the sleep thread

[shadowfax]

I don't know about the rest of you, but i'm rather fond of sleeping; as a student, i don't usually manage to get a whole lot, though.

but i'm wondering, how do you guys get to sleep? has anyone actually tried "counting sheep" (or some other barnyard animal)? has it worked for you? do you just kind of settle down and lose consciousness?

for my part, when i lay down to go to sleep, my mind usually races around with no particular place to go. i think about things i did during the day, things i wished i'd done/said, a homework problem i'd been trying to solve before going to bed, and so on, heck, i was trying to get to sleep when i had the idea for this thread.

lately, i've been having a good bit of trouble getting to sleep. i think it might be because i'm often rather hungry before bed, but i'm not sure.

also, i sleep on my stomach with my head turned to one side or the other. how do you sleep?

[edesignuk]

Oh hell yeah, I love, and need my sleep! I can't funtion on less than 8hrs and on weekends like to get a good 10+ hrs (sometimes 14 :eek: )!! :D

[WinterMute]

I don't go to bed unless I'm dog tired, otherwise I'll lie awake for hours worrying about going to sleep...

This means I rarely get to bed before 1:30-2:00am, sometimes as late as 4:00am. Luckily, it doesn't matter how much sleep I get I always feel like s*it in the morning, so 4 hours or 12 its cool.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by WinterMute
I don't go to bed unless I'm dog tired, otherwise I'll lie awake for hours worrying about going to sleep...

This means I rarely get to bed before 1:30-2:00am, sometimes as late as 4:00am. Luckily, it doesn't matter how much sleep I get I always feel like s*it in the morning, so 4 hours or 12 its cool. haha, i can certainly identify with that. though on 4 hours of sleep i tend to keep feeling like crap for hours into the day, and usually require a nap in the afternoon.

what about sleeping positions, though? i can't get to sleep on my side/back if i try, at all. i have to roll over onmy stomach to sleep, otherwise it's all but impossible to sleep.

[howard]

if i woke up on my own and got 7 hours of sleep i'd feel great

if i woke up to an alarm and got 9 hours of sleep i'd feel like crap.

[baby duck monge]

usually sleep 4-6 hours. sleep in any position available. fall asleep to cartoons i have seen a million times playing on my computer.

[sillymacgirl]

I used to lay in bed for hours before I feel asleep. Now, almost as soon as my head hits the pillow I'm out. I've found out though that if I sit idle just before bed(like watching a movie or something) I have a hard time going to sleep, but if I stay active until my body tells me it needs to sleep, I fall asleep fast and stay asleep all night.

I'm not saying that would work for you, everyone is different, you just have to try different things until you find out how your body functions. And I tend to sleep at least 8 hours, any less and I'm a complete grump the next day.

Oh yeah, and I have to fall asleep on my stomach, head turned usually to the left. ;-) I don't know how anyone can sleep flat on their back...geez, talk about uncomfortable!

[jefhatfield]

i read the same book on math philosophy an history...that does the job

if what i am reading is interesting to me, then i will not fall asleep very fast

[MacBandit]

I use a meditation technique. I focus on the back of my eyelids and then I mentally close my eyelids again and again. With each time I mentally close my eyelids it gets darker and darker. At some point you just lose consciousness. It keeps your mind from wandering and it for some reason for me shuts me down. I can fall asleep any where with this technique.

You might be wondering where this technique came from. Well it's kind of interesting. Sometimes when I'm asleep or falling asleep I am conscious of it. One time when I was falling asleep I saw the back of my eyelids getting darker and darker as if I had multiple eyelids and each was closing slowly one after another. Remember what happened at that time I started repeating it consciously and found it worked great.

[tazo]

Heh shadowfax, we have more in common than just hazel eyes apparently.

