size of 1 (Score:2)
It's not clear from the grandparent post, but melatonin is present during sleepiness and is reduced during wakefulness.
When I was having similar problems I found the following studies helpful:
Melatonin in patients with reduced REM sleep duration: two randomized controlled trials. [nih.gov]
Melatonin administration to blind people: phase advances and entrainment. [nih.gov]
Entrainment of free-running circadian rhythms by melatonin in blind people. [nih.gov]
The neat thing about studies on bli
Re:Some Obvious Suggestions (Score:2)
There is some controversy regarding naps. Some research suggests that humans should take a 2 hour nap in late afternoon. And take a long 8 hour sleep at night. The 2 hour nap is problematic. Most of us are working at that time.
Personally some of the best sleep I ever had was durring university. I would usually have a nap after class, waking up at 5 for supper.
Re:Some Obvious Suggestions (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Some Obvious Suggestions (Score:2)
Re:Some Obvious Suggestions (Score:2)
my solutions (Score:4, Insightful)
2. drink only on week ends (yeah drinking just a bit makes it harder to get a restful night)
3. I have sex (regularly)
4. I never have any cafeine after 3 in the afternoon.
5. try to keep my bed/eating time the same throughout the week (means week end too)
YMMV
Cut down your light levels and stress (Score:2)
Stress is another factor. If you are finding yourself responding emotionally to things you think about while falling asleep that may be another problem. This one is harder, as you cannot pin people in your life to the wall when they piss you off. All I can reccomend on this one is trying to keep things in perspective, being able to shelve your work life for example when you go ho
personal experience... (Score:2)
OTOH, when I'm more active, like jogging a couple of miles a few times a week, my body's much more willing to rest for 8 hours.
In short, I'm not a doctor, but I suspect the level of physical extertion could play a role in how much sleep you get.
Whitenoise (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Whitenoise (Score:2, Funny)
You were just worried about your computer being away from home, all alone and exposed.
WAIT...you didn't fix your own computer? What has slashdot become?!
can't sleep in the heat (Score:2)
Your fan reference made me think of something - I sleep much better in the cold.
If it is warm, I will wake up constantly, even though I might not feel very warm or sweaty...
so try some AC
I just read Slashdot. (Score:3, Funny)
Hard Aerobic Exersize (Score:3, Informative)
I find that after I get on a regular exersize regimine, I acually sleep a little less, but I am more rested because I sleep harder.
Honestly - Change Jobs (Score:2)
1) Not able to sleep - too much stress
2) Not able to wake up - nothing interesting to do
My solution is when I get into one of these two states for longer than a few days is to go find another job. If my job isn't interesting enough to get me out of bed in the morning, lets go find something interes
A few things to try (Score:3, Insightful)
First, I don't drink caffeine after 5:00 PM. Second, I exercise regularly. Third, meditation of some form usually helps. Fourth, when all else fails, there's Benadryl. And finally, you can always try reading documents from www.dot.gov
Get Some Exercise (Score:4, Interesting)
Why should your body rest itself when it hasn't been worked? At the very least you can run around the block once or twice an hour before your bedtime.
I'm not a doctor, but I play one on Slashdot (Score:4, Insightful)
Asking medical advice from these folks is silly.
Good news for you (Score:2, Insightful)
Your sleep problems are solved.
Re:Good news for you (Score:2)
IANAP, But This Has Helped Me (Score:2)
That said, I've had difficulties regulating my sleep for years. I've recently had success thanks to some of what I'll share below.
First off, if you have insurance, don't be afraid to see a doctor regarding this. The same advice that we're giving, if it comes from an MD, would probably carry more weight to you. As such, you're more l
something completely different (Score:2)
I remember reading about a study where elderly folks were brought into a room that simulated sun light in order to change their biological clock to align with what is consi
Multiple causes and fixes (Score:2)
Diet - so cut back on the junk food and eat more fresh friuts and veggies
Caffiene - cut back on this (paradoxically, caffiene relaxes a few people)
Exercise - too little, or too much close to bedtime, can make you less likely to sleep. Regular moderate exercise helps almost anyone. Regular sex helps too! ;)
Light - Artificial light can screw up your diurnal cycle. Minimize exposure to bright lights in the early evening for
Get a healthier life style... (Score:2)
Re:Get a healthier life style... (Score:4, Informative)
Above all else, trust your own body. If you aren't feeling healthy, you aren't healthy.