I don't know about the rest of you, but i'm rather fond of sleeping; as a student, i don't usually manage to get a whole lot, though.

but i'm wondering, how do you guys get to sleep? has anyone actually tried "counting sheep" (or some other barnyard animal)? has it worked for you? do you just kind of settle down and lose consciousness?

for my part, when i lay down to go to sleep, my mind usually races around with no particular place to go. i think about things i did during the day, things i wished i'd done/said, a homework problem i'd been trying to solve before going to bed, and so on, heck, i was trying to get to sleep when i had the idea for this thread.

lately, i've been having a good bit of trouble getting to sleep. i think it might be because i'm often rather hungry before bed, but i'm not sure.

also, i sleep on my stomach with my head turned to one side or the other. how do you sleep

I also sleep on my stomach, with my head almost always pointing to the left. My mind also 'races' as you put it when I am trying to get to sleep.

Personally counting sheep or something like that has never helped me fall to sleep; while thinking of something relaxing usually does.

-tazo

[shadowfax]

heh heh... maybe if i just like... stopped taking naps in the afternoon...

but i love naps. they're great for putting off work and stuff.

[PixelFactory]

A technique i use when my mind is racing is to do free writing. Just get a note book and write whatever your thinking for three full pages. Doesn't matter if it makes sense and don't try to force it to make sense. I helps clear my mind by getting everything I was thinking about on paper. If that doesn't work I get out of bed and do something productive... clean the house, wash dishes, get ahead on something for work. The key is to do something proactive, watching TV will just keep me awake a long time.

[Mblazened]

I smoke a bowl and squeeze one off.... then i'm out like a light.

[sonofslim]

my dad is clergy... i learned at an early age to sleep sitting straight up with my eyes open.

it's more like half-open with my eyes rolled back a bit, but it'll fool the casual observer. it'll happen on its own if i'm extra-tired; i've terrified more than one person by falling asleep in the middle of their boring stories. i guess it looks like i'm in a trance or just plain dead.

[rainman::|:|]

i've had a hard time with insomnia in the past. usually, if you're on a regular schedule of waking and sleeping, it will correct itself-- unfortunately this includes weekends, which is sort of out of the question for many.

i tried a variety of drugs, and some would get me pretty stoned, but none really helped me sleep that much (a few of the hardest ones did, but they can't be taken long)... so, in the end, i found that meditation was the answer. in a simpler version, just use visualizations, like imagine your dream computer setup or something similar that you can really get in detail on, it will keep your mind from the negative and anxiety-provoking thought patterns that often cause problems.

it's different for me tho, as my problem was a side effect of social anxiety disorder, whereas yours is a problem in itself (probably). i guess the biggest thing to remember is not to get frustrated, these things take time :)

pnw

[Kwyjibo]

shadow your in college, you obviously not drinking enough, if you were you'd be out like a light when you lay down...

Maybe your going to bed too early or getting up too late ... We usually hang out in my dorm till atleast midnight watching family guy or something like that then we play cards. ... by one or two i'm able to sleep really easily within ten minutes so maybe the answer is to do more stuff
stay awake unti lyour tired... as a last resort my trick is to control my breathing.... when your sleeping your taking prety even breaths ... so i start out making them equal and then making them longer... this usually works for me because i dont' remember it not working when trying to sleep
good luck shadowfax time to enjoy college a bit more

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by paulwhannel
i tried a variety of drugs, and some would get me pretty stoned, but none really helped me sleep that much (a few of the hardest ones did, but they can't be taken long)... so, in the end, i found that meditation was the answer. in a simpler version, just use visualizations, like imagine your dream computer setup or something similar that you can really get in detail on, it will keep your mind from the negative and anxiety-provoking thought patterns that often cause problems. heh, why think about your dream computer when you could think of your dream girl? well, obviously for you it's a little different, but still... ;)

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Kwyjibo
shadow your in college, you obviously not drinking enough, if you were you'd be out like a light when you lay down...

Maybe your going to bed too early or getting up too late ... We usually hang out in my dorm till atleast midnight watching family guy or something like that then we play cards. ... by one or two i'm able to sleep really easily within ten minutes so maybe the answer is to do more stuff
stay awake unti lyour tired... as a last resort my trick is to control my breathing.... when your sleeping your taking prety even breaths ... so i start out making them equal and then making them longer... this usually works for me because i dont' remember it not working when trying to sleep
good luck shadowfax time to enjoy college a bit more damn, man, a little bit of wine or port in the evening, probably just 2-3 glasses, would so solve all my sleeping problems. the only thing is, i'm not 21 and my parents live 6 hours away. my dad would actually probably buy alcohol for me if i lived closer; it's not like he cares, 'cos he knows i'm not one to get drunk, but as the situation is, i have no way of getting much. so that's out of the question. stupid laws, why can i smoke and look at porn and vote and drive but not drink alcohol? this country is so f***ed up.

anyways, as to my attempted sleeping hours, i actually tend to go to bed around 1-2 AM and get up at 8AM on weekdays. when i don't have too much work, i get to bed at 12 or so. somehow it takes me an hour or two before i can fall asleep. on weekends, i tend to go to bed between 2 and 3 AM and get up at 10 or 12. but again, i don't tend to get to sleep for at least an hour or so. it's not my bed, i know--the dorm bed sucks pretty bad, but i have the same problem at my aunt's house, and she's got a pretty nice guest bed. ohhh well, i still make it through the day, or take a nap :)

[themadchemist]

I either sleep on my side or my back...I'm not sure if sleeping on your stomach is good for you. I, at least, don't find it comfortable.

Well, I go to sleep by hitting the bed and falling asleep. I'm a student, too, and I could probably fall asleep ANY TIME, provided I hit the bed.

Often, I probably wouldn't even need a bed to fall asleep. I'm getting more sleep this year, though, so this hasn't been a problem...Thus far.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by themadchemist
I either sleep on my side or my back...I'm not sure if sleeping on your stomach is good for you. I, at least, don't find it comfortable.

Well, I go to sleep by hitting the bed and falling asleep. I'm a student, too, and I could probably fall asleep ANY TIME, provided I hit the bed.

Often, I probably wouldn't even need a bed to fall asleep. I'm getting more sleep this year, though, so this hasn't been a problem...Thus far. i don't think that sleeping on your stomach is bad for you per se. i hope not, i've been doing it for at leat 14 years in my recollection. it's my experience from talking to people that you have a pretty specific position that you sleep in, whether that be on your back, side, stomach, or what, but in any case, people i talk to usually can't easily get to sleep in any other position.

[Nermal]

I sometimes have trouble getting to sleep too. If it's really bad, I find it helps to think of a song that I know all the lyrics to, then sing it back to myself (silently). Often this helps put me to sleep.

I tend to sleep on my stomach with my head facing left. My left arm seems to end up underneath my pillow, suppoting my head. My right arm can be anywhere, although I try not to lie on it (I've woken up several times with a numb right arm, can't be good for it!)

I agree with howard, waking up to an alarm always makes you feel tired. And I often get woken up by really quiet things, several times I've been woken by my iBook's hard drive spinning up for no apparent reason. And several mornings I've been woken by a strange thumping noise on the roof. I eventually found out what it is, sometimes the neighbours' cat jumps up on the roof (by means of the tree by my window) and goes running around. That cat is crazy!

[wdlove]

I sleep on my left side toward my stomach. Can't sleep on my back or stomach. I need at least 8 hours of sleep. Also have problems with my mind racing. I try to taking slow deep breaths, it helps to relax. Try to just not think!

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by wdlove
Try to just not think! yeah, that's a great thing to tell impressionable young people ;)

[oldschool]

HOW TO FALL ASLEEP:

Some sleep researcher in Japan determined that by rubbing your stomach in a vigorous circular motion, blood will be diverted to that particular area of your body, and the wild mind olympics most people experience whilst trying to fall asleep will be quelled.

Just try it. And don't start using physiological and psychological facts to disprove it. It could just be a placebo effect, but it works.