I focus on the "90% fruits and veggies" part of your post because if I had to guess, this is the source of your problems. Depending on the fruits and veggies you are eating, this can leave you short of fat (good kinds) and protein (all kinds!). In fact, unless you have studied vegetarion dieting carefully it is almost certain that you are short. You need large enough quantities of fat and protein that you can't take them in pill form. (Protien supplements exist, but they are mostly targetted at body builders, and that is probably right.)
Now, personally, I find none of the reasons for vegetarianism compelling, so I say, go ahead and eat meat. Just try to eat it as unprocessed as possible, which is good advice for nearly all food. You may want to pay extra for organic. We've been eating it for millions of years, and many meats (including fish, seafood, and other such things) have a lot of good stuff in them that is difficult or impossible to get through fruits and veggies.
If you want to stay vegetarian, you must educate yourself on how to do it. There are a lot of resources, but as you may expect I can't recommend any
AFAICS, there are two things that are universally agreed on by nutritionists:
(I would be happy to hear from you if this helps.)
Exercise (Score:2)
It Could be serious... (Score:5, Insightful)
So my advice is, go see your Dr.
Re:It Could be serious... (Score:2)
Re:It Could be serious... (Score:5, Insightful)
I can't tell you about the OP's condition, but I can give you a few examples.
Fatal familial insomnia is a rare, inherited degenerative brain disorder. It's pretty much what it sounds like: the victim gradually loses the ability to sleep, and dies within 7 to 36 months.
Nocturnal cardiac ischemia is one cause of insomnia: chest pains keep the victim awake at night. It is caused by atherosclerotic heart disease. (You can Google this stuff.)
Any number of obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as emphysema, can cause severe insomnia.
Now, I'm going to talk about a more common disease that can be fatal, but is frequently misunderstood: obstructive sleep apnea. In this disease, the soft tissues of the throat collapse during the night. The lungs work harder and harder to pull in air, and this only draws the throat tighter, like sucking a milkshake through a straw. The victim eventually wakes up, the throat muscles tighten, and with a gasp, the lungs fill. The victim then goes back to sleep.
All this time, the victim's blood oxygen level is plummeting. The victim is suffocating, turning blue, and the heart is losing its ability to function. Too long without oxygen, and the heart can stop altogether, possibly unable to restart. What's more, when the heart does get oxygen, it suddenly is working like mad to get it to the rest of the body: transient BPs of 300/* have been measured at this time (normal BPs are around 115/*). An estimated 38,000 strokes and heart attacks per year are due to apnea.
This happens hundreds of times per night. And, amazingly, the victim doesn't know it; the barely-awake mind doesn't have its long-term memory wired up right yet.
At best, the victim knows that he snores, and that he's tired during the day. Besides the direct fatalities during the night, tired people can be killed in a number of ways, such as missing a light if they doze off at the wheel, or making a bad judgement and crashing a ship (Exxon Valdez). Apnea is theorized to be an indirect cause of a number of high-risk conditions, particularly high blood pressure.
I'm going on about obstructive sleep apnea because it's amazingly common and dangerous, yet amazingly easy to diagnose and treat. What's more, apnea (like most sleep disorders) is barely-- if at all-- understood by most physicians: they just don't have training to deal with it. So people get misdiagnosed for years, maybe decades.
Personally, I'd recommend that anybody who feels tired and snores should learn about apnea, and see a doctor (possibly not in that order). I learned about it by reading a book I heard about on /.: The Promise of Sleep [barnesandnoble.com], by Dr. William Dement, which I strongly recommend to anybody who wants to know about sleep.
Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, and have no medical background or training.