[Counterfit]

I have fallen asleep while listening to music for as long as I can remember. Used to be cassettes when I was young, then CD's, and when I got my own computer this past june/july, it took over, thanks to iSleep. If I don't have any music, I'll try to listen to any sort of random sound, which is hard while camping. As for position, back, side, and sometimes on my stomach. As long as my head is slightly elevated, I'm all set.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Counterfit
I have fallen asleep while listening to music for as long as I can remember. Used to be cassettes when I was young, then CD's, and when I got my own computer this past june/july, it took over, thanks to iSleep. If I don't have any music, I'll try to listen to any sort of random sound, which is hard while camping. As for position, back, side, and sometimes on my stomach. As long as my head is slightly elevated, I'm all set. dang, man. i am terrible about falling asleep to music. i pay way too much attention to it, and never really fall asleep to it. sometimes i try to set the sleep timer on my iPod and my receiver, and somehow, when it shuts off 30 minutes later, i'm still up. haha...

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by shadowfax
dang, man. i am terrible about falling asleep to music. i pay way too much attention to it, and never really fall asleep to it. sometimes i try to set the sleep timer on my iPod and my receiver, and somehow, when it shuts off 30 minutes later, i'm still up. haha...

Turn on really boring talk radio down low. Though I use to do this and I found it gave horrible dreams. I find a mild meditation. Focus on a single object don't add anything to it. Also nothing with detail. Anything complex or high detailed will cause your conscious mind to work and all of a sudden your thinking about things again. I haven't been bothered by stress for quite a few years so I don't know how difficult it would be under those situations it might take some mental training. In any case anything you desire a computer a woman a man would be a terrible thing to think about because that causes you to think. Try to focus on a simple object I personally use the back of my eye lids but you can just focus on a single color or a particular shape if you must.

[cb911]

i usually try to get as good a sleep as possible, cause you never know when you'll need to have a late night.

for getting to sleep when my mind is 'racing' i just lie on my back and think of a large empty room and make my breathing slow, deep and controlled. usually works.

and i find that going to bed on an empty stomach is a sure recipie for having a hard time getting to sleep.

[scem0]

I feel like crap no matter what before 11:00 AM. I'm the biggest non-morning person you'll ever meet.

I barely ever get more than 7 hours of sleep anymore. Except on the weekends of course. I wish this wasn't the case because I love to sleep.

Originally posted by shadowfax
dang, man. i am terrible about falling asleep to music. i pay way too much attention to it, and never really fall asleep to it. sometimes i try to set the sleep timer on my iPod and my receiver, and somehow, when it shuts off 30 minutes later, i'm still up. haha...

I LOVE falling asleep to music. I can sleep to any kind of music. For example I fell asleep to papa roach last night, and I fell asleep to the Rent Soundtrack the night before. When I got the Staind 'Break the Cycle' album I fell asleep to it every night for about a month. Same with Disturbed 'the sickness' and adema 'adema'.

scem0

scem0

[Counterfit]

Originally posted by scem0
I LOVE falling asleep to music. I can sleep to any kind of music. For example I fell asleep to papa roach last night, and I fell asleep to the Rent Soundtrack the night before. When I got the Staind 'Break the Cycle' album I fell asleep to it every night for about a month. Same with Disturbed 'the sickness' and adema 'adema'.

scem0

scem0 Same here. I've ranged from Soulfly to Louis Armstrong, and from Metallica to highlights from The Phantom of The Opera. Not to mention Dropkick Murphys, Bad Religion, Megadeth,....

[wdlove]

Originally posted by scem0
I feel like crap no matter what before 11:00 AM. I'm the biggest non-morning person you'll ever meet.

I barely ever get more than 7 hours of sleep anymore. Except on the weekends of course. I wish this wasn't the case because I love to sleep.

scem0

I also love to sleep scem0. Often notice a certain look with people that just got up, a "non-morning person." Do you have that look scem0? :p

[rueyeet]

Wow, scem0--if you can fall asleep to Disturbed, you really CAN fall asleep to anything. Tried System of a Down? Oughta send you right off. :)

I've had trouble falling asleep ever since I was two, when I can remember arguing with Mom that I didn't need a nap. My brain just won't quit making noise....over the years I've added layers of coping techniques until I now must have a dark room with white noise to sleep (my mind will grab hold of music or people talking and refuse to let go). Falling asleep takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, during which I run my brain around its little hamster wheel by creating stories/scenes in my head, or listen to music, or both. I do that on my back, then flip over when I feel like sleeping might actually work, 'cause I can only sleep on my stomach. I really envy people who can just close their eyes and *bam* they're asleep.

The worst part is, I need the sleep; anything less than seven hours and I feel off. Nine hours is preferable. Regardless of how much sleep I've had or when I went to bed, I'm never really awake before 9:30 am. And waking up to the alarm rather than waking naturally makes me feel a bit off too--more so when it happens during a dream.

Right now my sleep habits are so f'ed up....I'm getting to bed to late, taking longer to get to sleep, waking up feeling like crap every single day, and doing too much on the weekends to make up for it by sleeping late like I used to. In fact I get less sleep on weekends. But sleep just takes too much time....

If sleep were food, I'd have an eating disorder. It's quite the love/hate relationship, sleep and I.

[rhpenguin]

i usually spark a spliff before i go to bed... helps me chillax to the point of actually wanting to go to sleep.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by rueyeet
Wow, scem0--if you can fall asleep to Disturbed, you really CAN fall asleep to anything. Tried System of a Down? Oughta send you right off. :)

I've had trouble falling asleep ever since I was two, when I can remember arguing with Mom that I didn't need a nap. My brain just won't quit making noise....over the years I've added layers of coping techniques until I now must have a dark room with white noise to sleep (my mind will grab hold of music or people talking and refuse to let go). Falling asleep takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, during which I run my brain around its little hamster wheel by creating stories/scenes in my head, or listen to music, or both. I do that on my back, then flip over when I feel like sleeping might actually work, 'cause I can only sleep on my stomach. I really envy people who can just close their eyes and *bam* they're asleep.

The worst part is, I need the sleep; anything less than seven hours and I feel off. Nine hours is preferable. Regardless of how much sleep I've had or when I went to bed, I'm never really awake before 9:30 am. And waking up to the alarm rather than waking naturally makes me feel a bit off too--more so when it happens during a dream.

Right now my sleep habits are so f'ed up....I'm getting to bed to late, taking longer to get to sleep, waking up feeling like crap every single day, and doing too much on the weekends to make up for it by sleeping late like I used to. In fact I get less sleep on weekends. But sleep just takes too much time....

If sleep were food, I'd have an eating disorder. It's quite the love/hate relationship, sleep and I. dude, other than the listening to music thing (which i can't do at all), we are spot on the same. i keep ending up with 6 hours of sleep on the weekdays and need 7-8.

haha, today i cut 2 classes and a discussion section, didn't wake up till 12:00 PM--getting me 9 hours of sleep. sweeeet!

[Counterfit]

Originally posted by rueyeet
Tried System of a Down? Oughta send you right off. :) I have :D

[Phil Of Mac]

My biggest sleep problem is my fear of losing consciousness. I like to sleep, especially after I wake up in the morning, but at night, I sometimes simply do not want to lose my consciousness. I hold onto my consciousness so tightly that to get to sleep, either I have to be severely distracted or too tired.

I also need solitude. Currently I have a refrigerator and a large cabinet with a TV on top between my bed and my roommate's bed, just so I don't see my roommate and he doesn't see me when both of us are in bed. I think I'm doomed to spending the rest of my life single.

Also, there are times when I'm falling asleep, and I'm semi-dreaming that I'm walking down stairs, but I can't feel the next step under my foot (because I'm in bed), so I feel like I'm falling, and I panic, and wake up.

[Foxer]

Originally posted by WinterMute
I don't go to bed unless I'm dog tired, otherwise I'll lie awake for hours worrying about going to sleep...

Exactly the same situation. I'm scared to death of insomnia - had bouts in the past - and avoid it at all costs.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Foxer
Exactly the same situation. I'm scared to death of insomnia - had bouts in the past - and avoid it at all costs. yeah. i'm so damn scared of becoming an insomniac, i can't get to sleep.
;)
by the way, guys, i got to sleep last night with music going. it was Christopher O'Riley's radiohead covers. a whole bunch of GORGEOUS piano solos. very relaxing.