Reading Helps (Score:3, Informative)
I find that it's much easier for me to get to sleep if I do some light reading for a few minutes immediately before turning off the lights. This helps me wind-down and distract my mind from the events of the day. A couple pages of a book or magazine (not work related!) is all that's necessary.
Take breaks during the day (Score:2)
Now I ma
Exercise and relaxation (Score:5, Insightful)
I know people say "don't exercise after 8pm/10pm/whatever", but it's not a big deal. It may take you an hour or so to stretch, shower, chill out, etc after you've been running, but you'll sleep much better after that. Being a little later to bed is no big deal if you get a better quality of sleep.
Second move is to be relaxed before you go to bed. Do something that doesn't take serious mental effort. Play a game, play a musical instrument, read, whatever. *Don't* spend hours hacking immediately before bed, otherwise your brain will still be racing.
And if you can't sleep, get up and do one of the above for a bit until you *do* feel sleepy. Sometimes all your body needs is a change of scene - go to the bathroom, have a drink of water, and your body will get into "sleep mode".
Grab.
Re:Exercise and relaxation (Score:2, Informative)
Guess what, I only got 3 hours sleep that night.
I can see your attempt in trying to help, but you are way of the mark, like all the others.
trumpet (Score:2)
I guess you're not a trumpet player.
Ha...
Depends on why you're not sleeping (Score:5, Insightful)
see a doctor (Score:2, Informative)
reduce caffine intake
exercise
change in diet
regular schedule
A regular sleep schedule is deffinately the most important. However if making those changes do not help then you should book time with a doctor. Some people suffer from hard core insomnia and will require a little help to get back on track. Some times insomnia is a symtom of a larger problem. At any rate lack of sleep will cause many other health problems.
There have been some posts suggesti
Follow These Suggestions, Then See A Specialist (Score:2)
If you consume caffeine 8 hours or less before your bedtime, stop. Even if you used to get away with this, the body's metabolic rate changes as we grow older.
If you stuff a lot of sugar into your body, don't. The last thing you want when you're trying to fall asleep is a brain that's on a sugar buzz.
If these suggestions don't work, or don't apply, get your doctor to send you to a specialist. Sleep disorders are real and wicked probl
Caffeine Exercise and Doctor visit (Score:2, Informative)
Funny you should ask (Score:5, Informative)
I just got back from an overnight sleep test at the Stanford Sleep Clinic.
There's a lot of misunderstandings about sleep. Many "pop" books regarding sleep, and a number of physicians, have plenty of misconceptions about sleep and sleep problems.
I highly recommend the book The Promise of Sleep [barnesandnoble.com]. It's written by Dr. Dement, one of the foremost sleep researchers. It helped me understand healthy sleep and sleep disorders, and lead to my discovery that I have a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder (which has just been diagnosed, and I'm about to begin treatment).
Sleep problems can lead to lots of problems in your physical and mental well-being. In my case, over the last several months, my productivity at work is shot. I can't concentrate on my code. I also don't have the energy to go out and have fun with my friends like I used to.
It's also difficult to recognize the results of sleep problems as such. You might not feel tired, even when your body is desperately needing more restful sleep-- but it still interferes with your daytime activities. You might think that they're related to other problems. I thought that my problems were the result of problems with diet, exercise, etc. In my case, these were contributing factors, but the sleep thing seems to be the biggest cause.
I highly recommend you-- and anybody else who has the slightest inkling that they may not be sleeping as well as they could-- read Dr. Dement's book.
...and you're complaining? (Score:2)
You know how much most geeks (including myself) would pay to be able to do what comes naturally to you?
If you're not tired, you probably don't need the sleep.
Even with megadoses of caffeine, I either get the shakes and am jumpy, or nothing happens and I'm still tired... I'd LOVE to be able to reduce my sleep down to a few hours - I'd have SO much more time for research, learning, working on my computers, etc.
As it is, if I get more than 8-1/2 hours of sleep, I'm groggy as hell and my muscles are all stiff
Re:...and you're complaining? (Score:2)
If you're not tired, you probably don't need the sleep.