[Phil Of Mac]

I find it hard to sleep with music. At least with the iPod earbuds in my ears. Maybe if it was through a speaker it'd be different.

[Foxer]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
I find it hard to sleep with music. At least with the iPod earbuds in my ears. Maybe if it was through a speaker it'd be different.

When I was a child, I had to have the radio on because i was scared of the dark. i was a freak chld though, beacuse I had to listen to the all news station (or baseball). Now, I need total quite - although I frequntly fall asleep in fron the of the TV or in meetings at work.:D

Edit: This was my 500th post! Yahoo!

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Foxer
When I was a child, I had to have the radio on because i was scared of the dark. i was a freak chld though, beacuse I had to listen to the all news station (or baseball). Now, I need total quite - although I frequntly fall asleep in fron the of the TV or in meetings at work.:D

Edit: This was my 500th post! Yahoo! congrats... what's your 'tar gonna be?

phill, i definitely agree that having something in your ear would really mess up the ability to get to sleep. i've never even bothered to try to get to sleep at night like that, though i have slept in a car with earbuds on. i was sitting up, too, though. somehow i can do weird things like that in the car.

[Foxer]

Originally posted by shadowfax
congrats... what's your 'tar gonna be?


I have no idea. Something stupid I'm sure

[Phil Of Mac]

Cars put you to sleep because of the forward motion. Even when you are driving.

One time I was driving, half-asleep, and I kept almost going off the road. I was trying to go straight, but the car kept moving to the side. Turned out to be a strong side wind. I had to keep turned in the opposite direction to compensate. It seems obvious, but I was proud with myself for figuring this out while asleep.

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Phil Of Mac
Cars put you to sleep because of the forward motion. Even when you are driving.

One time I was driving, half-asleep, and I kept almost going off the road. I was trying to go straight, but the car kept moving to the side. Turned out to be a strong side wind. I had to keep turned in the opposite direction to compensate. It seems obvious, but I was proud with myself for figuring this out while asleep.

I've lost over 10 miles on multiple occasions to be awakened by non-pavement or noise strips under my tires. This went on for a couple months. I don't allow myself to get to that point anymore. I'll even take caffeine pills if I absolutely have to but normally I just find a place to take a nap.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by MacBandit
I've lost over 10 miles on multiple occasions to be awakened by non-pavement or noise strips under my tires. This went on for a couple months. I don't allow myself to get to that point anymore. I'll even take caffeine pills if I absolutely have to but normally I just find a place to take a nap. yeah, i've done a few 4-8 hour car trips this year alone... if i don't get enough sleep, i do often end up feeling the eyes start to close, and then.... rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrump... it gets you back up though, heh. when i get tired on the road i put music on really loud, preferably music i can sing along to (when i am driving alone, heh). that can get me through a lot.

[eyelikeart]

Originally posted by sillymacgirl
And I tend to sleep at least 8 hours, any less and I'm a complete grump the next day.

hmm...if I sleep that long...my energy levels for the day are screwed...

5-6 hours is sufficient for me...

I've been known to get by on 3-4 hours for weeks at a time on occasion...

I don't like sleeping much. I'd rather be up doing things than wasting hours doing nothing. I don't get people who want to sleep 10+ hours to be honest. I do know I've become more of a morning person the older I've become.

As for falling asleep, it's weird. It generally takes me about 5-10 mins to fall into complete sleep. I don't know how it's happened, but I recently have been able to sense myself slipping into REM sleep mode. I know my eyes are moving around, as I feel them. I also am aware of the random, weird images moving thru my head, and I recognize them as dreams. I've only noticed it for a few months now, and I'm wondering if it has anything to do with my music playing while I sleep?

[sillymacgirl]

Originally posted by eyelikeart

As for falling asleep, it's weird. It generally takes me about 5-10 mins to fall into complete sleep. I don't know how it's happened, but I recently have been able to sense myself slipping into REM sleep mode. I know my eyes are moving around, as I feel them. I also am aware of the random, weird images moving thru my head, and I recognize them as dreams. I've only noticed it for a few months now, and I'm wondering if it has anything to do with my music playing while I sleep?


Hmm, you're weird :rolleyes: ;)

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by eyelikeart
As for falling asleep, it's weird. It generally takes me about 5-10 mins to fall into complete sleep. I don't know how it's happened, but I recently have been able to sense myself slipping into REM sleep mode. I know my eyes are moving around, as I feel them. I also am aware of the random, weird images moving thru my head, and I recognize them as dreams. I've only noticed it for a few months now, and I'm wondering if it has anything to do with my music playing while I sleep? it may have something to do with your music for you, but i know there are people who are like that without music. can you control the dreams, if you know that they are dreams?--i.e, have you had a lucid dream? a friend of mine in high school was telling me about how he read this book on how to do it, heh.

[Blue Velvet]

I guess it's appropriate to post here just before I go to bed...

I've been on medication for the last 5 years which affects my metabolism – in the last 24 hours I've had 4 periods of dreamless sleep each lasting 2-3 hours although I can sometimes sleep for 12-13 hours over a Saturday.

It's difficult to get my body-clock sorted for work but as we're on flexi-time that seems to be OK. Besides, it's nice being in the office at 7am – no phones etc.

Always fall asleep with BBC Radio 5 on quietly on a timer so it shuts off after an hour...

'night all :)

[EGT]

Take an average sized mug, add
1 generous teaspoon honey
1-2 measures of whiskey
2-3 cloves
Slice or two of lemon.
Pour on boiling water stir and allow cloves to infuse for a couple of minutes.
Drink whilst hot.
SnoooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRrrrrrrrrrr

OR

have a glass of milk or a hot milky drink like Horlicks about 30 mins before you go to bed, apparently there's something in the white stuff that helps us get decent shut-eye. Try not to do anything too mentally stimulating for at least 90 minutes prior to bedtime, allow your brain time to relax.

You could also try a hot milk drink with a good sprinkling of nutmeg. Nutmeg has mild narcotic effects and should send you right off after yer sh@g ...

If you're really stuck for getting some sleep, blindfold yourself in your bedroom, turn around 20 times really fast, stop for 2 seconds and run as fast as you can in the direction you're facing.

nite nite

[iGary]

I need 8 hours, but really no more, or I feel like crap.

Edit: And I often wake up tangled in my iPod. :D

[applekid]

Since the topic is resurrected...

This is my sleep habit:

- During the school week, I usually get to bed past 10 PM. I wake up at 6 AM the next day, and head for school. Unfortunately for me, that is still not enough sleep. I really need a good 9 to 10 hours at minimum to be in tip-top shape. I go to school, and I am almost falling asleep during first period. Luckily for me, this year I have Spanish early in the morning, so my brain doesn't need to work too hard. Previous years, I had math or another class that requires more thinking, and my grades showed how not healthy that was (think: I'm acing Calculus, but couldn't get an A in Pre-Calc and Algebra II. Still got B's, but anyhow... Calc is in the afternoon for me and the other two math classes were my first period classes back then). I've noticed on days where I'm wide-awake (sometimes I have no trouble getting up), I can think of words faster for Spanish, but it's more often than never that I can't think quickly as I want to.

- I sometimes take a nap after school, if I'm not busy. But I nap sparingly. Sometimes I wake up with a headache for no apparent reason. Other times I have a headache and take a nap to get better. There's some study I remember about how too much sleep or too little sleep can make your head hurt, so I'll assume it has to do with that. Don't eat hot dairy products! We know warm milk can knock you out, but watch out for cheese, too. If I'm even slightly tired, a quesadia or some nachos I have for a snack will make me fall asleep!