This is a very widespread misconception. I've read about studies that show people who say they're not tired but testing (most notably using performance tests or a protocol called MSLT) indicates they are. Performance testing time and again indicates that sleep deprivation == impaired performance, even if the subjects don't recognize the degree.
I don't have precise references, but one such study that comes to mind was performed by Tom Roth of the He
Babies work... have a child;) (Score:2)
Some myths that don't help me (Score:2)
If I have been physically busy all day I just cannot sleep. I feel cosy and tired, but cannot sleep. I need lots of mental activity during the day to be able to sleep.
Less caffeine:
I barely drink coffee during the week-end, but drink lots during weekdays. No effect whatsoever on sleeping patterns.
Need 8 hours/day:
I get by with 4-5 hours. If I sleep longer than that, my sleep gets completely disturbed after a few days, and I need to stay up really late for a few
Re:Some myths that don't help me (Score:2)
Caffeine varies from person to person but most people need to leave off farily early to sleep well
Need 8 hours of sleep a day: Again varies person to person, it's really important to sleep the same amount of time and get up at the same time. I sleep 5 to 6 hours nightly and have for 20 years.
Take a shower: Works for me 1~2 hours before bed, not 10 minutes
One other thing it's important to do only do two things in be
It's not a problem, if you train yourself (Score:2)
1) don't eat food/drink caffeine close to bedtime
2) don't put TV/'puter in bedroom, bedroom is for sleeping
3) excercise daily
4) always go to bed at the same time every night regardless of tiredness
Do any of us actually follow this though? I don't heh.
Re: (Score:2)
Caffeine (Score:2, Interesting)
Sleep Deprivation for almost 10 years (Score:2)
Dark bedroom, morning sunlight. (Score:3, Informative)
1) Exercise daily
2) Eat right
3) Avoid a constant stream of chemcial stimulant
4) Reduce TV
is so typical... and stupid.
Insomnia wasn't my particular problem, but I had another serious circadium rhythm problem. THE solution for me was to take a 5-10 minute walk immediately (givertake a few minutes) upon awakening.
Boy howdy, did that fix me.
It helps to look at the sky. There are thingies in our eyes that respond to sunlight by reducing melatonin -- and getting your melatonin levels reduced in the morning 1) wakes you up, 2) gets your body's rhythm ready primed to go back to sleep in about 16 hours.
Deep rhymthic breathing while walking does WAY more than coffee.
If you're not doing the Life 101 things mentioned above, I hope you will start
Sweet, sweet medication ;^) (Score:2)
Cut out all caffine
Cut out all alcohol
Physical exercise
See your doctor
Ambien
Librium
Valium
Seriously, if you go the medication route, do it as a temporary thing while you change your lifestyle.
While the caffine thing is obvious, the alcohol will also disturb your sleep cycle.
No beers before bedtime!
Allergies (Score:2)
a) I get congested when I sleep, with fluids draining towards my chest which makes breathing laboured (bad sleep)
b) Sleepin on my side, and taking an allergy pill, relieves (a), better sleep.
Alternately, I can nap after work and feel 100% again, but then
Turn off your email pager (Score:2)
Re:drink (Score:2)
I tried this, but all it made me do was wake up and pee. And it annoyed my wife.
Re:drink (Score:5, Funny)
Which is why I don't play the lottery or visit Las Vegas - I've used up my share of luck.
Re:Have you tried drinking???? (Score:2)
Re:Have you tried drinking???? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Have you tried drinking???? (Score:2)
Re:Have you tried drinking???? (Score:2)
This is compensated for by the fact that alcohol-deprived wakefulness (anything equal to or less than one beer) is not as good as real wakefulness. Although your frag counts are higher, the lack of alcohol prevents your brain from being able to turn "frag counts" gleeful laughter at the sight of your enemy's gibs being splattered aroun
Re:Have you tried drinking???? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Have you tried drinking???? (Score:2)
though, this may sound a bit weird but masturbation and g
Re:Thanks for the advice (Score:2)
Re:Simple (Score:2)