- I catch up on my sleep during the weekend. There's some crappy weeks where I sleep for literally maybe a good 5 hours a night or so. I'll hit the sack as early as 7 PM on a Friday and wake up 10 AM on Saturday. There was one Friday-Sunday where I got about over 30 hours of sleep (so about 10 hours a night and then some from napping). Monday came, and I was on top of my game for the rest of the school week. It's a great feeling. And, there was a night or two where I was up late, but had no trouble getting up. So, take advantage of your weekends to sleep when you can. And just stock up on those Z's ;)

- I have a weird sleeping habit. I snore (A LOT!) and I tend to kick the wall really hard (a side of my bed is against the wall). Somehow I manage to not hurt myself considering how hard I kick the wall. Once, I kicked the wall so hard and often that my upstairs neighbors came down to ask what as going on! There also was time I was in a deep sleep, but felt myself kicking, I open my eyes to see my foot lunge forward, and I basically kicked my self on to the floor. I just had to laugh at myself for such a weird situation :)

- I have trouble remembering dreams. I wake up with a certain emotion though. If the dream was scary, I'll wake up in a little panic, but not remember what happened. If it was a happy dream, I'll wake up happy, but not remember what happened. People recommend I keep a sleep journal if I really care. But, I'll leave it alone for now.

- I can sorta think while I'm dreaming. It's weird, but I know I'm dreaming, but I'll hear myself say something like "wake up" or if it's bad dream, "just remember it's a dream," and I can feel my heart stop pounding when I'm having a nightmare. It comes in handy :)

- I have no trouble getting to sleep these days. But for those times I have trouble, I like to make up a story in my head. I have an active imagination, so I keep my mind off of things actually happening to me or in the world. It helps. You don't get preoccupied with anything too exciting or worrisome.

[atari1356]

I usually stay up far too late occupying myself with something on the computer, then go to bed after I've fallen asleep in my chair a couple of times.

Also, I have a baby who's almost 6 months old, so I'm often up in the middle of the night or early in the morning. I don't like going to sleep... I like to occupy my mind/learn new things/or just zone out reading pointless message board posts. ;)

I used to also fall asleep in my chair at work after lunch - probably due to not getting enough sleep at night. Luckily, I think everyone else in my office fell asleep in their chairs too (or wasted an hour browsing the internet) so I never got in trouble.

I'm going to have to break my bad sleep habits when I start working again next month. :D

[oldschool]

if you're meditating don't try to push thoughts out of your head. instead let them flow in and then let them flow out of their own accord.

[oldschool]

I smoke a bowl and squeeze one off.... then i'm out like a light.

:D


man that will cure any insomnia.


if you smoke a bowl, squeeze one off AND rub one off...you'll die i think.

[ravenvii]

Basically I just think of a straight horizonal line going to the right. I just follow it until I get so bored I fall out of consciousness.

I heard about this lucid dreaming thing, it's awesome. I have experienced suddenly becoming aware that I'm dreaming only twice or so, and it was a blast - I can do anything I want. A bit scary though - while I was certain I'm dreaming, there's still some tiny doubt, and sometimes I say what if I do this, and turns out it's the real world? :eek:

Anyway, I'd like to find a way to get to a point where I can have lucid dreams when I choose. That'd be fun!

[mrjikey]

I've been known to fall asleep in the most unusual places and positions. I even fell asleep standing up once(not kidding). I think I get it from my grandfather. He once fell out of the pew in church while sleeping. If I take more than 2-5min to get to sleep I feel like it's been an eternity and what I look forward to the most is dreaming. I almost always remember my dreams.

[virividox]

i sleep 5-6 hours a night

[Nermal]

Well, since it's been over a year since I last posted in here, I might as well give you an update.

I have no problem with sleeping - once I'm asleep, I tend to stay asleep until either morning or until something wakes me up (cat, needing to use the loo, etc). The hardest part is actually getting to sleep in the first place - it's summer here at the moment and it's hard to get to sleep when you're hot. Last summer I got a ceiling fan, it helps immensely. I tend to go to bed and read until I start to feel tired (reading print makes me tired a lot quicker than staring at the comparatively large objects in my room). If it's really bad, I sometimes put on some music, usually after 20 minutes or so I feel really tired.

Speaking of sleep, it's 11:16 and I have work tomorrow. Good night! :)